This Florida Food Truck Has A Michelin-Starred Chef Behind The Menu

If you're unsure whether you can score quality food from a food truck, know that some of the best food trucks across America are delighting customers with impressive menus — and one family-owned business is even slinging sandwiches created by a Michelin-starred chef. Pacchioni's is a Florida-based food truck founded by Daniel Pacchioni, who tapped Orlando-based chef Mike Collantes to elevate the world-inspired cheesesteaks he serves from the window. 

Collantes earned his first Michelin star in 2022, after opening his omakase restaurant Soseki Modern Omakase in Orlanda – an experience focused on fish and ingredients from Central Florida. Collantes also bagged a Bib Gourmand award for Sushi Saint in 2023. If these accolades aren't enough to spark interest, Collantes has also worked alongside known culinary personalities such as Wolfgang Puck, Joel Robuchon, Eric Ripert, and Masa Takayama. 

"At the end of the day, I want to build something different — something that has never been done before," Pacchioni told The Community Paper. Thanks to Collantes, Pacchioni's has been able to do just that with its reimagined Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks. But, he knows the headaches of launching a food truck work only begins there. "It's going to come with challenges, but we'll figure it out. We'll solve those problems, and we'll continue to move forward," he said.

With a calendar full of locations and events, merch that advertises "I'd rather be eating a cheesesteak," and playful list of menu items like the OG, K-Drama, and Pizza Panino, Pacchioni's food truck appeals to the hearts, minds, and the stomachs of the people. Its signature sandwiches include the Island Spice, a cheesesteak packed with jerk seasoning and spices, curry aioli, jalapeño peppers, onions, and provolone; the El Dorado made with egg, potato chips, mayo, ketchup, onions and provolone; and the Sakura, a cheesesteak layered with pickled ginger, furikake seasoning, green onions, tontaksu aioli, onions, and provolone, which have all garnered attention. 

Based on online reviews, Daniel Pacchioni's desire to do something different seems to be working — specifically as it pertains to his food truck's wordly takes on the classic Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Any of the internationally-inspired, Michelin chef created recipes can be converted into an order of loaded fries, and you have the choice of opting for chicken as your protein. A fan on Facebook wrote that Pacchioni's subs were some of the best they "have ever had," while another went as far as to call the bread "perfect — crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside." They went on to write, "There was plenty of perfectly seasoned steak and cheese on both sandwiches."

If you've ever questioned whether quality food can come from a truck, places like Pacchioni's provide solid evidence that Michelin-level meals can be served out of a mobile kitchen — and for just $12.99. From Korean-inspired flavors to ingredients with roots in Jamaica, France, and Colombia, customers have said that the sandwiches are "flavorful and hardy, with just the right amount of toppings and condiments." But, for those not in the area, Pacchioni's efforts may encourage you to do something different by bringing world-inspired flavors into your own kitchen.