EVERYTHING IS ON THE HOUSE

By MICHAEL PERKINS

THE MODERN-DAY FOOD TRUCK has brought back the concept of what used to be call a stand, as in hot dog stand or hamburger stand, a self-contained place where food was sold on the spot over a counter and usually by the side of the road. The customers were always served outdoors, because, unlike with a standard restaurant, there was no “indoors” as such. Following the nationwide expansion of the automobile in the 20th century, stands were situated wherever brief stops and quick eats were required by an increasingly mobile America. Photographers immediately fell in love with the individualistic, even quirky visual signatures of these small businesses.

One of the hallmarks of the stand was the time-saver of listing the joint’s entire menu on the front of the place, a kind of “this is what we have” simplicity that is now the hallmark of Food Truck Nation. The other place where single-purpose stands still survive, in an age of Denny’s and Burger Kings, is on the shabbily chic streets of beach towns, like this Thai takeaway in Ventura, California. Just a block from the ocean, this stand truly lives up to the phrase “everything is on the house” as the bill of fare is literally the entire front of the place. I don’t know if the stuff is delicious, but it sure ain’t pretentious.

I love places that have managed to thrive despite coloring outside the lines of corporate commodification. They offer hope that the American dream is still an individual vision, both for the stands and the artists of the world.