An easy, delicious and off-beat place for lunch when you are in Avignon is Gaston le Camion Food Truck. It is located right in front of the main train station in the « centre » of Avignon, not at the TGV station, so it is easy to find—and no traipsing through the winding medieval streets to figure out where it might be. Many signs point to the “Gare Centre,” just off the Boulevard St. Roch, part of the circular avenue surrounding the city.
Jane and Linda, two entrepreneurial and creative young avignonnaises (women from Avignon) decided to share their passion for cooking and entertaining. Though food trucks are still rare in France, especially in Provence, the women bought and renovated a 35+ year old truck and turned it into quite a classic beauty. « Gaston » the food truck is named after a French hit song « Le Téléfon » recorded by Nino Ferrar in 1967.
I have had the pleasure of trying the food several times, when the women prepared tastings for Inter Rhône, the Rhône wine marketing organization; a local sommelier paired the dishes with Rhône wines.
The food is local, very fresh and mostly organic; the women are lots of fun, but serious about quality and taste. Prices are very reasonable. At lunch they serve burgers, bagel sandwiches, salads, savory tartes, a Plat du jour and desserts. Just recently I tried a Nordic Bagel; a fabulous creamy chicken risotto; a St. Marcellin, honey and thyme goat cheese tarte; strawberry and chocolate desserts.
Avignon is definitely worth a visit when you are in Provence. One of the three main cities in Provence, it is especially noteworthy as a Papal city, and has impressive 2.6 mi long ramparts (medieval walls built for protection). As a major city, it has great food and shopping.
You can find Gaston in front of the « Gare d’Avignon Centre» on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and at the famous Villeneuve-les-Avignon brocante market on Saturday mornings. They will also cater within 40 km / 25 miles of Avignon.
Contacts:
Jane : +33 (0)6 21 79 23 45
Linda : +33 (0)6 99 22 52 07
Email : [email protected]
Written by : Sharon deRham
