It’s fitting that you’ll find The Lucky Fig – the new Italian food truck from chef, cookbook author and TV personality Luca Manfè – every Wednesday at the downtown Urban Harvest Farmers’ Market, as the food truck’s menu draws most of its influence from local, fresh ingredients.

Manfè, who won Fox’s MasterChef Season 4, grew up working in the restaurant business in Italy and Australia, and in his twenties he moved to the States “to follow the American dream.” He’s worked in restaurants in Florida and New York, and now, he’s found a home in Houston (along with MasterChef co-competitor James Nelson of Bravado Spice Co.). Welcome to the Bayou City, Luca.

His menu at The Lucky Fig focuses on new takes on Italian dishes using local farmers’ goods and making many ingredients from scratch, like the house-made pickles, sauces, ricotta and mayonnaise. And let’s not forget the homemade panini bread and pasta.

As is the nature of food trucks, when we caught up with The Lucky Fig at the Urban Harvest Farmers’ Market at City Hall, specials of the day – four cheese ravioli, spinach pappardelle with braised lamb, pork belly panini – were already sold out.

So we ordered the panini-of-the-day that was still available – fried eggplant, mozzarella, herb butter and roasted peppers ($10, photo above). Not normally a fan of eggplant, we were surprised (in a good way) by this sandwich. It was warm, crisp on the outside and incredibly fresh tasting. It’s not your average food truck sandwich, and again, we mean that in the best way. Like Food Network host/chef Nancy Fuller says, fresh is best.

As for small plates, there are already a few talked-about fan favorites. Manfè’s polenta fries ($7, photo above) will make you forget, at least briefly, traditional potato French fries. They are sliced thick, covered in cheese sauce and come about eight to an order.

We skipped Manfè’s Mother’s Meatballs and instead ordered the broccoli and sausage rice balls with roasted red pepper sauce ($9, photo above). The broccoli is finely chopped (or perhaps slightly pureed) and folded into the creamy rice – you’ll notice a light, green hue. A few chunks of sausage are stuffed in the middle, and you’ll have to be careful because they might fall out when you take your first bite, and you don’t want that. The brightly-colored red pepper sauce adds moisture and a tangy note.

Check The Lucky Fig’s website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter for the weekly schedule, because you’ll want to know where the truck is parked – just in case a craving for polenta fries strikes.