Mike Pitton
Cathie Coward,The Hamilton Spectator
Mike Pitton of Southern Smoke Truck

Name: Mike Pitton

Age: 38

Position: Owner & Pit Master, Southern Smoke Truck

Job description: I own and operate Southern Smoke Truck, a mobile food truck specializing in Southern Style BBQ in Hamilton and the surrounding areas. My job involves slow smoking all the meats on apple and pear hardwood, scratch-making our signature sauces and dry rubs, daily prep for service, running the order window, and occasionally running the grill. I also custom build food trucks, provide truck storage, do consulting and all things food truck related. I am a licensed mechanic, so I also use my skills to do repairs on fellow truckers’ food trucks and trailers.

Is this the job you thought you’d be doing? Not at all. Although I have always had a love of cooking, it was not a career that I ever thought I would be in. I have spent the better part of 20 years in the automotive industry, and started off as a licensed mechanic. From there it evolved to owning and operating a successful automotive repair garage, teaching, and then lastly a corporate job. It was during this last job, that my love for all things BBQ grew to the point that I needed to find an outlet, which lead to opening a mobile food truck.

Advice to others on launching a career: Stay focused and work hard. Long-term goals are just as important as the short term ones. Ask yourself, will this career allow me to achieve my goals? I truly believe you have to love what you do. The career you choose now, might not be the one that’s right for you in 10 years. Don’t ever be afraid of change.

Roots: Born, raised, work, live and play in Hamilton, and wouldn’t want it any other way.

Facebook Status: Great day #hamont @FTAlleyHamilton with @ontfoodtrucks @SouthernSmokeTk @TonysCorner @CravingsCrazy for lunch, great eats in the city!

Twitter Handle: @hammertownMike

iPhone, Android or BB? iPhone

Recent Tweet or FB update: 4 shoulders off and tented, brisket off in an hour #sticksmokedbbq 1 food truck fixed, 1 on the jacks #nosleepforthewicked

Networks: (Hamilton Hive, YEP Hamilton, CLiC, etc.)

Favourite restaurant in the downtown: Tony’s Corner

Best feature of life in Hamilton: I truly believe our city’s proactive approach to expanding culture & tourism, will allow the continued rejuvenation to happen. From our amazing waterfront development and the downtown revitalization, it will continue to draw people to this great city.

What would make Hamilton a better city: With big corporations closing the doors. I think it’s time Hamilton becomes known for something other than steel. I drive down the Clairmont Access daily, and the view of the city is breathtaking. Entice people to our city with things such as the Bruce Trail, Pier 4, the waterfall illuminations, which showcases to others what our city has to offer.

Contacts: (email/website etc) southernsmoketruck@gmail.com, www.southernsmoketruck.com@SouthernSmokeTk

Quote: (About being a young professional in Hamilton): You Can Do Anything in Hamilton!

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3842356-southern-smoke-a-taste-of-success-keeps-on-truckin-/

The Cinnamon Snail Food Truck offers vegan donuts to eager customers.

Have you ever wished you could sightsee and experience eclectic food all at once without having to travel the world? Well, your dreams have been answered. Midtown Lunch and the New York Transit Museum recently partnered to offer a tour of about 15 food trucks called “Midtown Eats! With Blondie and Brownie.” The tour is led by food writers and goes around Grand Central Terminal with the intention of commemorating the famed terminal’s centennial.

According to DNAinfo, the first tour took place on May 17, led by food writers Siobhan Wallace and Alexandra Penfold, (also known asBrownie and Blondie), and the next is coming up on June 14. A few of the participating food trucks included Kwik Gourmet, Uncle Gussy’s, El Rey Del Sabor, and Cinnamon Snail. On the tour, you’ll see items from gyros to Korean barbeque to vegan donuts, which Wallace says many of the tour-goers were surprised to find that they liked.

The tour goes up Park Ave. from Grand Central Terminal, takes about two hours long, and costs $45 for non-members of the museum, a bargain for the experience. You won’t just eat, either; you’ll also learn about the history of the cart, and of the neighborhood

http://www.thedailymeal.com/food-carts-team-new-york-transit-museum

The Randy Radish food truck co-owner Sharon Lindblad chats with customer Jeff Boogaard while he waits for his ziggy bar dessert at the Leesburg farmers’ market May 22. Boogaard owns Breezy Meadow Farms in Lovettsville where he raises chicken and water buffalo. He had a tent set up for the farmers’ market and stopped by for a snack. —Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny

While the bright red truck glimmers in the sunlight, the two women inside the vehicle furiously toss together different meals. The aromas meld together: pea pesto pasta, Reubens and their token jackfruit barbecue sandwich. And while the red truck offers plenty of distinction on its own, the Randy Radish has another differentiation: they’re totally vegan.

Veganism is much like vegetarianism; however, vegans eschew all animal food products, including dairy, egg and honey. Though the Randy Radish is by definition vegan, owners Nancy Jezior and Sharon Lindblad prefer the term “plant-based cuisine.”

“We didn’t put vegan on anything because it has such a negative connotation for people,” Lindblad said. “We really want to change that perception.”

Jezior went vegetarian in 2003, initially for health reasons. Veganism followed about seven years later, and Lindblad joined as way to support her friend.
From there, the women and their interest in vegan cuisine blossomed. Jezior had always enjoyed tinkering in the kitchen, but the women took their cooking to the next level, receiving a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and attending a plant-based culinary school in New Jersey once a month. They will graduate from the New Jersey school this June.

Jezior and Lindblad had discussed opening up a restaurant or a bakery and in the fall, the women finally mobilized and ultimately settled with a food truck after watching Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race.”

“We thought the food truck would be an easier, less capital involved, an easier way to get started and [a way] to see how this area would respond to this type of food without getting a brick and mortar establishment,” Jezior said.

The women acquired a truck in January that was already designed with food in mind.

“It was pre-built for someone else, but that fell through, so we kind of swooped in and took it,” Jezior said.

After finding some recipes to introduce, the new food truck just needed a name.

“We were looking for something that was a little provocative but not offensive,” Lindblad explained. After finding the Naked Carrot was already taken, a friend suggested the Randy Radish. With that, a new company was born.

The Randy Radish debuted at the annual Leesburg Flower and Garden festival. In just two days, the Randy Radish served more than 600 people.

Since the Flower and Garden Show, the Randy Radish has parked itself in both Leesburg and Ashburn. It has a regular spot in the Wednesday evening Leesburg farmer’s market on Catoctin Circle and has received numerous inquiries to appear at different community events.

The procedure is largely the same for all events. First, the women prepare the food fresh at a commercial kitchen in Sterling. Then, they load up the truck and drive to the people.

The first month hasn’t been without its struggles; the truck was out of commission for repairs for roughly a month and the women have had to pick and choose where to park the truck as to not disturb local businesses. But ultimately, the women say the community has been largely receptive to the Randy Radish – vegan and all.

For now, the women are concentrated on the food truck but hope to have a second truck next year and a potential Randy Radish franchise in the future. Jezior and Lindblad are even mulling over a casual restaurant or bakery.

For now, the women are content to share the joys of vegetarian food with the Loudoun community.

]]> http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/06/sterling-va-new-food-truck-fueled-by-plants/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/05/stuart-fl-ginny-beagan-prepare-for-the-food-truck-invasion-at-memorial-park/ http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/05/stuart-fl-ginny-beagan-prepare-for-the-food-truck-invasion-at-memorial-park/#comments Fri, 31 May 2013 18:35:18 +0000 MFN Editor #1 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=54589 By Ginny Beagan |   TC Palm

PHOTO BY ERIC HASERT, TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS
Elliott Ehrlich of Oregon holds his daughter, Maya Pearl, while waiting for their lunch order at the Veggie Love Truck.

Downtown Stuart will be invaded June 3.

Twenty-five food trucks are expected to take part in the first Stuart food truck invasion at Memorial Park.

Although food trucks have been around since The Civil War and chuck wagons, the trucks headed to Stuart are not the hot dog or ice cream trucks of yesteryear. These trucks dish out gourmet fusion fare, dressed up standards and foods of many cultures — everything from empanadas and lobster rolls to cupcakes and gelato.

Food trucks are in cities all over the country, and have been invading Tradition in Port St. Lucie for a few months. Jane Rowley, event coordinator for Tradition, said the monthly invasion has drawn more than 3,500 people. Starting in July, the invasions will be increased to twice a month.

In Stuart, the trucks will be coming to Memorial Park, 300 S.E. Ocean Blvd., every Monday from 5 to 9:30 p.m. The trucks will vary from week to week, and you can check on your favorites on the Food Truck Invasion Facebook page.

Many attribute the start of this culinary movement to the stalled economy. Food trucks provided out-of-work people with a way to create their own income. They also offer a restaurant-quality meal without the restaurant price.

The trend gained momentum in 2010 when The Food Network aired a reality competition called “The Great American Food Truck Race,” in which competitors tried to out-cook and outsell each other in cities around the nation.

Whatever the reason, food trucks are the in-thing to do in the culinary world. Many franchises such as Taco Bell, Dairy Queen and Subway have come on board. Even celebrity chef Rachael Ray has a promotional food truck.

These small mobile restaurants specialize in three or four dishes — it is not fast food. If you go, be prepared: there may be a wait. Many of the dishes are prepared to order.

The culinary fare offered by these mobile restaurants draw people from all lifestyles. So bring your lawn chair or blanket and take advantage of the wait time to chat with someone you might not ordinarily meet.

Think of it as a community picnic.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2013/may/31/prepare-for-the-food-truck-invasion-at-memorial/

Jose Andres (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Jose Andres spins in a rare orbit in the District’s gastronomic universe: He owns a food truck, Pepe, and his ThinkFoodGroup is a member of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, which has lobbied for tighter regulations on mobile vendors. ThinkFoodGroup even occupies an at-large position on the RAMW board.

So what does Andres think about the battle over the city’s proposed vending regulations, which has at times placed a giant wedge between restaurants and the food trucks that the brick-and-mortars consider interlopers? I thought I’d ask. Unfortunately, I posed these e-mail questions earlier this week while Andres was in China, and before the District government made a surprise announcement about downtown vending spaces for food trucks.

Tim Carman: What’s your position on food trucks and how the city shouldregulate them?  

Jose Andres: We love food trucks! We have some good regulations on the table, but we need to look at something that works for everyone. We need to give the people of D.C. more choices and encourage the food truck business to boost.

TC: Do you support the latest proposed regulations before the D.C. Council?

JA: We agree on about 80 percent of the regulations. Regulations are needed, but I think there needs to be some adjustment. We are not looking to avoid any regulations, and when it comes to the health and safety of our guests, we are 110 percent committed to protecting each one of them. But what is being proposed here is a model that really restricts the spaces where food trucks can park. Food truck[s] and restaurants can coexist successfully.

TC: If the regulations were passed as is, would you continue to operate Pepe?

JA: Yes, we love Pepe and bringing sandwiches to the people of D.C.! I really admire the great entrepreneurial spirit of food trucks. They really add to the dynamic food scene of the city. As a chef, I am always in support of that!

TC: Why do you think the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington has been pushing hard to regulate trucks?

JA: We don’t think it is a [restaurant association] agenda item. Restaurants and food trucks have many similarities. We think the RAMW and Food Truck Association of Metropolitan Washington could easily come together and work to resolve those grey areas that need more clarity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2013/05/10/jose-andres-we-need-food-truck-regulations-that-work-for-everyone/

Noah Weiss buys lunch recently from the Brand BBQ Market truck in Chicago. The growth of the food truck business in the city has been slow. (Anthony Souffle, Chicago Tribune / April 12, 2013)

A calamari taco with cilantro-lime relish would never replace a Chicago-style hot dog.

We wouldn’t dream of swapping a drippy Italian beef for a gruyere grilled cheese.

We’ll always crave deep dish pizza.

But Chicago continues to miss out on the convenience and delectability of upscale food trucks — not the ones that sell pre-wrapped ham-and-cheese sandwiches, but the gourmet offerings: steaming crab pot stickers, bacon-topped macaroni and cheese and melt-in-your-mouth white tuna sashimi. Did we mention the burrito stuffed with short ribs and Spam? Or the Indian-spiced mini doughnuts?

How about the Los Angeles food truck that serves french fries topped with marinated steak, roasted poblano chiles, caramelized onions and cheese?

Heck, even Carbondale boasts a legendary street vendor — Winston the Bagel Man — who toasts buttered bagels on an open flame and tops them with cream cheese, apple slices, raisins, cinnamon, onions, cucumbers and sunflower seeds.

Here, the city has licensed only five trucks to cook onboard since the City Council passed a new ordinance last summer. Lucky patrons who happen to stumble upon one of the trucks can delight in upscale Mexican food from The Salsa Truck, brisket sliders from Pork Chop or Jamaican-style fare from Jerk.

Meanwhile, in states such as Texas, food trucks operate in at least 32 cities; San Antonio’s downtown area alone hosts 41 food trucks, according to a business association website. Another item for Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s brag sheet.

Chicago officials say a handful of applications are pending. They say the shortage of onboard cooking trucks is not because the application process is overly burdensome or that the rules are too strict. Food trucks can’t park too close to bricks-and-mortar restaurants, and they have to install global positioning devices so the city can track them. But the city insists it will work with food trucks to get licensed, even though the numbers suggest otherwise.

“Obviously we wanted folks to get to cook onboard and get licensed and on the street as soon as possible,” city spokesman Tom Alexander said. “But we’ve got to be safe about it.”

Other cities are looser with their regulations. Food trucks can park virtually anywhere and cook up anything. Those would be the cities with the gooey french fries and, well, we don’t want you to drool on your Tribune.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently announced food trucks would be included at this year’s Taste of Chicago. We hope to see them participate. Going forward, we want to see more of these mobile restaurants parked around the city. (May we suggest the 400 block of North Michigan Avenue?)

And we hope to see them soon. Milwaukee is gaining on us. A food vendor there won recognition as America’s Best Food Truck by Bloomberg Businessweek. Their specialty? Pizza. That’s a clarion call.

So come on, Chicago. Let’s get rolling with gourmet on-the-go.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-trucks-20130428,0,5074006.story

Whenever I’m craving vegetables, my mind often wanders to the $5 $5.50 Lunch Truckrun by the affable Kiflu at the corner of Ann St. & Nassau. He does great things withfish and other meats, but sometimes my favorite part of his plates is the stewed, slightly curried potato, carrot and cabbage that comes on the side. It occurred to me that he had a vegetable plate on the menu and I’d never ordered it so I went to rectify the situation.

The vegetable plate is actually a falafel plate but I’m not complaining. For $6 you get a few falafel that are smashed and crisped a bit on the flat top, and served with your choice of yellow or brown rice with chickpeas, those stewed vegetables, some stewed chickpeas and salad with lettuce, tomato and raw onion. You will be asked if you want tahini sauce, and you should say yes because it’s not the usual “white sauce” aka mayo, but actual thick sesame tahini. It’s touches like this that makes this one of my favorite lunch spots in the Financial District.

Sure, Crisp and Pita Express are both nearby to fulfill your vegetable-driven lunch needs, but if you only have $6 in your pocket Kiflu will hook you up.

$5.50 Lunch Truck, corner of Ann & Nassau streets

http://midtownlunch.com/downtown-nyc/2013/01/10/make-a-resolution-to-eat-more-veggies-the-5-50-lunch-trucks-veg-plate-is-a-good-option/

]]> http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/01/manhattan-nyc-make-a-resolution-to-eat-more-veggies-the-5-50-lunch-trucks-veg-plate-is-a-good-option/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/12/philadelphia-pa-v-for-vegv-2012-phillys-year-of-the-vegetarian/ http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/12/philadelphia-pa-v-for-vegv-2012-phillys-year-of-the-vegetarian/#comments Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:00:04 +0000 MFN Editor #1 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=36957 By  Vance Lehmkuh | Philly.com

Kung Fu Hoagies, an all-veg food truck with a Veitnamese fast-food theme, opened in…

I MAY NOT BE the first to notice this, but, geez, what a year, huh?

I mean for veg dining in Philly, of course. Long a pioneer in this area (hey, without us there would have been no American Vegetarian Society back in 1850), our town is really moving into the big leagues. This year saw the opening of four noteworthy plant-based businesses, each carving a slightly different niche in a different neighborhood.

HipCityVeg has taken Rittenhouse Square by storm (superstorm?) with its mix of burgers, salads and green smoothies. And vegan fast food with a little more of a “health” overlay is the mainstay of VGE, in Bryn Mawr, which does sandwiches, wraps, soups and a kick-ass potato salad.

In June, longtime vegan-catering fave Miss Rachel’s Pantry became a café on Passyunk Avenue, with plentiful sweet treats and homestyle lunches by day, plus weekend prix-fixe dinners at the cafe’s big communal table. And the all-vegetarian (almost all vegan) food truck Kung Fu Hoagies has gained a cult following for its vegan banh mi. So far, the colorful cart’s success has been dinged by its location shifting – fans don’t always know when or where to count on seeing it. But word is that 2013 may see a permanent KFH home.

Meanwhile, Blackbird Pizzeria this year expanded from its signature pizza and cheesesteak focus to include a well-received “chickpea Parm” sandwich. The laid-back joint just off South Street has also started making seitan in-house for its cheesesteaks and its new ‘wings’ that come with root-beer BBQ or habanero-citrus buffalo sauce.

VegNews Magazine this summer named Philly the vegan-friendliest “middleweight” city in a head-to-head contest with Washington, D.C. (Disclosure: I was the writer who made the case for Philly, but I didn’t get to vote!) Vegan author Carol Adams tweeted: “of course Philly wins, that’s where Vedge is!” – and VegNews cemented this idea by naming Vedge “Restaurant of the Year” in its 2012 Veggie Awards. Plus, on Wednesday Philadelphia magazine ranked Vedge No. 3 among the year’s top 50 restaurants.

The ripple effect of Vedge – and its precursor, Horizons – continues to be felt citywide, and not just in the “upscale” realm (e.g. vegan tasting menus). Today, new burger joints more often than not offer a veggie (often vegan) version – witness the superhyped Pizza Brain, which opened with vegan pizzas on the menu.

We visually chronicled these vegetarian and vegan options throughout 2012 in our twin photo galleries (philly.com/vsigns) of venues touting such wares. The galleries together comprise over 120 pics, thanks largely to the keen-eyed photogs who fueled our Vegetarian Awareness Month Photo Contest.

News for the new year

Now 2013 looks set to continue the animal-free trend, though many developments are currently hush-hush. I can tell you that HipCityVeg will soon introduce several new menu items that owner Nicole Marquis is “very excited about . . . we’re strengthening our relationship with Rich Landau [of Vedge, who also designed the original menu].”

Back over at Vedge, Landau and wife, Kate Jacoby, are not doing any laurel-resting – The Vedge cookbook should be out by late spring, so you can try replicating some of those awesome creations at home. And by the end of 2013, your kitchen may not be the only venue other than 1221 Locust where you can find Vedge-style offerings. That’s all V for Veg can say for now, but stay tuned.

Lastly, lest you think the kale-chip trend is waning, VGE has just started offering them – nicely baked and subtly seasoned – as a stand-alone. “We were doing them as a garnish,” owner Fernando Peralta explained, “and people kept asking if we’d put them on the menu.”

Next time you’re on the Main Line, check ‘em out. And wherever you are, have a green, peaceful and crunchy new year!

http://articles.philly.com/2012-12-27/news/36023342_1_blackbird-pizzeria-vedge-vegan

Secretary of State Scott Gessler and Taste of Philippines owner Kathy Gietl – Sam Levin

The Taste of the Philippines got a taste of politics yesterday when Secretary of State Scott Gessler stopped by the food truck on the 16th Street Mall during the lunch rush for some chicken adobo, manok sa gata and lumpia.

Though Gessler says he doesn’t think he’d ever had Filipino food before, a desire to try new foods was not the primary reason for his visit. Kathy Gietl, the food truck’s owner, was featured in one of Gessler’s voter registration advertisements, in which an actor stopped random people throughout the state and asked them if they were signed up to vote.

Since she was located at a stationary food truck, Gietl was pretty much the only participant in that ad that Gessler’s office was able to track down. So he decided to eat lunch there and deliver her a signed copy of a poster featuring her food truck. And try some Filipino food at the same time.

Gietl, 29, has operated the food truck on the mall for about six months. A former accountant, she decided to switch careers and, with the help of her mother, opened up A Taste of the Philippines, which she thinks is the first mobile Filipino food operation in Colorado.

Owner Kathy Gietl – photo Sam Levin

She shared a bit of her backstory with Gessler when he visited yesterday.

“It’s awesome — I’m all giddy,” said Gietl, as Gessler chowed down. “It’s great for business…and it’s my little fifteen minutes of fame.”

Gietl was happy to participate in the ad so long as she didn’t have to discuss her own political views or which candidate she would be voting for in November. “A lot of people think voting doesn’t matter, but it does,” she said, adding that she hopes more people registered to vote because of the commercial.

Now that she runs a business, she’s more tuned into politics and the presidential race,” she explained. “As a business owner, I’m taking more of a stand…. It’s more important to me.”

Gietl is from Quezon City in the Philippines, and has lived in the United States for twenty years. She spent most of her life in Illinois and moved to Denver about six years ago; she now lives downtown. Her truck is parked at 16th and Champa streets, and operates Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit The Latest Word for more on Gessler’s stop and the registration effort that Gietl participated in. Continue here for more photos.

http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2012/10/taste_of_the_philippines_owner.php

]]> http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/10/denver-co-taste-of-the-philippines-owner-kathy-gietl-gets-visit-from-secretary-of-state-scott-gessler/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/09/coolhaus-architectural-ice-cream-sandwiches-in-southern-california/ http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/09/coolhaus-architectural-ice-cream-sandwiches-in-southern-california/#comments Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:00:42 +0000 MobileFoodNews.com http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=29166 By Linda Mensinga | TheWashingtonTimes.com

Photo: Coolhaus

CULVER CITY, Calif. — Ice cream sandwiches are an expression of Natasha Case’s architectural aspirations. The Southern California based Coolhaus www.eatcoolhaus.com food truck she owns with partner Freya Estreller is a tribute to the ice cream trucks that roam neighborhoods with their familiar jingles. Coolhaus is based on “starachitect” Rem Koolhaas and Bauhaus, German stylists of functional, modernist design. “Our sandwiches look like tiny, cold houses—cookie roof and floor with ice cream walls,” says Case who earned a master’s degree in architecture from UCLA.

The truck is decorated with photos of architects such as Frank Gehry and his signature Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Koolhaas with his Seattle Public Library.

Their vanilla ice cream + chocolate chip cookie sandwich is named Mies Vanilla Rohe for German designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, while strawberry ice cream + snickerdoodle cookie is the Frank Berry in tribute to architect Frank Gehry. They also sell Blue Bottle coffee, marshmallows and ice cream cookie cakes.

Starting in 2009 with converted postal truck found on Craigslist, the successful duo now own five trucks one each in Los Angeles, Austin, Miami, New York City, plus a storefront in Culver City.

Recently the Page Museum  and La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, famous for ice age fossils and ongoing excavations, commissioned Coolhaus to create an ice cream sandwich for their new saber-toothed-cat puppet. The flavor? Snickerdoodle ice cream between red velvet cookies.