At C-Town Chow Down, crowds stood in the freezing cold for hours waiting to sample the delicious fare from Cleveland's food trucks.

I discovered two things at Sunday’s C-Town Chow Down: 1) Clevelanders really love their city’s food trucks (for good reason as I’ve learned from previous Dim and Den Sum dining) and 2) we’re a patient group.

These would be the only two explanations I can think of for why myself and countless other people stood out in the freezing cold Sunday for over an hour and a half.

Don’t get me wrong, I thought the idea behind C-Town Chow Down: A Convoy of Cleveland’s Finest Food Trucks was a brilliant idea. I still do. By gathering 8 of the city’s trucks in Tremont’s Lincoln Park, the Food Truck Operators of Cleveland set out to solve a problem many food truck fans face: not being able to explore all the options that are out there.

And there were definitely plenty of options, with each business offering a different take on the food truck idea. The trucks that showed up included Seti’s Polish Boys, Dim & Den Sum, Cakes Plus’s – Traveling Treats, Umami Moto, StrEat Mobile Bistro,  Jibaro, Pranzo Forno Wood Fired Pizza, and Oh! Babycakes.

A convoy of eight Cleveland food trucks pulled up alongside Lincoln Park in Tremont to feed the crowd on Sunday - each with a different take on what it means to be a food truck.

When I read about this selection on Facebook, I was really excited by the idea. It promoted a lot of the things I try to support both on and off my blog: enjoying good, local businesses; building awareness for our community’s assets; and getting people out of their houses by giving them something to do.

And while I still stand by the idea and hope Cleveland’s food trucks continue exploring a C-Town Chow Down series, there were some logistical problems that need to be ironed out for future events. Namely, despite the fact that 1000+ people had rsvped on the Facebook event page, it seemed like such an overwhelming turnout wasn’t expected or prepared for.

Because of this, the event became less about sampling and enjoying the different trucks, and more of picking one line to stand in, waiting for an hour and a half in the cold, and then having few menu choices because most places ran out of food.

I understand that food trucks by their very nature have limited resources and limited space to prepare their food in. I also know that if I had listened to Scott and gotten there around 11, instead of 11:50, the lines wouldn’t have been as bad. However, the event which was promoted as going to 3 unfortunately ended early for some when the trucks started running out of food.

In the gazebo on the one side of the park, a selection of local performing arts groups and bands entertained. Although you couldn't see the performances without getting out of line, the sound system made it possible to hear. Groups included Mame Daiko Japanese Drumming Ensemble, Mechanics of Things, Manancique, Essence of Dance and Isla del Encanto, and Summer Solstice.

Perhaps next time there could be more activity closer to the food trucks. With Sunday’s freezing temps and the fact that people didn’t want to lose a coveted spot in line, not too many people were in the mood to wander over to the gazebo where live music played. That way the experience would feel less like just standing in line for over an hour and more like a celebration of the food and the trucks that make them happen.

With that being said, this was the first time the food trucks have attempted something like this so I give them leeway on the logistical issues. If they offer the event again, I’ll definitely be back — and will show up right at the beginning to claim my space in line early on.

However, I don’t know if a lot of the people in line around me took this into consideration and are as forgiving.  Because they didn’t have their expectations set early on, there was a lot of grumbling from customers about the wait — both in line to place an order and then to get their food.

One particularly dissatisfied (and I’d argue unnecessarily shrill) customer was repeatedly complaining to his date that no food was worth standing out in the cold for that long. And although I found him annoying, others in line with us were unfortunately agreeing with him.

After finding a parking space that lasted longer than hour, Scott and I enjoyed our Pad Thai and Meatball Skewers in the warmth of the CRV's back seat.

After we got our food from Umami Moto and made our way back to the car to eat it in warmth, I was happy for our decision to remain in line. Sure, no food is worth an hour and a half wait out in the cold, but Umami Moto is as close as you’ll get.

We had ordered Pad Thai and a few orders of the Vietnamese Grilled Meatball Skewers. The Pad Thai, which is Umami Moto’s signature dish, was very good. I loved the cilantro and peanuts sprinkled on top and the sauce they specifically make for it was delicious – with a kick but not too spicy.

The skewers were also great – I sampled one while Scott had the rest. Although the meatballs are alright on their own, I would definitely recommend using the sweet and spicy sauce they provide to complement it.

Plus, you couldn’t beat Umami Moto co-owner Sandy Madachik’s friendly demeanor as she thanked everyone who came up for waiting in line and apologized for the delay.

Next time, I'm going to get to the Chow Down early to enjoy Oh! Babycakes' Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes.

While we had been waiting in line for Umami Moto, I also grabbed dessert from Oh! Babycakes. Fortunately, I got in line for them just in time – as I bought the last two cupcakes they had. They were vanilla with chocolate icing – the icing was  sweet and the cake moist. However, because I was looking forward to trying the strawberry-lemonade flavor cupcakes they’re known for, I’ll need to track them down earlier next time.

Despite the logistical problems on Sunday, I would try C-Town Chow Down again. I think it’s an inventive idea, worth exploring.  And as with anything in the early stages, there is still the chance to experiment and work things out.

I just hope that the organizers look at the overwhelming demand from the crowd Sunday and think of a better way to design the event to keep people mingling more, not standing in line as long, and happier to come back for Cleveland’s always-delicious food truck fare. And next time, I’m going to heed my husband’s advice and show up right at the start.

UPDATE: As I was finishing this post, Chris Hodgson from Dim and Den Sum issued a response on facebook to the challenge of the long lines. At the next C-Town Chow Down, Dim and Den Sum wrote that they will service everyone within 30 minutes or their food is free, also saying “We appreciate the patience and support, understand the frustration and drive to serve and please our guests.” This is an excellent first step towards addressing some of the issues!