I like food trucks because the decision happens in public. You read the board, smell the grill and know exactly how hungry you are by the time you reach the window.
Aladdin Mediterranean Grill parks a blue food trailer at 990 Grove Street in Sonoma. Shawarma, gyro, kabob, falafel, salads, hummus and Turkish coffee lead to one blunt choice: wrap or plate.
The wrap is for a day still moving
A wrap keeps the components together: meat or falafel, vegetables, sauce and bread in one hand-held lunch. It works before another winery stop, a walk around Sonoma Plaza or the drive back to Santa Rosa.
Falafel brings herbs and a fried crust. Shawarma or gyro gives the wrap richer meat and spice. Ask for sauce according to taste, especially if the rest of the day will be spent in the car.
The plate lets every part keep its shape
Choose a plate when lunch is the stop rather than the interruption. Rice, salad, hummus and grilled food remain distinct, so every forkful can be adjusted.
Legumes, vegetables, grains, bread, sauces and protein split the work. No ingredient has to pretend it explains the whole cuisine.
Leave two minutes for the coffee
Turkish coffee is small, strong and meant to settle before the last sip. It is not a paper-cup drink to throw back at the wheel.
I would order it when there is time to stand near the trailer and let lunch finish properly. Check Aladdin’s current schedule before making a special trip; food-truck hours can change.