Pimp My Rice serves up Philippino food. Brittany Greenslade / Global News

The warm weather is bringing with it a truck load of new cheap eats to the streets of Winnipeg.

A rolling food revolution is changing the lunch landscape and adding more options then ever before.

Falafels, tater tots, smoothies, tacos, wings and Filipino foods can be found right in the heart of the city.

During the summer months it becomes the battle of Broadway with chefs waging wars with street food.

One of the city’s newest food trucks, Totwheels, opened at the beginning of June.

Chef Darryl Crumb is the mastermind behind it and has an impressive resume to back up his food.

Crumb was not onl professionally trained at the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Quebec, he also did a stint on Season 1 of Top Chef Canada and has cooked at Michelin star rated restaurants around the world.

“Good food can come from anywhere. You don’t have to go to a fancy restaurant and spend a lot of money,” said Crumb.

But for him it’s all about interacting with his clientele.

Professional chefs aren’t the only ones entering the food truck battle; business students and home cooks are jumping on board too.

For Roddy Seradilla of  Pimp My Rice Inc. it’s all about bringing ethnic foods to people who may be too intimidated to go to a proper sit-down restaurant.

“Food trucks are not intimidating. We put up pictures of exactly what the food is and when someone orders ‘spring rolls’ we try to educate them as well and say ‘do you mean lumpia,” said Seradilla.

While the trucks only roll out during the summer months in Winnipeg, it’s clear there is more demand then ever for different types.

TotWheels plays with the popular children’s toys’ name. At TotWheels, the food is named after cars. The TotWheels Beetle. There are even Tots for Tots at TotWheels.

Tot Wheels

Twitter: @totwheelswpg

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Totwheelswpg/561484997207649?ref=stream

Pimp My Rice serves up Philippino food. The Pimp My Rice menu includes illustrations for those who aren’t familiar with Philippino food.

Pimp My Rice
Twitter: @pimpmyriceinc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PimpMyRiceInc
Website: pimpmyrice.ca

El Torrito
Twitter: @ElTorrito1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElTorritoTacoTruck

Vilai’s Spice Box
Twitter: @vilaisspicebox
Website: http://www.vilaisspicebox.com

Stuff It

Twitter: @stuffitfoods
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuffitfoods

Smashbox Poutine
Twitter:@smashboxpoutine

Little Bones Wingery
Twitter: @LittleBonesWingery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleBonesWingery

On a Roll
Twitter: @onarollWpg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnARollWpg

Habanero Sombrero
Twitter: @habsombrero
Website: http://www.habanerosombrero.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Habanero-Sombrero-Taqueria

Lovey’s BBQ
Twitter:@LoveysBBQ
Website: http://www.loveysbbq.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Loveys-BBQ

So-Cal Smoothies tries to put Winnipeggers in a surf state of mind.

SoCal Smoothies
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoCalSmoothies

The Sis & Me menu offers standard food fare from different cultures. Sis & Me serves up food at mid-morning on Tuesday.

Sis and Me
Website: http://www.sisandme.com

Tokyo Rabbit

Website: http://www.thetokyorabbit.com

Pizzapotomus
Twitter: @pizzapotomusmb

Corn on the Curb
Twitter: @corncurb
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Corn-on-the-Curb
Website: http://www.cornonthecurb.ca

Beaujena’s
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beaujenas-French-Table

Mikky’s standard food-cart fair attracts customers on Tuesday.
Mikky’s offers traditional Winnipeg street food, including Ukrainian food.

Falafel Queen waits for the lunch rush on Broadway on Tuesday morning. Falafel Queen’s menu includes gyros and kababs.

http://globalnews.ca/news/652419/food-trucks-tempt-taste-buds-in-downtown-winnipeg/

via facebook

It wouldn’t be a stretch to call the taco the OG of food truck food. It’s endlessly riffed on, was the primary reason food trucks existed before the boom, and with a little Korean flair, provided the kick that launched the movement via the Kogi Korean BBQ truck in L.A. The humble taco is also what turned chefs Jason Hoffman and Justin Close, a pair of classically trained cooks looking to do their own thing, into the Taco Guys.

Their truck’s global flavors delivered via tortilla span from Hawaii to Burma to North Africa, all in a way that somehow manages to avoid feeling like a gimmick.

Lou Bustamante
Squash tacos: Tasty, and surprisingly healthy for food truck grub.

We’re huge fans of pork — our go-to at taquerias and lonchera taco trucks is always the carnitas — and really enjoyed the Kalua pork tacos ($5; smoked Berkshire pig, seared red cabbage, pickled mango, daikon sprouts, soy glaze). But amazingly, the squash tagine tacos ($5; braised zucchini, peppers, and onions topped with moong dal, pickled beets, sumac, and Meyer lemon yogurt) was the clear standout.

Braised squash may sound as exciting as an afternoon at the DMV, but it was cooked perfectly: just enough to impart the spices all the way through, but not so much that the zucchini melted into a puddle. The toppings added extra flavor, but more importantly, a range of textures precisely tuned to enhance the squash. Pickled beet slivers had enough earthiness and vinegary bite to refresh the palate, the Meyer lemon yogurt added creaminess and a citrus-spice fragrance, and the puffed moong dal (mung beans) provided a crispy element without making the taco taste entirely deep-fried.

The $5 price tag on the tacos will make some people think the Taco Guys are too expensive compared to the $1.25 taco truck versions, but we’d argue that they’re completely different experiences. The standard taco truck offers cheap, fast, fatty, and salty food, while Hoffman and Close use local, seasonal, and high-quality ingredients and offer a unique product. You can take a short jaunt down to Mexico by visiting a taco truck or you can travel around the world with the Taco Guys. You’ll find us in line at both.

The Taco Guys, TheTacoGuys.com.

http://www.sfweekly.com/2013-06-19/dining/taco-guys-international-tacos-street-food/

Chef Gio (credit: NYSF)

A week ago Friday, we were surprised at just how many food trucks were in the 47th St & Park Ave area. There were 9 food trucks in a 1.5 block area that day.

A big scene like that can often mean trouble, so we stopped by 47th & Park on Friday to see if things were still hopping. While there were only 5 food trucks this time,  there was a new vendor called the Trusty Truck with a big crowd around it.

We asked someone where the end of the line was, and were told they had sold out. What, it was only 1:10! Oh well. We took photos of the truck and the menu, and walked down the block to another vendor to buy lunch.

After buying lunch from another food truck, we walked back to the Trusty Truck to see what was happening. Everybody had cleared out, and the owner, Dominick, and chef, Giovanni, were outside the truck, so I walked up and introduced myself.

Dom and Gio said they read NYSF all the time, and were excited that I stopped by. They asked if I had a few minutes so they could make me some food. Even though they had sold out, I guess there were still a couple of things in the truck. Hell yeah, that’s what we live for!

Mac N’ Cheese Bites (credit: NYSF)

Giovanni jumped into the truck to cook, and Dominick started telling me their story. They are a couple of local guys (Westchester & NJ) who met and became friends at Manhattan College. Gio has been cooking since he was 15, and after school, he went to Madrid and worked as a chef.

Dom wanted to open a restaurant, but the costs were prohibitive, so he decided to open a food truck instead. Dom got in touch with his friend Gio, and here they are. The Trusty Truck opened two weeks ago.

The signature dish of the Trusty Truck is a durger, which is a burger shaped like a hot dog. We’ll get more into that later, but the first dish Gio brought out was Mac N’ Cheese Bites, which cost $4.

(credit: NYSF)

The bites were made with macaroni sauteed in garlic, bacon and 3 cheeses: Vermont cheddar, American and Velveeta. That last one surprised me and I asked Gio about it. He said it was needed to get the right texture.

The bites are rolled in panko crumbs with chives added, then fried. The menu said the bites are served with ranch dressing, but today it was a plum pepper cilantro dipping sauce.

For an appetizer, these were 4 big balls! Our first taste was butter, then crispy breading, then creamy mac & cheese. Yum! The cheese taste was along the lines of a cheddar and American.

On the plus side, we didn’t taste the Velveeta, but on the down side, we didn’t taste the bacon either. The macaroni could have been cooked a hair less, but that’s getting picky. The mac n’ cheese bites were still delicious.

The dipping sauce was nice too. It looked liked a marinara, but was actually made with red peppers. One word of warning though, the dipping sauce is served cold. They want the hot mac & cheese bites to contrast with the cold pepper sauce, but it caught us by surprise.

Next Gio brought out Sweet N’ Sour Meatballs, which also cost $4. As is de rigeur these days, Black Angus beef was used for the meatballs, and they use the same meat used for the durgers.

Sweet N’ Sour Meatballs (credit: NYSF)

When you hear sweet & sour, most people associate it with that gloppy orange sauce served at lower-end Chinese restaurants. This has nothing in common with those dishes.

Gio told us the meat is cooked into a no-bean chili, then made into meatballs and fried a little more. The chili seasonings perk up the flavor of the meat a bit, but it’s still recognizable more as a beef meatball than chili.

The real secret ingredient though is in the sauce . How do they get that wonderful sweet & sour flavor? The sour is easy, lemon juice, but the sweet is…concord grape jelly. Excellent choice.

The bread was really soft and sopped up the sauce well. Our only complaint was a little fat floating on top of the sauce. It certainly wasn’t enough to negate the deliciousness of this dish, but Gio said it was a valid point, and he would look into using a leaner blend for the meatballs. For the durger, the blend works perfectly.

Which brings us to the main dish, the Durger. There are several varieties ranging from $6-$7.50, with a veggie option too. The most popular is the Mr. Smith, basically a bacon cheeseburger deluxe for $6. We got the 2nd most popular durger, Shroom N’ Onion, which costs $7.

Shroom N’ Onion Durger (credit: NYSF)

The chopped meat is made into the shape of a long hot dog, split horizontally and grilled. After being laid into the bun, it’s topped with Swiss cheese, sauteed Portobello mushrooms, haystack Vidalia onions, lettuce, tomato, and homemade TT sauce.

This was a substantial sandwich to pick up and eat. The brioche bun is from Eli’s Bread, and it’s significantly larger than a hot dog bun.

What a delicious sandwich! The taste of just about everything came through – with stretchy Swiss cheese, Portobello shrooms, haystack onions and TT sauce all going together well with the durger.

Not to get too scientific, but lengthening a burger into hot dog shape and splitting it horizontally gives you more surface area to work with. This evens out the taste of the beef over the course of eating the dish, rather than getting huge bites of beef, as in a traditional burger.

Our favorite part of this dish was the haystack onions. They were unbelievably light and crispy, almost evaporating on our mouth. The meaty, juicy shrooms were a close second.

We couldn’t get the ingredients to the TT sauce. They said they could tell us, but then they would have to kill us. No thanks. The TT sauce was kind of like a chipotle mayo, but not spicy.

(credit: NYSF)

We predict a long and successful run for the Trusty Truck, and look forward to trying even more of their menu.

You can find the Trusty Truck on twitter here, and we have added them to ourMobile Munchies twitter feed. You can also find their website here andfacebook here.

Please let us know what you think.

http://newyorkstreetfood.com/36008/nysf-first-look-durgers-and-more-at-the-trusty-truck/

Tatohead Truck

After some grousing from local vendors, Columbus City Council passed legislation creating a food-truck pilot program, which went into effect June 12 in the Short North, Arena District and downtown.

According to the new rules, owners of food trucks must pay for a commercial sales license, and the trucks must pass inspections from the Division of Fire and Columbus Public Health, as well as a safety inspection from the Department of Public Safety’s licensing section.

As of Friday, June 14, of the 17 food-truck purveyors who applied for the licensing, five received their proper certification. The local food-truck industry consortium estimates roughly 50 vendors would be affected by the regulations.

Daniel McCarthy, owner of Tatoheads, was one of the vendors who passed the inspection. Early indications suggest things are going well, despite some anticipated rough patches, he said.

City Council delayed action on the legislation for two weeks because of complaints from the local food-truck industry.

Both the local food-truck industry and the city understand “there’s still a lot of work to be done,” McCarthy said.

“Technically, this is what we would call Phase One,” said McCarthy, a member of the Central Ohio Food Truck Association. “Overall, I think things are going well. It’s not a perfect science. We are creating a new paradigm.”

Amanda Ford, spokeswoman for the city’s department of public safety, said the city is trying to strike a balance between food trucks and brick-and-mortar restaurants, preserve valuable parking spots and protect the safety of consumers.

“In the past, we’ve gotten complaints about food trucks being parked at parking meters in front of other establishments,” Ford said. “Food trucks didn’t show up overnight, but we’ve gotten more and more of them, so it’s become an issue.”

The city has created 16 oversized spaces that can accommodate 23-foot-long trucks. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Those who attempt to set up in the pilot-program area without proper licensing face parking citations, Ford said. If they refuse to leave, police can impound the vehicle, she said.

City officials will use feedback from the pilot program to determine citywide legislation, which likely won’t be considered until next year, Ford said. She said she doesn’t expect there to be any significant changes to the pilot program in the next four to six weeks.

Right now, food trucks only need to pass a health inspection and purchase a commercial vending license if they operate in the public right of way, she said.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/germanvillage/news/2013/06/18/city-launches-pilot-program-for-food-trucks.html

DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

WASHINGTON - It has been a long process but it appears new food truck regulations will soon be in place in D.C.

After months of negotiating behind the scenes, city leaders and food truck operators appear to be pleased with emergency regulations approved by the council Tuesday.

The rules have been worked out in way not to hurt the food truck industry yet still provide a new policy when it comes to when and where the trucks can park during lunch hour.

Mayor Vincent Gray must sign off on the new measures.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/22625287/food-truck-regulations-approved-by-dc-council#axzz2WcZfhi4a

via facebook

One of Buffalo’s original food trucks is driving off with an expansion. Founded two and a half years ago, R&R BBQ was the second food truck in Buffalo, after Lloyd’s Taco Truck.

In December, R&R expanded with a brick and mortar restaurant at 5952 Seneca Street in Elma. Owner Renee Allen says it helps to have an actual restaurant, along with the truck. “We had a lot of requests from people who wanted more than just a truck at lunch time,” she said. “We do events and catering and we thought it would be nice to have a home base, to have a restaurant we can do all of our prep at.”

Renee Allen, owner of R&R BBQ Food Truck & Catering, poses with her mother, Wendy. Allen opened a brick and mortar restaurant in December, after more than two years operating a food truck

Allen is in her 20s and already has a lot of experience under her belt. “It’s a cost effective way to start a business,” she said. “So a lot of younger people get into the food truck business.”

Just this spring, Nicole Burke, also in her 20s, launched Buffalo’s first food truck featuring Panini sandwiches, called Hot Off the Press.

“It’s a stepping stone,” Allen said of the food truck business, which helped her launch her own restaurant.

Her mother, Wendy, has also been a big help. Along with side dishes, she makes cookies, pies and corn bread. “She was bored before working at an office,” Allen jokes. “Now she gets to work with me.”

R&R features pulled pork, beef brisket and chicken. The items are served in sandwiches, wraps and on platters and are complete with Allen’s secret sauce recipes.

Will the mother daughter duo continue to wow hungry customers with their secret recipes? Stay Tuned. They say one of the biggest challenges is working around the clock. “It is tough,” Allen said. “We go all day, but it’s worth it!”

You can find R&R online at http://www.rnrbbq.com/. The food truck/restaurant is also on Facebook and Twitter to promote is menu and locations.

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/blog/stay_tuned/2013/06/food-trucks-attract-young-entrepreneurs.html

WASHINGTON, DC (wusa9)–The DC Council approved an emergency bill Tuesday afternoon that will create a lottery to decide which DC food trucks get the best locations to set up shop.

The bill’s author Councilman Vincent Orange says that 180 locations have been identified in the central city where most of the daytime federal, city and private workers are located– not to mention the thousands of tourists.

Exactly where each truck can park will be decided by lottery. If a food truck is caught parking in another truck’s location, the first offense will carry a staggering $2,000 fine, which one truck operator said is the equivalent of several days earnings.

If a food truck is parked at an expired meter, that would be a $50 fine, same as any other motorists would pay.

The regulations also state when and where food trucks can travel outside the city center; and how far they must park away from established brick and mortar restaurants.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/263047/373/DC-Council-Passes-Food-Truck-Bill

BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER)– What do you get when a Swiss banker and a physics professor get married and decide to start a business? No, it is not the start of a joke. The answer is Cielos food truck. One of the few in the Bangor area. The couple serve up Mexican cuisine and it is quickly becoming a busy lunch spot among residents.

Owner Kirsten Pilot said, “When I came here I thought to myself man this is a really great area and you can really do business here…I wish more people would go into that scene. It’s really a good business.”

When the Piliots decided to open a restaurant they knew it would be one on wheels. It offers less overhead and more freedom which suits them both fine.

Co-owner Chris Pilot said, “It’s flexible and independent. I like that aspect of it. You don’t have to sign any contracts, if you wanted to shut down for a month you can do that. If it didn’t work out, so what?”

It did, however, work out better than they could have hoped. The dynamic duo claims their secret ingredient is fun with the customers.

“We have so much fun serving them. we have so much fun interacting with them…You should have fun with what you do then success is soemthing that comes from itself,” said Pilot.

Kirsten and Chris do not plan on stopping at just one truck, they are already planning their next adventure with a completely new cuisine.

The truck can usually be found in the Kmart parking lot in Bangor. They also post schedules on their website and facebook page.

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/246983/314/Food-truck-sees-need-for-more-in-the-Queen-City

It’s that time of year – new food trucks seem to be appearing every week – and we’ve got you covered on that front.

The latest food truck to hit NYC is called Sweet Chili, and they serve what the chef and owner, Lisa Fernandes, calls Thaietnamese Cuisine. That’s because there are some aspects of Thai and some aspects of Vietnamese cooking in her dishes.

The way things are set up, there are several proteins and several salads to choose from on the menu. Select any protein, which comes with jasmine rice, and any salad, for $9.

We had a First Look a few weeks ago, when it was only their 2nd day out. That day we enjoyed their eponymous dish, Sweet Chili Chicken. For our 2nd Look, we selected Heavenly Beef and Bean Sprout Salad.

(credit: NYSF)

The beef was marinated in coriander, grilled nicely, then topped with a few squirts of sriracha sauce.

The coriander gave the beef an herbiness and the sriracha a little heat, which got stronger as the meal progressed. The beef was a tiny bit chewy, but there was no fat to be found anywhere on the meat.

Every dish comes with jasmine rice, a light white rice that provided a good base for the beef.

We always save salad for last, and use it as a palate cleanser. The bean sprout salad worked well for that purpose.

(credit: NYSF)

There were obviously fresh, crunchy bean sprouts, but the other ingredients are what gave this salad some personality.

Orange segments and basil leaves made the cold salad come alive, and the heat level was also kicked up a few notches from the rest of the meal.

The salad was fruity and spicy, always an interesting combo, and it was topped with crispy, breaded fried shallots on top. I don’t think we’ve ever said this before in our life, but the salad was our favorite part of the meal. Sacrilege!

For dessert we got Coconut Candy. This was a little tricky to describe, because it was unlike any “candy” we’ve ever had.

Shredded coconut was mixed with what appeared to be condensed milk, palm sugar, and a touch of sea salt. It stuck together in a rectagular, glutinous mass that was about 5″ long and 2″ wide.

Coconut candy was one of the stickiest, sweetest desserts we’ve had in quite some time, and was also one of the tastiest. If you like coconut, make sure to give it a try.

(credit: NYSF)

Sweet Chili is pretty new, and they are still working out their schedule. On Tuesdays and Fridays they are at Lent Space (aka the Hudson Square Food Truck Lot). On Mondays, they seem to be taking our advice and parking on Broadway at 56th St. Hopefully that will continue since it’s right by our office.

To find Sweet Chili, check their twitter here or our Mobile Munchies twitter feed. For more info, you can find their website here and facebook here.

http://newyorkstreetfood.com/42782/street-eats-heavenly-beef-coconut-candy-from-sweet-chili/

(credit: NYSF)

At the end of April, we checked out a new food truck called Fresh & Hearty. It wasn’t one of the better lunches we’ve had, but the owner emailed us afterwards and asked us to give them another try. After all, it was within their first few days out.

Since we previously tried panini and a soup, this time we got a salad, Asian Chicken Salad for $7.

(credit: NYSF)

As far as the size goes, this was a decent amount for $7, with plenty of chicken and lettuce. The other fillings – Mandarin orange segments, carrots, celery, red onion and noodles – seemed sparse at first, but it turned out a bunch had fallen to the bottom of the salad. The last few bites were better than the first few bites.

The grilled chicken could have used a few less seconds on the grill, but not by much.

Our biggest complaint were the “crispy” noodles, which were mush, One of our favorite things in Asian chicken salad is the crunchy noodles. They should add the noodles at the same time as the dressing to keep them crisp.

There was also more brown on the lettuce than there should have been.

On the plus side, the sesame ginger salad dressing was tasty, and we were full until dinner.

Fresh & Hearty is trying, but the jury’s still out. You won’t find them on a list of the best food trucks in NYC, but with a few changes on their part, and the right lunch selection, you can do ok.

Fresh & Hearty can be found on twitter here and on our Mobile Munchies twitter feed.

Here’s their panini menu, soup menu, and salad menu.

(credit: NYSF)

http://newyorkstreetfood.com/42909/street-eats-asian-chicken-salad-from-fresh-hearty/