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San Jose Taco Festival

The 2nd annual San Jose Taco Festival will be filled with tastings, art, and performances. Held in History Park on Senter Road not far from the San Jose Municipal Stadium, the festival will offer a curated selection of over 35 of the best food trucks from all over the Bay Area serving their best rendition of a taco. All plates will be $5 or less. Short rib tacos, nacho tacos, Vietnamese shrimp tacos, and even ice cream tacos is just a sample of the day’s menu. Tacos in the competition will be voted on by attendees. Finalists will be judged by a celebrity panel and prizes will be awarded based on quality and presentation.

The onsite Firehouse building will be converted into a VIP area with all you can eat tacos and open bar. While food is the main attraction, various entertainment options will be provided for the crowd. The Concert in the Park music program will bring a variety of live acts throughout the day including noted Latin hip-hop act Raul Y Mexia.

There will be a kids area near the stables with pinatas, balloon artists, and face painters. The event will also offer the high-flying live entertainment of Mexican-style Luche Libre wrestling with a full wrestling ring staging matches throughout the festival. A selection of two dozen art, jewelry, clothing vendors and community partners will also have a presence at the event. The taco festival will also play host to the second annual US Air Accordion Championship (USAAC) competition. For more information on the festival, please visit their official website.

San Jose Taco Festival
Saturday, May 25, 11 a.m. $10-$150 (children 11 and under free)

http://www.ktvu.com/news/entertainment/san-jose-taco-festival/nX2QC/

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

In an effort to bring more exposure to Saratoga Gateway businesses, business owners will host a monthly food truck event called “Foodie Fun on the Run.” Although the name implies people will be on the move, the owners said they’re hoping potential customers will stop and shop.

“Many times I have been told by prospective new clients that they have driven by our building thousands of times and never even realized we were here. Once they discovered us, they were thrilled to learn we exist so close by,” said 4EverFit owner Brenda Kashuba.

The food truck event will take place every fourth Saturday of the month with the first one to be held on May 26, 4-8 p.m., in the parking lot of Alameda Family Funeral and Cremation, 12341 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road. Subsequent events will be June 23, July 28, Aug. 25 and Sept. 22.

Moveable Feast will bring in a host of food trucks, including Sam’s Chowder Mobile, House of Siam, Curry Up Now and Treatbot (which offers karaoke and ice cream). Local band Sound Eclipse will also perform at the May 26 event.

The possibility of a food truck event has been in the planning stages for some time. But a few Gateway business owners and employees finally came together to hash out the details and get it done. They included Zoe Alameda, Heather Durham and Jessica Burroughs of Alameda Family Funeral and Cremation, Deni Green of Azule Salon and Kashuba.

“This area has many businesses that do not get the exposure like the Saratoga Village,” Alameda said. “The focus is always about the ‘success’ of the Village businesses, but Saratoga forgets that there are many other shopping districts with businesses struggling to grow and stay profitable.

“We lost Blaine’s Lighting, an old Saratoga established business, to bankruptcy. I do not want to see any further businesses fail in this shopping district.”

The businesses in the area have worked hard to make a name for themselves and want to stick around, Green said.

“We, as business owners, are always thinking of ways to improve the environment we work and help the community see the value of a small business to them and their families. Most of us have been in business for over 30 years, and we’d like to see another 30 years in this community,” she said.

The idea of using food trucks to attract customers came from Green, who had invited some to the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce grand opening at her business last October when she opened her new location. The trucks attracted more foot traffic and led to more walk-ins for the business, Green said.

That gave Alameda the idea to host a monthly event to help all the businesses in the area. Kashuba, who said she was uneasy about the idea at first, eventually jumped on board and said that a part of the profits should go to charities and nonprofits. Mayor Chuck Page, who attended one of the event meetings, added that the beneficiary of the donation should be local.

The first nonprofit group to benefit will be the Relay for Life of Saratoga, an event that raises money for the American Cancer Society. Beneficiaries for future events could include local schools and the Saratoga-Monte Sereno Community Foundation.

“I have always tried my best as a business owner to give back whenever possible,” Kashuba said. “I do these things because it is a way of giving back and because it links 4EverFit to the community in a more important way than just to be profitable.”

Green said giving to a charity is a win-win for the businesses and the community.

“If we show the community that we care about what’s happening in the area where they live, then they will in turn support us by shopping in town and not driving somewhere else,” she said.

For more information about Moveable Feast, visit www.mvbl.org.

http://www.mercurynews.com/saratoga/ci_20623645/food-trucks-give-new-meaning-dining-out

The food truck fad has rolled into town, with La Hacienda Inn hosting a mini event on April 27 featuring four gourmet food trucks, live music and a lot of happy people.

“This is great. What a day,” Los Gatos resident Reed Nelson said.

“It’s an excellent event for a first one,” added Nelson, who grew up in Saratoga and stops by La Hacienda every Friday to buy flowers for his wife. “They have everything you need as far as food and drinks,” he said, sipping a beer. “My wife and I have dinner plans, but I think we’re going to come back here. Why not support our local guy?”

The “local guy” is Russ Stanley, who owns La Hacienda and has been working with former Monte Sereno city councilman Curtis Wright to get the property annexed to Monte Sereno.

So the food truck festival is something Stanley could do with the property while the annexation issue works its way to some sort of conclusion.

Billed as the first Los Gatos Food Truck Festival, the event included lots of good eats–clam chowder, macaroni and cheese with lobster, and lobster rolls piled high, all provided by the ShackMobile from Redwood City.

The House of Siam on Wheels hit a high note with Stephanie Crowell of Los Gatos. “I drive on Highway 9 to avoid 85 and I saw the sign and decided to give it a try,” Crowell said. She declared the chicken pad thai very good.

Equally popular were offerings from world chicken champion Pollo Frito and Tacos de Los Altos. “It’s very popular,” a busy taco server said. “We go to a festival almost every day.”

Wright, meanwhile, was busy jostling cars in the parking lot and making sure things went smoothly. “I made it a point to talk to all the food truck owners,” Wright said. “Everyone was thrilled with the turnout and were very interested in being invited back. The coolest thing about it was that people could have gourmet food, nice beer and wine and bring their children–something you cannot easily do at a restaurant.”

Wright said he talked to a lot of people as they were leaving, and “support for additional events was overwhelming.” He estimated that more than 1,000 people attended the first food fest and said it was so successful that there will be at least two festivals each month throughout the summer.

“We hope to rotate different food trucks and bands every time,” he added. “We are arranging the parking differently to make things go more smoothly and getting more chairs.”

Many South Bay food truck festivals, including La Hacienda, are organized by the Mobile Gourmet. Visit www.the-mobile-gourmet.com for a list of upcoming events.

http://www.mercurynews.com/los-gatos/ci_20623631/food-trucks-give-new-meaning-dining-out

While recycling has been a staple for many in the community, city officials are looking for ways to reduce polystyrene foam litter from disposable food containers and wants input from the community.

On June 30, San Jose will host the first of several meetings with community members, consumers, makers of polystyrene food ware, recyclers, restaurants and food truck representatives.

The meeting is scheduled for 2 to 3:30 p.m. at city hall’s council chamber, 200 E. Santa Clara St. For more information, call 408.975.2586.

Master gardeners to hold programs for home gardeners

Master gardeners have planned two programs of interest to home gardeners on June 26 and June 28.

The first, integrated pest management in the garden, will be held on June 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Morgan Hill Community Garden on Butterfield Boulevard between E. Main and Diana.

Success with succulents will be held on June 28 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will be held at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos.

Almaden Lake Park ready for recreation open-water swims

Almaden Lake Park, the only open water swimming available in San Jose, is open for recreational swimming from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Aug. 14 from Wednesday through Sunday, July 4, Aug. 15 to Sept. 4

on Saturday and Sunday and Sept. 5 for the Labor Day holiday.

Swim fees are $3 for adults and $2 for youth and seniors on Saturdays and Sundays. Wednesdays and Thursdays are discount days at $1 per person and Friday Fun Days are $2 per person. Open water swim training, available on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. only, is $7 per person.

http://www.mercurynews.com/san-jose-neighborhoods/ci_18342479?nclick_check=1

Treatbot Food Truck "The karaoke equipment can be seen mounted on the inside back door of the truck."

The second time around was much tastier for SJ Eats, the gourmet food truck festival that took place Saturday in downtown San Jose.

There was plenty of breathing room. No overcrowding problems or long, confusing lines like the ones that marred the first event in April. Organizer Ryan Sebastian — who owns the Treatbot karaoke ice cream truck — worked with the still-in-progress San Pedro Public Market to use more street space and open the Peralta Adobe courtyard.

In addition to a mobile foodie’s dream, it provided a nice preview of the kind of vibe the public market could have when it finally opens. There were families pushing strollers, a band playing a few feet from San Jose’s oldest structure and lots of coordinated capitalism going on.

Sure, there were a lot fewer people than last time, a horde of hungry stomachs that Sebastian estimated at 10,000. This time it was closer to 4,000, but you’ve got to figure that folks had a much better experience and are more likely to come back for another helping.

MYSTERY SOLVED: Every Friday the 13th, the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose invites a community leader to ring the mansion’s tower bell 13 times at 1300 hours, to honor Sarah Winchester’s preoccupation with the number 13. The ominous date hits this week, and the ringer will be Judy Whittier, director of community relations for the Bill Wilson Center in Santa Clara.

The center, which works with homeless and at-risk youth in Santa Clara County, also will receive a check for $1,341 — representing the amount collected from coins thrown into the Winchester House’s fountains during the past year.

There also will be rare evening flashlight tours of the sprawling landmark that night for those who dare.

REP HELPS OUT: The best reason to go to the theater this week may be the San Jose Rep’s world-premiere production of Philip Kan Gotanda’s “Love in American Times.” Thursday is “Pay What You Will Night,” and any donation given for a ticket will go to the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California’s Japan earthquake relief fund. The suggested donation is $10.

Tickets are available only at the box office at 101 Paseo de San Antonio. Get details on the show at www.sjrep.com.

OOPS: I mixed up the times for this week’s appearances by E.L. Doctorow at San Jose State’s University Theatre. His reading and book signing take place Tuesday at 7 p.m., and the conversation with Andrew Altschul is at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

http://www.mercurynews.com/sal-pizarro/ci_18025981?nclick_check=1

Buck Shaw Stadium is home to the University’s men’s and women’s soccer teams.

The ubiquity of apps happened rapidly and quietly, ending the days when telephones were used only to converse. Suddenly, seemingly overnight, there were apps for just about everything—apps to help you locate Girl Scout cookies and public restrooms, apps to convert currency, language, and clothing size, and apps to help you organize travel plans. And now there is an app that lets you…just sit there: Next time you travel to a sporting event, skip that whole waiting in line at the concession stand business and order food directly to your seat.

Yorder (previously called iConcessionStand) is a free mobile-app for iPhones and Android phones. The idea behind the app is simple: sports fans can order food, beverages, and merchandise from their seat and about 15-20 minutes later receive their order without missing a minute of the game.

So far the app is only available for San Jose’s Earthquakes games at the Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. The app relies on location-aware technology to locate fans in the 10,000+ seat stadium. Fans can order from the food and drink menus at the stadium’s two concession stands, and make a payment through their PayPal account. (A $1 per-transaction fee applies to each order.) The food is provided by Bon Appetit and delivered approximately 15-20 minutes later. Later in the season, fans will be able to order food from the gourmet food trucks that the team brings in for home games.

Although this technology is only available at one stadium so far, the app (and its inevitable evolutionary offspring) could very well revolutionize the way we visit sports events, concerts and even theme parks. And as much as I hate the idea of missing a single moment of the game, I wonder if this technology will actually change the way we experience such outings. For me, going to a sporting event is never about just the game; I have always found the atmosphere equally intriguing: The inevitable brawl in the stands between rowdy fans, the mass crowd ‘waves’, and yes, even the long queues for a $10 pint of beer. Are we creating a future where a $1 surcharge lets you sit back and let someone else do the dirty work? Will we eventually be able to schedule the exact time we ride a roller coaster or use a public restroom? Will queuing in line no longer be relevant? Maybe…but thankfully, not yet.

By Linda Goldston | MercuryNews.com

San Jose’s first food truck festival was a huge success Saturday — if you didn’t mind waiting in line for an hour or more or being packed in the food area like, well, sardines.

Families and groups of friends came from throughout the Bay Area to experience SJ Eats: A Moveable Feast. A few people said the food was good, but the wait was hardly worth it. The majority of the people who crowded into the Fallon House parking lot appeared satisfied.

“I’m a foodie,” said Erwin Macaspac of Morgan Hill as he bit into a pork and rice Filipino dish. “The wait isn’t bad.”

Macaspac drove to the downtown San Jose truck-food fair with his family and friends, the 10 of them requiring two cars for the event. They arrived early, bought their plates of food and were having a picnic on the sidewalk away from the fray by the time the hordes of hungry customers started packing into the area at Almaden Avenue and St. John Street.

“San Jose needs this stuff,” said his wife, Virginia Vaquera-Macaspac. “It brings the (ethnic) communities together. I hope it becomes an annual thing.”

Once the purveyors of wrapped sandwiches, cartons of milk and tacos for night shift workers, food trucks went gourmet in Los Angeles and New York several years ago and have recently grown in popularity in the Bay Area. Fans are able to track the trucks’ planned locations on Facebook and Twitter.

They rarely — if ever — go by their old name: “roach coaches.”

San Jose’s festival made it easy to try a wide variety of food. The lunch part of the festival ran from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and included gourmet food from 10 trucks. The second half, for dinner outdoor diners, ran from 5 to 9 p.m. The fare ranged from MoGo BBQ and Sam’s ChowderMobile to Kara’s Cupcakes and CurryUpNow.

“The only downside is that the parking lot is so small,” said Mari Knight of Santa Clara, one of three members of the Employee Activity Committee at Siliconix who came to sample the food and try to talk some of the trucks into parking at their company.

“We run 24/7 at work,” said Nancy Rose, another committee member, “and we’d like to have the trucks come in at night and on weekends.”

Near the trucks, Joanne Hsing of Cupertino had already been standing in line for half an hour and still had a long wait to go for MoGo BBQ, which serves fusion tacos and burritos stuffed with Korean-style marinated short rib beef or pork, plus coleslaw.

“I want to see what all of the fuss is about,” Hsing said.

Within an hour, the line for the popular BBQ truck stretched out through the parking lot, back up the block and overflowed into another parking lot.

“I’ve waited an hour for Hapa SF chicken, and I’m still waiting,” said Connie Wong, who drove down from Alameda to visit her boyfriend in San Jose and partake in the festival.

Wong said she didn’t mind the wait; she was with friends, and they were all chatting away.

But her friend, Ada Tam of San Francisco, a UC Santa Cruz student, said the food “isn’t worth the wait. You can look them up on Twitter and go another day.”

Ronald Chan and Zheng Chung, who were with the two young women, said they thought women were more patient about long lines at festivals and events.

“These types of events are geared toward girls,” said Chan, who lives 10 minutes from the Fallon House. “I think girls are more attracted to unique events.”

Across the way, a couple argued about whether they should stay or go to Santana Row. The young man kept saying, “This doesn’t make any sense.” The young woman said, “This is fun.”

She won. They stayed.

The event did help Chung and his friends decide what they would do for dinner.

“We’re going to make our own food,” he said. “At home.”

No wait, he added, “I got some good ideas from the trucks.”

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_17759817

MoGo BBQ

Mark your weekend calendars – San Jose is finally joining the food truck generation. The craze that has taken hold of the City for months is now officially making its mark in the South Bay.

Next Saturday will be the first-ever “SJ Eats: A Moveable Feast.” On April 2 some 20 restaurant on wheels will converge downtown. All you have to do is belly-up-to-the-truck and enjoy some really good food.

Food truck vendors have been featured on foodie channels and shows like Oprah as a great alternative for fine dining. You get the same food, but at a fraction of the cost.

Saturday’s event is sponsored by San Jose Made. It’s described as “an intimate, one-day event comprised of local storeowners, makers, artists, and purveyors of San Jose made and inspired goods.”

You’ll be able to buy small plates and signature bites at both the lunch and dinner hours in the Fallon House parking lot at Almaden Avenue and St. John Street.

Here’s the latest list of available food trucks who have signed up for the event:

- Treatbot – Karaoke and Ice Cream – MoGo BBQ – Korean Mexican street food – Chairman Bao – Chinese steamed and baked buns – The Wow – Filipino silog plates (rice, tomato, and choice of meat) – Kara’s Cupcakes – Bill’s Beer Steamed Hot Dog Cart – Hapa SF – Modern organic Filipino – Roli Roti – Rotisserie – Curry Up Now – Indian street food – Little Green Cyclo – Vietnamese street food – Sam’s Chowdermobile – Seafood – Louisiana Territory – Cajun – MoBowl – Chinese rice bowls – Babaloo – Organic Cuban – TacGos – Traditional taco truck

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42237625/ns/local_news-san_francisco_bay_area_ca/

See what the food truck fuss is all about next weekend in San Jose.

Mark your weekend calendars – San Jose is finally joining the food truck generation.  The craze that has taken hold of the City for months is now officially making its mark in the South Bay.

Next Saturday will be the first-ever “SJ Eats: A Moveable Feast.“  On April 2 some 20 restaurant on wheels will converge downtown. All you have to do is belly-up-to-the-truck and enjoy some really good food.

Food truck vendors have been featured on foodie channels and shows like Oprah as a great alternative for fine dining.  You get the same food, but at a fraction of the cost.

Saturday’s event is sponsored by San Jose Made. It’s described as “an intimate, one-day event comprised of local storeowners, makers, artists, and purveyors of San Jose made and inspired goods.”

You’ll be able to buy small plates and signature bites at both the lunch and dinner hours in the Fallon House parking lot at Almaden Avenue and St. John Street.

Here’s the latest list of available food trucks who have signed up for the event:

• Treatbot – Karaoke and Ice Cream
• MoGo BBQ – Korean Mexican street food
• Chairman Bao – Chinese steamed and baked buns
• The Wow – Filipino silog plates (rice, tomato, and choice of meat)
• Kara’s Cupcakes
• Bill’s Beer Steamed Hot Dog Cart
• Hapa SF – Modern organic Filipino
• Roli Roti – Rotisserie
• Curry Up Now – Indian street food
• Little Green Cyclo – Vietnamese street food
• Sam’s Chowdermobile – Seafood
• Louisiana Territory – Cajun
• MoBowl – Chinese rice bowls
• Babaloo – Organic Cuban
• TacGos – Traditional taco truck

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Food-Truck-Festival-Coming-to-San-Jose-118530354.html