HAMPTON ROADS — One day, best friends, Brandon Bolt and Mike Enslen decided to set off on an adventure to explore the world. Almost a decade later the two have brought some of the cultures they experienced back to Hampton Roads through their food truck.
“One day, Brandon and I decided to sell our stuff and buy one-way tickets to London. The goal was to backpack around Europe for a year. In that time, we kept meeting people and finding opportunities and our one year turned into eight years living abroad and all over the world,” Enslen continued, “When we needed cash, we would get jobs working in restaurants as chefs, because that’s where our skills were. We learned a lot of new techniques, recipes, and cuisines working with people from different backgrounds.”
In July, Nomads Food Truck will have spent one year sharing a variety of cuisines to Hampton Roads.
“Traveling gave me a lot of exposure to foods and culture. When you’re traveling without a family, especially during the holidays, people want to cook for each other. This allowed me the opportunity to try new items and I wanted to bring that experience back to Tidewater, where we are from,” said Enslen, “Not everyone can sell all their belongings are travel the world. But, we can at least bring some of that food back to share.”
Part of the appeal of a food truck is the personal touch customers get as they come up to order. Patrons are encouraged to ask about the dishes. Many will question the origin or ask for suggestions. Another thing that sets them apart is that the menu changes often. Bolt and Enslen use their travels to inspire dishes from across the globe such as Australia, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Romania.
“Most of the food we are doing, from the country where it originated, is considered peasant food. What we are preparing is very simple, everyday fare. As backpackers, we couldn’t afford any bougie restaurants. So, we ate a lot of street food and enjoyed the local recipes.”
Enslen says the Williamsburg/York County area has embraced their vision of ‘locally sourced, internationally inspired’ and the truck has become a regular fixture at several local breweries.
(Nomads Food Truck)
“You can’t beat our truck in terms of variety. It is a very distinctly American phenomenon that places will open and just run the same menu. But, overseas, the restaurants are based on seasonality and availability. Plus, the change suits our personalities. We start to get bored and we like being creative,” states Enslen, “We try to remain authentic but sometimes the way we make a dish will be slightly different from the original since we have to adapt to what will sell and what is available.”
One country not likely to be represented at Nomads is the United States. The local market has that covered, Enslen said, however, a Fourth of July barbecue celebration is in the books.
“Just to show to everyone that we can cook that!” laughs Enslen, “But usually we want to avoid doing what everyone else is doing.”
To find where Nomads will be located next or to see its current menu, check out their Facebook page.
