Photo credit: T. Jerven

The Vancouver street food scene gets better each season and the world is taking notice. Vancouver’s food trucks were recently ranked third in Travel + Escape’s list of “Top 5 North American Cities for Trailer Food.” As one might expect, Portland, which has just about everyone beat with their fleet of 700 food trucks, ranked first. Austin, Texas came in second–again, not a shocker. I make bi-annual pilgrimages down there for good music and cheap, creative eats.

Interestingly, NYC and Toronto, which you might expect to be more competitive than Vancouver, came in fourth and fifth, respectively.

T+E author Shelley Seale mentioned Vancouver’s “nutritious and diverse” offerings. These descriptors are two of the requirements listed on the City of Vancouver’s street food vending page. While they may seem a bit tame, they set Vancouver apart. Fresh, inventive fusion cuisine is more important than grease in Vancouver street fare.

Vancouver currently has 103 licensed food trucks. Another 15 food trucks are in the works for spring 2013. The city plans to put the newcomers in pods like Portland’s outside the downtown core. The locations are TBD.

Photo credit: T. Jerven

Kudos to the Vancouver street food scene for the accolade. It’s a relatively young scene (2010 launch) and it seems like our entrepreneurs’ creativity and talent, along with the thought put into expansion by food truck lovers like city councillor Heather Deal, are paying off. If I had one request for Vancouver street food besides food truck pods, I’d like to see more punning in food truck titles. We can have more fun there, can’t we?

The T+E write-up follows closely on the heels of another coup for Vancouver street food: many Vancouver food carts were recently included in the bestselling Eat St.food truck cookbook.

http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2013/04/29/vancouver-ranked-third-best-street-food-city-in-north-america/

via facebook

Hands down, it’s probably the best little food truck we’ve never seen. And that’s because it never seems to make it up to this area; guess it’s always too busy down south in Miami.

But we do get a glimpse of Mojo Grill’s Mojo on the Go food truck tonight on “Eat St.,” a Cooking Channel staple out of Canada that explores and tracks the growing world of street food.

The episode airs at 6 p.m. today with repeat viewings Friday at 2 a.m. and 10 p.m. (well, that’s what DVRs are for!).

The description of the episode — well, the part focusing on Mojo’s food truck — reads: “First up, Eat St. rides into Miami to get our Mojo on the Go, a big eats truck from the Bayou (??) serving up a gator tail basket, curry peanut frog legs and a mean smoked brisket sandwich.”

Rondo Fernandez, proprietor of Mojo Grill, writes that the episode also “mentions our place in Ocala and me and my brother on the truck.”

I’m just wondering what’s that “Bayou” thing the program mentions?

The episode airs on Comcast channels 1281 and 122, Cox channel 1241 and, according to Rondo, DirectTV channel 232.

He’s also planning a viewing party between 6 and 7 p.m.

And maybe someday he or his brother will drive the darn thing up here so we can get some of that fancy peanut frog legs too.

http://rallen.blogs.ocala.com/12213/eat-st-episode-features-mojo-grills-miami-food-truck/?tc=ar

Allie Mac Kay was live from the Los Angeles Center Studios with Founder of the Grilled Cheese Invitational, Tim Walker to talk what to expect at his annual event. Chef & CEO of The Grilled Cheese Truck, Dave Danhi shows us some of the popular sandwiches from his food truck.

About The Event:
The Grilled Cheese Invitational (GCI) is the largest, craziest, and most exciting Grilled Cheese cooking contest in the country and is the best thing to happen to sliced cheese since sliced bread! The GCI promotes an almost scary pursuit of perfection in a Grilled Cheese Sammich and allows for amateur and professional chefs to compete side-by-side in the hopes of becoming a true Grilled Cheese Champion.

The event was created by Tim Walker in 2003, in an artist loft in Downtown Los Angeles as a competition between friends and since then, has grown into a national movement dedicated to perfecting the art of grilled cheese, with thousands of cheese fiends and regional competitions across the country.

The 11th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational
Saturday, April 20
11am – 6pm

Los Angeles Center Studios
1201W. 5th Street
Downtown Los Angeles

Read more: http://ktla.com/2013/04/17/grilled-cheese-invitational-dave-danhi-from-the-grilled-cheese-truck/#ixzz2QmB6E9vt

http://ktla.com/2013/04/17/grilled-cheese-invitational-dave-danhi-from-the-grilled-cheese-truck/#axzz2Qm7lSEOo

Courtesy Jim Heins
Travel Channel’s George Motz eats a Latin Macho.

When burger aficionado George Motz ate at Miami’s Latin Burger and Taco about three years ago, the owner of the popular pink-and-black food truck, Jim Heins immediately recognized him.

Motz, after all, is the man behind the documentary film Hamburger America and author of a book and blog of the same name. “Having George Motz try one of my burgers was an honor,” Heins told Short Order, adding that after Motz finished chowing down on the truck’s signature Latin Macho burger, made with caramelized onions and Oaxaca cheese, he asked if that burger was a “special,” made to impress him. Heins recalls replying, “Nope. That’s just what we make every day.”

Travel Channel
George Motz interviews Jim Heins for Burger Land.

Motz must have really loved that sandwich because a few years later, Heins was asked to appear on the burger impresario’s new Travel Channel show, Burger Land.

Heins said that when he got the call from the show’s producers, he thought it was a friend playing a joke. “I hung up on them.” After they called back, the food truck owner realized this was no prank. “It was certainly a surprise. This show highlights burger places that are part of American history, so to be added to this list really means a lot to me.”

Heins said that Motz and his crew filmed Latin Burger in Bayfront Park. “Filming took about ten hours. They went through every step of the burger making process and interviewed everyone on the truck. I can’t wait to see the finished product.”

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2013/04/latin_burger_and_taco_to_be_fe.php

Photo by Katharine Shilcutt
Houston hosted Eat St. as it filmed food trucks this past summer.

Although the Cooking Channel was ostensibly created to air the kind of cooking-oriented shows that the Food Network used to air — remember those shows where chefs actually showed you how to make food? — it can’t help itself from presenting more Food Network-y shows like Eat St., which describes itself as “a lip-smacking celebration of North America’s tastiest, messiest and most irresistible street food.”

I’m not really complaining, of course — I’ll watch footage of shrimp corn dogs and pork belly tacos all day long. Especially if those shrimp corn dogs and pork belly tacos came from Houston.

Back in May 2012, Eat St. filmed food trucks in the Bayou City for a week straight. It was ahot, sweaty, humid affair for the Canadian production crew, but managed to hit a bevy of trucks during their stay.

The Modular, St. John’s Fire, Fusion Taco, Phamily Bites, The Waffle Bus, The Rice Box and Stick It all had their turn in front of the cameras — although the footage wasn’t compiled for a Houston-centric episode.

Instead, the Houston food trucks have so far been scattered into several Eat St. episodes throughout Season 4 of the show. St. John’s Fire was featured on the “Aloha, Portland” episode, The Rice Box was featured on the “Music to Your Mouth” episode, Stick It was featured in the “Some of This, Some of That” episode, The Waffle Bus was featured on the “Gold and Great” episode and now-defunct food truck The Modular was featured on the “In Bacon We Trust” episode.

We thought it’d be more fun to compile a Houston-focused episode of Eat St., however, to highlight all the Bayou City mobile bites at once. So scroll through the promos for each of the Houston food trucks featured on Eat St. below and enjoy a whole Houston “episode” of Eat St. – without commercials.

——
Phamily Bites – Eat St. Season 4

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St John’s Fire – Eat St. Season 4

——
Stick It – Eat St. Season 4

——
Fusion Taco – Eat St. Season 1

——
The Rice Box – Eat St. Season 4

——
The Waffle Bus – Eat St. Season 4

——
The Modular – Eat St. Season 4

 

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2013/04/promos_for_houston-centric_epi.php

The Dallas Film Commission posted information about a casting call on their website. According to the open casting call announcement The Great food Truck Race is gearing up for its fourth season, and they’re looking for new contestants for the show.

The announcement says they’re looking for food lovers from all walks of life including trained chefs, amateur chefs, line cooks, sous chefs, home cooks and dedicated foodies to compete for the chance to own and operate their very first food truck. They don’t mention anything about driving skills, but I bet if you’re a charismatic school bus driver with some bitchin’ grill skills you’re a shoe-in.

If you’re interested grab two teammates and email Emily.Sweet@rrstaff.com with your name, age, photo, proposed teammates (and their photos), description of your culinary background, and the idea for your truck.

What? You don’t have a good idea for your own truck? That’s OK. We’ve got some previously rejected truck ideas right here. Feel free to dust any of them off, tweak them (significantly) and take them for your own.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/2013/03/the_great_food_truck_race_is_c.php

ALAMEDA — About 1,400 people attend the weekly food truck gatherings at Alameda South Shore Center, creating a “significant” increase in business for the center’s retailers, the Planning Board will hear Tuesday when it reviews guidelines for the trucks.

The city also has received no complaints from anyone about the gatherings, including from business owners or business associations, despite some voicing fears that allowing the trucks would undercut brick-and-mortar establishments when city officials adopted the guidelines just over a year ago.

Along with Alameda South Shore Center, the city has allowed the trucks to operate at specific times at the Harbor Bay Business Park and two spots on Park Street, as well as on Central Avenue near Eighth Street.

“They offer a variety of food that you can’t get in a lot of places,” said Nina Oden, 27, of Oakland when she visited the South Shore event on a recent Saturday. “I did not even know these trucks were here until I showed up.”

Her friend, Terri Salcedo, 34, said she will often visit trucks when she spots them near her home in Oakland or when she visits San Francisco.

“It’s different than going to a restaurant,” Salcedo said. “You’re outdoors and there’s more of a communal feeling with other people. It can make you feel that you are part of a community.”

The City Council adopted the draft guidelines for the trucks in December 2011 — just after they were backed by the Planning Board — so that the municipal code would comply with state law, which allows the trucks to set up on any public street as long as a vendor meets local safety requirements.

The aim of the local guidelines was to provide the city with extra control.

Among the guidelines, which officials decided to revisit within a year, was a restriction that the trucks could not set up near an elementary or middle school.

Eric Fonstein, the city’s development manager, said the gatherings have proved especially popular at Alameda South Shore Center.

“The shopping center conducted a month-long, internal analysis last October and found an average attendance of 1,400 people at the events with a significant increase in overall sales for the center’s retailers,” Fonstein said in a background report for the Planning Board.

He is now urging the board to drop the annual review of the gatherings and the renewal requirements for the vendors.

Public Works Director Matt Naclerio also should be allowed to determine where the trucks can operate at the former Alameda Naval Air Station on a case-by-case basis, Fonstein said.

Currently, the trucks must park next to a sidewalk at least five feet wide at the former base, a requirement that can only be met at a handful of locations.

Food truck gatherings, such as “Off the Grid” in Berkeley and Oakland, have become especially popular with food fans and young people, who spread the word about times and locations via Twitter and Facebook.

Some trucks specialize and are staffed by up-and-coming chefs, or chefs who have lost their jobs in the tough economy.

The gathering in Berkeley takes place each Wednesday evening near Shattuck Avenue and Rose Street in the heart of the city’s “Gourmet Ghetto,” a neighborhood that contains Chez Panisse and the Cheese Board collective.

Among the trucks that have visited Alameda is Sanguchon, which specializes in Peruvian food. It was launched by Chef Carlos Altamirano, who also owns the Michelin Star winning La Costanera restaurant in Montara Beach.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/small-business/ci_22349031/alameda-officials-revisit-food-truck-guidelines

By John Lauritsen | CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Eighties heavy metal band Twisted Sister is known for their big hair, flashy makeup, catchy lyrics and stage antics. But to Cody Allen and Wesley Kaake, they are now a threat to their business.

“I cried. I really did. I was just in shock,” said Kaake, owner of the Twisted Sister House of Hunger food truck.

The House of Hunger is known for their deep-fried hot dogs and Philly sandwiches. In July, Kaake received a cease and desist letter from the band’s guitarist and manager, J.J. French, and his attorney.

“It is the opinion of our client, with which we concur, that your use of the name Twisted Sister will cause dilution of our client’s famous mark and will cause confusion among consumers,” the letter read.

“They want us to pull all existence of ourselves from the Internet, all advertising,” Kaake said. “It’s a big list of demands.”

But Kaake says they aren’t alone. At least six other businesses that he knows of, including Twisted Sisters Cupcakes in Virginia Beach, have also been served cease and desist notices.

“After talking with five other companies across the country as well as one in Serbia who have received a letter from them, we may not be so eager to back down and take it,” said Kaake.

That’s the irony in all of this. The band once released an album called Stay Hungry and is most famous for a hit song “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” That song has now become the theme song for a couple of Minneapolis guys determined to keep their name.

“That song definitely has a message that still rings true today,” said Allen.

Kaake said he has hired an attorney to fight this. He said if it goes too far, may just rename the truck after his mom Kathy, who died a couple weeks before he bought it last spring.

A message left for the band’s attorney has not been returned. Kaake said the lead singer Dee Snider did tweet that he is sorry, he’s only the lead singer, he’s not a part of management, and has nothing to do with this.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/10/25/food-truck-to-twisted-sister-were-not-gonna-take-it/

By Carter Coyle | MyFOX8.com

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Just a few weeks into Greensboro’s pilot program for Food Trucks downtown, a marketing company says they will be recommending them as a permanent fixture to the city.

The Sales Factory is surveying customers and gathering information about the food trucks the city is allowing on Commerce Place downtown for the month of October.

On November 7th, Greensboro City Council will consider changes to downtown ordinances that would allow for more food trucks in more places.

“More people are coming from outside the downtown zip code than even from inside the downtown area,” said Jordan Bressler, Managing Director of Communications Strategy at The Sales Factory.

“Our research shows as many as 300 people every day patronizing the four food trucks,” Bressler added.

“I think it’s a great experiment,” said Kelly Yates, who works downtown near the food trucks. “I’m glad Greensboro is letting them do this- just to try something new and different.”

Yates tried crepes a few weeks ago and on Friday he enjoyed an order of beer-battered fish tacos.

He also met his son’s kindergarten class for their food field trip. Lead Teacher Meredith Sawyer says they are using the food trucks near their school to reinforce this month’s lessons about food groups and healthy choices.

“It’s great because there’s a variety of foods they normally wouldn’t try. And there are healthy options, too. It’s not just a bunch of fried food,” said Sawyer. “It was a pretty cool experience that [the kids] get to come outside and have a picnic right in the middle of downtown.”

She added, “At least five people I work with come here every day to get something to eat from the food trucks!”

Food truck owners say they are cooking overtime to keep up with demand.
Captain Ponchos, The Great Escape, My Dream Cakes, Baguettaboutit, Marty’s BBQ 2, and The Sandwhich Shop are just a few of the food trucks interested in continuing to meet Greensboro’s appetite in the coming months.

“No one expected this kind of success,” said Bressler.

http://myfox8.com/2012/10/26/food-trucks-cooking-up-success-downtown-greensboro/

“She’s the chef. I’m the cook,” said Alberto Palmer, owner of the Stick It food truck.

Take a truck, build a chef’s kitchen, add Palmer’s talent and Ruth Lipsky’s imagination and you get one carefully grilled dream that started with a date years ago in a bar with a game of pool.

“He let me win so that he had to buy me a drink and we’ve been together ever since. Yeah, I’m pretty slick. Yeah, you’re pretty slick,” said Lipskey, Palmer’s partner and co-owner.

Palmer is also familiar with cooking, working every job in Houston restaurants except one: owner. It’s why he and Ruth bought their truck.

“We had looked at some real estate around the city and, I mean, it was quite expensive from what we had saved up and the food truck idea came up early on as an option,” said Lipsky.

“I don’t want to get stuck in the rut of no matter what your sales are, you have to make this payment. Or having an investor breathing down your neck,” said Palmer.

There’s still competition and it’s hard to stand out among Houston’s growing flock of food trucks. In the old days, food trucks relied on word of mouth. Today, Twitter and Facebook are helping them find customers more easily.

Some have reward cards and photo booths. All have opposition.

“I share some of my colleagues’ concerns, deep concerns,” said Houston City Councilman Mike Laster.

Mobile Food Houston is pushing council for new rules allowing food trucks to have tables, chairs and serve downtown while traditional restaurant owners who don’t want the competition are pushing back.

Lipsky sees no choice but sticking with it. Her place setting tattoos are a reminder.

“So I won’t forget! How embarrassing would it be to put the spoons on the wrong side,” she said.

They also remind her why she put herself through culinary school, why she and Palmer work 12-hour days.

“What we’d like to do is open up an ice house and then use the truck as our kitchen and then do some nice American food out of that,” she said.

It’s their dream and if all goes right, they’ll have it in a year. Until then, they’re enjoying this ride one meal at a time.

“I’m happy. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” said Lipsky.