Keep on truckin'

MASA and Lone Wolf plan walk-in locations

[Editor's note: This story was adapted and updated from TulsaFood.com stories on Masa and Lone Wolf.]

Some days, it’s tempting to go from breakfast to brunch to lunch to dinner at our local food trucks. That’s only getting easier as some of our favorite truckies announce expansion plans. By summer’s end, MASA food truck will open a casual, takeout-focused physical location at 7996 S. Sheridan Road. And Lone Wolf—in addition to seeking a midtown or south Tulsa home for a second food truck—is moving next door to their former commissary kitchen at 37^th and Harvard, where they will open a “take home” front-of-house. 

MASA 

Robert Carnoske and Chad Wilcox have created something amazing with the MASA food truck. Instead of predictable Tex-Mex flavors, they offer true Latino fusion (as suggested by their pre-Columbian-influenced logo). 

Carnoske and Wilcox first bonded over their love for food as students at Bishop Kelley High School. Later, though living in different cities, they dreamed of one day opening a late-night food truck that served the kind of exotic fare they favored but couldn’t find in Tulsa.    

Formerly a Sunday brunch staple at Hodges Bend, they’re now taking the truck to OKC, hitting local festivals and partnering with Mixed Company for wine pairings and cocktail dinners. At the walk-in location, look for MASA’s full menu of worldly treats (only select items are available on a regular basis from the truck). 

Among my MASA favorites is Maria’s Hash ($9), one of the most exciting, delicious brunch items I’ve ever eaten. Served on a banana leaf, the hash combines Colombian chorizo, cubed plantain, avocados and pico de gallo, topped with a fried egg. The flavors come together perfectly—the plantains not quite ripe but sweet enough to beautifully balance the savory chorizo. The dish evoked nostalgia for my mother’s home country—though I’ve never had a brunch quite like this in Colombia. 

One thing I certainly had back in Colombia was the addictive empanada—a small, half-moon shaped delicacy—and MASA does it justice. Perhaps I’m biased due to my heritage, but the Colombian empanada reigns supreme. The corn masa dough isn’t so thick that it overwhelms its filling, and it’s fried as opposed to baked. (Like my mom always said, “If I wanted something baked, I’d order a cookie.”)

Carnoske, who also has a Colombian mother, clearly understands the allure of the fried empanada. MASA offers four variations (3 for $7 or 6 for $12) with the option to mix and match: The Sunrise (eggs, sausage, red bell peppers, onions and peppinade); The Veggie (spinach, black beans and water chestnuts); the T.C.B. (Thai chilies, chicken and basil) and The Colombiana. 

The Colombiana features perfectly seasoned pork, beef and potato and comes with ají, a traditional South American sauce. The ají’s authentic Colombian flavors of citrus, garlic and cilantro taste so good you’ll almost want to drink it like a gazpacho. 

Everything I tried was delicious, but it was difficult not to lose myself in the hash and Colombiana, as they transported me to a country that I know and love so well. As food trucks are wont to do, MASA roams during the week; keep tabs on them through social media and at masatulsa.com.

LONE WOLF 

For three years, the Lone Wolf food truck has been slaying Tulsa’s taste buds with its consistently outstanding Vietnamese-French fusion cuisine. Now, owners Philip and Danielle Phillips are giving the brick-and-mortar brunch joints a run for their money with their own eclectic take on the anything-goes meal. 

Available Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. in The Fur Shop backyard, the menu requires a longer cook time than their standard fare. Thankfully, this gives you ample opportunity to build your own Bloody Mary and settle into the spacious outdoor patio seating. (Those 21 and over may also sit inside). Wherever you set up camp, a food runner will deliver your order to you.

I first tasted the Beignets (4 for $4.95), which made a brief appearance on Lone Wolf’s original menu back in 2012 but have been otherwise absent until now. The warm, fluffy, powdered-sugar-dusted pastry, essentially a French doughnut, is in the style of the world-famous confection from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.

Next up was the French Toast Brioche ($5.50), served with a delicious ginger and peach bourbon syrup, miso butter and mint crème fraiche. They’ll add fruit to this dangerous combination for an additional $3. Along with the Beignets, this dish pays admirable tribute to the sweet side of brunch and works great as a sharable appetizer or a complete meal.

I also sampled the Kimchi Melt ($8.50), a delicious burger on toasted brioche (baked fresh in-house) served with caramelized onions, kimchi, Havarti and Lone Island sauce. A mixture of Lone Wolf’s famous Thai chili aioli and pureed house-made pickles, the Lone Island sauce is Philip’s fiery twist on Thousand Island dressing. For protein, choose the quarter-pound beef patty or a vegetarian-friendly chickpea fritter. Thin in that distinctively Okie style, the beef patty was delicious and dressed to taste like something far more exotic. 

For me, the piece de resistance was the French Omelet, served with sweet potato and beet home fries ($8.50). The omelet varies weekly, but the one I enjoyed was made with roasted tomato, Havarti, basil, scallions and basil aioli. It’s simply the best omelet I’ve had in Tulsa. The eggs, cooked to buttery perfection, had a custard-like consistency. The sweet potato and beet home fries were a welcome change from traditional home fries and packed with the perfect amount of flavor to complement the omelet. I will return for this dish again and again. 

Take-home offerings at Lone Wolf’s physical location will include aiolis, marinades, kimchi, pickled daikon and carrots, bread, meats, pre-prepped fried rice bowls, cold traditional banh mi sandwiches and more. In addition to selling everything you need to replicate your own Lone Wolf meal at home, they’ll even give you prep tips. They also plan to host small-group cooking classes at the same location.

Find these and other delicious morsels at TulsaFood.com, covering restaurants, products, events, recipes—everything a Tulsa foodie needs.