(Craig Hartley) Houston’s booming food-truck community also will be well-represented at the festival:
Bernie’s Burger Bus

We’re waiting for the day when the upcoming Free Press Summer Festival is as known for its food and beverage programming as it is for its music schedule. And while it’s not quite there yet, Houston’s hottest music festival is steadily adding to its culinary offerings each year.

This time around, Houston’s own Saint Arnold Brewing Company is creating a craft beer inspired by FPSF. White Noise will be available on the festival grounds at Eleanor Tinsley Park June 1-2 and in limited quantities around town.

Organizers call White Noise “the liquid equivalent of sunshine in a glass, unfiltered and bursting with the fragrant blend of orange peel and coriander.”

Also new this year is an exclusive multicourse breakfast with Uchi Houston chef Philip Speer and rapper Bun B on June 1. Just 20 tickets — $175 each — will be sold, and ticket buyers must also be holders of Fancy Pants or High Roller FPSF tickets. Tickets will be released at noon Monday, May 27 via e-mail blast to qualified ticket holders.

(Greg Morago) Anvil returns to Summer Fest this year with a new lineup of innovative cocktails exclusively for Fancy Pants ticket holders. No details yet on the menu.

The breakfast, which will benefit the Blaffer Art Museum, is part of the museum’s fundraising dinner series, “Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art,” which pairs chefs and artists for a unique meal served in an intimate setting, allowing diners to interact with the creative team.

So, if you’re a Fancy Pants or High Roller ticket holder, watch your inbox.

Anvil returns to Summer Fest this year with a new lineup of innovative cocktails exclusively for Fancy Pants ticket holders. No details yet on the menu, but we’re keeping fingers crossed that Philly Fish House Punch returns.

Not a Fancy Pants ticket holder? Keep your eye out for the four julep stations that will be serving bourbon-based cocktails created by Anvil’s Alba Huerta.

Foodies will recognize many of the names topping the food booths: Beaver’s, Fluff Bake Bar, Kim Son, Sammy’s Wild Game Grill and Pink’s Pizza. Houston’s booming food-truck community also will be well-represented at the festival. Trucks scheduled to work the fest: MuSuBi, Golden Grill, Bare Bowls Kitchen, Chi’Lantro and Bernie’s Burger Bus.

Sign up at www.houstonchronicle.com/contests for a chance to win VIP tickets to the sold out FPSF.

http://blog.chron.com/29-95/2013/05/the-food-of-free-press-summer-fest-2013/#12496-6

New food truck park plans emerging

Longtime resident intends to open Foodapalooza in Cedar Park

New plans are in the works to bring a food truck park to Cedar Park on the east side of Parmer Lane near FM 1431.

Levi Lambert, a Cedar Park resident and the man behind the Foodapalooza food truck park concept, said he intends to have the park up and running by February 2014.

“We have to get approval through planning and zoning and City Council and then go through permitting,” he said. “We don’t want to open in the dead of winter. So we will start construction in December with a soft opening in February and a grand opening by March.”

Larry Holt, Cedar Park assistant director of economic development, said the preliminary plan is to create a planned-use development for the 2-acre site.

“That tool has allowed us to take a property and specify design standards we would like to see over and above what’s required for the zoning,” he said. “It’s particularly appropriate for projects with some unusual characteristics.”

Foodapalooza is more than a few independent food trucks parked on a grassy knoll, Lambert said. The site is slated to have free wireless Internet so patrons can order food from their mobile phones from up to eight food trucks. All of the trucks will be owned and operated by Lambert and his staff, each with different offerings including sliders, beer and wine, Mexican food and ice cream.

The idea to create what he calls an upscale food truck park came from Lambert’s cooking background, he said, which includes degrees in culinary arts and food and beverage management. As a family man, Lambert said he hopes to build a picnic area, playground, splash pad, volleyball court and an outdoor film screen—all in an effort to become a dining and entertainment destination for families.

“Everything to me has a tie back into the family and my roots and growing up in Cedar Park. The trucks are named after members of my family,” he said. “It still needs to capture that food park feel but just overdone, upscale and out of this world.”

Avery Ranch update

In October, Waterstone Development announced plans to bring a food truck park to Avery Ranch by spring 2013. Jay Yates, owner of Curly’s Perfect Pig food truck in Round Rock, said he previously pursued establishing a food truck park on the property just north of the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex on Parmer Lane. Yates said the two parties are no longer working together, but he still hopes to bring a food truck park to the Avery Ranch community.

http://impactnews.com/articles/new-food-truck-park-plans-emerging/

Open for business. (Syd Kearney photos / Chronicle)

Downtown just got a little sweeter.

Popular food truck Porch Swing Desserts has opened a store in the tunnel at 801 Louisiana St. It’s tucked in an out-the-way corner between Pennzoil Plaza and Two Shell Center, in a space formerly occupied by a Treebeards satellite. (The Cajun cafeteria moved to bigger digs in Pennzoil Plaza in January.)

On opening day, May 16, the bakery was offering monkey bread muffins, its signature petite lemon meringue and strawberry pies, an assortment of cookies and Katz coffee.

I scored a banana pudding with caramelized bananas for breakfast. What a delicious way to start the day.

Porch Swing Desserts: 801 Louisaina St., 713-429–1338. Open 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Get a look at the big board.

http://blog.chron.com/29-95/2013/05/now-open-porch-swing-desserts-sans-wheels/

Hey girl, this is tank top regulation

The Dallas City Council’s Quality of Life Committee met this morning (and is probably still meeting) about potentially lowering the costs of streetscape licensing and street vending permits in downtown Dallas. Generally, I think this is good news for the city. Lowering the costs = potentially more restaurants with outdoor seating/more food trucks in Dallas = more pedestrians enjoying downtown =  everyone is happy. In George Lewis’ words, “Fees can be onerous, simply because food trucks are mobile, which means multiple cities.  Multiply $300 – $600 for all of the cities: Dallas, University Park, Highland Park, Arlington, Denton, FW, Carrollton, Garland, etc. and you rack up a chunk of government money.”

I snuck out of the meeting after the streetscape licensing part because I had to get back to the office, but the vending permits Powerpoint is on the committee briefings page, anyway.

The proposal is to cut vending licenses by half to $600 annually. Right now, food trucks are allowed to operate between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily, but the proposed update would extend those hours to 10 p.m. (Mon-Thursday, Sunday) and midnight (Friday and Saturday). There’s also a suggestion to require photo ID badges for all vendors, prohibit smoking by vendors while operating in the vending locations, and to establish a dress code. All these are unregulated right now and sound pretty fair, except… what’s up with this dress code? Take a look for yourself:

Appendix B: Proposed Dress Code

• Proposed minimum dress requirements for vendors include the following
• Clothing must be neat, clean and sanitary at all times
• Walking shorts allowed, but no cut-offs ◦ No apparel with offensive or suggestive language,images, symbols
• No tank tops or halter tops
• No outer apparel made of fishnet or undergarment material

I don’t know about you, but I can imagine  it gets pretty hot in a food truck when the weather reaches over 100 degrees. No tank tops?? Perhaps people are afraid of tank tops for chest hair or other sanitary reasons (deodorant should do the trick), but George makes another good observation. “Funny thing about required clothing.  Pretty dumb… no tank tops or halter tops, yet Hooter’s, Twin Peaks?  Where’s the consistency?”

And those ladies even get to work indoors.

Overall, the city’s stance on food trucks seems to be heading in a fair direction. “In general, despite the occasional carping by the public about how behind Dallas is, I think that the city permitting and enforcement has done a pretty good job,” says George.

http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2013/05/13/food-truck-operators-might-not-be-able-to-wear-tank-tops-anymore/

Three brothers, Dan, Jim and Jack, have launched a Kickstarter to raise$30,000 that will fund a food truck that will serve dishes based on 2013′s favorite fad diet: Paleo eating. The truck, named Caveman Chow will serve dishes such as pancakes and bacon-wrapped meatloaf that follow the Paleo philosophy of a meat and vegetable based diet that skips grains, sugars and dairy. Cause cavemen didn’t have, like, wheat and cows and stuff. In a blog post, Dan explains how switching from a regular diet to Paleo helped him lose 30 pounds and increased his energy levels.

Watch the video below to meet the three partners and get a sense of their plans for the future. They still need to raise $29,000 before the end of the month to reach their goal.

http://houston.eater.com/archives/2013/05/13/help-back-paleo-food-truck-caveman-chow.php

Photo via @TacoNuts on Twitter

The last time I visited with chef L.J. Wiley was in March. That’s when the prodigal chef was busy hosting a pop-up dinner called “Yelapagain” with his former employees and colleagues from Yelapa, the modern Mexican restaurant Wiley helmed to critical acclaim before departing for New York City in 2011.

But Wiley hadn’t returned to Houston to only serve pop-up dinners, nor to resurrect Yelapa — which closed in October 2011, not long after Wiley left.

He’d come back to Houston to sling tacos. From a truck.

But as many mobile food unit operators will tell you, finding the perfect truck — one that runs, one that’s reliable, one that has enough room, maybe even one that has its medallions already and can go straight into service — is half the battle.

“I turned down a truck a few days ago,” Wiley told me as he served up dishes at the Yelapagain dinner that night at Kitchen Incubator. The dinner’s purpose was dual-pronged: to let Houston know that Wiley was back and to test out some of the tacos he was considering for his truck’s menu.

Wiley’s cooking on board Taco Nuts is a streamlined version of the food he made at Yelapa.

“There will be a main menu of tacos flanked by other dishes,” Wiley explained. And while he still wasn’t sure what those other dishes would be back in March, he’s got it all sorted out now.

WIley’s truck, Taco Nuts, hit the streets last week for the first time – full menu and all.

After taking a few of Pi Pizza Truck’s shifts for practice, Taco Nuts was at Grand Prize Bar every night from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. starting last Thursday. As promised, the menu offers several tacos, but Wiley couldn’t stop there.

The truck is the first I’ve seen to offer either chips and salsa or chips and queso (although they’re not complimentary, as they’d be at a restaurant). And Taco Nuts also offers burritos and “nachos chilaquiles” like Los Huevos del Ranchero, which sees tortilla chips topped with braised brisket, red salsa, ranch-style beans, green chile queso, cilantro, ghost pepper aioli and a poached egg.

As with the burritos portion of the menu, Wiley is offering four different takes on the classic food truck dish. One contains tomatillo-braised chicken with roasted corn, crema and a mango-habanero salsa, while another is fully vegetarian. But vegetarian here doesn’t mean boring: the roasted tomatoes and avocado taco also contains Fritos and a spicy lime aioli.

In one way, the food that Wiley is serving at Taco Nuts is an extension of the complex, layered, occasionally over-the-top food he made at Yelapa — food that may have been critically acclaimed but was also divisive in the context of a broader audience.

In another, more important way, the food at Taco Nuts is a new chapter entirely. Wiley has learned from the time spent at the modern Mexican restaurant and has streamlined the dishes, fine-tuned his ingredients and ensured along the way that Taco Nuts can offer what Yelapa didn’t: food that wows any audience.

Follow Taco Nuts on Twitter to find out where Wiley will be parking this week.

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2013/05/taco_nuts_lj_wileys_new_taco_t.php

via facebook

Twisted Tacos Truck Throwdown

4 p.m.-midnight Saturday
VFW Post 76, 10th Street and Broadway
Free

A taco competition of food truck proportions is slated for 4 p.m.-midnight Saturday at VFW Post 76. In its third year, the Twisted Tacos Truck Throwdown benefits the VFW Post 76 Veteran Relief Fund. To appease the massive crowds the event experienced in the first two years, all 17 mobile kitchens will be offering a quick $1 al pastor taco, the same taco the trucks will be judged on, until 8 p.m. After 8 p.m., the trucks are allowed to get jiggy with the menu. Beer and $2 Twisted Teas are among the refreshments being served. Aside from taco trucks, Kona Ice San Antonio and Saweet Cupcakes will join in the fun.

(Luis M. Garza / LMG Photo Arts)

The competitors:

• Salinas Mini Tacos (2012 Grand Champion)
• Chela’s Tacos (2011 Grand Champion and 2012 People’s Choice Winner)
• Dona Kika Tacos y Gorditas (2011 People’s Choice Winner)
• Mr. Meximum
• Tacos D’Imelda
• Taco Bombers
• Esmi’s Tacos & Gorditas
• SAboresfood
• Frank’s Tacos
• Texasada Mexican Street Food
• Tacos La Bamba
• Tacos Tuyos
• Gracie’s Kitchen
• The Institute of Chili
• The Grilled Jalapeño
• Panchos Mini Tacos
• TACO De Cortez

Finding Friday and Los #3 Dinners will provide the live music.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/2013/05/throwing-it-down-taco-truck-style/

City to begin design work for parks projects
Rolling Into Central Texas

The food truck trend has slowly been rolling its way through Williamson County and is stopping to park in Georgetown for the first time.

Casey’s Food Court, located at 903 N. Church St., is expected to open in May despite delays from weather and the permitting process, and as of press time May 3, developers were awaiting final approval from the city for a temporary parking agreement, said August Higgins, marketing director for J. Paul Aubin Real Estate.

“We’re right there at the finish line,” Higgins said. “It’s been a whole series of things, but none of them are deal-breakers or will have any permanent damage as far as not opening at all. It’s just a matter of getting everything coordinated.”

Trailer park food

Joseph Aubin, owner of J. Paul Aubin Real Estate, is developing the site, which could eventually include up to seven food trailers.

Higgins said the park has received interest from several food truck vendors—both startup businesses and food truck veterans—to operate on the site.

“We have more than seven vendors that have expressed interest in coming over,” he said. “I expect there to be some turnover [in who is operating at the park] at some point.”

Food trucks from PooThai Authentic Thai Cuisine, Hot-Doggin, Austin Food Hound and CJ’s Big Boy BBQ are expected to move in on a month-to-month lease. Soul food and possibly a dessert vendor are also expected on the lot, Higgins said.

Parking woes

Higgins said developers have filed a temporary parking agreement with the city, and once approval is given, trailers can move onto the lot.

The agreement would allow patrons to park on a gravel lot located across the street behind the Fox Auto Parts store.

“This parking agreement with the Fox Auto Parts building will allow us to open, test the market and make sure we are going to be OK before we make this a real permanent process,” Higgins said, adding that plans are being made to build a permanent parking lot behind the food court.

“We’ve already started the process of the design and hiring an engineer to work on the site plan for a parking lot back there, but it’s a multi-month process and a significant financial expense,” he said. “So we want to make sure that once we are open that everything works smoothly and that we are successful and that the city and everybody is happy with what we are doing before we start spending that kind of money.”

If approved, Higgins said trailers will begin setting up shop and the Williamson County & Cities Health District would complete food service inspections for each trailer.

City codes

At a presentation to City Council on March 26, Georgetown Planning Director Andrew Spurgin began discussions with council to update the Unified Development Code’s provisions for mobile or outdoor food vending.

The city currently has a temporary-use permit in some zoning districts that was adopted into the code in 2010. No permits were sought, however, until late 2012, according to city documents.

Spurgin said the planning department has identified several additional criteria that need to be addressed, including sanitation, fire safety, restroom access and entertainment.

City staff is working on several amendments to the UDC that could include an update to the mobile food vendor permit, he said. Staff is expected to present a proposal on how to proceed with the UDC amendment process at the council’s May 28 meeting.

“Done right, [food trailers] can be something that can be really great for a community, but I’ll put the emphasis on it has to be done the right way,” Spurgin said. “This can be a great way to bring people into an area where you are trying to encourage civic life.”

Truck trend

Food trucks have also been showing up in other Williamson County cities, including Cedar Park and Round Rock, and a trailer park has been proposed in Hutto as well.

“We know that Round Rock has had some pretty good success with their food [trucks], ” Higgins said. “We thought this would be a good way to be a part of something new and trendy in the Austin area but is still in line with Georgetown culture.”

http://impactnews.com/articles/food-trucks-roll-into-georgetown/

Crab ball poboy and fries; stuffed swai, cole slaw, and fries; and pulled pork sandwich and homemade onion rings at the Lagniappe at Yummo’s food truck at 5213 Twin City Highway in Port Arthur. Randy Edwards/cat5

There is a rumor that Southeast Texas is 10 years behind the rest of the civilized world. This may or may not be true, but it has taken us a while to get on the food truck train.

Robin Cappel and her partner Cyd Cappel, owners of the food truck called Lagniappe at Yummo’s, are hoping to be on the ground floor of the trend in Southeast Texas.

Robin frequently visits Austin for the laid-back vibe but always returns to her home.

“We go to Austin and eat at all the food trailers and try different stuff,” she said. “I would really like to have a spot here with a few trailers, to sit outside, hang out and listen to music.”

For now, she has made her own space in the parking lot of Dejean Automotive.

“We love what we do — we don’t just throw food together,” Robin said. “I want it to taste how I would want to eat it.”

That means fresh and from-scratch, from the hand-cut and battered french fries to the BBQ sauce to the crab cakes.

The selection is heavy on seafood and Cajun favorites like po boys and shrimp etouffee, and also includes Robin’s smoked pulled pork. She draws from her experience in her family’s restaurant, Carpel’s, which was open in the ’80s under the Rainbow Bridge.

“All my family is Cajun from Lousiana,” Robin said. “My dad always told me when he met my mom, she had webbed feet from being in the bayou.”

Recommendations: Booger Hollier lives in Beaumont, but makes the drive just for the ettouffee.

“I’m a coonass, so I know what good food tastes like,” he said. “I’ve eaten all over the world. My grandma was the best cook in the world, but this etouffee beats hers. This place is something else.”

Kim Cherry was picking up lunch for the office.

“We come at least once or twice a week,” she said. “They’re friendly and the food is good. I like the crab cake burgers. A lot of the guys get the fish tacos and pulled pork. Their fries are out of this world.”

Aaron Hebert ordered a bacon cheeseburger that looked positively mouth-watering.

“I always get the bacon cheeseburger,” she said. “It’s amazing, and I’m someone that eats out everyday. The fries with the homemade dipping sauce are different. The chicken sausage gumbo is by far the best I’ve eaten around here, with a good, dark coonass roux.”

Ursula Brown frequents Lagniappe at least three times a week.

“I can’t find this type of food anywhere,” she said. “I’m from Louisiana and it reminds me of home. I like everything — the fries, the wings, and the seafood is fresh. During Lent I gave up meat completely and came here almost every day. I had the crab-stuffed peppers and fries a lot, and it was perfect. And the wings are seasoned just right — they’re not this good at any restaurant.”

Try a pulled pork sandwich with grilled onions on bread from Ana’s Mexican Bakery — outstanding. Definitely get the battered fries.

As with most food trucks, locations and hours vary — next week, Lagniappe will be at Port Neches Riverfest. Track the truck by finding ‘Lagniappe at Yummo’s’ on Facebook.

The drink situation: includes soda and bottled water. If you need an adult beverage, take your tasty goodness home and enjoy it with your choice of spirit.

Atmosphere: is food truck chic. There is a comfy covered area in front of the truck with some picnic tables if you feel like “dining in.”

Extras and Specials: Lagniappe also caters. Crab balls and pulled pork sandwiches sound like a pretty great wedding reception offering to me.

The verdict: If you still see food trucks as dirty — or simply hocking sub-par fair food — it’s time you got out more. Some made-from scratch Cajun fare from Lagniappe at Yummo’s is a pretty good start.

Lagniappe at Yummo’s
Where: 5213 Twin City Hwy., Port Arthur, in the parking lot of Dejean Automotive
Info: (409) 718-0835
Online: “Lagniappe at Yummo’s” on Facebook
Hours: 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Tues.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Fri. & Sat.
Price range: $4.35 classic cheeseburger, add hand-battered fries for $1.49; $5.50 crab cake burger; $6 shrimp etouffee with rice; $9.95 grilled fish with crab meat stuffing with side, hush puppies and coleslaw; $10 for 12 salt and pepper wings

http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/cat5/2013/04/30/a-little-something-extra-in-the-street-food-scene/

Stop chasing food trucks all over town and head to the 2013 Food Truck Fest Houston on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at Stereo Live from 1pm to 5pm.

For one day only, many amazing food trucks from around Houston, Texas and parts unknown will gather at Stereo Live, offering delicious flavors and tastes, accompanied by live music and drinks. Come by and support your local, independent favorites.

Food truck vendor offerings include the gourmet fixings of Bernie’s Burger Bus; the sumptuous American comfort food of Fraîche Mobile Kitchen; the truffles and custom chocolates of Chocolat d’Arte; the Korean-Mexican barbecue of Chi’Lantro BBQ; the Texas-made franks of Good Dog Hot Dogs; the Korean-influences cheesesteaks and hot dogs of Koagie Hots; the Thai-Mexican fusion of Pho-Jita Fusion; the gourmet sushi-inspired experience of Muiishi Makirritos; the surf, turf and vegetarian pita pocket options of Pocket To Me; the classic grilled cheese sandwiches of The Golden Grill;  authentic tacos and Mexican food at Tila’s Taco Truck; and the gourmet waffle and waffle-related treated of The Waffle Bus.

Tickets start at $20, though you can get discounted $10 tickets if you buy at least four. Or for a limited time, you can get two-for-one for $20 from LivingSocial.

VIP tickets include access to VIP-Only covered seating patio, unlimited soda and water, two drink tickets, VIP-only restrooms, and VIP-only bars. Tickets normally sell for $48, but you can get those VIP passes for $26 for a limited time from Groupon.

The 2013 Food Truck Fest Houston will be held rain or shine. Food purchases are additional. Children 12 and younger are free.

2013 Food Truck Fest Houston

Date and Time: Saturday, May 18, 2013; 1pm to 5pm (starts at noon for VIP ticket holders)

Address: Stereo Live, 6400 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77057

Admission: Tickets are $20 per person; $10  per person if you’re buying at least four; and $48 for VIP admission; for a limited time you can get full VIP admission for just $26 via Groupon and two tickets for $20 from LivingSocial.

http://365thingsinhouston.com/2013/04/24/houston-food-truck-fest-2013/