(Editor's note: Not sure what happened, but the Culinary Dash was up and running just a few days ago, but the website now says
"for a variety of reasons" all of the various tours have been discontinued and the website is closed. But the trucks on Orange Blossom Trail are well worth investigating, so check out the story and the trucks on your own).

By Peter Covino
Lifestyles Editor

You don’t have to wait until the return of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival in September to sample the flavors of several countries all in one night — just hop on board The Kissimmee Culinary Dash.

The “Dash” is held several times a month, usually on weekend nights and stops at several food trucks along Orange Blossom Trail, just north of the Osceola County line.

The unique experience was started by Barry Burke, an Orlando resident who used to take friends and family on nightly excursions to some of his favorite truck stops on “the trail.”

“My wife said I should  start charging people since I was always driving people around,” Burke said. And The Kissimmee Culinary Dash, one of several dash tours Burke leads, was born.

If you drive on south Orange Blossom Trail on a Friday or Saturday night, you probably have seen some of the ethnic food trucks parked in gasoline stations and other locations on the busy street.

Located outside of the Orlando city limits, south, to the Osceola County line, there can be 20 or more food trucks on any given night. Weekends are the most popular nights though.

A lot of people are wary of just what to expect from a food truck serving up tacos, empanadas  and more, Burke said, but after months of research, his mini-tour pretty much guarantees a memorable dining experience.

Every Kissimmee Culinary Dash starts at  the Monument of States in downtown Kissimmee at about 7 p.m. After some brief introductions (the “Dashmobile” accommodates parties as large as 14), Burke leads the group on a history tour of the downtown area. Even Kissimmee natives might learn a thing or two about the city’s history as he leads a walk and drive that includes the historic Osceola County Courthouse and other locations.

The history part of the tour is also a nice ice-breaker for those on the tour to get to know each other. Burke also takes photos of tour members, which are posted on the company website www.dasharoundtours.com the next day.

“Most of the trucks do not open until 8 p.m. or so,” Burke said, so the first part of the tour also allows time for the trucks to get up and running.

The first stop on the tour is some place that is familiar to many Osceola area residents — the Abracadabra Ice Cream Factory on Main Street in Kissimmee.

While ice cream isn’t the normal way to start a food tour, the ice cream shop is sort of a magical way to begin the excursion, he said.

Even if you don’t take the tour, Abracadabra is a fun experience for the family and out-of-town guests. Using liquid nitrogen (it is quite the visual experience) you can add as many ingredients as you like for your own custom ice cream sensation.

Back on the Dashmobile, the inside lights give a festive shine to the 19-foot long vehicle, as the sun goes down. Those on the tour are encouraged to bring along pins, buttons and the like, to decorate the interior roof of the Dashmobile.

It is just a short jaunt to the land of the food trucks on Orange Blossom Trail. Once the Dashmobile  gets past Gatorland, you are pretty much in food truck territory.

Burke varies the itinerary from trip to trip, but he mostly sticks to his standard favorites.

After doing the tour on his own for so long, and as part the Kissimmee Culinary Dash, he pretty much knows the owners/operators of the trucks he visits and even how long they have been in business.

Burke also lets those on the tour know that all of the trucks have to meet stringent health codes and county regulations.

On one recent Thursday night tour the first stop is a truck called Patacon, a Colombian food truck.

“It has been here for about four years,” Burke said.

Here the specialties are the Colombian version of the taco as well as a truck specialty — Patacon Con Todo, a tasty concoction with beef or chicken. Those on the tour happily sample both.

Drinks are not included on the tour, but Barry has plenty of bottled water on hand back on the Dashmobile. Tour-goers are also welcome to bring their own beverages on choice.

The layout at Patacon is typical of most trucks you will find on Orange Blossom Trail. There are usually a few chairs or tables for guests, and Latin American music frequently is coming out of speakers on the truck.

At Patacon, another special highlight is the large assortment of home-made sauces available to enhance the flavor of your entrée.

Most of the trucks are also brightly lit, giving a festive atmosphere to the quick, dining experience.

“A lot of people make it like a picnic,” Burke said of regulars who visit the trucks. “They bring the family, chairs and make it a night out.”

All of the trucks on the tour serve Central American and South American specialties. The cuisine on this particular Thursday night included fare from the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico as well as Colombia.

Other stops on the Kissimmee truck tour included  Chimichurri El Primo, a truck with Dominican specialties such as the “Chimichurri,” a beef or chicken sandwich piled-high with other ingredients;  and Tegabite, a Puerto Rican truck with empanadas, tequenos and more.

Other food highlights on this trip included pinchos - beef, chicken or pork skewered on a 'pincho' (Spanish for spike). It is the  most popular food truck item, Burke said.

And the tripleta, a sandwich is similar to a Cuban sandwich but more meat-packed and with a Puerto Rican twist. A tripleta mixes chicken, pork, and beef together in a single sandwich.

The Kissimmee Culinary Dash includes a food sampling at each stop. You should be pretty much full by the last stop of the evening. The tour takes about three hours.

Cost of the food dash is adults (ages 18 and over) and

Children (ages 10 - 17) $60 plus tax.

Children under 10 not  permitted on the tour.

Burke said group parties of ten or more are also welcome.

In addition to the Kissimmee truck tour, Burke has other regularly scheduled tours.

The Colonialtown Cultural Dash features food stops in the Colonialtown areas, east of downtown Orlando, as well as a look at the architecture and history of the area. There are stops at the Oriental Market, Little Saigon restaurant and more.