The upcoming Touch A Truck San Diego fundraiser for childhood cancer research (www.TouchATruckSD.com) being held June 4 at Torrey Pines High School from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. will feature a wide-variety of delectable offerings from some of the hottest mobile food chefs around. Perhaps you’ve already heard, but food trucks are hot, hot, hot right now. In some of the trendiest cities — Portland, Austin and yes, San Diego — gourmet food trucks are hitting the streets and bringing innovative, freshly-prepared and cooked meals to the mobile masses. These are not the “roach coaches” of old – rather, they are “Gastrotrucks” with diverse menus offering classic southern BBQ, farm to street interpretations of classic food truck fare, and even Mexican/Asian fusion.

MIHOGastro will be serving up its trademark farm-to-street menu inspired by locally available and sourced ingredients, all hand-crafted and made from scratch every day.
Long-time Carmel Valley residents and community supporter Bruce Weisman from Brett’s BBQ in Encinitas and 4S Ranch will be bringing an open-grille trailer and offering their famous pulled pork sandwiches and other BBQ favorites.

TwoForTheRoad’s classic American cuisine (“with a twist”) such as hot dogs, corn dogs and burgers will be a hit with the young and young-at-heart alike.

Food Junkies will be serving an eclectic mix of fish tacos, TJ-inspired bacon-wrapped hot dogs, triple-cheese and onion grilled cheese, and kid-friendly meals as well.

Tabe BBQ’s fusion of Asian-inspired dishes with a classic Mexican flair create one of the most unique flavor experiences in San Diego.

And because Touch A Truck is an interactive event where kids can touch, climb-on, climb-in, and honk the horns of their favorite vehicles, a non-operating food truck by Bitchin’ Burgers will also be on display.
If you are not already familiar with Touch A Truck, it’s simple: a variety of vehicles: dump trucks, motorcycles, fire engines, race cars, monster trucks, school buses, limos, boats, police cars, trash trucks, cranes, hot rods, and even military vehicles, open their doors and let kids climb in, honk the horn, and let their imagination run wild!

Last year Max’s Ring of Fire, the local childhood cancer charity inspired by Carmel Valley resident Max Mikulak, hosted the second-annual Touch A Truck San Diego event, raising awareness and funds for kids’ cancer research. More than 50 vehicles showed up, as did over and 2,500 attendees. The event raised $30,000, all of which went directly to childhood cancer research and clinical trial therapies for kids battling cancer.

To buy tickets, or drool over pictures of the food that will be served, go to TouchATruckSD.com

http://www.delmartimes.net/2011/05/16/food-truck-craze-invades-carmel-valley%E2%80%99s-touch-a-truck-fundraiser/

Customers line up for MIHO Gastrotruck on High Bluff Drive. Photo: Karen Billing

The gourmet food truck trend has hit Carmel Valley. Often parking on the business section of the community on High Bluff Drive in the lunchtime hours, the trucks bring a unique alternative to running out to grab lunch, often times with some pretty tasty selections you wouldn’t expect to come out of the back of a truck.

In San Diego, the food truck fleet has grown to include about 27 different mobile eateries, although not all have made Carmel Valley a frequent stop in their rotation.

The Tabe BBQ truck has stopped by, serving up chicken, beef, pork and fish tacos on warm tortillas stuffed with veggies and topped with their special salsa.

Like some kind of adult ice cream truck, the Sweet Treats truck has also been spotted in Carmel Valley, satisfying late afternoon cravings with brownies, cheesecakes, cupcakes and cookies from local vendors such as Cupcake Love, Heaven Sent and San Diego Desserts. They also serve specialty items like strawberry shortcake parfaits, cake pops, cappuccinos and chocolate milk.

One truck that has made Carmel Valley a weekly destination is MIHO Gastrotruck. The truck has been visiting Carmel Valley since January to a “very, very positive reception,” said co-owner Juan Miron.

“It definitely exceeded our expectations right from the beginning,” said Miron, who pulled their frequent Little Italy stop in favor of Carmel Valley on most Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Miron started MIHO a year ago in May with his partner Kevin Ho. The pair wanted to put their own spin on “street food” like burgers and tacos by offering food made with fresh, local and thoughtfully sourced ingredients.

“We were inspired by the philosophy of farm to table, that’s always been what we’ve been passionate about and that’s how we live our lives,” Miron said.

Last Wednesday the MIHO Gastrotruck swung into High Bluff and within a few minutes a long line of hungry customers had formed on the sidewalk.

“People that work in that area want a different option,” Miron said. “They want to eat healthier and they want it to be affordable and quick.”

The offerings are far from just hot dogs and chips: last week MIHO was serving up a strawberry salad with candied walnuts and goat cheese, tofu lettuce wraps and pork belly banh mi on a baguette with fresh, local farm veggies.

For some in line it was their first time trying out the truck, wandering out from their nearby office buildings, like Alan Ebright, who just heard about the trucks from a co-worker and decided to give it a try.

Others, faithful customers that Miron likes to call “HOMIs,” traveled to Carmel Valley from quite a distance.

Chris Wheeler drove from his office in Sorrento Valley with a handful of friends—he follows where the trucks are headed online.

“I like the simplicity of it and I think it’s better (than going to a restaurant) to be honest,” Wheeler said.

One of MIHO’s biggest HOMIs is Jane Rieger, who drove over from her office at Intuit on Camino Del Sur.

“It’s worth the drive,” said Rieger, who follows the trucks on Facebook and said MIHO is the only one she goes to. “There’s always something delicious.”

Last Wednesday’s lineup included one of her favorites, their burger. But Miho’s is not any old basic burger. Called the burger au poivre, it’s made with grass-fed beef, truffle pepper aioli, sautéed local mushroom, local arugula and aged sheep milk cheese on a local brioche bun.

“I’m a super picky eater. At home we eat all organic and my husband is a gourmet chef,” Rieger said. “They’re doing this local, organic and super tasty food out of a truck for heaven’s sake!”

Dave McIntyre, who serves on the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board, has expressed concerns about the trucks parking in red curb areas and making turns dangerous for drivers on the road.

Miron said that they aim not to park in the red curb areas and have even moved their location further down High Bluff to accommodate some construction parking in the area.

Miron also answered concerns about the safety of their food—no food is kept on the truck save for the two hours they are serving lunch, the rest it is stored in the kitchen they rent. They undergo three health inspections a year and follow “every regulation by the book,” he said.

The best way to know when MIHO is coming to town is to follow them online—they have 2,744 Twitter followers. Another great way is to sign up for their weekly newsletter, on their website, mihogastrotruck.com. The newsletter lets HOMI’s know about the menu for the week—Miron said they change it frequently to keep it “fresh and interesting.” However they always have their burger, a second protein option, a vegetarian option, salad and fries.

Follow the daily locations of all gourmet food trucks in San Diego at facebook.com/sandiegofoodtrucks.

http://www.delmartimes.net/2011/05/04/carmel-valley-gourmet-food-truck-trend-gains-momentum/