What the Truck?! Rolling Ficelle

From Katie Andriulli. Email her at katie[AT]borderstan.com and follow her on Twitter @kandriulli.

So, dear readers, DC has a lot of food trucks (like, over 100, somehow). Some of them are out-of-control good, others… meh. But how does one know what to pick when the hunger pangs come calling? Do longer lines necessarily translate into better food?

Or are the better trucks just more efficient? Which truck gives you the most bang for your buck? Why do you drive on a parkway and park in a driveway? Did anything about The Following make sense? These are just a few of the questions I’ll be attempting to answer for you each week.

This week, we road-tested the Rolling Ficelle, purveyors of fine sandwiches.

Food Selection and Price

The Ficelle specializes in sandwiches served on mini french baguettes (ficelles) from DC’s own Lyon Bakery. They offer eight options, all named after famous artists (see the full menu here). The Davis (roasted chicken, lemon aioli, avocado, romaine and slivered almonds) and the Rothko (prosciutto, provolone, romaine, tomatoes and herb butter) are just two of the standouts.

There’s also one veggie option, the Perilli (eggplant, red peppers, mozzarella and roasted garlic aioli). And don’t forget to ask them about their specials when you go…their french onion soup is better than it probably has a right to be.

All sandwiches are $7.75 plus tax. Chips are $1 and soda and lemonade are $2.

The Verdict!

• Wait time: 5/5. The line was pretty short (2-3 people ahead of us) but it was straight up gross outside during lunch hour on the day we went, so the crowds may have been thinner than usual. That being said, it took less than three minutes from the time we ordered to the time our sandwiches were handed to us, which is almost implausible.
• Service: 5/5. The guy who took our order was very friendly and had a nice hat on. Plus, they take credit cards, which is a must.
• Bang for your buck: 4/5. The Ficelle is probably not the cheapest food truck around – sandwiches will run you about $8 bucks each – but the combo deal, which includes a sandwich, chips and a fresh lemonade (amazeballs!) for about $10 is a pretty sweet deal. Also, the sandwiches are BIG y’all (see below) and the ingredients are fresh and high quality, so you won’t feel swindled in the least.
• Deliciousness: 4.5/5. I ordered the Perilli and my friend chose the Bluhm (roast beef, green peppers, giardiniera, herb butter and beef jus). We devoured them like ravenous bears at a Boy Scout Jamboree, and both raved about the taste. The roasted garlic aioli on the Perilli was especially indulgent, and all the ingredients complimented each other nicely. The actual ficelle is served warm and toasty, but not in a gross Quiznos kinda way. I took off 1/2 a point because my sandwich got a little soggy at the bottom under the weight of its ingredients, making it a bit less appetizing to finish (but I did anyway, obviously).
• Overall: 4.5/5. If you want a kick-ass sandwich for a pretty good value and aren’t one of those jerks who seems to have a spare 3 hours to wait in line for your lunch, then the Ficelle is the truck for you.

Follow the Rolling Ficelle on Twitter @TheFicelle.

Truck you’re too scared to try? E-mail me at katie[AT]borderstan.com and and let me know! (I mean, I’m not saying I’ll try it either you weirdo, but who knows!) 

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