Mark Ovaska for The New York Times
Peter Lombardi, left, and Damon Toto prepare Neapolitan-style pies inside the Lombardi Pizza Company’s blue-and-white food truck.

Each spring, George Triola invites his golf buddies and their families over for a backyard party at his home in Milltown, N.J., to celebrate the end of the Masters golf tournament. As the guests watch the finale on an outdoor TV, the beer flows, and most years, Mr. Triola, 35, grills hot dogs.

This year, he had another idea for feeding his more than 40 guests: oven-fresh pizza, from a truck.

Lombardi Pizza Company, based in Edison, catered the party hosted by Mr. Triola and his wife, Dawn; the company’s blue-and-white truck was parked in front of their house during the gathering, which took place in April. Inside, a two-man team spun the dough, added toppings and baked the pies in a 900-degree wood-fired oven. A third member of the Lombardi crew hustled the hot Neapolitan-style pizzas to the backyard, where one guest, David Surdukowski, of East Brunswick, pronounced them “insanely good.”

Lombardi’s is one of a handful of pizza trucks now pulling up to New Jersey homes for private events.

Demand is brisk. “I haven’t done any advertising at all, and already I’m booking one or two parties a day on weekends,” said Peter Lombardi, 29, a co-owner of Lombardi’s, which was launched in 2011 and will expand to include a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Martinsville in late summer or early fall. Lombardi’s Neapolitan-style pizzas are sparingly topped discs roughly 12 inches in diameter, baked in the blazing oven for 90 seconds and served piping hot.

Mr. Lombardi, who owns the business with Steven Goldblatt, of Jackson, learned his technique from a master pizza chef in Naples. But he also owes his skill at churning out pizzas — at the Triolas’ party, the menu included standard margherita pies, as well as pies topped with soppressata and honey and pies sprinkled with roasted corn and a jalapeño purée — to another New Jersey pizza entrepreneur, he said.

Before Mr. Lombardi and Mr. Goldblatt opened their own business, they worked at the Nomad Pizza Company in Hopewell, a Neapolitan pizza restaurant with a second location in Philadelphia. Nomad opened its first restaurant in Hopewell in 2009 after two years of working out of a converted 1949 REO Speedwagon with a 3,000-pound wood-burning oven shipped from Italy. It continues to cater parties and sell pizza from the truck at street festivals.

“We’re all still friends,” said Tom Grim, co-owner of Nomad, in a recent phone interview. “And there’s plenty of business to go around.” Mr. Grim, 61, of Pennington, also experiments with local, seasonal ingredients like corn when helping hosts choose party menus. (Among his specialty pies is the Tartufo, made with toma cheese from Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrenceville.) The trucks’ prices are similar, and so are many of their policies: Lombardi’s events start at $1,000 for two hours of pizza-making, serving 50 guests; Nomad’s start at $1,100. (Mr. Grim charges more on weekends.)

Both trucks will travel at no extra charge to within 30 miles of their hometowns, with fees added for longer trips. Nomad will serve up to 150 guests; Lombardi does not set a cap. Both will provide salad, dessert and drinks at extra charge.

Nomad caters mainly between April and November, but Lombardi goes out year round. So does Pizza Vita in Summit, another mobile Neapolitan pizza unit.

“Last summer was our first summer, and we went right through fall and into winter. We did some Super Bowl parties,” said Ernesto Santorelli, co-owner, with his cousin Rocco Flores, of the newly expanded fleet; a second Pizza Vita truck hit the road last month. A tent and a space heater enable Pizza Vita to cater during colder months.

The sit-down Pizza Vita restaurant came first, opening in Summit in 2011. But Mr. Santorelli, 45, of Nutley, said he saw then that there was a demand for fresh, high-quality products from food trucks, and has since been traveling to festivals, farmers’ markets and private parties in his truck. His Web site shows prices starting at $1,100 for a two-hour party of up to 50 people, but he is very flexible, he said.

Pizza Vita catered a late April party in Nutley hosted by Michael and Lauren Fazio, with 50 guests gathering under a backyard tent to celebrate the first communion of the Fazios’ 8-year-old daughter, Giuliana. A truckside menu board listed the afternoon’s four selections; the breakfast pizza, which included San Marzano tomatoes, house-made mozzarella and soppressata, pecorino Romano, basil and an egg cracked over the top, inspired the most questions. Joseph Piazzi Jr., 25, of Belleville, snapped a picture of his breakfast pizza to post on Instagram before he dug in: “If it tastes half as good as it looks, it’s going to be awesome,” he said.

Lombardi, Nomad and Pizza Vita can bake four or five pies at a time in their heavy truck-bound ovens. None limit the number of pizzas they will produce at private parties. And all struggle with the popularity of Saturday events: “I get 10 party requests a day, most of them for Saturdays. I have to turn a lot down,” Mr. Grim said.

Fresh pies without the truck are also an option. Coney Island Pizza, a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Riverdale, caters parties year round with a wood-fired oven attached to a trailer, not a truck. Jed Hersh, the owner, who began catering in 2007 and opened his restaurant in 2012, can bring the oven to outdoor locations not big enough to accommodate a truck. (Two-and-a-half-hour parties for up to 50 guests begin at $950.)

Mr. Hersh, 29, of Montville, is reluctant to classify his pies as Neapolitan, even though they are a similar size.

“To me a lot of that is just marketing, and I’m not a great marketer,” he said. “Call it whatever you want, it tastes good and people like it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/nyregion/oven-fresh-pies-from-new-jersey-pizza-trucks.html?_r=0

Monmouth Park hosted the Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars on Sunday. Credit Photo by Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

 Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars is returning to Monmouth Park as a two-day event this weekend.

Thirty two food trucks will be parked in the festival area of the on Saturday May 25 and 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests will get to vote which truck serves the best food and takes home this year’s People’s Choice Award?

This year’s gourmet trucks include: Ahh! La Cart, Amanda Bananas, Bacon On Wheels, The Burger Box, Cinnamon Snail, The Cow and the Curd, Cupcake Carnivale, El Lechon De Negron, Empanada Guy, Fork in the Road, Four Boys, Freezy Freeze, Gozen Yogurt, Greenlight Food Service, Hibachi Heaven, Jersey Johnny’s Grill, Kona Ice, Max’s Hot Dogs, Molly’s Milk Truck, Morris Grilled Cheese, Pizza Vita Wood Fired Pizza Truck, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Rickshaw Dumplings, Surf and Turf Truck, Thai Elephant Truck, The French Quarter, Tony’s Italian Sausage, Tony Boloney’s, Mustache Mobile, Wafels and Dinges, Wrap Sta and others.

A menu for what each truck is offering can be found by clicking here.

http://littlesilver.patch.com/articles/food-truck-wars-returns-to-monmouth-park-this-weekend

Michael Hauke will compete in LIVE’s Trucking Amazing Cook-Off on May 24th. (LIVE with Kelly and Michael)

Known for making his pizzeria menu into fun grub, Michael Hauke owner of  Tony Boloney’s, will compete on national television for “LIVE’s Truckin’ Amazing Cook-Off” hosted by ‘LIVE with Kelly and Michael.’ On Friday, May 24, tune in to watch Tony Boloney’s Mustache Mobile compete against nine other food trucks from across the country to win the grand prize.

Hauke is no stranger to winning, one of his other claims to fame is winning the Guy Fieri Cheesesteak Battle at the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival with his popular “Cheesesteak Ole.” This award-winning concoction consists of 10 spices sirloin steak, fried onions, jack cheese, chipotle-house-sauce, lettuce and tomatoes – just the names of the dishes alone should be enough to keep you intrigued. A few unique favorites are: The S#ITFACED Chicken,Bouffant Breeze, Casino Carnivore, and Boardwalk Vampire.

If you happen to be in Atlantic City, check out the Tony Boloney’s brick and mortar location, located in Atlantic City’s inlet nearest to the Revel Resort!

http://www.nj.com/atlantic-city-entertainment/index.ssf/2013/05/atlantic_citys_own_tony_bonlon.html

Hungry festival participants line up at one of the food trucks competing at Monmouth Park. / Staff Photo: Mary Frank

Try your luck at the trucks: The Food Truck Wars are back, and this year they’re bigger than ever.

Now in its second year, the food truck festival at Monmouth Park Racetrack has expanded over two days, bringing the mobile cuisine experience back to Oceanport on Saturday and Sunday, May 25 -26.

Last year’s inaugural event attracted nearly 24,000 people in one day. This year’s event, presented by Spark Market Solutions, includes 32 food trucks – that’s 13 more than last year.

“We have an amazing array of food trucks this year from New York, Philadelphia and right here in New Jersey serving every kind of burger and sandwich along every type of ethnic foods you can imagine,’’ said Patti Baxter of Spark Market Solutions in a news release.

Food selections include dumplings, empanadas, pizza, lobster rolls, pad thai, vegan dishes, chicken fried bacon on a stick, fried cheese curds and specialty cupcakes.

Music is also on the menu. Country musicians Craig Campbell and Chris Janson will entertain festival-goers on Saturday, May 25.

Sunday, May 26 is “Family Fun Day” at Monmouth Park Racetrack, with free face painting, bounce houses and clowns for the kids along with live entertainment by New Jersey-based band Pez Hed.

A panel of judges will determine the food truck winners for Best Guilty Pleasure, Best Ethnic, Best Overall Truck and other categories. Visitors may vote for their truck favorite for the People’s Choice Award.

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20130523/NJENT/305230038/Fun-on-wheels?nclick_check=1

Back by popular demand, the Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars returns as a two-day culinary throw-down on May 25 and May 26 at Monmouth Park, Oceanport.

Gourmet food trucks will roll into the festival area to wage a food war.

With more than 20 trucks to choose from, who will win the most votes for the People’s Choice Award?

This year’s gourmet trucks include Ahh! La Cart, Amanda Bananas, Bacon On Wheels, The Burger Box, Cinnamon Snail, The Cow and the Curd, Cupcake Carnivale, El Lechon de Negron, Empanada Guy, Fork in the Road, Four Boys, Freezy Freeze, Gozen Yogurt, Greenlight Food Service, Hibachi Heaven, Jersey Johnny’s Grill, Kona Ice, Max’s Hot Dogs, Molly’s Milk Truck, Morris Grilled Cheese, Pizza Vita Wood Fired Pizza Truck, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Rickshaw Dumplings, Surf and Turf Truck, Thai Elephant Truck, The French Quarter, Tony’s Italian Sausage, Tony Boloney’s, Mustache Mobile, Wafels and Dinges, and Wrap Star.

Country stars Craig Campbell and Chris Janson will be playing from noon to 4 p.m.

May 26 is Family Fun Day. A live band will play from noon to 4 p.m. Children can enjoy the bounce houses, face painters, clowns and more.

http://exa.gmnews.com/news/2013-05-23/Front_Page/Jersey_Shore_Food_Truck_Wars_this_weekend.html

The Wagels & Dinges crew celebrate their People’s Choice award at last year’s event. (Peter Genovese/The Star-Ledger)

The Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars at Monmouth Park last year was a runaway success.

This year’s event promises to be better.

The event, to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, features 30-plus gourmet food trucks from New Jersey, New York City and Philadelphia.

They’ll be offering lots of tasty food for sale – and will be vying for Top Truck honors from a panel of judges.

Which one is your favorite? Vote using the poll below!

Trucks at this year’s event include defending champion Red Hook Lobster Pound; heralded vegan truck the Cinnamon Snail; Ahh! La Cart; Amanda Bananas; Bacon on Wheels; the Burger Box; and the Cow and the Curd.

Also, Cupcake Carnivale; El Lechon de Negron; Empanada Guy; Fork in the Road, Gozen Yogurt; Max’s Hot Dogs; Morris Grilled Cheese.

Red Hook Lobster Pound will be back to defend its Top Truck crown.
Peter Genovese/The Star-Ledger

Also, Pizza Vita; Rickshaw Dumplings; the Surf and Turf Truck; the Thai Elephant Truck; The French Quarter; and Tony Baloney’s Mustache Mobile.

And don’t forget Wafels and Dinges, which won the People’s Choice award for best truck last year.

The Munchmobile and Munchmobile driver Pete Genovese will be on hand Sunday; come on over and say hi and register for a chance to win a limited-edition Munchmobile t-shirt!

Before or after eating, you can take in heart-pounding thoroughbred racing at the track.

Admission is $3; children 12 and under are free. Parking is $3. Food is extra.

The Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars is the first of three Star-Ledger-sponsored food events at Monmouth Park. The prestigious Shore Chef Crab Cake Cook-Off will be held August 17 and 18, while the BBQ & Craft Beer Fest is Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

For more information on Monmouth Park, visit monmouthpark.com. For a complete listing of the food trucks, visit jerseyshorefoodtruckwars.com.

Monmouth Park is located on Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport, just off Exit 105 of the Garden State Parkway.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/dining/index.ssf/2013/05/jersey_shore_food_truck_wars_a.html

(credit: NYSF)

We recently received an email from our friends at Food Freaks Grilled Cheese, who are working on bringing their cart back into the city. Can’t wait for that!

In the meantime, they had some news for us about a new food truck they know called Paris Sandwich Truck.

We actually ran across the Paris Sandwich Truck at last summer’s All About Downtown Festival in Jersey City, but we didn’t have a chance to try them that day. We heard last year that they served in Jersey City, but Food Freaks told us they are now in the city.

You know what that means – banh mi!

Shreddeed Pork Banh Mi (credit: Paris Sandwich)

Paris Sandwich has two stores in Chinatown, serving Vietnamese dishes, banh mi sandwiches and more. They are the 1st banh mi truck in NYC, although there is a Banh Mi Cart in the Financial District.

You can find the Paris Sandwich Truck on twitter here or on our Mobile Munchies twitter feed.  Their website is here, and below is a photo of the truck’s menu that we took at last summer’s All About Downtown Festival.  It’s possible prices may have gone up since then.

Menu Summer 2012 (credit: NYSF)

http://newyorkstreetfood.com/42024/nysf-new-food-truck-alert-paris-sandwich-truck/

A trio of food trucks will be pulling up to the Camden waterfront every Friday at lunch beginning May 10 and continuing throughout the summer.

Organized by the Cooper’s Ferry Partnership waterfront development corporation, “Food Truck Friday,” as it’s being called, is drawing interest from a variety of gourmet trucks around the region, including the three that will start next week: deli-on-wheels Reuben on Rye, Cupcakes 2 GoGo, and Lil’ Trent’s Treats dessert truck.

The organizers hope the number and variety will grow once these trucks test the logistics and response.

“It’s a good business decision,” says Haddonfield-based Ginny Moles, who notes the difficulty in finding crowds elsewhere in South Jersey, especially in summer. The major difference in Camden, she says, are the throngs of families and field trips visiting the Adventure Aquarium, and the thousands of neighborhood office, law, and medical workers who have few options for food. “I think it’ll be a great opportunity.”

George Bieber, treasurer and membership director of the Philadelphia Mobile Food Association (PMFA), said several of its members were considering inclusion in Food Truck Friday.

“A nice spot like this would be awesome,” says Bieber, who considered signing up his own Sunflower Truck Stop for the summer. “You get a few [trucks] and it becomes like a party.”

That’s exactly the feel Cooper’s Ferry is trying to cultivate. By adding food trucks near Fountain Park, already equipped with colorful chairs, tables, and umbrellas, it aims to develop a parklike atmosphere on the riverfront block that’s primarily used as a walk-through by visitors.

The downtown/waterfront area already hosts sidewalk carts that sell the usual hot dogs and pretzels. But because Camden doesn’t ordinarily allow food trucks on public property, Cooper’s Ferry is securing a waiver to designate truck parking in a specific lot behind the aquarium. The organization hopes Food Truck Friday will persuade city council members to expand permissions to other parts of the city.

“A quality food truck is a quality amenity for a visitor or a resident of the city,” says Jake Gordon, Cooper’s Ferry’s vice president, who envisions trucks parked next to Rutgers-Camden and the county courthouse.

In mid-April, one food truck, Reuben on Rye, did launch in Camden by parking, with permission, in a law firm parking lot, across the street from City Hall. The operators say their strong opening-week sales persuaded them to start serving breakfast as well as lunch.

“Although we have just been open for a short time, the people of Camden are responding,”says David Serata, who partnered with the owner of Cherry Hill’s Kibitz Room to launch the first of what they hope will become a fleet of Reuben on Ryes.

Their truck serves a scaled-back Kibitz Room menu from the offices of Zucker Steinberg Sonstein & Wixted, at 415 Federal St., every weekday except Friday, when they’re on the waterfront.

There have been complaints that city and county annual permitting fees (about $600) far exceed all others in South Jersey, including Cherry Hill ($200 annually) and Haddonfield ($350) without allowing them to leave the designated “food pod.” And Pennsylvania operators face some sticker shock over the New Jersey law that requires food trucks to be equipped with fire suppressant systems, which Bieber says run about $900 to install and take up valuable space that could be used for extra rolls and additional supplies.

Despite the inconveniences and costs, vendors like Jess Iannuzzi and Steve Koste of Bucks County’s Sum Pig Food Truck say they can’t wait to get their permits.

Koste believes a successful Food Truck Friday could enhance the waterfronts of Camden and Philadelphia.

“Anything that can bring more money into Camden and change its perception by boosting fun and boosting the [RiverLink] ferry would be pretty cool,” he says.

http://mobile.philly.com/food/?wss=/philly/food&id=205489391

One of the 20-plus trucks at last year’s Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars. (Peter Genovese/The Star-Ledger)

Food trucks are hot.

Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars at Monmouth Park over the Memorial Day weekend will be sizzling.

Twenty three trucks have already signed up for this year’s competition, which will be held Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26.

And there’s room for more, if you’re a truck owner and want to get in on the action.

The Wafels & Dinges crew celebrates their big award last year.
(Peter Genovese/The Star-Ledger)

The first Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars last May was a runaway success, and those who attended will be happy to learn there will be more room to move about this year. And unlike last year, the event will be held over two days.

Red Hook Lobster Pound will be back to defend its Top Truck title, and Wafels & Dinges will be there to defend its People’s Choice award.

Gozen Yogurt, which won Most Seductive Sweet, will be there, as will Dellano’s Food Service, which nabbed Absolute Classic honors.

Other participating trucks include Cinnamon Snail, Empanada Man, Morris Grilled Cheese, Wrap Star, El Lecon de Negron, Amanda Bananas, Kona Ice, Four Boys, Max’s Hot Dogs and Cupcake Carnivale.

The trucks will offer all kinds of tasty treats.
(Mike Shanahan)

Wait, there’s more: Rickshaw Dumplings, Mustache Mobile, Ahhlacart, Jersey Johnny’s Grill, Fork in the Road, Thai Elephant Truck, The French Quarter, Burger Box and Chef on Wheels.

Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars is one of three Star-Ledger-sponsored events at Monmouth Park this summer. Our prestigious Shore Chef Crab Cake Cook-Off will be held August 17 and 18, while the BBQ and Craft Beer Festival will be held August 31 and September 1.

Vendors interested in participating in the Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars should contact Patti Baxter at Spark Market Solutions. She can be reached at (732) 747-4449 or info@sparkmybiz.com.

For general questions about the event, email me at pgenovese@starledger.com. I’ll be at the Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars on May 26 with the Munchmobile, everyone’s favorite wiener-on-wheels.

Monmouth Park is located on Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport, just off Exit 105 of the Parkway.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/dining/index.ssf/2013/04/jersey_shore_food_truck_wars.html

Rutgers Grease Trucks applied to be vendors on Manasquan Beach this summer.

Beachgoers in Manasquan will not find themselves staring down at a Fat Gigolo this summer.

Rutgers Grease Truck vendors applied to hawk the cheesesteak sandwich and other fat sandwiches this year from May 1 to Oct. 31.

But the trucks so popular for decades at Rutgers just are not right for the beach,according to Patch.

Gourmet food trucks offer everything from cupcakes and homemade ice cream to Asian fusion tacos. The trucks have exploded in popularity since Kogi Korean BBQ rolled out its trucks on the streets of Los Angeles five years ago.

The borough had been seeking a vendor to sell hot dogs, hamburgers, soft pretzels, breakfast sandwiches and coffee.

Rutgers Grease Trucks and similar mobile businesses were rejected, according to the website, which quoted Manasquan business administrator Joe DeIorio.

In fact, none of the applicants were chosen.

According to the report, Manasquan may instead choose to rent a trailer and set up its own food-service operation.

http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2013/04/rutgers_grease_trucks_turned_d.html