SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (Gannett) – A food truck in San Francisco called Bacon Bacon is being ordered to shut down, after neighbors in the area complained that the store gave off too much of a bacon smell, which led to the discovery of a permitting issue.

But folks on the the Bacon Bacon Facebook Page are putting up a fight against the shut down.

On Friday, a post was made on the page saying:

“Update from director of health department, Mr Lee to attorney for neighbor and myself ‘if you pull your formal complaint against bacon bacon, planning department will approve and I will allow bacon bacon to stay open while they make upgrades.’ Our fate now lies in the lawyers and said neighbors hands.”

Bacon Bacon’s Facebook page says it opened in July 2011 and specializes in “bacon on a burger, bacon dipped in chocolate, a pork belly sandwich and bacon jam for added bacon deliciousness.”

http://www.thv11.com/news/article/265522/70/Bacon-Bacon-shut-down-for-smelling-too-much-like-bacon

Bacon Bacon Facebook
Bacon Bacon, a food truck restaurant, was forced to close recently after neighbor complaints of a strong pork odor led to the discovery of the business’s lack of permits.

A San Francisco restaurant was forced to close this week after complaints that the area surrounding the Bacon-centric food truck smelled too strongly of the popular breakfast food. Bacon Bacon was forced to close after neighbor’s complaints, citing the pork odor was created due to illegal grease dumping, uncovered the truck’s lack of proper permits.

NBC News reported Friday that neighbors near the popular Calif. food truck were unable to come to an agreement with the owner, Jim Angelus, over what they considered an “offensive smell” issue due to the restaurant’s heavy pork usage, resulting in the closing of Bacon Bacon Friday.

Neighbors insisted the “porcine aroma” was due to grease being illegally disposed of in nearby sewers, claiming they offered to buy Angelus a new air filter to help remedy the issue but were denied. Complaints led to the discovery that the truck lacked “proper health permits” leading to its recent closure.

Restaurant owner, Jim Angelus, dismissed the reports on the official Bacon Bacon’s Facebook page Thursday, calling the claims of illegal behavior “silly” saying the truck’s grease trap will get picked up and cleaned out on Tuesday. One neighbor of the truck commented on the reports asking the business to remain open despite criticism.

“Hold on! I’m one of Bacon Bacon’s neighbors and I believe I speak for 99 percent of the neighborhood when I say: ‘Stay HERE,’” said Lucia Tallchief Mele. “Don’t let a coupla nasty nay-sayers or clueless bureaucrats deprive you for your livelihood! We will fight for you [sic],” she said.

Angelus has since started a petition on the company’s website asking loyal customers to assist in keeping the truck in their current Frederick Street location saying, “Two neighbors near Bacon Bacon want to see our doors closed. We need your support.” Over 1,800 supports have already signed the petition which was first created in Feb.

According to the site, the food truck was previously involved in one prior incident. The post stating the truck was involved in a fire aboard the vehicle in Nov. 2012. No workers or customers were hurt in the blaze that reportedly wasn’t due to current grease issues.

The popular restaurant was featured on the Discovery series, “United States of Bacon,” which classified the establishment and a “portable pork paradise” and “a four wheel shrine to swine.” Angelus said he started the business after a lifelong passion for food, majorly bacon. One of the businesses best-selling products included their grilled cheese sandwich which includes “bacon jam,” a mix of pork, maple syrup and coffee.

“I told the guys if they forget an ingredient, just put bacon on there,” said Angelus on the program.

NBC reported that Angelus is currently working on reving the business in a location where an approved kitchen is available.

http://www.ibtimes.com/san-francisco-restaurant-bacon-bacon-closed-over-neighbor-complaints-bacon-smell-owner-jim-angelus

Off the Grid operates 15 weekly markets in the greater Bay Area, and is now coming to Daly City May 21.

Every Tuesday hungry people looking to grab a bite for dinner will want to head over to Daly City. Serramonte Center is set to bring Off the Grid, a network of street food markets on wheels, with a special kick-off May 21.

Off the Grid at Serramonte will take place every Tuesday, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., packing the parking lot with an assorted mix of cuisine. From tasty tacos to Asian fusion, foodies, families and friends are invited to enjoy delicious street treats from more than seven food trucks including noodle dishes, desserts, rice plates and more.

“We are thrilled that Serramonte Center is the first Daly City location for Off the Grid,” said Serramonte Center Marketing Director Marie Villarosa. “Food trucks have such a huge following, and they will be a great addition to the shopping center’s current restaurant mix including Barracuda, Elephant Bar, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill and Pho Garden.”

Feature trucks at the Tuesday, May 21st launch will be: Senor Sisig, The Rib Whip, Me So Hungry, The Chairman, Curry Up Now, An the Go, and Candy Bar Truck.

Off the Grid began in June 2010 with the simple idea that grouping Street Food vendors together would create an experience that would allow neighbors to connect with friends, and families to reconnect with each other. Since then Off the Grid has worked hard to develop markets that are both located in urban cores of cities, and that utilize spaces that are not easily activated effectively throughout the day.

Currently, Off the Grid operates 20 weekly markets in the greater Bay Area, and works with nearly 150+ vendors weekly. At its core, Off the Grid believes in the power of a shared food experience to connect communities.

IF YOU GO
Off the Grid: Serramonte (at Serramonte Center off Hwy 280)
Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 (every subsequent Tuesday)
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

http://pacifica.patch.com/groups/business-news/p/dinner-is-served-food-trucks-roll-into-daly-city

It’s your loss if you don’t consider cream puffs proper food truck cuisine.
(Lou Bustamante)

Before we started logging a serious number of hours and calories exploring food trucks, a friend asked what our favorite food truck was. “Oh, the cupcake truck,” we replied, and he asked again, annoyed, implying that cupcakes were not a valid food truck cuisine.

It made us think of the discussion you often hear in the music scene about DJs and their validity as musicians. Just like DJs sequence their rhythms ahead of time, dessert trucks make their wares in a kitchen before loading them on the truck. Perhaps if we referred to both as conductors (one with sweets, the other with beats) we could stop arguing, start dancing, and enjoying truck-dispensed sweet treats again, preferably at the same time.

The truck serves some seasonal varieties and a few anchor flavors like The Classic ($3.25, choux pastry puff, Madagascar bourbon vanilla cream, chocolate glaze), but the special Peanut Butter Cream Puff ($3.25) was the most irresistible. The crackling chocolate coating on top had just the right amount of give without shattering, and concentrated chocolate flavor that contrasted with the fluffy peanut butter filling. The cream stuffing was simultaneously velvety, gooey, and just peanut-buttery enough, without that eating-straight-from-the-jar intensity. Eating one is a messy affair, and trying to share one is advised only if you don’t mind crumbs and plops of cream on your clothes. They make mini sizes ($2 each) of some flavors, but not the peanut butter, because people are going to need their own full-size one.

The cream puffs dished out at the Pacific Puffs truck (part of the operation that includes two storefronts here in SF) are classic pâte à choux style morsels of crisp and light pastry. The dough is unique in that part of the preparation involves some stovetop cooking before baking, and that step can make large-scale production a challenge to get right. Done wrong and it’s dense and a dangerous object; done right and it’s the perfect vessel for sweet and delicious things. This type of pastry often ends up cut in half, stuffed with ice cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce, and served as profiteroles.

While cream puffs may not be made on the truck with sizzling smoke and aromas to entice you from across the parking lot, the show at this truck happens in each bite.

http://www.sfweekly.com/2013-05-15/dining/pacific-puffs-sweet-side-food-trucks/

Pete Kane
The Cubano at Babaloo

Food trucks can be a slippery lot. Sometimes, they go missing and their Twitter feeds fall silent. Unless DHS stalks them with drones, we may never find them again once we lose them — or even know what happened, for sure.

So we are happy to announce that after a mysterious sabbatical of some duration which may have involved major mechanical woes, Babaloo is back. The Cuban food truck where most of the items are I Love Lucy references is once again bringing sliders, sandwiches and cilantro-heavy slaw up and down the Peninsula.

Sure, you can actually travel to Cuba without as much difficulty as in decades past. But now you need only hit up Off the Grid or SOMA StrEat Food. Babaloo’s Fred and Ethel (two fish sliders, tropical slaw and lemon crème fraîche) and Vita-NoMeata-Vegamin Plate (an island orgy of local and seasonal vegetarian goodness over rice and beans) are both worth a lunch-hour pilgrimage to nab, but it’s the Cubano that we missed the most.

Don’t let the pun-less name deter you. It’s a massive portion of rich, flavorful pulled pork, arranged Neapolitan style with both rice and beans and a helping of tropical slaw, itself a mix of bell peppers, mango, lime and cilantro. For $10, it’s a serious dose of protein, enough to give you energy to go back to the office and deal with those trolls from marketing, or maybe topple the Castro regime.

Pete Kane

Traveling far and wide, to San Jose and beyond, Babaloo appearances can be slightly, well, erratic. So if you run across a jungle scene on wheels, don’t skip it for some flashy deep-fried Twinkies drizzled with Sriracha. You can get any day.

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2013/05/babaloos_cubano_is_worth_the_h.php

Off the Grid
Off the Grid’s landmark event at Fort Mason earlier this year.

The Giants aren’t exactly slouches when it comes to stadium food, but if you’re looking for something a little different, food truck gathering Off the Grid is returning to AT&T Park tomorrow, May 7, starting at 5 p.m. Now in its second year, Off the Cove is a stadium-adjacent gathering of 13 mobile food vendors and a beer garden that benefits culinary incubator La Cocina.

No tickets are necessary to stop by before, during, or after the game — you can even leave the stadium and bring food back in! — but if you really want to support the cause, you can purchase the special event package which includes seating in a special Off the Cove section and a nifty new Off the Cove/SF Giants T-shirt.

Featured trucks include Alicia’s Tamales, El Sur, Hapa SF, Hiyaaa, KoJa Kitchen, Los Mayas, Onigilly, Pacific Puffs, Sanguchon, Senor Sisig, The Chairman, The Crème Brulee Cart, The Rib Whip, and Sam’s Chowder Mobile.

If you don’t have tickets to the game but just feel like hanging out, the radio will be blasting the play-by-play.

Off the Grid also recently announced a new weekly series at 3rd and Berry in China Basin during baseball season. Starting May 12, every Sunday will feature a small gathering of trucks from 12-3 p.m. feeding hungry baseball fans. The inaugural lineup includes Tres Truck, Curry Up Now, La Pastrami, and KoJa Kitchen.

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2013/05/off_the_grid_returns_to_att_pa.php

Check out the rows of amazing food trucks and carts the next time you’re hungry in Portland. Photo: Flickr

By now, food trucks are a mainstream phenomenon, one igniting cravings countrywide. Offering a tasty reason for a themed vacation, some cities take portable vittles to new heights.

In Los Angeles, culturally diverse meals on wheels are at every turn. Start with piping hot fried chicken, vinegar slaw and lavender biscuits from LudoTruck. Or, kick things off with a wet burrito and Korean short rib tacos from Kogi BBQ, a taste of New Orleans from Ragin Cajun On Wheels orLos Saigon’s venerable banh mi.

When you find yourself in San Francisco, bao (steamed buns) from The Chairman Truck are a must. Then again, you don’t want to miss the miso-coconut-braised pork belly koJa from KoJa Kitchen, either—it’s slathered with garlic aioli and tucked into a toasted garlic rice bun. Craving tacos? Get your fix with the carne asada and al pastor from El Tonayense Taco Truck.

Not surprisingly, New York boasts an impressive array of roving edibles, too. If you’re vegan, make your first stop The Cinnamon Snail, a go-to for beer-simmered ancho seitan burgers and crème brûlée doughnuts. But if falafel is your thing, hightail it to the Taim Mobile Falafel & Smoothie Truck, an ultra-fresh option for Middle Eastern sammies and lemon-mint dressed Israeli salad.

Not to be overlooked is Portland’s rich food truck and food cart culture. Among the endless options is chicken rice from Nong’s Khao Man Gai,Viking Soul Food’s savory, griddle-baked lefse and Whiffies’ incomparable apple pie.

http://www.orbitz.com/blog/2013/04/4-cities-with-amazing-food-truck-scenes/

J. Schell
Grab a blanket, grub, and sun at Off the Grid: Presidio Picnic

Civility isn’t something you associate with food truck events, but are you really looking for “wholesome” among the carts? Part of the fun is the mass of humanity, the snaking lines, the comparing of food tips with strangers, and the discovery we have more room in our stomachs than we previously thought. Food trucking is the culinary equivalent of music festivals: you do it for the communal social experience as much as for the performances.

Showcasing a more refined side to the trucks are two events: Off the Grid Presidio Picnic (with full drink menu!) and Fiveten Burgers making a pop-up appearance (get a taste of what the future brick and mortar location may bring) at Trace.

Off the Grid: Presidio Picnic

Where: Presidio Parade Grounds, near Main Post and Walt Disney Museum
When: Sun., Apr. 21st, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Starting this Sunday and going until October 27th, the weekly brunch picnic returns for a full season this time. Hosting a fresh produce farmers market and retail vendors, along with 18 food vendors. The food runs the spectrum from food truck favorites like Fins on the Hoof and the Whole Beast to pop-ups of beloved brick and mortar spots like Nopalito and Rosamunde Sausage Grill. Find the full weekly line-up here.

But what’s a picnic in the park without relaxing beverage? Best Beverage Catering has you covered with a roaming bar to slake your thirst.

BAR MENU

Traditional Mimosa or Cucumber Honey Mimosa - $9 (9-oz)
Fresh squeezed Orange Juice or Cucumber & Honey w/Cava Sparkling Wine

Mr. Pickles Bloody Mary - $9 (12-oz)
Our magical Bloody Mary mix, Skyy Vodka & pickled cherry pepper juice served with a seasonal selection of local pickled veggies & peppers!!

Mr. Pickles Bloody Mary Mason Jar Kit - $45
Serves 5-7 people. Comes with a mason jar of Bloody Marys, a boat of mixed pickles, and enough ice and cups to make your blanket the envy of the picnic!

Presidio Mule - $9 (12-oz)
SF Vodka, MIXI’s True Fermentation Ginger Beer, lime juice & Peychaud’s Bitters

Beers (buckets: buy 4 get 1 FREE)
Selections TBD

Spike Your Coffee
“Add a shot of Jameson & Bailey’s infused Whipped Cream – $5

Mimosas
(both Mimosas served on ice, in buckets with pint of fresh juice)

Basic Mimosa Kit - $38
Bottle of sparkling plus fresh squeezed orange juice and cucumber-honey juice

Prosecco Mimosa Kit - $50
Bottle of Prosecco plus fresh squeezed orange juice and cucumber-honey juice

Kidz Only Punch - $4
Fresh seasonal farmers punch, rotates weekly. Seriously, kids only.

Non-Alcoholic
Waiwera Liter (Still or Sparkling) – $6
Purity Coconut Water – $5
Izze Sparkling Juice – $4

Water Refill Station - $1pp, on the honor system, at the bar stations

Lou Bustamante
Burger from Fiveten

“Local Motion” dinner at Trace: Fiveten Burger

Where: Trace, 181 Third St.(at Howard), 817-7836
When: Tues., Apr. 23rd, 7 p.m.
Cost: $40 for dinner, additional $25 for paired cocktails; buy tickets online

Roland Robles of Fiveten Burger gets back in the kitchen and joins Trace chef Paul Piscopo for a culinary collaboration that takes the best of mobile food and brings it inside. This dinner is part of Chef Piscopo’s “Local Motion” series that takes food truck favorites and their food inside and in the kitchen to expand on their cuisine

Expect Robles’ signature burgers, but also a few other surprises like black truffle tater tots. That’s exactly what we said.

Cocktail pairings are optional, but with mezcal Old Fashioneds and Whiskey Smashes (the drink and possibly you) coming to the table, it might be too hard to resist.

The full menu:

Cocktail reception: Fingerling Potatoes with Crisp Pork Belly and Fiscalini Cheddar; Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Sabayon and Prosciutto Chip; Wagyu Tartar with Whole Grain Mustard and Fried Caper; and Chicken Liver Mousse, Breaded and Deep Fried; paired with the Mezcal Old Fashioned

Starters: Cult Classic Tots with Black Truffle; Beer Batter Onion Rings with Pimentón Sauce; House-cured Fiveten Pickles made with Mixed Veggies and Chiles; and Corn Dogs made with Lamb Sausage and Cornbread Batter.

Mains: Black Bass Sandwich with Basil Mayo and Spicy Tomato Jam; Eel River Grass-fed Sliders with Lettuce, Tomato and Onion; and Taylor’s BBQ Sausage with Hot Slaw, Cabbage, Nantes Carrot, and Super Spice Mustard, paired with the Whiskey Smash

Sweets: Rhubarb Strawberry Pop Tart with Sprinkles, paired with the R&R.

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2013/04/food_trucking_events_cloth_nap.php

Lou Bustamante

Our weekly bite explores the city’s food trucks, one at a time, highlighting our favorite mobile dishes and snacks.

The Truck: The Whole Beast

The Cuisine: Whole animal cuisine
Specialty Items: Sandwiches, smoked meats and veggies
Worth the Wait in Line? At peak dinner time, a total 13 minutes from the end of the line to food in hand.

The way we eat is largely defined by our culture and upbringing, but globally there is one thing we can all agree on: The smell of food cooked over a wood fire or smoke will trigger a reaction from the primitive and logical parts of our brain that politely says, “Fuck yes!”

Watching John Fink and his team at The Whole Beast pull a large, dark, bronzed stump of porchetta out of the large Southern Pride smoker oven at last week’s Fort Mason edition of Off the Grid, the smell had my brain in overdrive like broker on the stock exchange shouting, “Buy! Buy! Buy!” at the pork belly market.

Lou Bustamante
Chef John Fink (left) supervises the carving of the porchetta

The menu was short and sweet with a porchetta sandwich, smoked potatoes, and Cuban Porchetta Nachos ($7, Cuban style chopped porchetta, tortilla chips, housemade white cheese sauce, Rancho Gordo black beans, crema, green onions) that was on everybody’s buy list. With good reason too. The meat was rough chopped into small pieces, dressed with a citrus and herb sauce that foiled the fattiness and brightened the meat with a flash of lime.

Tender and lightly smoky, with skin that was more on the chewy than crispy side, the juicy pork highlighted what regular nachos have been lacking all along. The chips were large and thick enough to provide a sound structural platform for the toppings, yet had plenty of sweet corn masa flavor. The beans were tender and the cheese sauce was creamy, but it also served the crucial function of fastening the toppings to the chips.

The Whole Beast is one of this season’s newest vendors, and a worthy addition that has been making the mobile vending rounds now with some serious productions like last year’s Outside Lambs area with their fantastic rendition of poutine with lamb gravy and sheep’s cheese curds.

From chatting with the staff, we learned that the porchetta was such a huge hit Friday night that it’s very likely to make a return on future Fort Mason nights. If you’re a planner, keep an eye out for the Off The Grid newletter (sign up here) or if you’re not, just go and follow your nose and listen to your brain. For once, it’s not trying to get you into trouble, just into delicious.

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2013/04/food_truck_bite_of_the_week_po_1.php?ref=trending

Credit City of San Mateo

Editor’s Note: The following information was supplied by the city of San Mateo’s website. For further information, visit the website here.

What: Food Trucks & Farmers’ Market Booths
When: Mondays from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Downtown Caltrain Station Parking Lot (1st Ave.)

This isn’t your average food truck festival! We bring together gourmet food trucks, a farmers market and local restaurants in one place.

Plus, our neighbors at the Melting Pot open up their outdoor bar and welcome everyone to come in with their BYO dinner, while they enjoy a drink on the patio.

The Urban Market will run through Monday, October 28, 2013.

Monday’s Trucks Will Include:

• Frozen Kuhsterd
• HapaSF
• Hiyaaa
• Hongry Kong
• House of Siam on Wheels
• JSM Organics
• Koja Kitchen
• Lil Green Cyclo
• Mamas Empanadas
• Manna JPT
• Naked Chorizo
• Paredez Farms
• Peters Kettle Corn
• Sanuchon
• Tres Truck
• Winters Fruit Tree

*The trucks rotate so there are different trucks each week.

http://fostercity.patch.com/articles/san-mateo-welcomes-urban-market-on-mondays#photo-13959218