If you think you've navigated the entire food-truck sea in Santa Fe, think again. Anchored in a grass-covered cove on the grounds of the Santa Fe Children's Museum, a tiny, shiny bubble vessel transmits a scrumptious sonar message. On Saturday, she was officially christened and sent on her maiden voyage at the museum. Aye matey, Slurpmarine is what they call her. She may be new to these waters, but she's a local culinary legend in the making.

Santa Fe food enthusiasts have already embraced Slurp!, the funky, friendly eatery at 444 Galisteo St. across from the State Capitol parking entrance. Housed in a refurbished 1967 Airstream trailer, the eatery is known for its hot and cold soups, sandwiches, pastries, teas, coffees, freshly prepared fruit drinks, quiches and other fare. Proprietors Rebecca Chastenet and Carlos Briceno can still boast about having the only Airstream eatery in town. With secured bragging rights, and with their passion for food and international flavors, they've now expanded their fleet.

The Slurpmarine is a reoutfitted, 14-foot-long, 1953 Airstream Featherlite trailer. It's the brainchild of the museum's executive director, Anna Marie Tutera Manriquez, as well as museum programmers and Chastenet and Briceno.

Conceived as an extension of the museum's programming, the Slurpmarine doesn't just serve food. It also delivers knowledge — a chance for children and adults to use their senses while learning about other peoples and cultures. If the quickest way to someone's heart is through the stomach, Chastenet thought there must surely be a similar shortcut to the mind.

Visitors to the museum have craved on-site dining choices since the museum opened in 1989, but a permanent cafe on museum property was logistically and financially unrealistic. Enter Chastenet and Briceno, who seized the opportunity to provide health-conscious and delicious food on the premises.

"It would have been easy to do a menu with pizza, chicken nuggets and what have you," Chastenet said, "but we wanted to do something that spoke to the museum's mission. About every three months, the Slurpmarine will feature food from a different country or culture, and the plan is to build engaging educational opportunities around the food offerings."

At the moment, the Slurpmarine skims the shores of Morocco. A placard near the vessel describes some of the region's geography, cuisine, trade, art, language, politics and architecture. You may very well stumble upon a refreshing mint tea, a bowl of couscous or a tajine of vegetables, too. Inside the museum in the weeks to come, you might even feast your eyes upon Moroccan films and textiles, or visit with a Moroccan family.

The eatery itself resembles a small submersible craft, complete with portholes, a periscope and exterior graphics created by Briceno (a former graphic designer) that recall The Beatles' legendary Yellow Submarine.

The Slurpmarine currently offers four categories of edibles: Slurp!, Crunch!, Sip! and Snack!

Slurp! is a soup, rice or noodle dish from the original location's stellar repertoire. Crunch! provides pressed sandwiches (panini) on freshly made focaccia bread. Sip! satisfies those looking for coffee drinks, teas or fruity aguas frescas. And Snack! hones in on international street foods and sweets (spring rolls, banana splits and crêpes, anyone?). A fifth element to the Slurpmarine, known as Adventure!, satisfies the cerebral appetite, which is whetted handily by the forward-thinking folks behind the new venture.

With an eye toward sustainability, accessibility, portability and wholesome food, both Slurp! and the Slurpmarine are dedicated to fueling Santa Fe's hungry denizens, especially the younger ones. On that note, there are a few misconceptions about Slurp!, which Chastenet calls "the mother ship," that need some clarification.

Slurp! is not an exclusive vegetarian/vegan soup bar for people hoping to warm their bones in the dead of winter. Slurp! is a multitasker that rummages through the cuisines of the world — in every season — looking for that perfect dish.

If the menu at Slurp! tends to hew to the cravings of meatless appetites, it's only because Chastenet and Briceno actually know their way around the garden and the spice market. With the Slurpmarine, there also is a value-added opportunity to guide young, increasingly sophisticated palates away from a drive-through, Happy Meal mentality while simultaneously teaching kids valuable lessons about the provenance and cultural history of what they're putting in their bellies.

For anyone opening a food-service operation in this kooky economy, the mantra "sink or swim" certainly applies. Slurp! and the Santa Fe Children's Museum have managed to weather the tide, and, in a leap of faith, have joined forces in the name of culinary and educational adventure. What they ask for now is your constructive advice and support.

The best way to keep up with Slurp! and the Slurpmobile is through social media. Follow Slurp! on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates on menu offerings at both locations.

Contact Rob DeWalt at rdewalt@sfnewmexican.com. or on twitter at twitter.com/sfnmTASTE.

IF YOU GO

Slurpmarine

Where: Santa Fe Children's Museum, 1050 Old Pecos Trail

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; hours subject to change seasonally

Cost: Cash and checks (with ID) only, no credit cards

Information: Visit www.santafechildrensmuseum.org

Slurp!

Where: 444 Galisteo St., across from the State Capitol parking entrance

When: 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; hours subject to change seasonally

Cost: Cash and checks (with ID) only, no credit cards

Information: Follow Slurp! on Twitter and Facebook

Santa Fe Children's Museum

Where: 1050 Old Pecos Trail

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $6 for New Mexico residents with ID, $9 for nonresidents; $2 for New Mexico residents with ID on Sunday, $5 for nonresidents. No charge for children 12 months and younger

Information: Call 989-8359 or visit www.santafechildrensmuseum.org