"My phone is ringing off the hook," says Street-Eatz' Jilly Dorman, "about everything from weddings to events in the summer to how I did it and how they can get involved."

As co-owner of the Street-Eatz mobile-food truck, Dorman definitely sees that interest in street trucks is on the rise. Ten years ago, the phrase "street truck" was synonymous with "roach coach," raising questions of health standards and food safety, but today, a new breed of savvy, sanitary and scrumptious mobile-food purveyors have transformed taboo into trend.

In Sonoma County, a small group of mobile-food vendors appear in Santa Rosa's Courthouse Square on weekend nights, evoking two of the most well-known cities for street food: Portland and San Francisco. "I think that San Francisco is really food-savvy, just like Sonoma County," Dorman says, "and that it's just a matter of time before this becomes a permanent thing." Dorman also says a small group called the Sonoma County Mobile Food Vendors is actively searching for a spot for all businesses to group together. "Competition isn't a model that we want to adopt. We think it's better to be a collective and work together to open up for one night a week."

Starting this week, the Street-Eatz truck will serve its food before events and concerts at the Wells Fargo Center, and will also appear at this year's Heart of Sonoma Valley Association's 27th annual Holiday Open House. The two-day event consists of winetasting from 23 wineries as well as local mobile-food purveyors Harvey's Gourmet Donuts, A Brewed Awakening, Buon Gusto, Chicago Style Hot Dogs, Fork Catering, SanTásti, Taste of a Gyro and Yucatan Sunset. "I'm delighted that they're pairing us with the wineries and really honored that we're invited," Dorman says.

Visit all eight mobile food vendors as part of the Heart of Sonoma Valley Association's Holiday Open House on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 26–27, at various wineries in the Sonoma valley. 11am-4pm. $40–$45. www.heartofsonomavalley.com.

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