Food Truck Feast Kicks Off in Marina Del Rey

Nothing says summer like feasting on burgers and fries beachside. Add cupcakes, tacos and samosas, and you've got a foodie and beachgoer's heaven.

A foodie/beachgoer's heaven is probably the best way to describe "Beach Eats," a weekly gathering of food trucks at Mother's Beach which kicked off Thursday. Attendees praised the event's convenient location, ample seating and scenic views.

"The food is good, the ambiance is fun, it's convenient and the weather is beautiful," said Judy Venters, a resident of Marina Del Rey. Venters spent the evening beachside with her friend, Toby Brock, also of Marina Del Rey.

"We're feasting over here," Brock said. The friends digged into a meal of sweet potato fries and tandoori chicken tacos (from the Dosa Truck), as well as a lobster roll paired with ceviche (from the Cousins Main Lobster Truck).

Thursday's truck selection included: Nom Nom, Border Grill, Baby's Badass Burgers, Cousins Maine Lobster, the Dosa Truck and Sprinkles Cupcakes' Sprinklesmobile. The truck selection will vary from week to week.

Many attendees said they appreciated the convenient location of the event; the trucks station themselves in a parking lot across from the Marriot Hotel. There is ample parking surrounding the lot (although it is metered), as well as an abundance of seating at picnic tables just a few feet away from the trucks.

"It's definitely more comfortable than other food trucks events like First Fridays in Venice... considering it's a food truck event, it's amazing that there's even a place to sit," said Bonnie Siegler, a resident of Playa Del Rey. Siegler and her son, Jesse Humphries, chowed down on curly fries and fish tacos from the Border Grill truck.

"It's a nice addition to summer here and I hope it becomes a bigger event over time," Siegler said.

Carol Baker, the spokeswoman for Beaches and Harbors Department (the organization which approved the event's location) said she was pleased with the turnout - more than 60 people were milling around the food truck lot at 6:30 p.m.

"I love that people are appearing on their bikes, with their babies, their pets," Baker said. "It feels like a real community event."

Beach Eats takes place every Thursday throughout the summer from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Mother's Beach, 4101 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey.

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