Cross your fingers that the Rollin' Kitchen, the latest concept from GR8 Plate Hospitality Group, rolls into your neighborhood sometime soon.

Or better yet, stalk the truck successfully yourself (via assistance from its schedule posted weekly on Facebook), because there are some seriously delicious, one-of-a-kind (at least in Houston) dishes being created in this food truck by Mike McElroy. Case in point, the enormous boudin ball, a near softball-size sphere stuffed with housemade pork boudin and cheese, then deep-fried until the savory exterior is crackly. With each bite, melted cheese collided with spiced rice and oleaginous (a term, BTW, that shouldn't be in the pejorative when it refers to food) pig flesh, and I was left wondering, Why just one? Chef McElroy, please consider vending these puppies by the dozen in some sort of family pack. 
 


Similarly singular is Rollin' Kitchen's shrimp étouffée fries, in which carbohydrates work in conjunction to soak up the luscious juices of the sauce whose latent heat can be attributed to the use of poblano rather that green bell peppers. Although Cajun cuisine purists may scoff at the untraditional addition of potatoes, I would argue that the introduction of crunchy (at least initially) fries provides a welcome textural variation. There's also the fact that adding fries to anything makes it better. Duh.


Pair these aforementioned dishes with one of the Rollin' Kitchen's terrific chocolate chip cookies, whose composition remarkably straddles the line between cakey and chewy as well as sweet and savory (thanks to a hint of sea salt), and you may need someone to roll you away from the truck.

What is perhaps most exciting about the classic Cajun and creole food with some fun tweaks that has emerged thus from Rollin' Kitchen is that more innovations are in store. In a brief but invigorating chat with GR8 Plate restaurateur Paul Miller, I learned that he and chef McElroy have many even more adventurous tricks up their sleeves that they are considering unveiling. I will not at this time disclose their musings, but I will say be bold, be brave and you will be successful, guys.