Food Truck Night Returns to Warwick in Norwood

WARWICK, RI — Spring is back, and so are food truck nights in Warwick, but with a lot more people, 15 food trucks, music and a veritable block party steps from Joe Stevens’ front yard.

“No cooking today,” said Sharon Bast, Stevens’ mother in law, next to a barbecue food truck parked in front of the 324 Pawtuxet Ave. home.

Carl Salustio, president of the Norwood Neighborhood Association, who helped plan the event with Eric Weiner, the owner of Foodtrucksin.com, said they’d been expecting 12 food trucks and a modest turnout.

“They called up 15 trucks and the lines are unbelievable. It’s really nice,” Salustio said.

“This is unbelievable,” said Jeff Barker, treasurer for the Norwood Neighborhood Association.

“Things are going great,” agreed Weiner, who was canvassing the crowd of festive minded adults and running children chatting, playing and waiting for food, all while listening to the music of Andre Arsenault within the loose triangle of food trucks between Pawtuxet Avenue, Kay Street and Norwood Avenue.

Despite the perceived focus on social media and impersonal communication, Weiner said, “I think there is a real yearning for people to be talking in their back yard,”

The night turned suddenly chilly, but that didn’t seem to affect the crowd’s enthusiasm for the food, provided by trucks including Open Season Catering, IGottaQ barbecue, and others offering crepes, cannolis, sandwiches, coffee and sausages. It was dark before the crowd started to thin, and then only slowly.

For a list of Warwick food truck events this year, see the schedule below: