Chef Paul Litwin, of Hallandale Beach, prepares “The Caveman” taco at BC Tacos during the Monday night food truck roundup in Hollywood. (Staff photo by Eric Bojanowski)

Reggae music emanates from Jefe’s Original Fish Taco and Burger food truck.

Patrons sit nearby waiting for their orders beneath bright yellow umbrellas as the cook prepares their dishes. On the other side of the grass, a line waits outside of the Ms. Cheezious grilled cheese truck, and there are about 20 other trucks filling the plaza with a range of specialties.

“It smells really good,” said Sumana Balkaran, a regular at these gatherings.

Her friend, Melissa Khan, who came for the first time, said she loved her order.

“The cheese is nice and gooey, and it’s really stringy when you pull it apart,” she said.

The weekly food truck roundup has drawn a large crowd from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays in downtown Hollywood’s ArtsPark at Young Circle since it started in August 2011.

Nalina Khan, her mom and her husband sampled various fare, buying fish tacos, dim sum and a hot dog.

“I didn’t realize how nice of an event this was,” Khan said.

Chris McGowan, a Hollywood resident and vegan, said he often makes a beeline to Mushaboom Vegan, but other food trucks also have meatless items.

“It’s a pretty diverse selection of food,” he said as he cradled his chickpea parmigiana burger. “I find that a couple of the trucks are really accommodating.”

His friend, Jorge Posada, eats meat, but he’s found inspiration to expand his horizons.

“I just met a really nice girl who is a vegan, so I am adding a lot of vegetables to my life,” he said.

Mojo on the Go features an eclectic mix of Cuban, Cajun and soul food, including chili lime mojito chicken wings, gator tail, frog legs, baby octopus and ever-changing menu items. Those who patronize Anthony Fernandez’s food truck never really know what to expect.

“We cook whatever we want,” he said.

Also drawing a big crowd was the Los Chamos truck, serving up Venezuelan fare.

“The food brings us a lot of customers,” said owner Charlis Hajjar. “Rain or shine, we always have a line.”

Bryn Keddie and her boyfriend, Julian Rodriguez, came from Miami Beach just to eat from them.

“We follow them on Facebook and Twitter, so we know where they are going to be,” Keddie said. “We’ve eaten Venezuelan food all over Miami, and it’s nothing like this. … The quality is really good, and their empanadas are the biggest, and they are filled with everything.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/hollywood/fl-cn-foodtrucks-0421-20130419,0,156251.story

Arts Park in Young Circle is about as nice as a park can get……..with the addition of the Miami Food Trucks, it’s near perfect. Food Trucks at Arts Park will be hitting Hollywood every Monday night for dinner. You know the routine…Tell your friends, tell your family, bring your chairs, bring your blankets and of course bring your appetite! Thanks to the Arts Park at Young Circle and the Broward County Florida Cultural Division for making this happen.

Monday March 25th:

B.C. Tacos
Bite Gastrotruck
Bobs Station
Che Grill
ChurroMania
Cold Stone Creamery
Crave
Crazydilla
Daddy’s Grill
Dolce Gourmet Cupcakes
Fireman Derek’s World Famous Pies
Il Fiorentino
Jefe’s Original Fish Taco & Burgers
La Nostra
Lucille’s
Marlie’s Delights
Mobile Culinary Kitchen
Monster Burgers
Mr. Good Stuff
Ms. Cheezious
Munchcakes
Mushaboom
Nacho Bizness
Palate Party
Purple People Eatery
The Rolling Stove
Taco Fresh

The Details:

Food Trucks at Arts Park
Date: Every Monday
Time: 5:30PM – 9:30PM
Location: 1 Young Circle Hollywood, FL 33020
Parking:

http://miamifoodtrucks.com/

]]> http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2013/03/hollywoodi-fl-food-trucks-at-arts-park-in-hollywood/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/12/orlando-fl-south-florida-food-related-events-this-week-food-truck-roundups-holiday-beer-parties-and-more/ http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2012/12/orlando-fl-south-florida-food-related-events-this-week-food-truck-roundups-holiday-beer-parties-and-more/#comments Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:00:31 +0000 MFN Editor #1 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=36011 By Tricia Woolfenden | BrowardPalmbeach.com

Food truck roundups this week make it easy to be lazy.

This week’s calendar of events is nice and easy; just the way it should be in the countdown to holiday mayhem. If you need an excuse to shirk shopping and cleaning duties for an evening, check out one of the food- and drink-related events taking place this week in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

See Also:
- Sunrise Meeting on Food Truck Fate Lasts Two Minutes Before Being Adjourned

Monday

Food truck rally in Hollywood
Ditch the Mondays this evening at the Arts Park in downtown Hollywood for a food truck dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. There’s no cost to attend; bring cash for the trucks. This week’s lineup includes familiar favorites like B.C. Tacos, Ms. Cheezious, the Rolling Stove, Dolce Gourmet Cupcakes, and many more.

Organic meatless Monday dinner
Anyone who’s unsure of how to handle the whole “meatless Monday” concept can head toLe Bistro in Lighthouse Point for an organic dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. The four course meal includes selections that can work for people with vegan, raw, and/or vegetarian diets. The price is $35 for dinner or $50 for dinner plus wine.

Tuesday

Left Hand party at World of Beer Coconut Creek
Beer lovers, listen up: World of Beer Coconut Creek is celebrating Left Hand Brewing’s innovative nitro bottle for its popular Milk Stout. Get there no later than 8:15 p.m. to participate in a synchronized pour. Other beers like Chainsaw, Wake Up Dead, and Fade to Black Vol. 4, will be featured at the event.

Wednesday

Black Christmas at Laser Wolf
Leave the light lager behind for an evening of dark winter beers at Laser Wolf in Fort Lauderdale. The beer-lover’s bar will feature a 7 p.m. tapping of a cask of Terrapin’s Wake ‘N’ Bake, plus other winter brews and desserts from local food trucks.

Anniversary party at PB Catch
PB Catch in Palm Beach is celebrating its first year in business by ushering in a new menu and a new cocktail list. They’ll also be serving rare seafood all night long on Wednesday, with choices like hand-harvested diver scallops and local wolffish. DJ Germain Garcia will provide music for the party.

Cypress Creek food truck roundup
Load up the car and head to the corner of Cypress Creek and Powerline in Fort Lauderdale for a food truck rally from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. B.C. Tacos, Dog Eat Dog, and three other trucks will be on hand. Parking is free, bring some cash to get dinner.

12 Beers of Xmas, Part II: The New World
Sample some seasonal American crafts on Wednesday night at the Blind Monk in West Palm Beach. Among the selections find Cigar City’s Warmer Winter Winter Warmer, Avery’s Old Jubilation, and Lost Coast Winterbraun, plus others.

Thursday

Cruise for Brews pub crawl
How’s this for an awesome designated driver? The Water Taxi in Fort Lauderdale hosts a weekly Thursday night Cruise for Brews pub crawl starting at 7 p.m. The boat’s crew passes out Water Taxi logo cups that you can use for discounted drinks at select bars in downtown Fort Laudy. There are 10 bars included in the crawl like Briny Irish Pub, Bahia Cabana, and Las Olas Wine Cafe.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2012/12/things_to_do_in_fort_lauderdale_this_week_december_2012_laser_wolf_party.php

Party with the food trucks.

Time to shake off the turkey and mashed potato hangover and jump back into the fray. Since the Monday after a long holiday weekend is always the worrrrrst , Clean Plate Charlie has rounded up a few fun food and drink related activities this week in Broward and Palm Beach counties: Find ‘em after the jump.

See Also:
- Goose Island Beer Will Be Available In Florida By End Of November
- Sunrise Mulls Food Truck Ban
- Weekly Wellington Food Truck Roundup Starts Tonight

Monday

Winetasting
The Blind Monk in West Palm Beach is hosting a wine tasting event at 7 p.m. Monday. If beer is more your want, they’ll host a “Dark Side of the Rainbow” party on Wednesday evening. That night, they’ll play Wizard of Oz and Dark Side of the Moon simultaneously while serving Oz themed brews.

Tuesday

Goose Island release party
OK; for realsies this time. Tap 42 in Fort Lauderdale will host a launch party this week celebrating Goose Island’s long-awaited release in Florida. Their Goose Island tap takeover starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday with Goose Island IPA, Honker’s Ale, 312 Urban Wheat, and Mild Winter on tap. The event was originally scheduled for last week, but had to be postponed due to an issue with distribution. The taps will start flowing promptly at 7 p.m., so be on time for this one.

Winetasting 
Cary Combine of Duckhorn Winery will guide a tasting event with six wines from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Virginia Philip Wine Shop & Academy in West Palm Beach. The price is $40 per person.

Thursday

Tequila dinner
Think wine dinners are for lightweights? Cantina Laredo Modern Mexico in Hallandale Beach will host a tequila dinner on Thursday. The four-course dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m., but a cocktail service begins at 7. On the menu are dishes like wild mushroom sopes, lamb chops with red pesto, and fideo rojo. The cost is $49.99 per person, and the featured tequila is 1800. Make a reservation by calling 954-457-7662.

Food truck rally
The “What the Truck?!?” food truck party on Thursday will feature eleven food trucks: Che Grill, Daddy’s Grill, Dolce Gourmet Cupcakes, Grill Master Café, HipPOPs Handcrafted Gelato Bars, Mobile Culinary Kitchen, Out of Many, The Rolling Stove, Taco Heat, Top Fries, and Waffle Gourmet. The party is 6 to 10 p.m. in the parking lot ofSeminole Casino of Hollywood. There’s no cost and parking is free, but bring cash for the trucks. This is a 21 and older event.

Down the Line 
Want to be the first to know about upcoming events and specials? Sign up to receive New Times‘ weekly dining newsletter, Cafe Bites. Other specialty newsletters focus on music, arts and culture, and free stuff. Check them out and sign up here.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2012/11/south_florida_dining_events_november_2012_food_truck_rally.php

Here's Food Trucks.....

Halloween will soon be upon us and with that comes scary movies, pumpkins, hayrides, cool weather and snuggling.

Normally we hate when people push the holidays, but with Halloween, we totally make an exception.

Head out to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino tonight for dinner and a movie – on the cheap. Over two dozen food trucks will be on the scene from 5:30 – 10 p.m. to serve you and your date gourmet street food. After dark, snuggle on a blanket and take in the free scary movie under the stars. The movie is yet to be announced (it’s Facebook fan’s choice tonight), but the nominees are The Shining, Poltergeist, and Little Shop of Horrors.

Trucks serving dinner include Big Kahuna, Bite GastroTruck, CheeseMe, ClaraBelle’s Cupcakes, Daddy’s Grill, Dim Ssäm á GoGo, Dolci Pecatti Gelato, the Fish Box, the Flying Saucer, Grill Master Cafe, Guiseppe’s Italian Sausage, Jefe’s Original Fish Taco, Latin Burger, Mangia Mia, the MexZican Gourmet, Mr. Good Stuff, Nacho Bizness, Nacho Mama’s, Pisano Food Truck, The Rolling Stove, Slow Food Truck, and Sugar Rush.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. 

Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2011/10/scary_movie_and_food_trucks_to.php

]]> http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2011/10/hollywood-fl-scary-movie-and-food-trucks-tonight-at-seminole-hard-rock/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2011/10/lost-found-the-tale-of-the-missing-food-truck/ http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/2011/10/lost-found-the-tale-of-the-missing-food-truck/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:29:34 +0000 MobileFoodNews.com http://www.mobilefoodnews.com/?p=22069 By Jon Silman | Miami Herald

Great BBQ! Credits: Tiffany Lanier

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/01/2434395/lost-and-found-the-tale-of-the.html#ixzz1Zai6IjEA

(from left) Raul Beraza of West Palm Beach, Harvey Garcia of West Palm Beach, Pedro E. Dijols of Davie with son, Brian, have meals from mobile food trucks. Mobile food trucks feed grazers in the parking lot at Seminole Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Hollywood on August 18, 2011. Carey Wagner, Sun Sentinel / August 18, 2011

Not so long ago, street food meant grilled sausages of unknown origin and salty, oversized pretzels — basic carnival chow.

Nowadays, vendors lure foodies to lineups of brightly painted trucks with names like The Flying Saucer and Purple People Eatery. Their menus offer candy pineapple chicken wings and bison burgers at rallies staged from Boca Raton to Kendall.

This new fashion in food trucks is popular, yes, but are the chefs offering safe fare?

A review of inspection reports for 30 regular vendors at South Florida events found none had roaches or rodents. But a handful of vendors have been cited for violations that can threaten public health, such as selling food of questionable age or temperature.

In the end, it’s still buyer be wary.

These aren’t roach coaches, operators and fans say. They present street food with style and market it on social networks. Food fanatics are lapping up the low-cost fare with gourmet aspirations at events staged in auto-dealer parking lots and public parks, sometimes with live music.

In 2010, health and safety inspectors closed, on an emergency basis, six vendors in the district that includes Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, and seven in the district that covers Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties. So far in 2011, only one was temporarily shut down in Miami or Monroe counties, and two were briefly closed in the other district.

Flagrant violators can be fined $100 or more.

State health and safety inspectors make unannounced visits to trucks twice a year, said Department of Business and Professional Regulation spokeswoman Beth Frady. Vendors are held to the same standards as brick and mortar restaurants.

Though rally locations are broadcast on social media, the state won’t divulge whether inspectors find the food trucks online, Frady said.

Wildy Calixte and Joel Francois let their stomachs be their guides at the Biscayne Triangle Truck Round-up, where, every Tuesday, crowds swell to 1,000 near the campus of Johnson & Wales University in North Miami.

The men are fans of Latin Burger and Taco, which is licensed but has not yet had its first inspection, Frady said on Wednesday.

“I’m really concerned about food safety,” said Francois, an accountant waiting on his “Latin Macho Burgers” of chorizo, sirloin, Oaxaca cheese, onions and jalapenos. “I’ve eaten here before, six or eight times, and I haven’t gotten sick. It looks clean for the most part.”

Still, he squirted a big dose of hand sanitizer from the truck’s dispenser before digging into the burgers: “moist” with “good taste,” he announced.

Down the block, Susan Bindas of Coconut Creek — a self-described “obsessive compulsive” about cleanliness — said she is comforted by seeing inspectors at Seminole Hard Rock Casino food truck rallies in Hollywood.

“I’m pretty picky, but I’ve even eaten sushi,” she said, pointing to her dinner vendor and at another truck selling Filipino food. “That’s not readily available, and it’s really fun. And I can see into the kitchens. The trucks are open in the back.”

Sidle up to a truck line and you’ll probably see more social media decals than you have in your mobile phone. Vendors seek Facebook fans, post menus there, and promote rallies on Twitter.

Damian Forneris owns an Argentine-cuisine truck, Che Grill, where he bakes empanadas and bread for his meat-based menu. He’s looking to expand to a second truck.

“In three months, I got more than 1,000 followers on Facebook!” he said.

His business had zero health and safety violations after a state inspection in April.

“They asked for many things — how you store the food, they checked the temperatures, and they took a picture,” Forneris said. He said he welcomes the inspectors’ oversight.

He has seen a few unlicensed operators, and he’s not pleased.

“If something happens with the food [and it sickens customers] it will kill every future event,” Forneris said.

Jack Garabedian opened Jefe’s Original Fish Tacos & Burgers truck a year ago and said the diminutive kitchens force operators to be extra careful about food safety.

“Your refrigerators have to be very organized,” said Garabedian, who spent 35 years in the restaurant business. “You have to use the right type of storage pans and containers so they all fit properly, or you’re driving around and you take a corner and there goes all of your day’s prep on the floor.”

Garabedian usually fills his truck with 15 to 20 pounds of fish, 120 to 150 hamburger patties, and 50 pounds of fresh-cut French fries.

“We pack a lot of things with frozen cold packs just to ensure that they’re going to stay cold,” he said. “My truck is fully self-contained, with fresh water and a place for gray water” from hand washing and food prep.

The state requires vendors to be licensed and partner with a commissary to clean rigs and dump waste at least once a week.

Last winter, Garabedian organized the Biscayne Triangle Truck Round-up. He says when he occasionally sees less than ideal food-handling practices — “it’s a very small percentage, less than five percent” — he makes sure those trucks never return.

Garabedian said Seminole officials inspect each truck at the Hard Rock’s Thursday night rallies, and that’s a good thing. “It actually bumps up the game on some of those people who may not have the best practices,” he said.

Brian Connors, an instructor at Johnson & Wales, figured about 75 percent of food truck operators are culinary school grads, which ought to be reassuring to consumers, because their training stresses safe food handling.

Blogger Sef Gonzalez writes about food truck events on BurgerBeast.com and MiamiFoodTrucks.com and is about to launch an iPhone food truck tracker app.

He said the rally trend really took off here in late 2009. “They’re taking food trucks to another level,” Gonzalez said. “It’s not just a fad.”

State records confirm the growth: from July 2009 to Aug. 1, 2011, the number of food truck licenses grew from 250 to 378 in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. In Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties, the license numbers rose from 160 in April 2010, to 182 on Aug. 1.

You don’t have to be a foodie and chase rallies around South Florida to sample what truck chefs are offering. Sometimes they’ll come to you.

Amy Prinzo wants the senior year of her son Jared, a middle linebacker, to be “spectacular.” She invited vendors whose menus she sampled at the Hard Rock to Cypress Bay High School in Weston for the Lightning’s first pre-season varsity football night game on Thursday against Carole City High and its first season match Sept. 2 against Deerfield Beach High.

“Everyone’s been talking about the food trucks,” Prinzo said. “They’re on the Food Network.”

She says she has no concerns about the cleanliness of the vehicles.

“You go outside, you’ll see a roach,” she said. “I feel the food is delicious. It’s fresh, cooked to order.“

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-mobile-food-truck-safety-20110820,0,2598615,full.story

Call it Restaurants on Wheels or Mobile Gourmet but the new craze or wave of dining out has been popping up all over South Florida.

The Seminole Casino’s Hard Rock calls it the Miami Food Truck Rally and every Thursday night this summer the gourmet trucks will fill the Hooters Lot, serving up a rainbow of various gourmet foods.

Sue Reddy Silverman from Plantation followed the trucks to the Hard Rock after sampling the food at Johnson and Wales. “The food is amazing,” she said. “You can bring your kids and they can run around. It’s great for the whole family.”

The Silvermans even brought their own chairs but at least at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, chairs and tables are provided. No alcohol can be brought in but there is a full bar available.

The trucks also carry personalities with names like The Fish Box, BurgerBeast, gastroPod, The Rolling Stove and my favorite, Ms. Cheezious, that makes fresh made grilled cheese. One lady I talked to came just for the grilled cheese: “My friends and I each get a different thing and then we share it.”

From the looks of all the fans on Facebook, the food is what keeps people following them. The variety of choices are abundant. Starting with a Cuban influenced burger or Asian style wings, throw in a gourmet grilled cheese or just have traditional fish tacos and everyone is happy.

To top it off at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, DJ Scuba Steve provides musical entertainment and there is a movie at 9 p.m. People can influence the movie to be shown by logging on to the Hard Rock’s Facebook page and putting in their vote at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com/facebook

The event happens Thursday nights from 5:30-11 p.m. Bring your appetite and the Hard Rock and the Miami Food Trucks will supply the rest.

http://www.pbpulse.com/dining/2011/06/17/hard-rock-home-to-food-trucks-galore-on-thursdays/