Los Angeles
After weeks of searching the late night streets of Los Angeles and a series of unanswered e-mails to their website, I finally came upon the HeartsChallenger ice cream truck yesterday at Grand Performances in downtown Los Angeles. It was far off in the distance down Grand Ave., hidden behind taco and sushi trucks. Both of which were twice it’s size. But neither stood out like HeartsChallenger with it’s pastel lime paint job and boxy design perfectly juxtaposed against the backdrop of the looming silvery curves of the Disney Concert Hall.
I walked up to the window where a very friendly gentleman in a checkered cap sat on the floor looking as if he were giant Alice smooshed inside White Rabbit’s house. Behind him on the wall were simple metal racks of everything from marshmallow hamburgers to those little pop crackers that you throw on the ground, which have always scared the crap out of me. He kindly asked what I would like as I gazed at the simple painted menu on the outside of the truck. Their selection included about a dozen different frozen treats from Rocket Pops to Mochi but I was craving a good old fashioned chocolate covered banana. He asked if I would like a magazine or tattoo but I decided to stick with my chocolate covered banana which was a fair bargain at only one dollar!
HeartsChallenger is known for traveling the strip and showing up when the clubs let out at night and I think that is the ideal way to come upon it. The truck, whose logo is a simple stencil of two unicorns and a heart, has actually become so popular that it is branching out with additional trucks in Tokyo and New York. I’ve heard that oftentimes they serve specialty ice-creams and popsicles but on this day, that what not the case. And because of the blaring sounds of Dengue Fever on stage a 1/4 of a mile away, the truck was not able to play any of it’s much talked about original tunes. But I look forward to coming upon HeartsChallenger after a light night at the bar somewhere in Hollywood soon with it’s glowing lights and tunes a humming. And I’m sure after a few drinks, I’ll be ready for that tattoo as well.
