Hip and trendy, food trucks are the latest niche dining outfits to service Baton Rouge foodies. Although subject to the whims of weather and fickle equipment, these mobile restaurateurs hit the streets as often as they can to serve fresh, tasty street food to waiting diners at different locations each day—and they're using Web 2.0 technology to spread the word, via social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Below, check out our list of the best on-the-street-eats in Baton Rouge.

Goyaya's Gourmet Food Truck
What they serve: Fresh crepes in both sweet and savory varieties
Where you can find them: Facebook, Twitter, their website
Owner Kevin Black has one piece of advice for fans of his hot-off-the-griddle creations: Get there early. "I can only pack so much into the truck," he laughs. Lines form outside the little white truck quickly, but patience pays off with mouthwatering crepes, like the already-popular chicken caprese, stuffed with herb-soaked chicken, roma tomatoes and aioli sauce, or a delicate treat like a Nutella and raspberry-wrapped dessert. Black keeps it fresh with an ever-rotating menu of choices, depending on what's in season—keep your eyes peeled for his soon-to-debut Vietnamese crepe!

Ninja Snowballs
What they serve: The classic icy Southern treat in an abundance of flavors
Where you can find them: Facebook, Twitter, their website
Baton Rouge's original social-media surfers, Ninja Snowballs are still going strong in their brand-new big red truck, slinging sweets until the weather turns cool. Taking cues from their sneaky namesake, they forged the idea of mobile find-us-to-feast dining, proving that citizens of Baton Rouge don't mind a little extra research if it means access to tasty treats.

Taco de Paco
What they serve: Piping-hot soft flour or corn tortillas, stuffed with your choice of tasty toppings
Where you can find them: Facebook, Twitter
Brainchild of the same minds behind Ninja Snowballs, Taco de Paco's orange truck has had major success on Red Stick streets with de-Lectable and de-Licious Mexican food. Choose from chicken, steak or mushroom filler, and add your choice of toppings, from eggs and potatoes to rice and refried beans. An individual taco will run you just $2.50, and two tacos plus chips, salsa and a drink is a bargain at $7. With fresh ingredients and quick service, it sure beats Taco Bell.

Click here to continue reading our list of Baton Rouge food truck vendors.

225 Best Eats, a new free weekly email featuring special offers from some of Baton Rouge's favorite restaurants, will launch next week on Thursday, Sept. 9. And one lucky somebody who signs-up is going to win a fantastic prize. Everyone who registers by 5 p.m., September 15 will have a chance to win their choice of two New Orleans Saints tickets with limo transport to the game, a $500 shopping spree, or an Apple iPad. Registration is at 225besteats.com. "Great food is first and foremost in Louisiana, and that is the focus of 225 Best Eats," says Julio Melara, publisher of 225 magazine. Subscribers will receive an e-mail every Thursday describing special offers on culinary creations from great chefs and restaurants—and they can save up to 50% or more. But to receive the first special offer—from a winner of the "Best of 225" in 2010—you must sign up now. Plus, you become eligible for the prize drawing too. Just click here to get started!

Ruffino's on Highland Road has long been a favorite hangout for the who's who of LSU, but over the years, it's gained other fans—Hollywood actors and producers, as well as other notables who pass through town. This year, one famous fan made no bones about his love for the restaurant. Kirk Herbstreit, college football commentator for ESPN, broadcast his sixth annual "Herbie Awards" nationwide this past Tuesday, and included Ruffino's as No. 1 on his list of best restaurants. The Herbies honor Herbstreit's personal picks for the best of the best in college football, from "favorite uniforms" to "top student bands." Usually, the awards are an informal online affair, but this year, they proved popular enough to merit a primetime national broadcast. "My phone's been ringing off the hook all week," says Ruffin Rodrigue, former Tiger footballer and owner of Ruffino's. "I've gotten calls from New York, Los Angeles—even Belgium." According to Rodrigue, Herbstreit first visited the restaurant in 2003, fell in love with the food and atmosphere, and he and the whole ESPN staff returned for every LSU home game. His favorite dish? The cedar plank baked redfish. He loves it so much that last year, Rodrigue says, Herbstreit was invited into the kitchen by Ruffino's chef, Peter Sclafani, who taught the ESPN personality how to cook the dish himself. You can read the full list of Herbies on ESPN's website by clicking here.

Familiar Cajun tunes play outside the Beef Jerky Outlet near Bass Pro Shop in Denham Springs. The store offers some unique grub perfect for tailgating this fall. Inside, customers follow the smell of delicious dried meats—barely taking notice of the Bigfoot cutout's greetings—toward walls lined with barrels full of all manner of jerky. Honey-smoked, cherry maple, teriyaki, beef, turkey, even kangaroo—the Outlet has something to satisfy any adventurous carnivore. Two years ago, Ty and Larry Smith decided to start a store like no other in the state. Today, they offer 50 types of jerky from around the country. While the Outlet's private label jerky comes from Michigan, they do offer other brands; Louisiana's own Big Mamou, for example, maker of a popular crawfish jerky. The Outlet already is known nationwide, and customers can even send packages to troops on duty through the store's Adopt-a-Soldier program. In addition to dozens of jerky varieties, the Outlet sells pastas, cheese and seasonings, and proudly distributes The Source, which the Smiths claim is the hottest hot sauce in the world; customers must sign a liability waiver to try it. Visit dojerky.com to find out more. —Shelia de Guzman

It's a bit of a drive, but if you're craving something sweet, a trip to Cade's Frozen Custard in Gonzales might be just what the taste buds ordered. Frozen custard is a virtual unknown in the South, though extremely popular in the Midwest—a creamier, thicker version of ice cream. Those who indulge sometimes liken the experience to eating sweet butter, probably because the recipe includes eggs and 10% butterfat. Owner Cade Sheets first came across the hearty frozen dessert on vacation in St. Louis seven years ago, and was determined to bring it to southern Louisiana. "I'd never seen anything like it before, and I knew we didn't have anything like it at home," he says. Cade's has an old-school diner feel, with freestanding arcade games and ice cream parlor chairs, and the custard is served in no-frill Styrofoam containers. Cade's also offers custom mix-in ingredients—the house name for them are "concretes," owing to the custard's thick texture—and they use local ingredients whenever possible. One spoonful of vanilla or chocolate and you might just clamor for more. Cade's Frozen Custard, 709 East Ascension Street in Gonzales, 647-2932

For veteran culinary entrepreneur Kathy Mangham, the plate is a canvas. Case in point: her goat gouda pimento hors d'oeuvres meld fresh thyme, roasted red peppers and homemade aioli into delicate choux pastry—a savory creampuff that goes down in one beautiful bite. It's among the line-up at Gourmet Girls, the boutique catering company Mangham launched earlier this year. Small, detailed pick-ups, hand-crafted sweets and ingredient-driven mains are Mangham's specialties. A former Fine Art major at LSU, her roots in the Baton Rouge food scene date back to college in the early nineties when she developed a gift basket company, which led to a tea room housed in the gift shop, Absolutely Genius. The venture outgrew the space's 12 tables and became the popular Silver Spoon around the corner in the Bocage Shopping Center. Click here to read the rest of the story.

To read previous Du Jour features on local chefs and other culinary experts, click here.      

"It's easy to choose—I love Ichiban. Their crunchy roll and snowcrab roll are the best in the city. I can't explain why, but I'm totally addicted—I've had sushi all over Baton Rouge and theirs is definitely the best."

Find out who else in Baton Rouge has food obsessions by clicking here.    

Sharpen your skills: Learn some new tricks in the kitchen at the Panhandler this month, with Dave Gallent's ever-popular gumbo class, and Mike and Scott Dardenne's ultimate stock and soup workshop. Visit thepanhandlerla.com to find out more. And Sharp Cook continues to teach home cooks how to make quick, easy and tasty meals in minutes with classes all over the city. Visit sharpcook.com to get the full schedule.

Can't beat Abita: Tickets are still available for the upcoming Abita Beer Dinner at Juban's on Thursday, Sept. 23. Enjoy fine dishes ranging from seared scallop-stuffed Roma tomatoes to braised lamb shank with rosemary dust, each expertly paired with a tasty Abita brew. Tickets are $75, all-inclusive. Call 346-8422 for reservations, and click here for more information.

"For the numerous transplants who moved to Baton Rouge post-Katrina, and for anyone with an appreciation for nostalgia fare, here you go: In May, Forte Grove Bakery began making 'Belgium Slices' with the recipe created by now-closed DeSalvo's Bakery in Marrero," reports 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. Find out what other secrets Forte Grove has uncovered—click here to read this week's Spatula Diaries.