FISHERS, Ind. – As the food truck industry heats up in Indianapolis, leaders of its fast-growing northern suburbs are starting to rewrite the rules of the road.

   Fishers last month became the first Hamilton County community to pass an ordinance specifically regulating the new fleet of mobile businesses. The controversial measure was intended to encourage food trucks to roll into town, but vendors say it could have the opposite effect.

   The economics of operating in the ‘burbs are uncertain to begin with, Indianapolis-based Scratchtruck owner Matt Kornmeyer told the Indianapolis Business Journal, citing the typical sprawl that limits foot traffic.

   And since the rules vary in each community — for instance, Noblesville requires a permit but Carmel and Westfield do not have food-truck-specific rules — figuring out what’s allowed where can be complicated and time-consuming.

   Then there’s the cost: $200 a year to do business in Fishers, for example, on top of the $100 county permit required to sell food. And the ordinance says vendors must agree to a separate revenue-sharing agreement to set up at special events or “special locations” like town parks.

   It doesn’t sound like a lot, but Kornmeyer said he would need eight profitable trips to Fishers — drawing more than 40 diners at each stop — to justify the cost of the permit. Then there are other extra expenses like fuel for the truck, which gets six to eight miles per gallon.

   “Will there be a mass rush into Fishers? No,” predicted Kornmeyer, who also leads the 19-member Indy Food Truck Alliance. “We have to figure out how to make it work.”

   Scratchtruck was the ninth food truck to hit the streets of Indianapolis less than two years ago. Now, he said, it’s among 60-plus that pay the $194 annual fee to operate in Marion County, which is largely free of regulations.

   “It’s much harder to find parking spaces than it used to be,” Kornmeyer said.

   Indeed, Indianapolis’ one-page ordinance — drafted decades ago with ice cream trucks in mind — requires only that mobile vendors stay off city streets between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and abide by the same parking regulations as other vehicles. Trucks can stay on private property indefinitely with the owner’s written permission, said Crystal Williams, an attorney at Indianapolis-based Barnes & Thornburg who specializes in food law.

   Cities nationwide have taken a variety of approaches to regulating the burgeoning businesses, she said. Some, like Indianapolis, rely on laws already on the books. Others are revisiting old laws or writing new ones — often stirring controversy in the process.

   Chicago, for example, is being sued over its requirement that food trucks be equipped with GPS tracking devices. On the other end of the spectrum, Portland, Ore.’s limitations on where trucks could operate spawned a village-like outdoor food court that Williams said teems with activity.

   “It brings so much vitality to the community,” she gushed.

   Still, not every community welcomes food trucks. Among the most common points of contention: whether allowing mobile businesses to operate gives them an advantage over brick-and-mortar competitors.

   That’s why Town Council member Scott Faultless voted against Fishers’ ordinance, which he said picks winners and losers.

   “The council literally gave food trucks a free pass — that makes no sense,” he said. “Existing restaurants, food shops and business in general have to subsidize food trucks. To me, that’s a problem.”

   Fellow Fishers councilor Pete Peterson disagreed, ushering the measure through the contentious approval process. Peterson said food trucks offer a different dining experience from sit-down restaurants, and he insisted there’s plenty of room for them all to coexist. If anything, he said, competition makes businesses — and the community — stronger.

   “It’s free enterprise at its finest,” he said. “Businesses that are good expand, and the ones that aren’t go away.”

   He pushed to allow food trucks after the town approved construction of the $1 million Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, an outdoor venue in the municipal complex downtown that opens Friday. More than 30 events are scheduled through mid-September, including the popular Summer Concert Series, which draws thousands to free Tuesday night shows.

   “That was the impetus,” Peterson said. “You’ve got 4,000 people coming out to watch concerts. What are you going to do for them, open a snack bar? We’ve got to find another way to encourage business down there.”

   Events at the amphitheater and the expected influx of food trucks will help Fishers develop a much-needed “sense of place,” he said. And drawing residents downtown can only help businesses of all kind.

   “We’re not amending the Constitution here, folks,” Peterson said. “We’re allowing mobile food trucks in Fishers. If it becomes a problem, we’ll fix it.”

   Barnes & Thornburg’s Williams has deliberately avoided becoming embroiled in the

debate, but she said the Fishers regulations are in line with many other communities’.

   “When you compare it to other ordinances, it’s really not very burdensome,” she said.

   Kornmeyer nevertheless takes issue with Faultless’ argument that food trucks are the “winners” and traditional businesses “losers.” Food trucks have plenty of overhead of their own, he said, citing business insurance, kitchen rental and fuel costs, among other expenses. And most operators abide by a code of conduct that calls for keeping their distance from competitors.

   Still, Faultless is far from alone in his stance. The Fishers Chamber of Commerce also opposed the ordinance, and Kornmeyer recalls an incident in Carmel a year or so ago when “a bunch of business owners came out with pitchforks and torches when a truck was on private property with permission.”

   A brief social media firestorm followed, but it petered out before the City Council could take up the issue. Food trucks have operated there without incident since then, he said. Noblesville-based Cutie Pie’s Pizza, for example, makes regular visits to Union Brewing Co. in Carmel.

   Carmel City Council President Rick Sharp said he would support an effort to consider how to capture tax revenue from food trucks and “provide an equal playing field for bricks-and-sticks businesses,” but he hasn’t heard any concerns from constituents about the lack of formal regulations.

   Zionsville has an existing ordinance that prohibits any sales from the public right of way, but food trucks have been allowed to operate on private property for short periods of time — usually by invitation during special events, Town Council President Jeff Papa said. That policy hasn’t posed any problems yet, he said.

   Leaders in the Hamilton County seat of Noblesville likewise haven’t had reason to further regulate food trucks. Mobile businesses there must get a temporary use permit to operate on private property.

   City Planning Director Christy Langley said the idea of revisiting the rule has been discussed as food trucks gain popularity, but officials have been “hanging back,” waiting for Fishers to act.

   Food trucks haven’t flocked to Westfield, either, but City Council President Jim Ake said the growing community will need to set rules for mobile businesses before its Grand Park sports complex opens in 2014. Officials expect the youth-sports venue to draw 400,000 visitors its first year — likely attracting the attention of food trucks in the process.

   “It will be important that our policy considers local business interests and is fair to all,” Ake said in an email. “It will be important that we support our local business community. . After all, local businesses drive our economy by providing jobs.”

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/food-trucks-could-see-slow-road-to-indy-suburbs

Mobile vendors gather at Cluster Truck events at suburban office parks to draw larger crowds. (IBJ photo/Eric Learned)

As the food truck industry heats up in Indianapolis, leaders of its fast-growing northern suburbs are starting to rewrite the rules of the road.

Fishers last month became the first Hamilton County community to pass an ordinance specifically regulating the new fleet of mobile businesses. The controversial measure was intended to encourage food trucks to roll into town, but vendors say it could have the opposite effect.

The economics of operating in the ’burbs are uncertain to begin with, Indianapolis-based Scratchtruck owner Matt Kornmeyer said, citing the typical sprawl that limits foot traffic.

And since the rules vary in each community—for instance, Noblesville requires a permit but Carmel and Westfield do not have food-truck-specific rules—figuring out what’s allowed where can be complicated and time-consuming.

Then there’s the cost: $200 a year to do business in Fishers, for example, on top of the $100 county permit required to sell food. And the ordinance says vendors must agree to a separate revenue-sharing agreement to set up at special events or “special locations” like town parks.

It doesn’t sound like a lot, but Kornmeyer said he would need eight profitable trips to Fishers—drawing more than 40 diners at each stop—to justify the cost of the permit. Then there are other extra expenses like fuel for the truck, which gets six to eight miles per gallon.

“Will there be a mass rush into Fishers? No,” predicted Kornmeyer, who also leads the 19-member Indy Food Truck Alliance. “We have to figure out how to make it work.”

Scratchtruck was the ninth food truck to hit the streets of Indianapolis less than two years ago. Now, he said, it’s among 60-plus that pay the $194 annual fee to operate in Marion County, which is largely free of regulations.

“It’s much harder to find parking spaces than it used to be,” Kornmeyer said.

Indeed, Indianapolis’ one-page ordinance—drafted decades ago with ice cream trucks in mind—requires only that mobile vendors stay off city streets between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and abide by the same parking regulations as other vehicles. Trucks can stay on private property indefinitely with the owner’s written permission, said Crystal Williams, an attorney at Indianapolis-based Barnes & Thornburg who specializes in food law.

Cities nationwide have taken a variety of approaches to regulating the burgeoning businesses, she said. Some, like Indianapolis, rely on laws already on the books. Others are revisiting old laws or writing new ones—often stirring controversy in the process.

Chicago, for example, is being sued over its requirement that food trucks be equipped with GPS tracking devices. On the other end of the spectrum, Portland, Ore.’s limitations on where trucks could operate spawned a village-like outdoor food court that Williams said teems with activity.

“It brings so much vitality to the community,” she gushed.

Competitive advantage?

Still, not every community welcomes food trucks. Among the most common points of contention: whether allowing mobile businesses to operate gives them an advantage over brick-and-mortar competitors.

That’s why Town Council member Scott Faultless voted against Fishers’ ordinance, which he said picks winners and losers.

“The council literally gave food trucks a free pass—that makes no sense,” he said. “Existing restaurants, food shops and business in general have to subsidize food trucks. To me, that’s a problem.”

Fellow Fishers councilor Pete Peterson disagreed, ushering the measure through the contentious approval process. Peterson said food trucks offer a different dining experience from sit-down restaurants, and he insisted there’s plenty of room for them all to coexist. If anything, he said, competition makes businesses—and the community—stronger.

“It’s free enterprise at its finest,” he said. “Businesses that are good expand, and the ones that aren’t go away.”

He pushed to allow food trucks after the town approved construction of the $1 million Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, an outdoor venue in the municipal complex downtown that opens April 19. More than 30 events are scheduled through mid-September, including the popular Summer Concert Series, which draws thousands to free Tuesday night shows.

“That was the impetus,” Peterson said. “You’ve got 4,000 people coming out to watch concerts. What are you going to do for them, open a snack bar? We’ve got to find another way to encourage business down there.”

Events at the amphitheater and the expected influx of food trucks will help Fishers develop a much-needed “sense of place,” he said. And drawing residents downtown can only help businesses of all kind.

“We’re not amending the Constitution here, folks,” Peterson said. “We’re allowing mobile food trucks in Fishers. If it becomes a problem, we’ll fix it.”

Barnes & Thornburg’s Williams has deliberately avoided becoming embroiled in the debate, but she said the Fishers regulations are in line with many other communities’.

“When you compare it to other ordinances, it’s really not very burdensome,” she said.

Kornmeyer nevertheless takes issue with Faultless’ argument that food trucks are the “winners” and traditional businesses “losers.” Food trucks have plenty of overhead of their own, he said, citing business insurance, kitchen rental and fuel costs, among other expenses. And most operators abide by a code of conduct that calls for keeping their distance from competitors.

Still, Faultless is far from alone in his stance. The Fishers Chamber of Commerce also opposed the ordinance, and Kornmeyer recalls an incident in Carmel a year or so ago when “a bunch of business owners came out with pitchforks and torches when a truck was on private property with permission.”

A brief social media firestorm followed, but it petered out before the City Council could take up the issue. Food trucks have operated there without incident since then, he said. Noblesville-based Cutie Pie’s Pizza, for example, makes regular visits to Union Brewing Co. in Carmel.

Other cities

Carmel City Council President Rick Sharp said he would support an effort to consider how to capture tax revenue from food trucks and “provide an equal playing field for bricks-and-sticks businesses,” but he hasn’t heard any concerns from constituents about the lack of formal regulations.

Zionsville has an existing ordinance that prohibits any sales from the public right-of-way, but food trucks have been allowed to operate on private property for short periods of time—usually by invitation during special events, Town Council President Jeff Papa said. That policy hasn’t posed any problems yet, he said.

Leaders in the Hamilton County seat of Noblesville likewise haven’t had reason to further regulate food trucks. Mobile businesses there must get a temporary use permit to operate on private property.

City Planning Director Christy Langley said the idea of revisiting the rule has been discussed as food trucks gain popularity, but officials have been “hanging back,” waiting for Fishers to act.

Food trucks haven’t flocked to Westfield, either, but City Council President Jim Ake said the growing community will need to set rules for mobile businesses before its Grand Park sports complex opens in 2014. Officials expect the youth-sports venue to draw 400,000 visitors its first year—likely attracting the attention of food trucks in the process.

“It will be important that our policy considers local business interests and is fair to all,” Ake said in an email. “It will be important that we support our local business community. … After all, local businesses drive our economy by providing jobs.”•

http://www.ibj.com/food-trucks-find-a-patchwork-of-rules-in-northern-suburbs/PARAMS/article/40730

It remains to be seen whether Fishers’ new rules for mobile businesses will increase food truck traffic in the Hamilton County town—and what impact their arrival could have on established restaurants.

Opponents of the ordinance say opening Fishers to food trucks puts traditional restaurants at a disadvantage, given the overhead that comes with a brick-and-mortar location.

Mobile vendors say they have expenses of their own, not the least of which is fuel for their gas-guzzling trucks. Still, the concerns are understandable, if misguided, said Adam Perry, a Cicero resident who sells Indian-inspired tacos from his Taco Lassi truck—mostly in Indianapolis.

“A lot of people still don’t understand food trucks,” he said. “We’re not corporate raiders, coming in and taking business and profits overseas.”

The point of a mobile business is, well, being mobile. So food trucks rarely return to the same location day after day, and Perry said that’s not likely to change in the suburbs.

“If you park in one spot, you’re just like anybody else,” he said. Instead, food trucks keep moving and find customers via social media. “When we show up, it’s an event.”

Indeed, most of their trips to the ’burbs so far have been for special events on private property—at the invitation of business owners looking for a treat.

Perry and other members of the Indy Food Truck Alliance said they don’t have any desire to harm their brick-and-mortar competitors.

Noblesville resident Tirajeh Jones, for example, turned down an invitation for her Cutie Pie’s Pizza truck to park in front of the Upland Tasting Room on College Avenue in Indianapolis after she noticed a Little Caesar’s Pizza across the street.

“I wouldn’t do that to any restaurant,” she said. “We’re all just trying to make a living, bringing great food to people.”

http://www.ibj.com/north-of-96th-2013-04-15-can-mobile-bricks-and-mortar-businesses-coexist-in-the-burbs/PARAMS/post/40773

FISHERS - Food trucks have become a regular part of the Indianapolis daily menu.

But you won’t see any on the streets of Fishers and that’s because many food truck operators say a daily permit just costs too much, with a fee in the $300 range.

“We get a quite a few requests to come up here and, unfortunately, it’s a situation where it doesn’t economically make sense for us to come in now,” said Matt Kornmeyer with the Indy Food Truck Alliance, which represents 15 food trucks.

An ordinance before the Fishers Town Council, though, could make food trucks a regular presence in Fishers.

“We have a strong fan base here,” said Kornmeyer of the people who live and work in Fishers who follow his group’s food trucks.

That fan base will just have to wait a bit longer before finding out if food trucks will be part of the Fishers menu.

Monday night, the Fishers Town Council put off a vote that dealt with bringing food trucks into town. The proposal has already dished up concern for some restaurants like La Fuente Mexican Grill and Cantina.

“I need more customers and maybe customers stop by and in the truck and don’t come in for a bite here and eat here in the restaurant,” said restaurant manager Gustavo Contreras.

Under the proposal, food trucks would pay a $200 yearly fee and could set up shop in public parking areas and sell their food.

For the same privileges at concerts or sporting events, food truck owners would have to agree to pay a certain percentage of their profits back to the town.

“This is crazy. These guys pay $200 and I can pay here, a lot, a lot of money,” added Contreras of all the extra fees a restaurant must pay that a food truck doesn’t.

“I think it would hurt business and I think it would make businesses think twice about putting in a restaurant,” said Fishers Town Councilman Scott Faultless.

Faultless said he’s concerned the ordinance, if passed, would give food trucks an unfair advantage over restaurants.

“For restaurants or food specialty shops to do business in any community, they have to pay property taxes. They pay impact fees. They pay permit fees to get their signs. They pay all sorts of fees,” explained Faultless.

Food trucks, though, have their supporters on council too.

“My answer to the local restaurants is, ‘I’m a supporter of you. I’ll continue to be a supporter of you, but you know, lets step up our game and make sure we can compete’,” said council vice president Pete Peterson.

Peterson said he believes food trucks would add to the foot traffic in Fishers and benefit everyone.

“They don’t want to stomp on other peoples’ business, but go ahead and bring notice to theirs, but also bring notice to the local community, but really drive foot traffic,” said Peterson. “Remember we’re trying to revitalize the downtown.”

The dinner bell, though, hasn’t rung yet.

“We’ve gone this long without the city of Fishers. We’ll just continue the circle like we have so far and if they want to let us in, that’s fine,” said Kornmeyer. “If not, we can get by.”

The town council will revisit the food truck ordinance at its next meeting in two weeks.

http://www.wthr.com/story/21237278/food-trucks-hit-roadblock-on-move-north-to-fishers

INDIANAPOLIS – Whether it’s pizza, pasta, tacos, burgers, fries or cupcakes you crave, chances are there is a food truck out there to meet all of your culinary cravings.

“I love it. You don’t have to go into a restaurant sit down and wait you can just get what you want and keep going,” said Velma Waddell.

Food trucks in Indianapolis have been on the streets for close to two years, but the number of trucks exploded during the Superbowl last February.

“It was a lot of fun ,very challenging” said Scratch truck owner Matt Kornmeyer.

When Kornmeyer first rolled out his truck he was the 9th mobile eatery in Indianapolis. Now there are around 60.

He and a dozen or so other trucks have weathered through feast and famine. While he loves life on the road he warns the business is not for everyone, “It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be you know, 17 hour days seven days a week.”

Kornmeyer quickly realized the power in numbers and spearheaded the Food Truck Alliance. With a membership around 15, the association gives truck owners a unified voice to address conflicts or potential legislative issues. It also sets bylaws for owners so the food truck community gets along internally and externally.

“Out of respect we do not park within a 100 feet of a brick and mortar restaurant,” said Kornmeyer. Other rules include cleaning up during and after a shift and obeying the laws. It also allows corporations to call and order trucks for events, making it easier than calling each truck individually.

Trucks got another boost to the gas tank thanks to the city with organized events like the food truck rally along Georgia Street. The rally is especially beneficial during the challenging winter months.

“It’s tough when is cold. This weekend has been an awesome weekend. All the trucks needed this weekend,” said Ryan Edwards with Dashboard Diner.

Events on Georgia Street feed hungry visitors in town for conventions, but they also draw out locals who just have to have their food truck fix.

I tried the trucks with my daughter last year. I’ve been food truck crazy since then,” said Waddell as she made her way from truck to truck gathering her lunch.

She says she comes out for the food truck food, cold or not.

“I think this is a great idea they should do this more often. All the trucks are lined up in one place. It’s great,” said Waddell.

Some thought the food truck fad was just a flash in the pan but with trucks hiring additional workers and foodies braving the cold. Foodies and truck workers alike will tell you, the proof is in the pudding. These trucks are here to stay.

https://twitter.com/IndyFoodTruck

http://www.wthr.com/story/20635382/popularity-of-food-trucks

from foursquare

An accomplished Indy chef has brought new food truck to town. And they don’t appear to be messing around. Come check it out tonight at Flat 12.

BangKok Shrimp…$7 
A 1/3-pound of crispy shrimp tossed in a chipotle aioli and drizzled with Sriracha.
Bacon Jam’d Beef Sliders…$7
Two beef sliders topped with a honey chipotle bacon jam, cojack cheese, and served with natural cut fries.
BBQ’d Pork Sliders…$7
Two pulled pork sliders generously coated in a peach infused BBQ sauce, and served with natural cut fries.
BBQ’d Chicken Sliders…$7
Shredded chicken tossed in our BBQ sauce, placed on two slider buns over natural cut fries.
Southwest Chicken Salad Wrap…$5
Our take on chicken salad with a southwestern twist, wrapped up in a sun-dried tomato tortilla.
Cheese Quesadilla…$4
Mixed cheese melted to cheesy perfection, drizzled with Sriracha, in a crispy sun-dried tomato tortilla, served with sour cream.
Chicken Quesadilla…$5
Southwestern shredded chicken, with mixed cheese, Sriracha drizzle, in a crispy sun-dried tomato tortilla, served with sour cream.
Pork Quesadilla…$5
Pulled pork in a cheesy, BBQ’d, Sriracha bliss of a quesadilla.
Shrimp Quesadilla…$6
Sautéed shrimp in a cheese quesadilla… need we say more?
Truffle Fries…$4
A full pound of natural cut fries, topped with Black Truffle Oil, Parmesan cheese, and sea salt.
About Serendipity
Serendipity Mobile Catering LLC is fully licensed, insured, and ServSafe Certified mobile catering/food truck.
Serendipity Mobile Catering was founded by Chef William Gruesser to bring the highest quality food to your business, home, or off the curbside. “Serendipity” truck is one of Indy’s most equipped catering/food trucks roaming the streets today. Constantly customizing menus per event, you’ll need to follow us on the usual suspects of social media, or checkout www.serendipitymobilecatering.com for
the latest menus and venues.

http://flat12.me/blog/brewery-happenings/one-of-the-newest-food-trucks-hits-flat-12-tonight/

The Bollywood Spice Wrap comes with butter chicken and rice. / Photo provided by Spice Box food truck

When the Spice Box food truck started its engine in January of last year, co-owner Nitin Naidu was unsure. Would Indianapolis diners be receptive to his family’s home-style Indian food, which uses different oils and spices from the Northern Indian cuisine usually featured at local restaurants?

The answer, he quickly found, was a resounding yes.

“People here have diverse palates and are willing to try different things,” he said. “It gets me excited, because I can introduce more and more authentic Indian food and know they’ll at least try it.”

The food truck is known for its butter chicken and chicken tikki masala. Another top seller is the Spice Wrap, with marinated chicken and caramelized onions inside a tortilla-like whole-wheat roti. Vegetarians will appreciate the channa, a dish of chickpeas cooked with spices, tomatoes and onions.

Spice Box’s recipes were developed by Naidu’s mother, who worked as a caterer in India before coming to the United States.

“She collected all those recipes, and when we moved to America, she found it cumbersome to make the same dishes,” Naidu said. “She simplified everything, and she taught me along the way. I learned those recipes from her.”

Irvington resident Jonathan Katz recently tried the butter chicken, which was served with shrimp and basmati rice. He said he appreciated the fast service and the fact that the food wasn’t too spicy, so he could taste its true flavor.

“It was almost gourmet-quality Indian food,” he said. “The quality and freshness certainly beat many of the buffets where the food will sit out for a while.”

Prices range from $7 to $9. The truck focuses on lunch service Wednesday through Friday, with occasional hours on other weekdays and Saturdays. Locations vary, but diners can track the truck on Twitter @spiceboxindy.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20121231/OUTTOEAT/301030302/Spice-Box-food-truck-delivers-top-notch-Indian-food

Photo Credit: Matthew Conroy

Until now, I’ve avoided the whole food truck phenomenon in Indy.

Why? Well, as an East Coast transplant, food trucks didn’t seem like anything to get excited about. On campus at Temple University and on the streets of Philadelphia, they were ubiquitous. One near my office in Philly was even willing to put barbecue sauce on my chicken cheesesteak.

In Philly, these trucks were just a cheaper option for grab-and-go food, usually with a slight downgrade in quality. When they began showing up in Indy, I expected them to serve the same purpose, with the same side effect.

One look, though, and I was hit with sticker shock, finding prices similar to their brick-and-mortar brethren. Why bother standing in the long lines if there wasn’t a price advantage?

There are answers to that, of course. One is variety. For those downtowners who don’t have the fortitude or the time to take a lunch stroll, the trucks are a way to mix things up (although the lines at the trucks near the government center can take as much time as a trek to just about anywhere downtown).

Another reason may be quality—at least, that’s what I’m setting out to find this month as I dine my way through as many mobile eateries as I can in four columns.

Let’s start simply, with a pair of pizza purveyors. The long wait, $3 slab, sub-mall-pizza quality, and solo operator who handled money and food without gloves didn’t win me over to The NY Slice. In the real New York, it’s easy to find such a standard dough/tomato sauce/cheese wedge for only $1. The Indy version had run out of pepperoni and sausage when I made it to the front of the line—another truck downside, but at least the sodas ($1) were cheaper than at some other trucks.

Better was Byrne’s Grilled Pizza, which separated cashier and cook, offered jovial service, and got more creative with its toppings. The Farmer’s ($5) featured pesto, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers and ricotta—evidently this farmer is from Italy. The Mediterranean garden ingredients were a refreshing diversion from pizza standards; however, the ricotta clumped, creating an inconsistent base. A good-enough breadstick sided it (with a soda, that’s a $1.50 upgrade). Not-too-salty pepperoni discs nicely accentuated the not-so-basic cheese ($4), which mixes mozzarella and asiago on a hand-rolled, irregularly shaped crust that’s artfully charred for Byrne’s signature grilled flavor.

Now off to find a few more—this time, some of the more ambitious and creative mobile kitchens. FYI: To track down where your favorite food truck is parked for the day, tweet: Indyfoodtruck.•

http://www.ibj.com/a-little-bit-of-truck/PARAMS/article/36422

Super Bowl 2012: Hungry? Roll down to Monument Circle for food trucks

Throughout the week, Mike Tanier will be out and about and filing dispatches from the Super Bowl city.

Inside-out umbrella weather arrived in Indianapolis early on Saturday afternoon.

Rain is falling. Winds are gusting. This is not typical Indiana February weather –there are no ice pellets — but it is much more in line with expectations than the early-spring Shangri La the city enjoyed all week.

The rain arrived just as crowds began to reach critical mass in the Super Bowl Village and downtown. In monument circle, the bullhorn preachers have taken over one quadrant, the shampoo marketers (who are coaxing visitors into wearing increasingly grungy blonde wigs) another quadrant. The other half of the circle has been commandeered by food trucks offering everything from pulled pork po boys to gourmet mac and cheese.

Dining near the Super Bowl Village is nearly impossible, with crowds flowing out of every eatery. Crowds have even picked up on Massachusetts Avenue on the other side of downtown. As of 2 o’clock, there were still seats at some excellent restaurants. Bazbeaux offers deluxe pizzas and gourmet fare. Most choices are delicious, though smart diners steer clear of the pizza that “tastes just like a tuna melt,” because nothing should taste like a tuna melt but a tuna melt. Rathskeller offers German fare and a hot mustard made with horseradish extract that is only safe in homeopathic dilutions. Chatham Tap offers fish ‘n’ chips and soccer on the main television, allowing you to enjoy English ambience to match the weather.

Even these out-of-the-way haunts will soon fill. Ironically, a comic book shop was one of the few places of quiet normalcy downtown. Doug Stevenson, owner of Downtown Comics, sold out of bobbleheads and sports memorabilia early in the week. Still, business has been swift. “This has been the slowest day,” he said. “I think people are settling in.” That, and rain and mint condition do not mix.

Stevenson was happy to confirm my suspicions of what would happen if comic book cities hosted a Super Bowl: “In Gotham, there would be an attack by all the crazies. In Metropolis, Superman would protect it, so it would be fine.”

Even comic book shops are drawing an unusual element, as a fashionable woman walked in to look around. “Do you have any restrooms?” she asked. Figures.

As for the ice sculpture replica of New York at the far end of Massachusetts Avenue, it is missing and presumed melted, though perhaps Mr. Freeze should also be a suspect.

Mike Tanier writes about the N.F.L. for The Times, Football Outsiders and NBC Sports. If you are in Indianapolis, look for him out and about: he will be the one complaining about the lack of authentic cheese steaks.

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/everything-indy-its-not-always-fair-weather-but-the-foods-good/