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

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

As we often say at ESV, we have it all right here in Silicon Valley. But that doesn’t always mean we haveenough of everything, there is always room for more of the good stuff. And while we have our share of food trucks in Silicon Valley, there is plenty of unfilled demand. And happily, Off The Grid an organizer of food truck events, is bringing a set of trucks to the Belmont Caltrain Station (south parking lot) every Monday night.

Edible Silicon Valley was there for the “soft launch” on the 25^th, and it is a welcome addition to the Peninsula dining scene. Off The Grid brought six food trucks and an empanada trailer to the event, but it is the extras that really help. Unlike some food truck gatherings, Off The Grid brought lights, chairs, tables and a PA system for performances. Rather than a simple eat-and-go operation, Off The Grid Belmont encourages groups and families (lots of kids at OTG) to sit and enjoy themselves for a while.

As for the food, the offerings covered much of the globe. Korean, shawarma, Peruvian, cupcakes, seafood, Chinese, global empanadas and Filipino food were all well represented. And while there was tasty food for almost every taste, Off The Grid will mix and match trucks as the weeks go on, so few will go underserved and all can experience new cuisines.

Off The Grid in Belmont Runs from 5pm to 9pm at the Belmont Caltrain Station (near Ralston and El Camino). Map Here.

Check the Edible Silicon Valley blog, Facebook and Twitter pages for the weekly lineup of OTG food trucks.

http://ediblesiliconvalley.com/blog-posts/off-the-grid-food-trucks-in-belmont-on-monday-nights/

Sometimes having no dinner plans at all is the best strategy for enjoying a great meal.  The anticipation of the unknown and the endless possibilities of international cuisines should have you thinking about dinner before you’ve even finished lunch.

Tonight, just like every Monday night going forth, Off the Grid food trucks will roll into Belmont providing eight distinct gourmet options from 5-9 p.m.  Bundle up and bring cast.

Check out the video above from last week’s inaugural market.

What’s been your favorite truck so far?

http://belmont-ca.patch.com/articles/what-food-truck-will-you-try-tonight#video-13550584

Credit samschowdermobile.com

Tonight, there’s no need to scramble for dinner between Little League practice and homework, or dash off to Safeway after a crazy commute—just head to the Belmont Caltrain parking lot and follow your nose.

Starting today, Feb. 25, and every Monday going forth, Off the Grid will roll its trucks  in the north Caltrain parking lot in the 1300 block of El Camino Real. (On the site of the Sunday Farmer’s Market.) The trucks will be available from 5-9 p.m.

Week-one’s featured trucks will be: The Chairman, Hiyaaa Roll, Sanguchon SF, Sam’s Chowder, El Sur, Hapa SF, Del Popolo and Kara’s Cupcakes.

Irony…a food truck truck Credit Bill Moore

According to its website, Off the Grid “is your roaming food truck extravaganza….bringing you delicious food with a free side of music, craft and soul.”

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”

Off the Grid brought five trucks to its soft launch in Berkeley on the corner of Shattuck and Rose. Credit Jack Wang

Currently, Off the Grid operates 16 weekly markets in the greater Bay Area, and works with nearly 150+ vendors weekly.

Off the Grid will provide lights, chairs, trash/recycle receptacles and covered areas in case of rain.

For more information, check out Off the Grid’s website by clicking here.

http://belmont-ca.patch.com/articles/let-sam-s-do-the-cooking-tonight

The Belmont Planning Commission gave the thumbs earlier this month for Belmont to join other cities on the Peninsula in hosting a weekly mobile food trucks market.

At its January 15 meeting, the commission granted the application for a conditional use permit to the company, Off the Grid, to operate the al fresco grab-and-go grub that’s become so popular nationwide.

Off the Grid will roll its trucks in every Monday from 5-9 p.m. beginning in February in the north Caltrain parking lot in the 1300 block of El Camino Real. (On the site of the Sunday Farmer’s Market.)

According to its website, Off the Grid “is your roaming food truck extravaganza….bringing you delicious food with a free side of music, craft and soul.”

To read the Belmont Planning Commission’s resolution approving the food trucks market, click here.

Food vendors will serve a variety of cuisines, including An the Go (garlic noodles);  Pacific Puffs (homemade cream puffs); Cholita Linda (Latin food); Doc’s of the Bay (comfort food on a bun); The Chairman (bold and spicy Chinese food); Voodoo Van (a cosmic take on food from the four corners of America); and more. For a complete list of vendors, click here.

Weather permitting, tables will be set up in the parking lot for on-site dining.

For more information, check out Off the Grid’s website by clicking here.

http://belmont-ca.patch.com/articles/food-trucks-rolling-into-belmont

New guidelines are in place for any food truck vendors that have Sunnyvale set on their GPS units.

Due to the growing popularity of food trucks in cities across the nation, Sunnyvale decided to set up parameters to minimize any safety or traffic hazards that may come with the food truck craze.

The city council on Dec. 18 voted unanimously to set up a few key guidelines. The ordinance covers required distances from hydrants, driveways, fire lanes and crosswalks; hours of operation; maintenance of trash receptacles and cleanliness of the surrounding area; and prohibition of amplified speech or music.

Food vendors will be required to display a Sunnyvale business license and must be able to provide upon request licenses and permits from other agencies–such as the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health–that ensure food safety and sanitation. The city can take action if a mobile vendor is causing any public nuisance as well.

Dan Hugo, acting director of the Bay Area Mobile Food Vendors Association, voiced concerns about some of the requirements at the Dec. 18 meeting.

Trucks can park on private property for no more than four hours per day, and no more than three vendors are permitted at a time. If property owners want to exceed either of these limits, they would have to get a miscellaneous plan permit.

Hugo was concerned that companies such as Juniper Networks and SIMCO, which share a building, might have difficulty tracking down the property owner. Some vendors may also wish to work both a breakfast and lunch hour, which would exceed the four-hour limit.

Still, Hugo said he was pleased with the ordinance overall. “The Sunnyvale staff did a solid job of reaching out to everybody,” he said. “We hope similar studies in the Bay Area will be conducted so thoroughly.”

City staff said it will continuously evaluate the ordinance and is open to explore any future changes, but for the time being wanted to get overall guidelines in place.

In the last five years, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety has received about 10 complaints regarding food truck activities. The majority have been from brick-and-mortar restaurant owners, represented by Kirk Vartan of A Slice of New York at the Dec. 18 meeting.

Vartan echoed concerns that food trucks have an unfair economic advantage because they do not pay property taxes or rent space, and they are exempt from land use or building permits, utility bills and other traditional restaurant expenses.

Sunnyvale DPS has also received complaints from residents about late-night noise and other safety concerns involving food trucks on commercially zoned property. The majority of the complaints were associated with noise from nightclubs and the late-night crowds, with some saying food truck service was perpetuating loitering and noise.

The ordinance addresses such concerns by creating a balance between regulations on public streets and private property, according to city staff. Additionally, requiring a permit in certain situations provides a basis for enforcing food trucks that create public safety problems.

http://www.mercurynews.com/sunnyvale/ci_22236062/sunnyvale-puts-new-guidelines-place-food-trucks

Mobile Kitchen Will Be Used to Educate the Public About Healthy Eating

SAN JOSE, Ca – Second Harvest Food Bank is taking its nutrition education on the road thanks to a mobile kitchen the Food Bank is using to pilot its “Nutrition on Wheels” program. Second Harvest is using the fully equipped kitchen to offer cooking demonstrations that teach people how to eat healthier.

“We want to make sure everyone has access to healthy, nutritious food,” said Janet Leader, a registered dietitian and director of Services at Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. “About half of the food we distribute is fresh produce. In addition to providing nutritious food, we also teach people how to eat healthier and cook with the produce we provide. Cooking from scratch is a great way to eat healthy and it can also stretch your food budget if you know how to shop smart. With the mobile kitchen, we can reach more people with cooking demonstrations and food tastings, which are a great way to engage people in nutrition education. We also offer tips for shopping on a budget.”

The mobile kitchen features a TV monitor located outside the truck that allows onlookers to clearly see the demonstration. It was loaned to Second Harvest Food Bank by the Fresno Community Food Bank for three weeks. Second Harvest is working to secure funding to purchase its own mobile kitchen in the near future if the pilot is successful.

“We wanted to try it out first and see how effective it is at teaching people how to cook and eat healthier,” Leader said. “We also wanted to determine how practical it is; how easy it is to drive and set up.”

So far the mobile kitchen has been a big success. Second Harvest’s team of nutritionists has been taking it to pantries and shelters as well as other sites where Second Harvest provides food, including its Brown Bag program for seniors, Family Harvest food program for families with children, and its Produce Mobile, which provides fresh produce to local families and individuals. In the first week alone, Second Harvest provided more than 500 recipes and food tastings at these sites.

The mobile kitchen is part of Second Harvest’s ongoing nutrition education program. Its team of nutritionists regularly works out in the community providing cooking demonstrations and food tastings, as well as information and tips for eating healthier. They are supported by Health Ambassadors, a specially trained group of community members who speak a variety of languages and help Second Harvest provide culturally appropriate nutrition education out in the community.

Second Harvest Food Bank produces recipe tip cards for the produce it distributes. The tip cards explain the nutritional value of the items and offer serving ideas as well as a recipe. The cards are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

“I’m not sure people realize that obesity goes hand in hand with hunger,” Leader said. “Produce and other healthy foods can be very expensive. Also, many of the people we serve live in food deserts where they don’t have easy access to nutritious foods. So it makes it harder for them to get the nutritious foods they need to stay healthy.”

Anyone who is struggling to put food on the table should call Second Harvest Food Bank’s Food Connection hotline at 800-984-3663 to find out about food-assistance programs near them. Second Harvest also provides application assistance for CalFresh (food stamps).

Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is the trusted leader dedicated to ending local hunger. Since its inception in 1974, Second Harvest has become one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to an average of nearly one quarter of a million people each month. The Food Bank mobilizes individuals, companies and community partners to connect people to the nutritious food they need. Nearly half of the food distributed is fresh produce. Second Harvest also plays a leading role in promoting federal nutrition programs and educating families on how to make healthier food choices. Visit www.SHFB.org to get involved.

http://www.shfb.org/Page.aspx?pid=868

Delicious oven-baked gourmet empanadas and Northern Italian cuisine and salads are served by Mama’s Empanadas-SF, a mobile catering food truck and catering company serving the San Mateo and San Francisco areas.

Mama’s Empanadas-SF specializes in creating empanadas using fresh and healthy ingredients with a Mediterranean flair. Empanadas are fried or baked pastries stuffed with meats, cheese, vegetables or fruit, among other things. They originated in Spain and Portugal, but Spanish conquistadors spread the dish to Latin America and the Philippines.

Mama’s Empanadas is proud to bring their signature oven-baked gourmet empanadas made with fresh, unique, and healthy ingredients with a Mediterranean flair to San Francisco. Savory choices include roasted chicken with red bell peppers, cumin, and pimento stuffed green olives or Niman Ranch Angus ground beef, tomatoes, pepperoncini, onions, garlic, and spicy seasoning blend. They also serve vegetarian empanadas filled with fresh veggies and spices like French-cut green beans, carrots, sweet peas, bell peppers, garlic, onions, and Parmesan cheese. Mama’s also serves a soup of the day and an Italian item of the day.

Every Thursday, customers can find Mama’s Empanadas-SF serving oven baked gourmet empanadas in San Francisco via Truck Stop, a food truck meet-up where different vendors get together for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Truck Stop gathers a rotating selection of the best food trucks in San Francisco. It is located on Mission Street between First and Fremont.

Mama’s Empanadas-SF is also a regular at Off the Grid in downtown San Mateo, a food truck meet-up every Monday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. providing dinner service. Off the Grid is described as a mobile food extravaganza, which holds weekly markets at various locations throughout the Bay Area.

The first Friday of each month, Mama’s Empanadas-SF takes part in Moveable Feast at the San Mateo Expo Center. Over 15 food trucks join in this event that includes music, art and other activities for families to enjoy. The previous Moveable Fest was on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2, at the Expo Center, 1364 Saratoga Drive.

For more information about Mama’s Empanadas-SF or any of their food truck events, call 650-281-6431. You can visit http://www.truckstopsf.com for more information about Truck Stop and http://www.offthegridsf.com for Off the Grid in downtown San Mateo.

About Mama’s Empanadas-SF
Mama’s Empanadas-SF, a mobile food truck owned by Christina, operates throughout the Bay Area serving oven baked gourmet Chilean empanadas made with fresh, unique and healthy ingredients that have a Mediterranean flair, as well as salads and Italian dishes.

http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=21492

Operating a food truck isn’t as simple as buying the vehicle and food then parking.

Like any restaurant, the mobile food vendors need to be inspected. The vehicle itself needs to get approval from the state before getting the OK from county health services. It’s the latter that grants a registration sticker saying the food truck is approved to prepare and serve food. Often placed in the rear top corner on the left side of the vehicle, securing the round sticker can be held up by the smallest of detail.

“It’s all about the small details,” said Environmental Health Specialist AJ Sekhon.

Once a week, on Wednesdays, food trucks are able to drop in to get inspections by the San Mateo County Environmental Health Department. Requirements are different for trucks in which food is prepared — like a taco truck — compared to one from which food is simply served, like an ice cream truck. Those that are prepped to prepare and serve food must meet multiple requirements similar to a restaurant.

For example, there needs to be hot water at a certain temperature, a commercial refrigerator with a fan is required and fire sprinklers must be installed.

The process can be time consuming.

Redwood City resident Paulette Elliott, one of the owners of Ciao Bella, knows all about the long process. On Wednesday, her restaurant, which is inside a trailer, was getting the final approval. Starting the business has taken about a year.

First there was finding a concept, then a truck (or in this case a trailer) — a distinctive difference that Elliott liked. She settled on a 20-foot trailer which was ordered from Arkansas and outfitted to look like a cable car. With about a 4-foot deck at the end, the trailer restaurant also has lots of windows.

“I like going to restaurants where you can see the food being prepared,” said Elliott, who brought that same feel to her business which will feature Italian and British food.

It’s been a learning process for Elliott. Building a mobile business required different types of insurance. Since the trailer needs to be attached to a vehicle, the vehicle also needs insurance. The type of refrigerator Elliott originally had needed to be replaced to include a fan.

After getting approved, Elliott still had lots to do. She needs to chat with each city in which she’d like to work and learn the rules. Cities have different regulations about food trucks parking and for how long they can remain in one location. Despite the work, she’s excited to get started and hopes to be a regular on the local scene soon.

For the Environmental Health Department, the demand for checking mobile vehicles has risen 10 percent in the last year, said Director of Environmental Health Dean Peterson. Registrations are updated annually in February. Those who get a permit mid-year are given a prorated cost. Physical inspections occur at least once a year. Random checks, which the department often does in restaurants, are the big challenge.

Mobile trucks aren’t exactly in one place at any given time making seeing the truck in action tricky. Planned events with a number of food trucks often offers an opportunity to get a first look and watch employees in action, said Peterson.

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=165635&title=Before%20firing%20up%20the%20grill,%20approval%20needed