Credit Ian McNulty
Vendors and customers gather for a recent food truck event in Central City.

Since the whole food truck trend arrived a few years ago, we’ve grown accustomed to finding these mobile vendors parked individually outside of bars or maybe along some downtown block, angling for lunch traffic. More often now, though, they’re also gathering — five, eight, even a dozen at a time. They look like mini festivals or temporary food truck food courts.

Along the way, an interesting ripple has developed. The organizers of all sorts of events have discovered that food trucks can draw a crowd, and so they’ve been recruiting the trucks to essentially be portable foodie attractions, in the same way a band or celebrity might headline a different event.

For instance, the Fair Grounds Race Course has routinely used food trucks to market a nighttime outing at the horse track to a younger demographic. And if you think this is all just driven by young hipsters, well, consider that civic boosters in Jefferson Parish also organized a recent food truck rally to promote a new image for Fat City, that old entertainment district in Metairie that has seen some heavy-duty facelift work lately.

Meanwhile, a new local events company called My House has been organizing food truck events around New Orleans at a pace so rapid that, frankly, it’s hard to keep up with them all. This company’s latest venture is a whole series of related food truck gatherings called Rolling Through. This series is now underway and continues each Tuesday through the end of June. Each of these events is produced in one of four different neighborhoods and in junction with different community groups working in those neighborhoods. At least part of the idea is to showcase what’s happening in these neighborhoods to people willing to travel across town to sample the latest food truck find. You can find links to details on these events here.

This marriage of food trucks and events sure seems like a symbiotic one. Event producers want people out, after all, and the public curiosity for these hot new trucks sure gets them there. Meanwhile, food truck operators need good locations where, A) people can find them easily, and B) where they know they won’t be run off by authorities, an especially important factor given how opaque the city’s rules on street vending have proven.

Now keep in mind that big crowds and the limits of a small truck-based kitchen mean that sampling the fare of food trucks at these events can often entail quite a wait. If you’re expecting the grab-and-go efficiency of, say, a Jazz Fest food booth, well, this is a different story — something more akin to a bread line glowing with iPhone screens.

But these gatherings do showcase the wide diversity of the food truck circuit, which is growing all the time. And the atmosphere is usually pretty festive too, often with live music, little outdoor bars and plenty of socializing as people nosh the night away. The trucks may be new, but it turns out that particular combination has been a good way to get a New Orleans crowd out for a long time.

http://www.wwno.org/post/where-yeat-keep-food-trucking

Vancouver is not known for its Caribbean food. No chance. While there are some gems to be found, many other regions spring to mind when considering Vancouver’s culinary melting pot. Yet, most Vancouverites know the best place in town to get a taste of the islands is The Reef. With popular locations on Main Street and Commercial Drive, The Reef packs them in with a laid-back vibe, great tunes and johnny cakes. Now, thanks to the wonder of the food cart, the Caribbean vibe is loose on the streets of downtown Vancouver. The Reef Runner is here and just in time for summer.

I had heard a rumour while I was on my way to visit The Reef Runner that they were serving up jerk chicken poutine. I was excited, and even more so when the rumour was found true. To me, poutine is similar to pizza – excellent in almost every incarnation. The Reef Runner’s jerk chicken poutine is definitely no exception. For $8 you get a generous portion and for $2 less you can get the poutine without the bird (unless you are meat-averse, I’d recommend the chicken). It really is superb. I’m a big fan of the spiciness of the jerk (due to scotch bonnet peppers) and how it blends with the gooey cheese curds. Not to mention the bed of crispy kennebec fries. How can you resist this?

While the poutine is enough to fill you up on its own, The Reef Runner has a bunch of other tasty options. I had a ginormous Jamaican beef patty for $4 and while it wasn’t Vancouver’s best Jamaican patty (people who frequent Arbutus Ridge know what I’m talking about), it was huge, quite tasty and perfect to eat while on the go. Between the poutine and Jamaican patty, I was stuffed. They also offered a vegetarian patty, which I believe was tofu filled. Pretty much everything on the menu has a vegetarian counterpart.

I noticed that the jerk chicken roti was popular and with some coleslaw and plantain chips on the side, what’s not to like? They also had a West Indies chicken curry that is definitely next on my Reef Runner hit list. Not that hungry? Grab some plantain chips, which are thinly-sliced, fried pieces of heaven. They make a great snack and are perfect to share. Want to get your jerk on at home? You can buy a bottle of Miss P’s jerk marinade or Miss Kitty’s hot sauce and spice up your next home-cooked meal.

All this spicy food definitly calls for some refreshment and The Reef Runner has you covered there too. For $2, treat yourself to a cup of their homemade ginger beer, a refreshing beverage that is uniquely Caribbean and as quenching as any lemonade. It even comes out of a big blue cooler, just like at the beach.

The Reef is Vancouver’s most well-known Caribbean restaurant and their foray into the Vancouver food cart scene is a welcome one. With unique offerings, heaping portions, amazing music to keep you entertained while you wait (I heard a cool Pearl Jam Jeremy remix that stumped Shazam) and both the taste and vibe of the Caribbean perfectly captured, The Reef Runner is an essential Vancouver food cart lunch destination. Especially on sunny days that have you dreaming of the beach.

The Reef Runner can be found on the corner of Thurlow and Cordova, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. To avoid the disappointment of them selling out of your favourite dish (it happens), get there between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

And don’t worry, be happy.

The Reef Runner

Location:
On the corner of Thurlow and Cordova Street
Downtown Vancouver

Hours:
Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
(Check Twitter for special event times and locations)

Twitter:
@ReefMobile

Website:
www.thereefrestaurant.com

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/05/vancouver-food-carts-the-reef-runner/

via Facebook

Boston’s food trucks are often called many things — awesome, delicious, the best in the world — but “weird” isn’t usually one of them. That is, until auto blog Jalopnik decided to venture into the world of food today and create a list of the 10 weirdest food trucks in the world.

The reasoning is non-existent and the explanation is sparse, but nevertheless, Boston’s new-ish Fugu Food Truck came in seventh on Jalopnik’s list.

Here’s what they had to say about Boston’s Asian street food truck:

“On one hand, Japanese puffer fish can be deadly poisonous. On the other, that’s why it takes years to get a licence to sell Fugu. Do you trust the crew of this baby?”

Why yes, Jalopnik, I trust the crew of Fugu. They’re a smart group of people (founder Bing Liu got his degree in engineering), and have shown dedication to building their truck: earlier this year, the team ran a successful Kickstarter campaign that helped launch it.

But there’s one problem — despite the name, they don’t actually serve fugu, as Liu confirms via email.

Still, Liu is grateful for the mention.

“Although we don’t really think of ourselves as being weird, we are very excited to be one of the world’s top ten weirdo food trucks!” says Liu. “Fugu has got character!”

Check out some of Fugu’s fugu-free fare in the slideshow below.

http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2013/06/10/jalopniks-10-weirdest-food-trucks-in-the-world/

Vancouver’s first and only Australian food truck, Aussie Pie Guy, is opening at W. Georgia and Hamilton Street today, Thursday, June 13th.

Aussie Pie Guy is bringing savory and sweet Australian style pies to the streets of Vancouver via their decked out “Aussie road trip” themed truck. Pies like the Aussie Pie made with BC beef and pepper gravy are more traditional while pies such as Shane’s Pie made with short ribs and a apricot hoisin sauce are more unique. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options are also available.

“We are thrilled to be bringing an Australian classic to Vancouver. The pies are inspired by Australia and the ingredients are inspired by B.C. It’s a match made in pie heaven” says Co-Founder of Aussie Pie Guy, Kayleigh Lum.

Aussie Pie Guy will be a part of the new food truck pod located in front of the Queen Elizabeth Theater at the 600 block of Hamilton Street. Pie enthusiasts will also be able to find the truck at a variety of festivals and events including Khatsalano Arts & Music Festival, Vancouver Farmers Market (Kerrisdale) and the Chinatown Night Market (just to name a few!) Clearly, Vancouver is craving a good pie.

Aussie Pie Guy was founded by Matt Fitzhardinge of Perth, Australia, Kayleigh Lum and Linda Lowery (both of Vancouver) after they got a craving for quality Aussie pie in Vancouver and couldn’t find one! Aussie Pie Guy ranked #1 out of all street vendor applications for the 2013 street food vendor licenses. All ingredients are sourced to be organic, local and ethical whenever possible. Matt, Linda and Kayleigh are available for interviews and look forward to filling Vancouverites pie holes!

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/06/new-vancouver-food-carts-aussie-pie-guy/

In just a few years, food trucks have flat-out invaded downtown St. Paul during lunch hour in the warmer months.

For the adventurous eater, this is good news. Options range from Indian to Japanese to Latin to burgers. But there are so many options it can be difficult to make a decision, so I’m here to help.

Here are the 10 trucks I’m digging the most right now, but with new street food popping up all the time, my list is sure to change next week.

There are food-truck gatherings two days a week on Kellogg Boulevard: Wednesdays near Wabasha Street and Thursdays near Robert Street. On other days, the trucks tend to congregate at Mears and Rice parks.

All the trucks on my list frequent downtown St. Paul with some regularity. Most entrees at the trucks hover in the 6-to-10 range. Plan to spend more if you order sides or drinks. Most trucks take credit cards.

The best way to know which trucks are on the street is to follow them on Twitter or Facebook or follow @tcstreetfood on Twitter, which aggregates and tweets a daily list of which are parked where.

AZCanteen: Veal tongue sandwiches and goat burgers might push us Minnesotans a little out of our comfort zones, and that’s the point. “Bizarre Foods” host Andrew Zimmern’s truck proves that expanding your protein picks is a delicious idea. Everything on the menu is good, including the tart Jamaican hibiscus punch. Twitter: @azcanteen; website: azcanteen.com

Cafe Racer: This newbie to the street-food scene is churning out tasty Latin food. I haven’t sampled the whole menu yet, but the juicy pulled pork, nutty rice and interesting carrot souflee I have eaten assure that I’ll go back for more. Twitter: @caferacermn; website: caferacermn.com

Cajun 2 Geaux: Chef Tim Glover grew up in Louisiana, and eating his red beans and rice and po’boys and jambalaya is like taking a trip to the Big Easy. He also fries beignets to order. His son often takes your order, and there’s nothing like a little Southern family togetherness to make you feel at home. Twitter: @Cajun2geauxTim; website: cajun2geaux.com

Fork in the Road: The BBQ pulled-pork grilled cheese is a monster sandwich, and the masses can’t get enough of it. The combination of Texas toast, tangy barbecue sauce, caramelized onions and American cheese is the ultimate street-food comfort food. The truck also serves such fun sandwiches as molten meatball sliders and a rocking Asian noodle salad, which would be perfectly refreshing on a hot day. Twitter: @forkNroadtruck; website: forkintheroadtruck.com

Hola Arepa: Last summer, this truck used to park in front of Ecolab Plaza every Monday, and I couldn’t stay away. Now, it hits St. Paul less frequently, sometimes joining the Wednesday food-truck court. I’ve tried nearly all the arepas, which are Venezuela’s answer to the taco: delicate, griddled corn cakes, split and filled with tasty meats, crunchy vegetables and inventive sauces. Fillings change frequently, but I’ve liked everything I’ve tried. Twitter: @holaarepa; Facebook: facebook.com/holaarepafoodtruck; website: holaarepa.com

Hot Indian Foods: This colorful recent addition to the street-food scene already is making a splash. Choose from four Indian curries to fill what owner Amol Dixit, who charmingly takes orders street-side, calls Indurritos. Curries are joined by basmati rice and a crunchy slaw for a portable Asian lunch. Can’t decide which to try? Get a flight — three tacos, each filled with a different meat or vegetable-based curry. For me, it’s a toss-up between the spinach paneer and the chicken tikka masala. Twitter: @hotindianfoods; Facebook: facebook.com/hotindianfoods; website: hotindianfoods.com

Neato’s: Three words: duck fat fries. That said, the truck’s nicely seared, lunch-size burgers nestled in pillowy buns are nothing to sneeze at, either. If you’re feeling daring, give the jalapeno popper burger a try — the combo of peppers, cream cheese and raspberry preserves is a party in your mouth. Twitter: @neatosburgers; website: neatosburgers.com

Potter’s Pasties: Perfect for our cold, wet spring, these filling, handheld pies feature such inventive fillings as Thai vegetable or pork and apple stuffed into a flaky crust. There’s also chicken potpie or a traditional meat and potato for the less adventurous among us. Twitter: @potterspasties; website: potterspasties.com

Sassy Spoon: This truck’s slogan is “Wholesome food with attitude,” and owner/chef/registered dietitian Tamara Brown serves diet food that doesn’t make you feel deprived. My favorite, the Hungry, Hungry Hash, is shredded vegetables seared on a flattop that have just a little bit of addicting char, topped with andouille sausage and a runny fried egg. Twitter: @sassyspoontruck; Facebook: facebook.com/SassySpoonTruck; website: sassyspoontruck.com

Vellee Deli: If you like it spicy, Vellee Deli is a sure thing. I have a hard time choosing between the Chicken Currito, a combination of Thai coconut curry chicken, rice and potatoes, and The Mojo, a zippy lemongrass and ginger sausage topped with papaya and pico. Vary the heat level depending on your preference. I usually go with two of three available “kicks” of Thai chile, which is enough to leave my lips burning and nose running. Twitter: @velleedeli; Facebook: facebook.com/velleedeli; website: velleedeli.com

http://www.menafn.com/cea7f332-81bd-430b-9cac-059341763281/Food-trucks-on-roll-St-Paul-our-10-favorites–so-far?src=main

I see the little clapboard sign for the Food Wolf on the sidewalk before I see the truck itself, tucked away slightly off of Gottingen Street, across from the Marquee Club on the corner of Falkland, in the gravel lot they call Squiggle Park.

Allison and I meet there shortly after the truck arrives for their 5:30 supper run. It’s quiet in the neighbourhood, and nobody else is queuing up at the window yet.

The Food Wolf is still new, but at the same time it feels like a granddaddy of the modern street food scene. It has helped to usher in a new era of food trucks that sees them serve more than fish and chips and keeps them from being relegated to Burnside.

“We set out to spark a street food culture by opening a backyard restaurant,” says Natalie Chavarie, referring to Young & Dublin, the open-air supper club that ran the year before Food Wolf started prowling the streets. “Overall, we’ve witnessed increased excitement and support for food trucks in Halifax. We’re proud to be the leaders of the pack for a more vibrant local mobile street food movement.”

Virgil Muir and Eric Gunnells make up the other two thirds of that wolf pack. Their work in the visual arts plays a part in the food concepts. “The basic drive is to use local ingredients and meats to create unusual and unexpected fusions that play on comfort-food themes,” says Chavarie. “The vitality of the food comes from the fact that our two cooks are artists who aren’t afraid to experiment, have half-baked ideas and playfully extract something innovative that can be made in the creative constraints of a truck.”

Chavarie promises “big flavour informed by our travel and fascination with Asian and traditional Mexican flavors and cooking methods.” There is a clear flavour profile that weaves its way through the menu—kimchi, gojuchang, green onion, and bean sprouts feature heavily—but there is still a thoughtful individuality to each dish.

We order one of everything: spicy Chinese noodles, ($7) a Korean seafood pancake ($8.50), and the two most popular dishes, the K-Dog ($5) and the kimchi quesadilla, ($7).

From Top Left to Right — K-Dog, Kimchi Quesadilla
From Bottom Left to Right — Thai Meatball Sandwich, Mexican Beef Taco
(photo: via facebook)

We stake out a spot on short stone wall across the lot. It’s not long before our food appears through the truck window. By this time a small crowd has formed and the little lot is humming with business.

The seafood pancake is incredible. The huge pancake is dense, but slightly pillowy. Bean sprouts and onion gives each bite a little bit of a crunch, while tender shrimp give it a silky bite. There is a slight kimchi tang in the savoury pancake, and pert brightness from green onion. The hot dog is also fantastic: it’s a juicy beef hot dog is covered with bacon, kimchi, spicy Korean mayo, and a confetti of more green onion.

The noodles are good, a play on chow fun with firm, flavourful tofu, bean sprouts, onion, and a sauce that is mildly spicy, slightly sweet and earthy. It’s nicely balanced and very delicious.

The quesadilla makes a pretty plate, but sweaty mushrooms give it a squishy, wet texture. Neither of us like it. Our friend happens by and eyes our plates, honing in on the quesadilla. We tell him we don’t like it. He mishears us, we suppose, and hilariously says “sold!”, orders one and loves it.

The truck’s basic schedule is a Thursday-through-Sunday series of lunch and supper runs at the Historic Farmers’ Market and Squiggle Park. “It’s the unexpected encounters with flavour and community that bring people to the truck,” says Chavarie. And that’s what will bring me back.

http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/hungry-for-the-food-wolf/Content?oid=3903493

(credit: NYSF)

We were tipped off to Grill On Wheels by the owner of a NYC food truck you all know, but we won’t name.

He told us Grill On Wheels just came onto the scene last week, and started parking on 46th St east of 6th Ave, where he usually parks one day a week. Even though he has been parking at this spot one day a week for over a year, Grill On Wheels refused to move.

It’s tough on the street, but there’s an unwritten honor code about taking someone else’s regular spot. Vendors need to develop their own locations, not steal parking spots from other food trucks who worked to develop them.

Hopefully this will work itself out, but yesterday, Grill On Wheels was back on 46th St east of 6th Ave, right next to Moshe’s Falafel. Considering Moshe’s Falafel and Grill On Wheels’ food are both certified kosher, Moshe’s couldn’t have been too happy with them either.

Not to reward bad behavior, but since we were there, it made sense to check out the food. It was pretty obvious they were still getting their act together.

Just after we ordered and paid for a shawarma ($10.50) and fries ($3.50), a guy asked for his money back. He said he had a 1:30 meeting, and wouldn’t have time to eat it now, with how long it was taking.

After that, three young women got their food, but complained about how long it took, and that the fries were too overdone. Certainly not an auspicious beginning.

(credit: NYSF)

We must have gotten there just after the rush because our food was received in about 10 minutes, but $14 for a shawarma sandwich and fries is way too high-priced.

(credit: NYSF)

We decided to order the shawarma because they had one of those roasting spits with real chicken and lamb, not the processed stuff. That’s worth a little more money, but Toum’s chicken shawarma sandwich is $7, and fries are included within the wrap.

The 10″ baguette was stuffed with a mixture of soft and crispy meat that was pretty good.

(credit: NYSF)

Unlike other shawarma sandwiches we’ve had, this one included eggplant, hummus, tahini, tomatoes & cucumbers. (We asked for no tomato, but ended up with no cukes either.) Pickled mango sauce was put on the baguette too.

The ingredients reminded us of Taim’s sabich sandwich, but without the hard-boiled egg. You can’t include an egg with chicken on a kosher truck. Eggs are dairy, right?

The pickled mango sauce had a curry-ish flavor and color, and livened up the meat, eggplant and other fillings. But the bites did get a little salty at times.

(credit: NYSF)

The fries were cooked to well done, but unlike the women earlier, that’s our preference. We did not feel the fries were overdone, but they were unsalted.

That was a bit jarring at first. Then we took out some ketchup and dipped the fries into it. At that point, the lack of salt didn’t really matter.

To summarize, the food was good and filling, but overpriced. The fries for $3.50 was of particular note. Other people ended up waiting a long time, but we got lucky and didn’t have to wait long.

As far as the rest of the menu, most main courses are in the $10 range, but it costs another $3.50 for fries. There are a few different Middle Eastern-tinged sandwiches, plus several ways to order chicken schnitzel (plain, honey bbq, buffalo sauce, etc).

We did see one scary thing on the menu:

“Sushi – Coming soon!”  That should be a trip and a half.

Grill On Wheels is on facebook here, and their website is here.

(credit: NYSF)

http://newyorkstreetfood.com/42813/nysf-first-look-grill-on-wheels/

(Photo: Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau)

TRAVERSE CITY – Long known for its scenic beauty and recreational bounty, this Lake Michigan resort community has also been attracting attention as one of America’s most unique culinary destinations, thanks to fans like celebrity chef Maro Batali, and was named one of the country’s Top Five Foodie Towns by Bon Appetit..

But for all its restaurants, wine bars and brewpubs, the town has lacked one key ingredient of a vibrant urban food scene: good, cheap street food.

Until now.

After months of heated debate, local officials agreed this spring to make it easier and less expensive for mobile food vendors to operate in the city. Almost immediately, a half-dozen food truck operators announced that they were setting up shop in Traverse City’s shady downtown district — and a pair of transplanted New York restaurateurs has even opened a bar whose parking lot serves as a base for the trucks and their customers.

The community’s first food truck, Roaming Harvest, is operated by Simon Joesph, a passionate advocate for locally-grown cuisine and street food. Like a farm-to-table restaurant, its menu changes daily and features local breads, meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables and jams. Bouyed by the city’s new acceptance of what he calls “mobile restaurants,” Simon has bought a second vehicle, named Little Yella, that will offer lighter items — simple sandwiches, salads and curries — than its older brother.

Other pioneer food trucks include King Wubbz Pita Dubz, the brainchild of local foodie Brian Welburn and Curbie, a 1946 Ford drafted into service in 2012 by Sam Porter, organizer of the Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival and several other food-themed events. (The brightly painted truck is operated by a staff of student interns, serving locally made sodas, ice cream and dishes from whitefish tacos to paella, at special events and downtown festivals.)

Food trucks outside the State StreEt post office.

Those early arrivals operated in uncertain waters, never sure if they were about to be regulated or taxed out of business, until city officials hammered out an agreement this spring that gave them more permanent status. The new regulations established regular hours of operation, delineated zones where the trucks can operate, and reduced permit fees from $100 a day to as little as $725 annually.

The new policy wasn’t embraced by everyone in the city’s culinary establishment. Owners of some downtown restaurants complained that the mobile eateries had an unfair competitive advantage, since they were exempt from high property taxes and could simply shut down when cold weather thins out the pool of customers.

But even before the policy was hammered out, Gary and Allison Jonas – who created the popular Brooklyn eateries Sycamore and The Farm on Adderly before moving to Traverse City, announced that they were turning a former party store into The Little Fleet, a full-service bar whose food service is being largely provided by the food trucks they’ve invited to open up shop in their parking lot.

The Jonas’s customers will be able to buy meals outside – from trucks or from nearby restaurants – and either bring them indoors to the bar or enjoy them in an outdoor patio. With heat lamps and other amenities, the couple is even hoping to keep the street food scene chugging along through Traverse City’s sometimes harsh winter months.

“We think it’s going to bring a lot of spirit to our city,” they said.

Anchor Station, outside the Little Fleet on Front Street

Almost all the new food trucks involved the venture are owned or operated by existing Traverse City restaurateurs. They include:

Anchor Station from Michael Peterson, owner of Siren Hall and Lulu’s Bistro, which has already made a few festival appearances. The new truck will pair some festival favorites with dishes including blackened fish, burgers, falafel and french fries tossed with smoked pork belly, Asiago cheese, scallions and herbs.)

The Dragon Wagon, an Asian-flavored entry from Dan Marsh, owner of Red Ginger, with dishes like duck confit quesadillas, sushi, bao buns and gourmet “sliders” featuring crab cakes and seared tuna.

EZ Cheesy, a Jonas-owned truck operated by Kim Ryan, formerly of The Cooks’ House and the Om Café that will specialize in upscale grilled cheese sandwiches (featuring locally sourced cheeses and breads) as well as unique sides and rotating specials.

Pigs Eatin’ Ribs, from chef Adam Kline, who pioneered the street food scene in neighboring Charlevoix. Kline intends to present a revolving menu centered around favorites like St. Louis spare ribs, pulled pork, brisket and probably a chicken item of some kind.

To learn more about other summer events, festivals and activities in Traverse City, contact the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau at http://www.traversecity.com. For more information about The Little Fleet and Traverse City’s food truck scene, go to http://www.thelittlefleet.com.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/06/12/food-trucks-roar-into-traverse-citys-culinary-scene/

Serving food around Irondequoit Bay isn’t a novelty.

“It fills a void on the bay. There hasn’t been a boat on the bay for six to eight years,” said Bob Saversky.

Serving food on the bay is.

Docked at Sutter’s Marina, Pa’s On the Bay is a new mobile concession stand that replaces “take out” with “take to.” The boat serves food to boaters hot off the grill.

“We have one of the best burgers around, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, salads, drinks, and of course we have ice cream,” said Saveresky, co-owner of Pa’s On the Bay.

Boasting aside, customers say having this service out on the water is very convenient.

“It’ll going to be very beneficial. You know, everybody will be able to enjoy their boats more. Instead of actually having to dock, and find a place to stop, and get off. You know, it takes time,” said Josh Schoonmaker, from Ontario, Wayne County.

Pa’s On the Bay will be open weekends from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Owners claim they will not be hard to find.

“I think you’ll see that people notice we come by the same time every day, 3 o clock, and if they want something earlier, by all means, they can call us,” said Steve Sercu, co-owner.

“We’re always looking for it because we are looking for things to add to the menu,” said Saveresky.

Pa’s owners say they will be updating their location on Facebook and Twitter throughout the day.

“A bad day at work here is still a good day,” said Sercu.

Owners say they plan to be open every weekend through Labor Day.

http://rochester.ynn.com/content/top_stories/666479/mobile-concession-stand-serving-food-on-irondequoit-bay/

llustration by Paul Windle

Washington has recently become an unlikely hotbed of culinary innovation, with entrepreneurs flocking to this historically stodgy meat-and-two-veg city for the chance to feed dulce de leche cupcakes and kimchi tacos to the masses. Office drones rejoice at the expanded lunch options, but restaurants are less happy.

So, unsurprisingly, they have turned to the government. In the epic war between upstart little guys and the alliance of big business and government, Capitol Hill isn’t the only battleground. Skirmishes break out everywhere, including the shabby-genteel halls of the District Building.

“It’s not competition, it’s an infestation!” exclaimed Steve Loeb, the owner of Loeb’s Deli, at a nine-hour committee hearing earlier this month. The pastrami purveyor was protesting the plague of food trucks parked in the public square near his restaurant. The council’s committee on business, consumer and regulatory affairs was considering the fourth set of proposed rules for food trucks in as many years.

Right now, food trucks are creating a commons problem: They are using public resources without paying for what they consume. The natural result is sidewalk congestion, parking wars and more. The District’s proposed regulations, however, fail spectacularly to address those issues.

Confused Exchanges

The new rules would limit longer-term parking to special approved vending zones, while insisting that roving vehicles stop only in places with 10 feet of unobstructed sidewalk that are also at least 500 feet from a traditional restaurant or official food-truck zone. Spots in the vending zones, to be provisioned by lottery, would cost from $150 to $400 a month.

Or maybe not. It was hard to tell: Much of the hearing was consumed with confused exchanges about what the regulations actually require. And no one — not the vendors, not the regulators, not the industry associations — seemed to be sure about how the 75 pages of new rules would be implemented.

Loeb was just one voice in the bricks-and-mortar establishment chorus, a cluster of old-school restaurants hoping to employ the power of the city government to keep roving cooks off their turf. And perhaps they feel that they are owed a favor. Owning a restaurant in Washington is pretty terrible. During the hearing, the president of the restaurant lobby said she “would not wish the level of regulation we face on anyone.”

She wasn’t being entirely honest. Restaurant owners are understandably sore about the onerous regulations and high taxes the city imposes. And they are taking out their frustrations on every burrito truck and banh mi buggy in sight.

Of course, this collaboration of big business and big government wouldn’t be possible without that crucial third ingredient: big ego. Councilor Vincent B. Orange offered an astonishingly candid take on the government’s position. “You do have to give the government some deference,” he said. “Right now there are 200 trucks, and I think the government has a right to say the limit is 250. That’s it. That’s going to be our food-truck industry.”

Speaking of which: The food-truck industry has its own trade association, thank you, as well as a novel way of rallying its constituency: by starving them.

Food trucks at Farragut Square, a patch of semi-greenery amid Washington’s skyscraper stumps, staged a protest a few days before the hearing, arriving early to occupy their usual spots but refusing to open for business during the peak of the lunch rush. Thus did local diners get a taste of the terrifying dystopia that awaits them if onerous regulations pass. One pub owner, citing payroll, taxes and other costs, lamented during the hearing that he couldn’t stage a similar protest.

Vexing Dilemmas

This, in a nutshell, is the restaurant owner’s dilemma. It’s not all about regulation, though that’s part of it. A traditional restaurant is a great lumbering beast. If customers stop liking what it’s dishing up, it can’t just turn on a dime. Food trucks can. (Yes, some of them are quite large, but they are still smaller than the local Italian joint.)

For now at least, Washington remains relatively hospitable to the food-truck industry. (The Institute for Justice’s excellent Food Truck Freedom project has a good rundown of the national scene.) The good news is the bad news, or maybe vice versa: The regulatory process seems to be stalled, and confusion and dissension reign.

Still, many food-truck owners are just one cracked engine block or arbitrary parking rule away from calling it quits. One of the city’s highest-rated vendors, Basil Thyme, may close in the next few weeks. Brian Farrell, who owns the pasta and lasagna trucks, points the floury finger of blame straight at regulators: “The city of D.C. has been nothing but a series of hurdles and difficulties,” he told a reporter for CityPaper, the local alternative weekly. “They’re just painful to deal with.”

That was followed by one of the saddest sentences a foodie could ever read about a successful culinary entrepreneur: Farrell, the paper said, “plans to return to his previous career in IT sales.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-27/washington-stalls-the-food-truck-lobby.html