Barone Meatball Company had a huge line during the Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo.
(Copyright 2013 Capitol Broadcasting Company)

The food truck movement is finally coming to Raleigh … in a big way.

Of course, the City of Oaks has had smaller rodeos as these collections of food trucks are called. I’ve been to a few of them, picking up an ice cream cone at Lumpy’s at one or a sandwich at Baguettaboutit at another. A neighbor had Captain Poncho’s stop in her cul de sac. Another had Chick-N-Que stop in for a party.

But I’ve always looked longingly at our neighbor, Durham, which has had big events featuring dozens of food trucks, for a few years now. Sadly, those events, what with birthday parties, soccer games and all the usual kid activities, seem to always land on busy weekends for my family.

So when I heard about the plans for the Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo, held for the first time on Mother’s Day, I knew we’d be there. It was a Mother’s Day wish.

For the uninitiated, including the man who sat next to us at last Sunday’s event, these aren’t your garden variety sandwich and taco trucks, which move around to construction sites and other workplaces during the day. And it’s not usually the food that you find at a fair or festival either (though I’ve seen some food trucks at these too).

Though they do make stops on a regular basis at office buildings and elsewhere during the week, they often have more gourmet or unusual offerings. Some feature locally made products. Others excel at just one type of food – burgers, pizza, barbecue, Chinese style dumplings, cupcakes, ice cream.

I expected huge lines at Sunday’s event, the first of four planned this year. Luckily, the church my family attends gets out at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays. So we walked over to Fayetteville Street and were among the first in line when it opened at noon.

This event was huge. More than 40 trucks were parked along Fayetteville Street and a few other streets. Even before the rodeo opened, lines were forming at some of the most popular ones. Within 20 minutes or so, there were really long lines at those places.

Fayetteville Street was packed with food trucks and hungry people during downtown Raleigh’s first food truck rodeo.
(Copyright 2013 Capitol Broadcasting Company)

Getting there early and getting our food at the very beginning were key to our family’s great time. After we ate, we walked up and down the street to see a bit of the scene and then headed on to our next stop for the day.

Here’s what we’ll do when we go again with our kids, ages 3 and 8:

1. Before the event, we’ll research each of the trucks and figure out which ones we want to hit. My eight-year-old really loves food of all kinds. The number of choices was a bit overwhelming for her when we got there … burritos or crepes or pizza or dumplings. Next time, we’ll be better prepared. I’ll probably even check in on the truck’s different Facebook and Twitter pages to see what the menu will be.

2. We’ll get there early again. It was nice to be able to check out the scene without huge lines getting in our way. We could inspect the menus and make decisions without feeling rushed. Getting there early also meant that we had absolutely no problem finding a table to eat at.

3. Eat at the trucks with smaller lines. Yes … I did want dumplings from Chirba Chirba. I was craving an Only Burger. And the Urban Street Grill’s Korean dishes looked amazing. But I also had absolutely no desire to wait in a long line with a hungry, antsy three-year-old. If I wanted to keep my sanity, I would have to enjoy those dumplings on another day. And bonus: Now I know which trucks to keep an eye on in case they stop somewhere near me again.

4. Get out of there once the lines get crazy. I’m sure this would be a fun date afternoon with the husband or some friends. We’d get a beer, walk around, wait in line and try some amazing food. That kind of leisurely pace is not going to happen with my kids right now. So once it’s busy, we’ll be out of there.

What can I recommend? The cheese pizza from Pie Pushers, the pulled pork sandwich from The Humble Pig, the chicken burrito from D’Burritos, and the tomato, basil and mozzarella panini from Deli.icious. Oh, and the Italian ice from SweetWater Ices was out of this world.

Smaller ice cream carts participated in downtown Raleigh’s food truck rodeo as well.
(Copyright 2013 Capitol Broadcasting Company)

The prices were all responsible. We paid between $2 for a small Italian ice and about $7 for the pork sandwich. Bottles of water were just $1. I definitely didn’t feel like were being gouged there.

And hats off to the organizers for setting up so many tables and the city workers for keeping it all so clean.

Three more Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos are scheduled through October. They are noon to 5 p.m., June 9; 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Aug. 11; and noon to 5 p.m., Oct. 13, Can’t wait!

http://www.wral.com/destination-downtown-raleigh-food-truck-rodeo/12442164/

The food truck craze that has spread throughout the country has hit Jamestown.

And I couldn’t be happier.

In recent months, I’ve sampled Asian stir-fried noodles with Black Tiger shrimp, steamed green tea buns filled with pork belly and kimchi, pulled chicken over saffron rice and roasted vegetables — all from food trucks parked outside of Potent Potables.

Each meal was absolutely delicious and affordable.

Steve and Abby Kim, owners of the Jamestown watering hole, are hosting the town’s first food-truck festival on Sunday, May 19. The event will feature trucks from the Triad and Triangle.

“The food trucks have been an integral part of our business and give the community of Jamestown more options and also bring a lot of fun and excitement to this small town,” Steve Kim says.

Kim says support for the trucks has grown since they started featuring them at the shop last November. Customers now call him to ask which trucks are there for the evening.

“It’s paid dividends for us, them and the surrounding area,” Kim says.

Kim also says the trucks are a fun, affordable dining option. Food truck rodeos give people a chance to sample a lot of different foods.

I am passionate about food. Especially good food. My husband and I dined out a lot before we had our son. We just can’t afford to do it as frequently anymore. But the regular pit stops at Potent Potables allow us to still “eat out” on the weekends.

Those who know me also know I’m a huge fan of celebrity chef, traveler and author Anthony Bourdain. I like his philosophy about food trucks in particular. This is what he had to say about them in a recent episode of his CNN show, “Parts Unknown”:

“Why should you be excited about food trucks? Because they allow creative chefs … without a lot of money to start creating and selling their stuff, introducing themselves to the world without having to gather up a million dollars or credulous partners. And they are faster, better and infinitely preferable to the fast food like the king and the clown and colonel.”

Some people will camp out overnight for the latest iPhone or Springsteen tickets. I’m a food truckie. And I can’t wait to fill up on some new stuff, as well as some already-established personal favorites.

The Camel City Grill from neighboring Winston-Salem will make its first visit to Jamestown. It specializes in artisan burgers and sandwiches. Online reviews of the grill are favorable, especially for its signature PBB&J burger — a burger topped with all-natural peanut butter, red pepper jelly and thick cut bacon.

A couple of trucks will travel from the Triangle. Owners of the Durham-based Foster’s Market decided to expand their business by taking it on the road. They wanted to tap into the Triad market and beyond, so they created Foster’s on the Fly, which showcases the local, seasonal fare offered at the market. Their food truck menu features breakfast items as well as sandwiches filled with Piedmont beef, roasted local chicken and Foster’s house roasted turkey breast.

MaMa Dukes, another Durham-based truck featuring Mediterranean American fare, will attend the festival. It has visited Potent Potables before, and I highly recommend the falafel tots.

Regulars to Potent Potables also will recognize these trucks:

l The Great Escape Catering Co.: Noodles and crepes, both savory and sweet incorporate contemporary Asian flavors. I haven’t ordered anything I haven’t devoured as if it were my last supper.

l King Creole: Crawfish etouffee, jambalaya and red beans and rice are often on the menu. The food is consistent and the service excellent.

l Urban Street Grill: Korean barbecue truck, which gives traditional Mexican fare a Korean twist with marinated short ribs, pork belly, eel and kimchi fried rice. I highly recommend the bulgogi cheesesteak. It’s addictive. Think cheesesteak but spicy. The food truckowners are pursuing a business venture in Raleigh, so their presence in the Triad ends soon.

There will be dessert from the mobile ice-cream parlor The Ice Queen.

The event also will feature live music by Andy Squint, Nic Croucher and other local musicians. Kim encourages people to bring lawn chairs and blankets.I’ll do that, as well as my hearty appetite.

http://www.news-record.com/life/community_news/article_87f4ff4a-be55-11e2-a52e-001a4bcf6878.html

Thousands came out on a beautiful spring afternoon to enjpoy the goodies at a food truck rodeo Sunday, May 12, 2013, in downtown Raleigh.
Kyle Jahner — kjahner@newsobserver.com

Hungry people by the thousands packed five city blocks on Fayetteville Street for the first of four Food Truck Rodeos, as Raleigh hitched onto a trend started in Durham in 2010.

Attendees sampled culinary offerings including barbecue, crepes, gyros and pizza. Ice cream, pie and flavored ice provided dessert, and drink vendors including regional breweries offered various methods of washing it all down.

“Is this the line for the dumplings?” one attendee asked.

After receiving a nod in response, the young customer looked at the food truck a good 50 feet away – and back at the line that extended even farther behind the person he asked. In the background, a city street swarmed with a river of customers at dozens of food trucks in downtown Raleigh.

In all, more than 40 food trucks lined the streets, and patrons literally ate up the offerings.

“The waits have been crazy long all day,” North Raleigh resident Roxanne Hoover said as she waited in line for Parle-vous Crepes, one of the more popular trucks. She said she’d been in line for nearly 45 minutes.

“At least it’s nice out,” Hoover said.

But the longest line belonged to Chirba Chirba, the dumpling truck. For much of the day, at least 100 people waited in the line, which stretched across Fayetteville and then along the street.

Attendees tried a variety of ways to deal with the lines. Richard Mihm, a Raleigh resident who learned the virtues of Chirba Chirba and Parlez-vous Crepes at a food rodeo in Durham, said having one person in a group hit the longer lines helped max out the experience. Having a friend bring a beer to the person doing the waiting would help too, he said.

“You have to divide and conquer,” concurred his friend in line, Dean McCord of Raleigh.

Even at 5 p.m., when the 5-hour rodeo ended, more than 40 people waited in the line at Chirba Chirba and there were plenty of people remaining on Fayetteville Street, which was blocked off from Davie Street to the state Capitol. The event extended to parts of Martin and Hargett streets as well.

The Mother’s Day edition of the Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo will not be the last of the season; encores are scheduled for June 9, Aug. 11, and Oct. 13, all Sundays. The one in August will run from 4-9 p.m. while the other two will last from noon-5 p.m., like the Mother’s Day event.

Raleigh’s City Council initially resisted the idea of allowing food trucks to freely operate in the city two years ago. Members cited food safety, impact on existing restaurants, litter, crowds, noise and parking as concerns. Food trucks have since been seen as increasingly legitimate and have operated without problems.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/05/12/2888695/downtown-food-truck-rodeo-wrangles.html

Staff photo by Marcus Castro
The Taco Loco food truck draws a small crowd at lunch time on most afternoons. The truck parks in front of the Bragg Boulevard Flea Market. Vanesa Aguilera and her family opened the Fayetteville food truck a little over a year ago.

Jamie Gueta was sitting on the bed of his truck in a Bragg Boulevard parking lot recently, finishing off the second of two quesadillas.

Gueta bought his meal at a nearby Taco Loco food truck, which was doing brisk business on a Thursday afternoon.

“This is real Mexican food,” said Gueta, a plumber who was taking a midday break. “I ate here yesterday, and I’m out here again today.”

For Gueta and other food truck aficionados, the vehicles are a quick, convenient alternative to brick-and-mortar restaurants. No need to wait to be seated and served – just grab your food and go.

Although various food trucks have done business in Fayetteville over the years, the city has never been known as a hot spot for the rolling restaurants.

There are 28 mobile food trucks or units in the county, according to Daniel Ortiz, an environmental health supervisor with the Cumberland County Department of Public Health. The department inspects them for sanitation, waste disposal and other requirements.

Bennie Bryant operates the Saucy Wings food truck that is usually parked off North Bragg Boulevard in Spring Lake
Staff photo by Marcus Castro

Fayetteville spokesman Nathan Walls said the city doesn’t have a separate category for food trucks. He said truck operators must have a peddler’s license and must operate in a commercial location with the property owners’ permission. Also, the trucks must pack up and leave at the end of the business day.

Other North Carolina cities have been quicker than Fayetteville to jump aboard the food truck bandwagon. In Durham, for instance, a “food truck rodeo” in March attracted more than 50 vehicles, selling everything from barbecue to shaved ice. Another is planned for Father’s Day. And on Mother’s Day, 35 food trucks were expected to gather in downtown Raleigh near the state Capitol for a rodeo of its own.

Brian Bottger, who operates the OnlyBurger food truck in Durham, organized the rodeo in Durham Central Park. Bottger said all the trucks were from the Triangle area, and most were from Durham. About 5,000 people attended, he said.

“It was awesome,” Bottger said. “There were crazy long lines in front of the trucks.”

Bottger said he thinks food trucks have become big in Durham because the city has cooperated with the owners of the operations.

“The city of Durham didn’t make it a crazy difficult process,” Bottger said. “I never got hassled by the cops or anything.”

While Fayetteville has never been a food truck mecca, the trucks it does have seem to be popular.

Bennie Bryant operates the Saucy Wings food truck that is usually parked off North Bragg Boulevard in Spring Lake. The truck sells chicken wings with a variety of sauces, as well as side items.

The truck is an offshoot of a brick-and-mortar Saucy Wings that Bryant also owns in Spring Lake. Bryant said he has operated the truck for about eight months.

“It’s doing great,” Bryant said. “It’s a restaurant on wheels.”

Bryant, who worked as a cook in the Army, said his customers are mostly military personnel. They stop by for a quick lunch at the truck, which offers most of the items the regular restaurant does.

The Saucy Wings food truck has been so successful that Bryant said he would have thought twice about opening a regular restaurant had he started the mobile business first. Bryant said he is in the process of buying another truck and plans to park it in the Raeford Road-Hope Mills Road area.

Vanesa Aguilera owns Taco Loco, which operates from the parking lot outside the Bragg Boulevard flea market.

Aguilera said she and her family have owned a restaurant in Smithfield for about 10 years. They opened the Fayetteville food truck a little over a year ago.

“We like Fayetteville because no one there sells (authentic) Mexican food,” Aguilera said.

Taco Loco’s menu includes corn tortilla tacos for $1.50 and $2, quesadillas for $3 and an enchiladas plate for $7. A popular item is the torta, a Mexican sandwich stuffed with a choice of sausage, steak or other ingredients.

Brian Watson was visiting the Taco Loco food truck for the first time recently.

“It’s good,” Watson said. “It’s more authentic than what you’ll find in most restaurants around town.”

Corey Brinson is a food truck entrepreneur who knows how successful the ventures can be. For about eight years, Brinson operated a Fatback’s BBQ & Rib Shack truck at Owen Drive and Cumberland Road. The mobile restaurant was so popular that it led to an appearance by Brinson last year on television’s “BBQ Pitmasters.”

Brinson got out of the food truck business when he opened a brick-and-mortar Fatback’s in Elmwood Crossing at Hope Mills and George Owen roads. He now uses his truck for catering and to help with the cooking at the restaurant.

For Brinson, one of the keys to food truck success was staying in one location. He said his customers always knew where to find him.

“Find a location and stay there. Stay there on your good days and bad days,” Brinson said. “Don’t have a bad day and move. That’s the worst thing you can do. People won’t know where you are.”

Brinson kept a Facebook page for his food truck, but Twitter hadn’t yet exploded in use when he was operating the mobile business.

But for other food truck entrepreneurs, such as Durham’s Bottger, messaging vehicles such as Twitter have become invaluable.

Bottger said he tweets his location so that his loyal customers can find him.

“It’s what’s made my business possible, at least in the form that it’s in,” Bottger said. “We’re able to use that social media to say, ‘Hey, today we’re going to be here.’ “

Bottger said he can’t imagine staying in just one location. That, he said, would defeat the purpose of having a mobile restaurant.

Bottger and other food truck owners said one key to a successful operation is offering a unique product, be it burgers, barbecue or Mexican food. Quality is also a must, they say.

Another factor is one no one has control over – the weather.

Luckily, Bottger said, the Southeast is mostly hospitable territory for mobile restaurants. It’s rarely so cold here that people can’t imagine getting out of their cars to place their orders.

“I don’t know how food trucks in Wisconsin do it,” he said.

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2013/05/13/1250905?sac=fo.life

‘Bagista’ Emily Goldman, right reaches for more sausages to throw on the grill as chef Alex Swearingen turns on an exhaust fan at lunch May 10, 2013. The Baguettaboutit food truck moves around various locations in the Triangle and was in the Research Triangle Park for lunch before re-stocking and heading to Durham for a dinner and evening location. In a city that was once reluctant to embrace food trucks, the first of four Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos takes place Sunday. Each event will include 40 trucks, including Baguettaboutit, lined up on Fayetteville Street.
Chuck Liddy — cliddy@newsobserver.com

RALEIGH — When Mike Stenke rolled out his Klausie’s Pizza truck in Raleigh three years ago, people would ask him what he was doing, and then tell him to move.

Raleigh was slow to embrace this new class of mobile entrepreneurs, and many of Stenke’s competitors hid in the shadows, fearing they would be chased out of the city if someone complained.

Things have changed. Now Stenke is preparing his square pizza dough, grating cheese, and stocking up on toppings for a massive food truck rodeo to be held downtown Sunday, the first of four planned for this year.

About 40 mobile food vendors and as many as 6,000 people are expected to attend the first Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo. The event, and the related expansion of the Triangle food truck scene, show how far the street vendor industry has come in the Triangle and nationwide.

Two years ago, when the Raleigh City Council considered whether to allow food trucks to operate routinely in the city, council members worried about food safety, the impact on brick-and mortar restaurants, and whether trucks would hog scarce parking spots. Council members also asked whether trucks would bring crowds, litter and noise.

But when the council revisited the policy a year later, it increased the numbers of food trucks allowed per lot, after no complaints had been lodged against the mobile vendors.

The process gave local trucks some legitimacy, Stenke said, and the city started to embrace the mobile vendors after business owners, event planners and nonprofit organizations learned that the trucks are an easy and affordable way to cater an event and increase visitor traffic.

“And people started to say, ‘Hey, wow, this is a great idea,’ ” Stenke said.

A growth sector

Across the U.S., the street vendor industry is a bright spot in the food service sector, growing at an average annual rate of 8.4 percent in the past five years when the weakened economy drove consumers to decrease overall spending on nonessentials such as dining out, according to an August 2012 report prepared by IBISWorld, an independent publisher of U.S. industry research.

In the Triangle, the mobile vendor phenomenon can be measured by the short history of food truck rodeos.

The first food truck rodeo was held on a Sunday in June 2010 in the parking lot at Sam’s Quick Shop in Durham.

It was organized by one of Durham’s food truck pioneers, Only Burger owner Brian Bottger, who coined the phrase “food truck rodeo” when he struggled to explain the event in less than 140 characters on Twitter. His then partner, Tom Ferguson (who now owns biscuit and doughnut shop Rise), said when a handful of boats fished together in Texas, they called it a rodeo.

“I said, ‘All right, let’s call it a food truck rodeo,’” Bottger said.

The event drew a large crowd, but the generators were noisy, the heat was brutal, the lines were long, and many of the trucks sold out of food within the first two hours.

“Nobody came prepared for the crowds that we had,” Bottger said.

Soon, the Durham rodeos moved to Durham Central Park, which includes bathrooms and a covered pavilion.

“Since then it has just gotten progressively bigger, more trucks, obviously, and bigger crowds each time,” Bottger said.

Pie Pushers co-owner Becky Jo Hacker volunteered to help Bottger plan the quarterly rodeos, which attracted more than 50 vendors in March. Organizers expanded by closing surroundings streets, and added silent generators, live music and local beer.

Hacker said that 75 trucks have requested to participate in the Father’s Day rodeo in June.

“It’s crazy to see how we can incorporate as many food trucks as we can fit safely in that space, but how it doesn’t actually take away from our individual sales,” Hacker said. “You might see a little up and down because of the weather and the turnout, but in the larger picture of it, because we have 10 more trucks doesn’t mean we do that much less.”

Meanwhile, food truck owners have spent the years perfecting their rodeo performance. Only Burger sold out early at the first couple of rodeos, but they developed a system to serve customers from beginning to end that involved installing a second fryer and restocking the truck faster.

Over the years, the Only Burger truck has doubled its output from 60 to 70 burger combos an hour to 120 to 130, Bottger said.

Bringing it to Raleigh

Guy Caprioli, president of Music on the Porch, which is organizing the Raleigh rodeos, said he hopes the downtown event will take food truck rodeos to a new level. Vendors will line one side of Fayetteville Street starting at the State Capitol, and tables and chairs will line both sides of the street, he said.

Food truck vendors pay $155 each to attend the event, which helps cover the infrastructure costs.

Initially the event was hoped to raise additional money by offering early VIP tickets, but that was scrapped and tickets refunded after social media and website traffic indicated that attendance could be well more than the 4,000 initially expected, Caprioli said.

Caprioli said he and others have worked hard to ensure easy traffic flow, and that there are enough bathrooms, hand-washing and handicap stations, trash and recycling areas, along with seating for 1,000 people and two silent generators for the trucks. Food truck “gurus” will be stationed at the information table to answer questions about menus and vendors with special menu needs.

Caprioli said he spent months scouting the best location for the event after people kept asking him about organizing a Raleigh rodeo.

“It seemed to be something that people were really passionate to make happen in Raleigh,” he said.

Food trucks will line up on Fayetteville Street with local bee r, music, buskers, magicians and other entertainment for your enjoyment!

We are expanding the event in order to support a larger crowd on May 12th. Our priority is to have a safe crowd friendly event with a lot of open space and seating.

VIP, Bicycle check-in and Motorcycle parking efforts will be postponed until Aug 11th date.

The City of Raleigh Museum will also be open and hosting activities.

Over 40 participating food trucks, including:

• Philly’s Cheese Steaks
• Big Johns Hot and Spicy Food Truck
• Chick n Que
• American Meltdown
• Sweet Stacey Cakes
• Stoke & Smoke BBQ
• The Humble Pig
• Olde North State BBQ
• Kona Ice Raleigh
• Big Mike’s BBQ
• The Great Escape
• Parlez-Vous Crepe
• Captain Ponchod
• Tarheel Creamery
• Porchetta
• Sympathy for the Deli
• Yael S Megaloudis
• King Creole
• CJ Street Food
• Pie Pushers
• Sarges Chef
• LoYoOn The Go
• Crossroads Concessions
• Valentino
• Klausies
• Loco Pops
• Sunset Slush
• Hibachi Xpress
• Big Als BBQ
• Only Burger
• Baguettaboutit
• Big Island Shaved Ice
• Mama Duke’s Food Truck
• Deli-icious Truck

Beer vendors include:

• Aviator Brewing Company
• Raleigh Brewing Company
• Carolina Brewing Company

Fayetteville Street Mall
Sun, May 12: 12-5 p.m.
Sun, Jun 9: 12-5 p.m.
Sun, Aug 11: 4-9 p.m.
Sun, Oct 13: 12-5 p.m.

http://downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com/info@downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com

Pricing info: Free, VIP early access $5

http://www.wral.com/entertainment/out_and_about/event/12255573/

Jeremiah Jackson’s Farm to Fender food truck will stick to the south side of Asheville. The food truck will have a mural of food, from the seed to the plate, painted by artist Jason Brake. / special to Asheville Scene

 Jeremiah Jackson is sick of restaurant kitchens.

That’s why he’s cramming himself into the diminutive galley of the former Our Taco Truck food truck. With a coat of green paint covering the former bright pink, the truck has been rechristened Farm to Fender.

Jackson this weekend hosted a soft opening for Farm to Fender in south Asheville.

His menu includes a full-scale breakfast, complete with gluten-free waffles and build-your-own omelets, stuffed with house-smoked shrimp or salmon and various veggies. Lunch items include a Southwest spinach salad with queso fresco and a number of taco offerings, grouped under the heading “of course we have tacos.”

“We specialize in fresh, local-when-possible, healthy breakfast and lunch with specials that are Southern favorites that really stick to your bones,” Jackson said, adding that vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are abundant on the menu.

Jackson graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, SC, in 2003. He has worked as the executive chef of both Poogan’s Porch in Charleston and Good Food Catering, part of the Holy City Hospitality Group, which also manages Virginia’s on King, also in Charleston. After a stint cooking in New Zealand, another in the corporate world and another catering to the corporate world, he (and his wife) decided it was high time Jackson got his own kitchen.

“And we decided a food truck would make more sense, since we don’t have the money for a restaurant,” he said.

What’s in the name? Jackson has a heck of an elevator pitch.

“We trying to cater to folks who focus on being healthy and sustainable at the same time,” he said. “The theory is that, the better we treat our planet, the community and the folks around us, the longer we’re going to be here. The longer we’re going to be here, the more we’re going to eat, and the more we’re going to eat, the more we get to cook. I love to cook, so I need to do everything in my power to spread that sustainability.”

Farm to Fender will start serving food Tuesday, May 14, at 960 Sweeten Creek Rd. from 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Visit twitter.com/farmtofender or http://simplydonecuisine.com for more.

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130429/ASHEVILLESCENE/304290046/New-food-truck-hits-Asheville-s-south-side

Trevon Dunn of the Bom Bus

The Bom Bus is a new food truck looking to bring Portuguese food to the streets of Asheville.

Here’s more about that.

The owner of the restaurant on wheels, Trevon Dunn,  is waiting for a number of stars to align before officially setting up shop.

An increase in the number of downtown permits for food trucks would be nice, and that seems to be moving along.

There’s a meeting at City Hall at 9 a.m. next Wednesday (April 24) to continue the discussion. Currently permitting is limited to 10 trucks, though city officials may grant more. Click the link above for more about that.

Also waiting for a downtown permit is Smash Box, whose owners say they’re next on the waiting list. “We’re number 11,” says co-owner Ashley Teran (her husband, Nestor Teran, is the chef).

Smash Box serves Nicaraguan food, all served in more street food format. Expect to find marinated churrasco steak (basically skirt steak) wrapped in a flour tortilla with red refried beans, jalapeno crema and a version of slaw and fried plantain chips on the side.

Soon, the truck will venture into Nicaraguan breakfast: rice and beans, a fried egg, hot sauce and queso frito, griddled until it has crisp outer edges.

We’ll profile Smash Box in next week’s Scene as part of our All Go West coverage. Look for more there (or go see Smash Box tonight at the Odditorium, 1045 Haywood Road).

http://blogs2.citizen-times.com/eatscene/2013/04/17/food-trucks-ahoy-bom-bus-brings-the-portuguese-smash-box-makes-with-the-nicaraguan-food/

Winston-Salem’s first food-truck festival will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday on Burke Street.

The Burke Street Food Festival, presented by Old Winston Social Club, will feature about 10 food trucks, including Camel City Grill, Bandito Burrito, Marty’s BBQ and D’s Cakes in a Cup.

Old Winston-Social Club will provide music.

It will be held rain or shine on the section of Burke between First Street and Westdale Avenue.

For more information, find Burke Street Food Festival on Facebook.

http://www.journalnow.com/home_food/food/tidbits/article_45ad078e-a70a-11e2-ab62-001a4bcf6878.html

WECT TV6-WECT.com:News, weather

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – One business owner in Wilmington has a beef with the city over a hot dog stand.  The owner of Haley’s Hot Dog Cart is boiling mad because he says the city forced him to close down.

In order to operate a food truck or a food cart in Wilmington, business owners must first receive a permit from the city.  Although Haley’s Hot Dogs operates on private property, the city says their business doesn’t cut the mustard.

Lazaro Carillo has been serving up hot dogs downtown for the past six years.  He’s been operating on private property in front of Charley Brownz Nightclub on Front Street.  But six months ago, he decided to move to a new location, half a block away, in front of Finklesteins at the corner of Front and Market Streets.

City officials say Carillo’s business is disturbing the public right of way.  John Fullerton works in the city’s zoning department.

“The hot dog cart is taking up enough space now that you don’t have transactions and sales taking place on private property,” said Fullerton.  “Now, the sales are taking place on city streets.”

Even though he has all the paperwork in order, Carillo now has to close the lid on his cart.

“I’m frustrated and I feel discriminated because of the way they treat me,” said Carillo.

Earlier this week, Carillo received a cease and desist letter from the city.  That letter states that the city will fine him $200 for every day he’s open.  The city says his only options are to either rent a space or go back to his original location.  With three children and a grandchild, Carillo says he can’t afford to close down.

“Without this little business, it’s going to be hard for me to pay bills,” said Carillo.  “It’s going to be hard for me to provide for my family.  I don’t have words to describe how badly I feel.”

Even though his business is in violation of city code, Carillo says he plans to keep fighting city leaders to stay open for business.  Carillo plans to hire a lawyer even if he has to use money from his savings account.

http://www.wect.com/story/21995892/hot-dogs-could-go-cold-if-business-owner-doesnt-follow-code