SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Scottsdale City Council is set to reconsider the city’s decades-long ban on ice cream trucks.

Scottsdale decided to ban mobile food trucks in the 1970s because of concerns that the trucks were being used as fronts for drug operations.

Dubbed, Leo’s Law, the proposed ordinance to bring the trucks back is named for Leo Blavin, a teenager who launched his own ice cream truck business, Leo’s Ice Cream, in 2011. Stunned to learn he wouldn’t be able to do business in his own city, Blavin contacted the mayor and work on lifting the ban began.

“Children across the country love the daily Ice Cream Truck visit,” Blavin, then 16, wrote in an email to Mayor Jim Lane in August 2011. “Yet in Scottsdale ‘The Most Livable City’ such a fond childhood aspect is outlawed.”

Right now, ice cream trucks are allowed on private properties in Scottsdale by invitation only. Operating on public streets, however, is illegal.

Some residents fear allowing the trucks will lead to increased crime in their neighborhoods. That fear is the reason ice cream trucks were banned in the first place.

“The Mayor and city staff have taken great steps to make sure that the rights of businesses are balanced with the rights of residents,” J.P. Twist, the mayor’s chief of staff, said in an email Tuesday afternoon, just hours before the City Council meeting. “Every concern that we heard from residents during our public outreach period has been addressed in the current ordinance. For example, all operators will be required to pass a criminal background check. Will be required to be licensed by the city and will be required to have extensive insurance requirements, among many other things.”

In addition, the ordinance would only allow operation from 10 a.m. to sunset. Vendors would also be prohibited from selling ice cream in commercial parts of Scottsdale, city parks, and within 600 feet of a school when school is in session. Vehicles would have to carry “Watch for children” signage.

If the ordinance is passed, the ice cream trucks would not be allowed to play their signature jingles while stopped and conducting sales. What’s more, operators would have to wait 48 hours before returning to a specific neighborhood, which means they could not claim a corner or a street on a daily basis.

The City Council is set to meet at 5 p.m.

“The Mayor is confident that the ordinance will pass and is looking forward to ice cream trucks being back in Scottsdale,” Twist said.

Also on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting is an ordinance laying outregulations for pedicabs.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/Will-ice-cream-trucks-be-allowed-on-Scottsdale-streets-202141141.html

Aji Mobile Foods

Step outside your down-the-street-sandwich-shop comfort zone and try one of these four prominent food trucks in the Valley, each serving internationally inspired fare.

Each truck’s regular locations are listed, but all are subject to frequent change. So follow your favorite truck on Facebook and Twitter for the most up-to-date schedules.

Aji Mobile Foods

Food type:  Latin American.

Recommended dish:  El Gaucho, a sandwich made with Argentinean steak, caramelized red onion, arugula and chimichurri aioli.

History:   It didn’t take long after graduating from ASU and culinary school for Giancarlo Alarcon to realize that his dream to own a restaurant was an expensive one. By his numbers, it takes a minimum of $250,000 just to open. So his father, Joe, decided to invest his retirement in his son, and together they opened a food truck with a menu built around the food they ate at home (Alarcon’s parents are of Ecuadorean descent).

Quick bite:  “People aren’t exposed to (Latin American food) very much out here, so it’s tougher for me to get going,” Alarcon said. There is more to Latin America than Mexico. Aji Mobile Foods showcases the flavors of Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Locations: Phoenix Public Market’s Open Air Market on Wednesdays; Paradise Valley Whole Foods Truck Lunch; Central Farmers’ Market; Four Peaks on Wilson.

Details:   ajimobilefoods.com.

Emerson Fry Bread

Emerson Fry Bread

Food type:  Native American fry bread.

Recommended dish:  Owner Lorenzo Emerson de los Rios’ specialty is his carne asada Indian taco. “It marries both of my flavors, my Mexican bloodline and my Native American bloodline,” he said. Try the Jazzy, fry bread topped with pinto beans, carne asada and homemade pico de gallo made of fresh cucumbers, pineapples and mangos, with drizzles of chipotle sauce and creme fraiche on top.

History:  The Emersons have been frying since the late 1960s, when Lorenzo’s grandparents started selling fry bread to raise money for the Salt River Band. They were at the Arizona State Fair every year into the 2000s, and about a year ago, Lorenzo decided to start a truck to carry on the tradition. Today, their Mojave, Mexican-American and Diné ancestry lives on in Emerson’s traditional foods, from blue-corn mush to roast mutton.

Quick bite:   Menu items are named after Lorenzo’s three children, who go by D-Money, Muzzy and Jazzy and can often been seen around the truck. D-Money “has two items, so he walks around like he’s kinda tough,” Lorenzo said, laughing.

Location:   Food Truck Friday; Roosevelt Row First Friday; Drumbeat Indian Arts; Four Peaks on Wilson.

Details:   emersonfrybreadphx.com.

Hey Joe! Filipino Street Food

Hey Joe! Filipino Street Food

Food type:   Filipino.

Recommended dish:  Lumpia (pork egg rolls) with any meal. Co-owner Brian Webb’s favorite dish is lechon kawali (deep-fried pork belly).

History:  Brian and Margita Webb traveled to her hometown of Lapu-Lapu City in the Philippines to marry, and the country’s flavors never left them. They brought those flavors home in the form of a Filipino food truck.

Quick bite:    They always offer a vegan option, often a mung-bean dish that looks questionable but tastes delicious.

Location:   Raintree Whole Foods Truck Lunch; Food Truck Friday; Phoenix Public Market’s Open Air Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays; 7th Street Food; ASU Tempe Lunch.

Details:    heyjoetruck.com.

Torched Goodness food truck

Food type:  Creme brulee.

Recommended dish:   Sea-salt caramel creme brulee.

History:  “It was my wife’s idea for dessert, and my idea for the truck,” chef-owner Eric Ireland said of his decision to leave his management job in pursuit of dessert. The couple traveled the country to gobble up as many food-truck experiences as they could to help them come up with something unique. Now they’re about to celebrate three years of setting fire to dairy in a confined space.

Quick bite:     This 1974 vehicle is one of the oldest on the food-truck circuit and serves 30 rotating flavors made exclusively with organic, local ingredients.

Location:    Food Truck Friday; Raintree Whole Foods Truck Lunch; Scottsdale’s Old Town Farmers Market; Roadrunner Park Farmers’ Market; Glendale Citadelle.

Details:    torchedgoodness.com.

Food truck locations

Phoenix Public Market’s Open Air Market, on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings, 14 E. Pierce St.

Paradise Valley Whole Foods Truck Lunch, 10810 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix.

Central Farmers’ Market, southeast corner of Central and Northern avenues, Phoenix.

Food Truck Friday at Phoenix Public Market, 14 E. Pierce St.

Roosevelt Row First Fridays, 408 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix.

Drumbeat Indian Arts, 4143 N. 16th St., Phoenix.

7th Street Food, 2237 N. Seventh St., Phoenix.

Roadrunners Park Farmers’ Market, 3502 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix.

Raintree Whole Foods Truck Lunch, 8688 E. Raintree Drive, Scottsdale.

Old Town Scottsdale Farmer’s Market, southwest corner of Brown Avenue and First Street.

Four Peaks on Wilson, 2401 S. Wilson St., Tempe.

ASU Tempe Lunch, southwest corner of Forest Avenue and Sixth Street.

Glendale Citadelle, Citadelle Plaza, 19420 N. 59th Ave.

http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/dining/articles/20130115food-trucks-global-fare-metro-phoenix.html?nclick_check=1

From Cambodian spiced ginger beef curry to cheesy mac and rib grilled cheese sandwiches, food lovers are sure to find something to please their taste buds at the Street Eats Food Truck Festival.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — From Cambodian spiced ginger beef curry to cheesy mac and rib grilled cheese sandwiches, food lovers are sure to find something to please their taste buds at the Street Eats Food Truck Festival.

Salt River Fields hosts more than 50 food trucks from around the country at this two day event that boasts good food, cooking demonstrations, bars, and musical entertainment.

But these trucks are more than a roadside snack bar or grill. The owners have backgrounds in gourmet cooking and interesting stories behind some of the unique concepts.

“We used to own Cajun restaurants back east and I was doing full service jambalaya like in a pot, like a paella pot,” said Chef Michael Brown, owner of Jamburritos Cajun Grill Express. “And then when I came out to the West coast I started being fascinated with the tortilla.”

The resulting creation is their signature “Jamburitto” – a burrito filled with jambalaya. The mobile Cajun grill features other comfort foods like jambalaya bowls, catfish plates and much more.

 “The best part about it for me was the first time I drove out of the truck yard and had gumbo on the stove and smelled it,” said Brown. “But when it got down to the reality of it I had to learn to run a food truck business.”

And these businesses can prove to be highly successful. “The Grilled Cheese Truck” soon had one of the longest lines at the festival Saturday and it was much anticipated.

“We’re the most followed truck in the world on Facebook, the second most followed truck in the world on twitter” said Dave Danhi, the CEO, founder and chef for “The Grilled Cheese Truck.” “We get lines of up to three hours long in L.A.”

Anthony Peters made it a point to stop by “The Grilled Cheese Truck” and was lucky enough to miss the long line.

“My friends are always raving about it so finally I get to come here and eat this food too,” Peters said.

The Food Network’s Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian stopped by for a cooking demonstration Saturday and “Man v. Food” star Adam Richman will be at the festival Sunday for a “Man v. Food” live experience.

Guests can purchase a VIP ticket for $60 that allows access to a special VIP tent brought by LTB Concepts, and the chance to participate in the celeb chef Q & A, along with $20 in food tickets.

Stark Raving Un-Wine-d Lounge can be purchased for $35 and offers admission along with eight wine tastings and food pairings.

General admission is $10. Children 12 and under are free. The event is Saturday, Jan. 12 and Sunday, Jan. 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is located at 7555 N. Pima Rd. in Scottsdale, AZ.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/Street-Eats-Food-Festival-brings-gourmet-dishes-and-unique-concepts–186637931.html

Hao Bao Facebook
Chinese soul food comes to Phoenix by way of the big red bao bus, Hao Bao

The rise in mobile comfort food — mostly southern up to this point — is taking a turn to the east, the Far East, with the debut of a new food truck scheduled to hit the streets of Old Town Scottsdale tonight.

Hao Bao, a Chinese soul food truck, will be serving handmade dumplings and noodle soup at the Miller Market on 1st Street from 5 to 8 p.m.

See also: 
- Chow Bella’s One-Stop Guide to Metro Phoenix Food Trucks: When and Where to Find Them
- Miller Market on 1st Street Held at JAM in Old Town Tonight

“Hao Bao is committed to delivering some of China’s most simplistically authentic, delicious, and nutritious culinary staples,” according to the truck’s Facebook. “The items on our menu are all painstakingly handmade. No short cuts taken here.

“Ultimately, we are out to deliver and redefine what Chinese food in America is all about and would love to share some of our favorite selections with you.”

Welcomed into the Phoenix Street Food Coalition late last year, the red bao bus has already made several appearances at Valley locations and is set to appear at theCO+HOOTS Grand Rehatching Party on Friday. The weekly Miller Market, which began last October in the parking lot of JAM, returns tonight from a two-week holiday hiatus.

For more information about when and where to find them, follow the Hao Bao Facebook,Twitter and website. For a list of weekly Valley food truck events see our Phoenix food truck guide or visit the Phoenix Street Food Coalition website.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2013/01/new_food_truck_alert_hao_bao_c.php

People enjoy food at the 2012 Street Eats Food Truck Festival.

Like an out-of-control house party, last year’s Street Eats Food Truck Festival was so popular that it was a disaster.

The inaugural festival at Salt River Fields was planned in a six-week period that included the holidays. The single-day event was expected to draw about 5,000 people. Organizers charged for parking, and opened only one lot at the complex, which is the spring-training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They also sold nearly 8,000 discount tickets through online deal sites.

The result was a cluster of 20,000 people, hourlong lines for food at the trucks and to get a drink (trucks couldn’t sell beverages). And a few trucks sold out early.

“We’ll be the first to admit that, operationally, we could have done better,” said Aaron Studebaker, director of sales and marketing for Salt River Fields, which will host the festival again this weekend.

“(Now) we are ready for the crowds,” he said. “We want to show people we have made adjustments. We have another year under the belt and have hosted events similar to this.”

As an example, he pointed to the Arizona Taco Festival, which moved to the complex in October and had an attendance of 22,000. The venue also has hosted Oktoberfest, a barbecue festival and a hot-air balloon event.

Studebaker said other adjustments include adding a second day, making parking free and opening more lots, limiting ticket sales, allowing trucks to sell water and soda, moving away from a cash point-of-sale system, and nearly doubling the number of food trucks.

“It’s a brand-new event,” he said.

Also, he worked more closely with the Phoenix Street Food Coalition, which has a proven equation to figure out how much food is needed per truck to serve 20,000 people.

This year, visitors will buy $2 food and drink tickets at tents throughout the festival. Trucks will have a limited menu and charge a number of tickets for each item, rather than a dollar amount. The same tickets can be used for drinks and at the bar tents.

More than 45 trucks from around the nation are scheduled to participate, including Chuckie’s from Iowa and San Diego’s Devilicious, which was on Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race.”

Arizona trucks include Satay Hut (Dutch-Indonesian grilled meats), Short Leash Hot Dogs, J-Licious Tacos, Island Loco and Old Dixie’s.

A cooking stage will feature demonstrations from chefs and TV food personalities. Geoffrey Zakarian of “Top Chef America” will take the stage at 1 p.m. Saturday, and Adam Richman of “Man v. Food” at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Valley resident Erika Monroe-Williams and her husband, former Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams, will demonstrate how to make simple small dishes for Super Bowl parties.

Monroe-Williams is the personality behind the Hopeless Housewife website (thehopelesshousewife.com). Later this month, she will appear on a national prime time cooking competition (she signed a contract and can’t talk about it yet) and is writing a cookbook due out at the end of the year.

http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/dining/articles/20130111street-eats-food-truck-festival-scottsdale.html?nclick_check=1

photo : Lauren Saria

If you love local food trucks, Food Network, or Man v. Food on the Travel Channel, here’s an event for you.

Next weekend, January 12 and 13, Phoenix New Times presents the Street Eats Food Truck Festival at Salt River Fields. There will be 30-plus Arizona food trucks and five out-of-state trucks – and more. Special guests Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and Adam Richman will be in attendance, and the event will include five bars, a VIP experience, the Un-Wine-d Lounge, live music by School of Rock, three eating contests, and a kids’ zone.

See also:
- Jamburritos Cajun Grille Announces New Weekly Location on Roosevelt Row
- 12 National Food Trends We’ll See in Phoenix in 2013

The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. On Saturday, Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian will host a one-hour public cooking demonstration starting at 1 p.m., and on Sunday, Host of Man v. Food Adam Richman will team up with local LTB Concepts ChefAaron May to cook for the crowd at 1 p.m. Other live demonstrations will take place throughout the festival, featuring chefs from Top of the Rock, Pure Sushi Bar, and The Side Door as well as certified holistic health coach Michele Rusinkp,TheHopelessHousewife.com‘s Chef Erika Monroe-Williams, and Arizona Diamondbacks third base coach Matt Williams.

If 40-plus food trucks aren’t enough to sate your hunger, sign up for one of the festival’seating contests, held on both days. Challengers can pick their poison: hot dogs, pie, or Twinkies. Rather save the extra room in your stomach for spirits? There will be a mobile bar run by the National Taco Association, or hit up one of the four partner bars, including Whiskey River Saloon and Firehouse. Featured drinks for the festival include Smirnoff Grand Cosmo, Captain Morgan Long Island Iced Tea, Butterfly Kiss Wines, and Blue Moon Winter Abbey.

But wait, isn’t this whole thing supposed to be about the food trucks? Indeed they will be the star of the show, such as favorites like Short Leash Hot Dogs, Old Dixie’s Southern Kitchen, Tom’s BBQ Pig Rig, and Pizza People. Other notable trucks to look for include Haulin’ Balls (meatball sandwiches from Nevada), Devilicious (lobster grilled cheese from California), Queso Diyas, Satay Hug (Dutch-Indonesian grilled meats), and Angie’s Americas Foodie (Alaskan reindeer sausage).

General admission to the Street Eats Food Truck Festival is $10 per person. For $35, upgrade to get access to the Un-Wine-d Lounge where there are eight wine tastings with food pairings. To gain entry to the LTB Concepts VIP Tent, appetizers, $20 in food tickets, six alcoholic drinks, and unlimited soda and water, purchase a one-day VIP ticket for $60.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2013/01/street_eats_food_truck_festival_phoenix_iron_chef.php

Grayhawk Chuck Truck

Valley Food Truck Scene Jumps Shark at Exact Same Time

In what may be the Valley food truck scene’s shark-jump moment, a Scottsdale golf club has exited the fairway and merged onto Trend Route 101 with its own roving mobile kitchen.

Introduced in February, the food truck, named “Chuck” (yeah, it’s got a name), hails from Grayhawk Golf Club, the public course that opened in 1994 and features Phil Mickelson as its ambassador. Grayhawk says it joined the growing army of food trucks with “a new way to enjoy some of the good food and vibes even when you can’t get to the course.”

Plus, Chuck’s got some mad social media skills, ‘natch.

Since “taking it to the streets,” Chuck’s been seen at the Gilbert Farmers Market, the Airpark Design Center in Scottsdale, even at the flippin’ New Times. The grub’s included bites like a pulled pork sandwich, bacon pancakes, and grilled cheese.

And what’s a food truck these days without some mad social media skills? Chuck’s got ‘em fo shizzle with his own Facebook page and Twitter account (where he admits to enjoying big crowds, loud music and great food) so fans can know exactly where he’ll show up next.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2012/08/food_truck_golf_course_scottsdale_chuck.php