Vicki Vail's

The burger and fries: a staple in American culture. In Hampton Roads, I haven't found a better pair than the one coming out of Vicki Vail's food truck.

Everything about them is simple in the best way possible. Their truck is sleek and elegant in its design, and their food mirrors that. Their menu is small, giving you less than a dozen options, but from the ones I've tried, each is a solid choice.

Mushroom And Swiss

On my maiden voyage I got their Mushroom and Swiss. It's exactly as the title suggests, but they do it so well. Melted cheese wraps around the 80/20 beef patty like cellophane, so each bite has that cheesy goodness. The mushrooms taste like they were cut and sautéed to order. Crisp lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions add the perfect fresh contrast to the savory patty. But sometimes, it's the little things that push good ingredients over the edge: a buttered, toasted bun.

You know what's just as good as a great burger? The perfect french fries. The seasoning is spot on. They're so tasty with the the right balance of starchy, salty goodness. There's no artificial aftertaste like the one you find with fast food chains. You'll just have the desire to take the whole basket of fries for yourself.

So what's the downside of Vicki Vails? It's a food truck, so it's inherently a little bit more difficult to pinpoint your soon-to-be-new-addiction than a stationary restaurant. Follow them on Facebook to get alerts about the festivals and events they attend.

The other downside: the price. Two burgers, fries to share, and 2 bottles of water will set you back nearly $30. That might be a little much for some because people have this notion that food out of a truck should be really inexpensive. My advise, the meal is worth the money.

Vicki Vails: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Five Boroughs

There's a duality going on at Five Boroughs on High Street in Portsmouth. Some know it for the pizza, and others for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes (or MME dishes as I'm going to call it). So if you only know it for the New York-style options go back and try the shawarma behind the pizza.

The menu is extensive from strombolis to calzones to hotdogs and hamburgers. That may get people in the door, but shawarma keeps them coming back. 

I confess I've only had 3 of their MME dishes, but it's enough that I had to write about it. So let's dive in to my favorite: the chicken shawarma. 

Chicken Shawarma Platter (takeout edition)

It comes with rice (which is underneath the generous helping of chicken in the picture), a lettuce and tomato salad, mayo-less cabbage slaw, and of course your choice of meat. The chicken is well-spiced but not too salty, the rice is rich and flavorful, and the salad and cabbage slaw add a fresh element that helps balance the whole dish. My suggestion: mix it all together so you get each element in each bite. So what's missing? Hummus! It's like the extra sauce that pulls the whole shawarma platter together. That's why ordering the side dish is a must.

Hummus (takeout edition)

The hummus is great. It's creamy, not too tart, not too much tahini, and literally begs you to eat it by the spoonful. They add some kind of watery pepper on top as a garnish that I could honestly do without. It makes the texture of the hummus more watery than I like, but after you mix it in, it doesn't detract too much from the dish. 

You have 2 options when ordering a side of hummus: pita chips or pita bread. Their pita chips are fried remnants of larger pita pieces. It's not those uniform, thick pieces you buy from a grocery store. The crunch adds great texture, but they can be a little oily; the thinner pieces more so. I prefer getting the pita bread, however it doesn't have as much flavor as the chips.

Left to Right: Shawarma Platter, Pita Bread, Hummus

The chicken shawarma platter will set you back about $10. Add the hummus and pita side for another  $5 to $6 (pita chips are $1 cheaper). The portion size is generous for the price.

The pizza at Five Boroughs is decent. While it's not the best I've eaten, it's large, thin, and very much the New York style many people crave.

Five Boroughs: ⭐⭐⭐