via google

http://blogs.providencejournal.com/arts-entertainment/subterranean/2013/05/21-food-trucks-on-our-list-but-they-arent-all-piping-up.html

Still not happy with the small country’s worth of meal options provided by the College Hill food truck scene? Lotus Pepper, one of the newest meals-on-wheels options to hit the corner of Thayer and George and/or Brown and George, is here to help. Offering a six-item menu of Vietnamese cuisine at reasonable prices, Lotus Pepper appears to be shooting for the simple, pleasant vibe of a Mama Kim’s-type establishment. Kind-of-almost-pictures of the menu below. If it looks good, you know what to do–try that shit tonight. Obviously.

http://blogdailyherald.com/2013/05/02/new-food-trucks-part-10000-lotus-pepper/

PROVIDENCE JOURNAL PHOTO / KRIS CRAIG

Truck Stop: A Festival of Street Eats is set for Providence next month and will benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Ten food trucks will offer tastings, along with wine and beer tastings by Jonathan Edwards Winery and the Narragansett Brewing Company.

Tickets cost $50; VIP tickets are $75 and include early admission, extra tastings and a free drink from the cash bar.

Participating food trucks include Championship Melt, Chez Pascal’s Hewtin’s Dogs Mobile, Clam Jammers, Flour Girls Baking Company’s Sweet Truck, Joedega, Like No Udder, Mijos Tacos, Radish, Rocket Fine Street Food and Tallulah.

It will be held Friday, April 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Bank of America City Center skating rink area, as part of the Eat Drink RI Festival.

For tickets and information, go to rifoodbank.org/TruckStop, or call (401) 230-1673.

This fundraiser will help the Food Bank distribute food to its statewide network of food pantries and meal sites.

http://blogs.providencejournal.com/arts-entertainment/lifestyles/food-dining/2013/03/a-festival-of-street-eats-food-truck-festival-set-for-april-19-in-providenc.html

By Kimberley Donoghue  | PBN Web Editor

ROCKET FINE STREET FOOD moved to Providence from Torrington, Conn., on Wednesday, adding to the growing ranks of the local food truck scene. COURTESY CARRIE ALBRECHT VIBERT

PROVIDENCE – What do you have planned for lunch today? If you’re thinking of heading to one of the local food trucks, a new face has joined the ranks.

Rocket Fine Street Food had its first day in Providence on Wednesday, serving food on Thayer Street for lunch and at the Pawtucket Winter Market for dinner.

The menu consists of many comfort food staples – mac and cheese, grilled cheese, tomato soup and a variety of burgers, including the Parisienne (think caramelized onions, Gruyere, aioli).

Owners Patricia Natter-Meneguzzo and her husband Joe Meneguzzo first opened Rocket in their hometown of Torrington, Conn., in 2010.

Both had been living in Miami, working in marketing and printing, respectively, and wanted to do “something” food-related but, she said, opening a full-fledged restaurant was “a little daunting” – so they quit their jobs and headed home.

“[Owning a food truck] is 10 times more enjoyable than we thought. It’s a whole different dynamic with food trucks. [The customers] enjoy meeting the person that’s cooking their food.”

“In the winter, it’s very quiet [in Torrington], and we really wanted Rocket to be a year-round business,” she said. “It’s a food-truck friendly city; people seem to really enjoy food here – so here we are!”

Their schedule, for now, is “up in the air,” but Rocket will post its locations on Facebook and Twitter – @rockettruck – every day. Natter-Meneguzzo also maintains a blog with the menu and locations.

Other local food trucks – which include Mijos Tacos, Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ, Hewtin’s Dogs, Like No Udder, and Poco Loco Tacos – have been “very helpful” and welcoming, she said.

“We come from the idea that when food trucks get together – it creates a destination … a mini event,” Natter-Meneguzzo added. “We really feel like food trucks are beneficial for cities like Providence … to create buzz when there are activities.”

“There’s a life in [Providence] even in the winter – that was what we were looking for,” Natter-Meneguzzo said. It will be Rocket’s first time as a “true” street vendor, since in Connecticut they used park in a private parking lot and were not restricted to the 2-hour street parking permit limit.

http://www.pbn.com/Rocket-joins-Providence-food-truck-scene,65272?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

The best pulled pork on the East Side.

For those of you who’ve dared to venture a few blocks off Thayer, you’ll have no doubt had the pleasure of tasting the delicious food of United BBQ. For those of you who haven’t, you may have missed your chance to have some of the best BBQ around as the eleven employees of United BBQ were informed on Thursday night that the restaurant would close down after the weekend.

Located on Ives Street, United BBQ opened three years ago to a string of overwhelmingly positive reviews. Its achievements include winning the 2011 “RI’s Best Barbecue” award from the Providence Phoenix. Although known for its barbecue, the restaurant was also popular with Brown’s eco-friendly students due to its wide variety of vegan and vegetarian options, such as its “Tofurkey” Kielbasa Sandwich.

When asked about her thoughts about the restaurant closing, United BBQ employee Jasmie, who has worked at the restaurant since its opening, said, “Working here has been great. I’ll really miss working here. Everyone’s like a family here.” The owners currently do not have plans for the restaurant after its closing and many employees are still unsure of what to do after United BBQ closes. News of the restaurant’s closing have also not been widely circulated as many students have remained oblivious to United BBQ’s plight.

Alas, the near-romantic relationship that many upperclassmen have had with United BBQ must come to an end. We can only hope that some day, a Southern BBQ food truck decides to drive up College Hill and fill that hole left behind by United BBQ.

http://blogdailyherald.com/2011/10/29/united-bbq-to-close-this-weekend/

By STAFF | FOX Providence

The Rhode Show went out in search of the best food trucks in RI. They came across vegan ice cream, sizzling tacos and handmade sausages. The winning truck will be revealed Thursday night on the Rhode Show Prime Time Special: The Best of RI.

The Providence Journal / Kris Craig

Is it ever too soon to think about lunch?

I don’t think so. Let’s plan now for Tuesdays in Providence, where three food trucks come together Downcity for lunch. At Grant’s Block from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday through September, you’ll find Like No Udder, Poco Loco Tacos and Hewtin’s Dog Mobile.

Like No Udder is an all-vegan soft-serve ice cream truck.

Poco Loco Tacos offers Mexican cuisine.

Hewtin’s serves sausages, hot dogs and sandwiches from the Hope Street restaurant Chez Pascal.

Find Grant’s Block at 260 Westminster St. by entering the lot on Weybosset Street between Clemence and Union streets.

http://www.projo.com/food/content/mov_mix_food_0624_06-24-11_OGOONOJ_v10.46b58.html

If you know anything about the Providence food scene, you know the East Side is now Big Mama (Kim’s) house. If you’re anywhere on College Hill during lunchtime or late-night, the smell of this truck’s delicious Korean cuisine is sure to draw you in.

For evidence, take a look at these bulgogi (shaved beef sirloin) tacos, in a house marinade, and topped off with their house salad and a scallion mushroom mix.

For now, there are no plans for their current truck to take a trip downtown. “This truck will always be here to serve Brown students,” said Hyun Kim, cofounder of Mama Kim’s mobile restaurant and Brown University alum. So if you don’t live on the Hill, you will have to venture up to see the truck as of now. However, Kim made it clear that the rest of Providence will be seeing a lot of Mama Kim’s very soon.

Plans for expansion

“We have plans to open run two more trucks, alongside with an HQ that will be prepping the food. This truck will stay on College Hill, one will sit near Kennedy Plaza, and the last will roam the rest of Providence and other parts of Rhode Island.”

Kim is confident that this aggressive expansion will be successful based on the reception he has received so far. He reported that people have gone so far as to personally thanking him for bring Korean food to RI. Others have congratulated him on an excellent business model. One notable figure being Kim’s mentor and professor from Brown, Barrett Hazeltine, who taught Kim in an independent study where the idea of Mama Kim’s originated.

Not a food truck – a mobile restaurant

“At first I wanted to start a restaurant, but the leases for a storefront were ridiculously high around Thayer St. Then I read an article on how gourmet chefs were going mobile. I knew Mama Kims would fit perfectly in that model. We don’t like the term food truck. Mama Kim’s is a mobile restaurant.”

Whenever the truck is serving there is sure to be a line, so expect to some. Kim credits the success so far to a few important factors. He stated that people want high quality, slow cooked food at affordable prices and fast. Also, the company follows the ideology of when the customers win, the business wins, and then the suppliers win. All suppliers to the restaurant are local, which means their ingredients are always fresh.

The young “mobile restaurant” entrepreneur explained that the city of Providence has been great to work with so far. “We basically can’t park by the Dunkin’ Donuts Center or by a meter, which is fine for us. We have a perfect spot here on Thayer Street.”

Providence perfect for start-up food

Providence has proven to be an excellent place to start a mobile food operation. Greater Kennedy Plaza is in the midst of organizing a revitalization of the park, which will feature the best food trucks in RI. Mama Kim’s has been the first to sign on as a featured truck.

Compared to other cities, Providence is low on regulations for these types of businesses. In Atlanta, food trucks are required to serve their food no longer than 30 minutes in the same area. There has been no indication that these types of regulations are coming to the city.

Kim gave advice to anyone who was thinking about getting into the food truck business. “You have to be customer oriented, rather than money oriented. It’s not just about the bottom line.”

To find out more about Mama Kim’s, visit the Web site here.

http://www.golocalprov.com/food/mobile-restaurant-has-big-plans-for-providence/

In 2010 Julians realized a longtime dream to create a double decker food bus. Originally from London, this omnibus was purchased by the JRB LLC and the transformation began.

The seats in the first floor were removed to make room for a fully operational kitchen, complete with plumbing, refrigeration, an oven, flattop grill and a hood exhaust system.

The seats on the top floor were retro-fitted to face each other around custom tables made from old maps.

The exterior received a custom design and was painted by hand to maintain a bit of the creative, homemade aesthetic of which Julians has come to be known for.

And so the Julians OMNIBUS was born!

http://www.juliansprovidence.com/omnibus

Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ joined the fleet of food trucks that serve mobile cuisine to Providence locals and students this March, adding a variety of flavorful and healthy options. The truck primarily parks in front of Barus and Holley Building in the afternoon and in front of MacMillan Hall at night.

Hyun Kim ’01 and his mother Sook came to Providence from Seoul 22 years ago and brought with them a love of traditional Korean food and the desire to share it.

Sook remembers when her own mother would prepare huge dinners to feed her family, along with those hard hit in the aftermath of the Korean War. Many of the dishes offered by the truck are still prepared from her mother’s recipes, she said.

The recipes are traditional for higher-class Korean families — not typical street food, Sook said. Kim and his mother first got the idea to open a food truck during a trip to Los Angeles, where they saw “real moving kitchens” that were able to fit up to six or seven cooks. Kim said he was fascinated by how these trucks seemed to be “revolutionizing food culture.”

After some research, the Kims found a manufacturer of mobile kitchens and customized the interior to meet the needs of Korean cuisine. Nothing on their menu is fried, so they converted the fryer into a steam machine to keep dishes warm. The coffee urn stores stews, a customary part of Korean meals.

This is the Kims’ first venture into the Providence restaurant scene, and Kim said he hopes to “serve the best quality food to my clients.” The Kims emphasized the healthiness of Korean cuisine, which is reflected in their menu. Meat is marinated or pickled, and very little oil is used in the cooking process. The marinade is made from Korean pears grown in Shingo, avoiding the need for sugar. The Kims aim to “maintain both affordability and quality,” Sook said.

Produce is purchased from local farms using Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a local food system that links farmers and buyers. The truck appeals also to a vegan and vegetarian clientele. “Seventy percent of Korean food is vegan,” Sook said. Four of the nine dishes consistently offered by the truck are designated as vegan.

Meat-eaters are also welcome. Among the truck’s most popular dishes are the L.A. Short Ribs, named both for the city and for the lateral cut of the meat, a distinctly Korean style.

The Kims have enjoyed extraordinary success since they first opened March 18. They sold what they thought would be three days worth of food in one and a half hours on their first day. They have put in an order for a second truck and will sign a lease for an off-site commercial kitchen to prepare greater amounts of food. They have also been commissioned to cater events on and off College Hill.

Hyun, who concentrated in international relations and economics, has donated in recent years to the University’s Entrepreneurship Program. Professor Emeritus of Engineering Barrett Hazeltine, who taught Hyun as an undergraduate and took part in a food survey at the Kims’ home in early January, called Hyun an “example” for aspiring entrepreneurs and said he hopes he will “encourage other students to start businesses.” He is also a fan of the truck’s fare, saying it “doesn’t just taste like everyone else’s food.”

Joanna Lee ’11 and Allison Peck ’11, who are Korean, said they visit Mama Kim’s when they are nostalgic for the Iron Wok truck, which disappeared last year when its owners opened a restaurant on Brook Street.

Mama Kim’s does “a good job of replacing the Chinese truck,” said Diogo Alves ’11.

Attracted by the low prices and convenient location near the Sciences Library, Alves eats at the truck once a week.

But not everyone is thrilled with the new truck on the block. Two female students stopped to look at the menu but continued down Thayer Street after lamenting the absence of dumplings on the menu.

Mama Kim’s represents “a successful attempt to make an inaccessible Asian food accessible,” Peck said, decrying a “serious lack of Korean food around Providence.”

Soyeoh Ahn, a senior at the Rhode Island School of Design from Korea, says Mama Kim’s food is “pretty much the same as home.”

Kim, who served in Iraq in the South Korean Army, said he is eager to inject Providence with some cultural diversity. “You can disseminate culture in war,” he said. “But food is an excellent vehicle to promote cultural exchange.”

http://news.collegemedianetwork.com/news/korean-truck-dishes-up-food-and-culture