Food Truck Foodie

Trading Spaces, Trading Places

2012-09-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Returning to Austin after a three-month hiatus in Dallas has been like a breath of fresh air. It may be really hot, humid air, but it's good to be back nonetheless.

This fall I'll be balancing a healthy diet with exploring new food trucks (and visiting my old faves, of course!), so that means you'll get a balance of healthy and indulgent options from the trucks. This stricter diet is a goal of mine because I'm planning for a trip to Europe this summer! I want to be able to eat all the cheese and drink all the wine I want with a guilt free conscious. Annnd that's the last time you'll be getting a diet update from me!

Since I've been gone, not only have a few food truck lots shut down, but there've been other relocations and food trucks that have become (or at least plan to be) full blown brick and mortars:

Brick and Mortar:

Gourdough's
Prepare your pallet for the sweetness that is to be served up at Gourdough's Public House! The king of Big. Fat. Donuts. is going brick and mortar this fall, Relish Austin reports. I can't wait to see what kind of over the top cocktail recipes they come up with.

From the new Gourdough's Pub website.

Keep updated on the grand opening here.

Yumé Burger

Eater Austin reported a couple of weeks ago that our beloved Yumé Burger was closing permanently. Fans across the interwebz collectively mourned the loss of such a deliciously unique food truck.

From the YB Facebook page.

On the bright side, The Peached Tortilla & Yumé Burger may be opening as a brick and mortar restaurant. As soon as I learn more information, you'll hear about it.

East Side King

Paul Qui has been especially busy in the last year and a half, and he's not slowing down anytime soon. Qui told Eater Austin in August that he'll be opening a brick and mortar of ESK around March 2013.

If you can't wait that long to eat some fried Brussels sprouts in the luxury of AC, then just hold out a little longer for the East Side King menu to take over the kitchen at Hole in the Wall off Guad.

The caption says it all.

A review of ESK and more details coming soon!

Leaving Austin:

Star Co. Mobile Coffee House
The trailer is putting in a bid to move to the potential new "food trailer park" in Roundrock. Because Roundrockers want all the good Austin grub up North too.

Back in Austin:
Fresh Off the Truck
They've been serving troops stationed in Fort Hood for the last month or so, but returned to Mueller Trailer Eats this week.

A happy customer from Ft. Hood! From FOT Facebook page.

Grab a Char-Sieu BBQ Pork Baguette this weekend and thank them for supporting our troops!
*Note: the truck is closed if it's raining.

Which brick and mortar are you most excited for? How bummed are you that Yumé Burger closed? Tell me whatcha think in the comments below!

Portland Food Carts - A Food Truck Foodie's Dream

2012-08-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

I've long heard that Portland's food ~~truck~~ cart scene was something to drool over. What I didn't realize is that the city of Portland is the MECCA of food carts (especially for a mobile food fan like yourselves).

My first Portland food cart siting!

Let me paint a picture.

In Austin, you've hit the jackpot if you've found a lot with more than 5 trailers (not including the atypical, large lot on South Congress). Now in Portland, if you're on a food cart block, you're lucky to find less than 15. I say "lucky" because it makes it so incredibly difficult to make a decision on what cart you want to try.

The Grilled Cheese Grill. "Come by or a taste of your childhood. Unless your childhood sucked, then we'll share a taste of ours."

The variety of cuisines is incredible. I saw the traditional taco, pizza and corn dog carts, but there was also cart after cart of Asian Cuisine, ranging from sushi to thai to chinese, Indian carts, Cuban carts, Grilled Cheese carts-- need I go on?

Just a few more options...

I ultimately decided to sample a Thai dish because the abundance of Thai carts made it feel like Thai was a sort of cultural staple that has grown into the typical Portland-area lunch.

straight to the point.

The smell coming from the cart, let me know I made the right choice. I heard several people at this cart and another one nearby ordering the Pad Kee Mow, so it must be a hit. I wasn't in the mood for noodles, so I went for the Cashew Nuts with chicken--an odd name for a Thai dish, but I love me some cashews and spicy chilis.

While I waited, I chatted with the bearded, archetypal Portland server (which sort of made me feel like I was right back in Austin). He said I Like Thai Food is rated among the best food carts in Portland on some list that I wasn't able to verify online...let's just take his word for it. He told me it wasn't his truck, that he just married the cook, so he could eat the delicious grub everyday of his life. Something tells me he may not have been kidding. We got to talking about our mutual love for chocolate somehow and he drew me a map to place famous for its DRINKING CHOCOLATE, but we'll get to that later.

I walked down the street and sat on a bench across from Powell's Books and enjoyed my meal while listening to the blues player on the corner. I may or may not have been an extra in Portlandia at that very moment.

Cashew Nut with chicken, brown rice, extra side of chili flakes

The Cashew Nut was a great choice; there were so many cashews! The chicken was tender and all white meat and was swimming in the delish sauce. It wasn't quite spicy enough, so I added about half of the chili pepper flakes my cart friend recommended. The veggies were crisp (not soggy like some take out can be) and the rice was cooked just right. I recommend the place!

After my lunch, I toured Powell's where I watched a book binding and bought two new ones. I wandered down the street and ~~got lost twice~~ found the chocolate shop Mr. I Like Thai Food told me about, Cacao. Holy Willy Wonka geek out moment. If you're a big fan of chocolate you need to visit this place. I had the shot size of the dark chocolate drinking chocolate. Pure bliss.

My new love.

I was disappointed I couldn't try more carts, but on such a short trip I didn't have the time. I'm going to go back though and try one of every type of cuisine. And finish every meal off with some drinking chocolate while I'm at it.

If you've been to Portland and tried a food cart, tell me about it below! I'd love to hear about your experience!

I'm sure they don't hold a candle to Hill Country Pierogi.

"Fried Egg, I'm in love." --On my bucket list.

Powell's Books <3 td="td">

The Magic is in the Hole!

New Trailers Around Town

2012-07-19T12:43:00.001-07:00

This post may be a little un-kosher because I've never been to these trailers, but it's more of a "to-eat" list of mine. I thought I'd share it with you, so you can add them to your ever growing list of Austin places to visit. Let me know if you have a favorite menu item or recommendation. I can't wait...

Urban Cowboy
We've got another fusion truck on our hands. And I'm completely fine with that.
Cuisine: "Southern Fusion/Tex-Mex Fusion with Urban influences."
Open: Grand Opening TOMORROW - July 20 at 3 p.m.
Location: Jessie Street Eats lot.
Mouth-watering menu items:

Smoky Chopped Chicken Taco- Mesquite Caramelized Onions, Avocado, Sweet Potato Straws, Cotija $3.75
The Kind Cowboy Burger (vegetarian)- Our signature Soychorizo & Black Bean Burger, Roasted Corn, Peppadew Relish, Green Leaf, Go Texan Tomato, Tomatillo Sour Cream $6
Cowboy Fries with Citrus Garlic Oil- Season Salt, Cilantro . Cotija $3

Tapas Bravas

I love tapas and the outdoor atmosphere somehow seems more fitting than a regular indoor tapas bar. Also their food comes from a lot of my favorite vendors in Austin: Antonelli's, Easy Tiger and Countryside Farms, to name a few.

Cuisine: "Authentic Spanish tapas" - basically small little plates of delicious Spanish food. You'll probably want to go with a friend or two (bring along your Sangria) and share several tapas, so you can try everything on the menu!
Open: Opened July 11
Location: 75 Rainey St..a couple blocks down from Lustre Pearl & Bar 96
Mouth-watering menu items:

Cantimpalito de la Sidra - Pan-fried mini chorizos in cider glaze $6
Albondigas (one of my favorite palabras en español) - Pork meatballs in a tomato brandy sauce $5
Crema Catalana - Catalonian crème brûlée

Be More Pacific - Disclaimer: They're new to me, but have been around since at least February 2011

I don't think I've ever had, or heard of, Filipino Comfort Food. I'm down to try just about anything! (No pig intestines please.)

Cuisine: "Filipino-American Cuisine" or "Filipino Comfort Food"
Open: According to when their Facebook was created, around February 2011.
Location: Traveling trailer, but they seem to hang around 5th & Colorado quite a bit. Check their Twitter updates for their current location.
Mouth-watering menu items:

Adobo- sautéed chicken or tofu in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce and oyster sauce .
Sweet Garlic Fried Rice- Chicken or Tofu (Vegetarian) with scrambled egg, garlic, carrots, bean sprouts, onions sweetened with hoisin and garnished with green onion. Add a fried egg or a longanisa pork patty for a $1.00.
Traditional Filipino fried eggroll- (Vegetarian) stuffed with cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, tofu rolled in a thin crispy wrapper served with sweet chili sauce

2nd & Congress Food Trailers Closed - UPDATED

2012-06-17T20:45:00.005-07:00

I feel like it's happening on a monthly basis now. Trailer parks closing all over Austin for condos or offices to move in; it's truly a sad sight.

If you haven't heard, the food truck lot at 2nd & Congress closed about a week ago. Five trailers were forced to relocate and with the move, Congress Ave. will definitely lose some of the best lunch options on the street.

My office used to be off 4th & Congress, so every week I'd walk a couple blocks down the road to have a choice of turkish wraps, korean-mexican tacos, seafood po boys, a calorie controlled burger or a good cup of coffee. The lot catered to almost any craving. As we bid adieu to the trailers at this lot, make sure to keep your eyes out for their new locations. I've tracked down most relocation plans for the trailers, but I'll be tweeting and updating this post as I find out more.

Chi'lantro
Couldn't find any news of a the new trailer spot, but they have three other trucks in Austin and I'm sure you won't have trouble finding those Kimchi fries. (YUM)

Kebabalicious
This place is amazing- which is clear since they also went brick and mortar earlier this year. I recommend the beef/lamb kebab with hummus and zucchini fries. SO GOOD.
Their brick and mortar is off East 7th & Navasota, ~~but if you want the true trailer experience, their new spot is going to be off 4th & Guadalupe by Republic Square Park.~~ UPDATE: After what seemed to be a week's long fight with "power issues," Kebabalicious is set to open up Tuesday at 7th & Congress!

@Kebabalicious

Patika Coffee
I never had the chance to try Patika, but my friends all love their French press coffee. A close friend and fellow blogger, Austin Caffeinated, said she hasn't been yet either, but she's heard that "along with Franks they have some of the best espresso in Austin." This is something coming from the coffee aficionado. ~~There's a post on their Facebook page that says they have a secured new spot, but to stay tuned.~~ UPDATE: Looks like another member of the group is moving down the road!

@PatikaCoffee

Snap Pod
This trailer's dedication to serving local and organic food may not sound unique among the Austin local-food-culture, but their mission to serve healthy trailer food is. It's quite rare to find a trailer menu that allows you to order a guilt-free and calorie-conscious lunch. That's probably why there's such a huge rally behind the Snap Pod to find the trailer a new home. On Snap Kitchen's (the parent and brick and mortar of the pod) blog they're asking for fans to offer suggestions on how and where the pod should move. Help Snap Pod find a new home!
UPDATE: As of June 11, Snap Kitchen still seems to be on the hunt.

@SnapKitchen

UPDATE: They're still looking for a new place to call home.

UPDATE: Snap Pod has found a spot!

According to a recent article in ABJ the food truck will open sometime early this month (November) on the "northeast corner of Fifth Street and Congress."

Turf N Surf Po'Boy
Their new digs are off 4th & Congress - just down the street from the old spot. A post dedicated to this trailer's cajun deliciousness is coming soon!

G'Raj Mahal - Rainey Street Food Truck Review

2012-05-30T15:36:00.001-07:00

I've been to Rainey a handful of times, but this occasion was special: my last day as an intern with the company I had been with since January, my first office happy hour and my finally turning 21 (I was the only underage intern all semester)!

After a few measly pretzels for lunch, I was ready to try a new food truck in the historic district of Austin. First we stopped off at Clive where I was comped a drink from the friendly bartender and forced to drink tequila far too early in the day. "But we're CELEBRATING" they said. Right.

The sweet Belgian beer I was sipping couldn't hold me over much longer, so three of us headed across the street to G'Raj Mahal. None of us had ever tried it and I had heard great things about the food.

Photo cred: Tracy Hunter

It was 6 p.m. on a Friday and the place was packed. I enjoyed the sheer hangings and lights that made the place feel like a little shaded vacation spot. We placed our order to-go and sat down in a few squat law chairs.

Okay, I know I said it was a Friday evening, and I even acknowledged that it was busy, but we waited 45 minutes for our 3 orders all the while watching plate after plate go out to the tables around us. If the conversation and company hadn't been so great, I would have definitely said something by the 35 minute mark.

On top of that, when we finally received our food, the hostess double charged my friend's card and asked if the other friend could just give her cash, so they didn't have to handle it. I thought this was unprofessional, especially having worked in the bar and restaurant industry since I was 15.

The food, though a little pricey for a food truck at $14 a plate, was delicious and hit the spot. I was advised against the non-cream sauces and went instead for the Chicken Korma. Cream sauce with cashews and golden raisins. I added paneer, a suggestion of the hostess, that reminded me of a slighty chewier, cube shaped mozzarella. I may be way off, but comparing Indian to Italian is what I've got to work with.

I didn't get to snag a pic, but this is close to what it looked like, with more sauce of course.
Photo cred: ERecipe

The sauce was creamy and just what I needed after a long day on an empty stomach. The Basmati rice was cooked perfectly, and the chicken was great too. Next time, I'd like to add a little spice to the dish though.

If I were a star-ratings kind of site G'Raj Mahal would rank as follows:

Ambiance 4/5 stars

Customer Service 1/5 stars

Price 3/5 stars

Food 4/5 stars

I hope the next time I go back, the one outlier will be brought up. I'll even order my food at the table if that's what it takes.

What are your opinions of good food and bad service? Is it worth it?

Behind the scenes

2012-05-02T17:11:00.001-07:00

FoodTruckFoodie's photostream on Flickr.

Food Truck Foodie, Gettin' Social

2012-05-01T13:44:00.005-07:00

Hey guys-

Just wanted to let everyone know that I now have a Facebook fan page to make it easier to stay updated on my posts.

Please go 'like' it!

Also a reminder that I tweet about food trucks and food truck news from my personal twitter account @rachaelsperling, but again it is mixed in with personal/random tweets if you can handle it.

If you're on Foursquare (I don't know why you wouldn't be!) I have a running list of the food trucks around Austin that you can follow here.

Lastly, I may be switching over to Wordpress. It's something I'm playing around with, but no big moves yet.

Thanks for the support and readership. As always, I appreciate comments and suggestions for reviews or whatever you feel like sharing!

Happy eating,

Food Truck Foodie

The mighty duck returns! - Odd Duck Farm to Trailer

2012-04-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Odd Duck Farm to Trailer Photo: Austin360, by Mike Sutter of AMERICAN-STATESMAN

When I heard that Odd Duck Farm to Trailer was closing on December 10, 2011 (back before the lot of Lamar was shut down for good), I made it a point to pay a visit to the trailer that boosted Chef Bryce Gilmore into his chef stardom.

I actually had the chance to dine at Barley Swine (Gilmore's brick and mortar spot) before I went to the trailer. I knew if the trailer menu was anything like its sister restaurant, I was in for something good.

The atmosphere of the lot was like any other trailer lot in Austin: casual, friendly and homey, with a mixture of intriguing aromas in the air. But this lot also had that sad feeling of an old friend leaving town. Austinites were crowding to visit Odd Duck one last time, or for the first and only time, like myself. Entire events were set up to pay homage to this beloved trailer.

Parmesan grits garnished with a soft boiled duck egg, zucchini & mushrooms

Since the closure, Barley Swine has grown in popularity and has been ranked nationally as one of the best restaurants in America. Recently, Gilmore revealed that he will be reopening Odd Duck! This time however as a 100-seat restaurant.

What can you expect at the new place? The food will be "similar to the trailer...with lots of grilling and wood," Gilmore said in an interview with Eater Austin.

The "farm to table" concept of both Odd Duck and Barley Swine is serving 100% locally sourced, seasonal options.

I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait for this new addition to the Austin food scene!

Ms P's Electric Cock - "Peace, Love & Chicken Grease"

2012-04-21T09:30:00.002-07:00

How many times have you driven by that glowing neon sign on Congress and thought,

"Man I really need to try Ms P's Electric Cock."

You're right, too many times. You gotta try this place.

After a long week, my friend and I decided that it was time to reward ourselves. What better way than with down-home fried chicken? Comfort food at it's finest.

We split a 3-piece order of fried chicken and fried pickles. I wanted to order the truffle mac & cheese, but it's now sans truffle because - wait, are you ready for this? - too many people requested it WITHOUT the truffle oil. What kind of world are we living in? We got two orders of "Wow Waffles" instead because you can't go wrong with chicken and waffles.

The atmosphere was quaint and reminded me of a summer barbecue with the picnic tables and checkered tablecloth, the hanging string lights and old wooden fence surrounding the outdoor dining area.

3-piece chicken fried, whole pickled jalapeño, sweet roll and lot's o' honey.

The basket came with a leg, wing and tenderloin. I liked the crispy wing the most.

The 3-piece chicken for $7.50 is a little pricey on a meager college budget, but this isn't Popeyes we're talking about. The chicken is local, free range, never frozen, with no hormones or anything added that makes you squirm. The two-step brining process makes the chicken juicy and tender while the combination of the peanut oil and 12 herbs and spices gives it a distinct and original flavor.

The fry wasn't as crispy as I like, but the flavor was delicious. The pickled jalapeño added a nice kick between bites of sweet roll slathered in honey.

Fried pickle spears. My fave.

The special of the day, the fried pickles, may have stolen the show because they were the best fried pickles I've ever add. The spears are juicy, but somehow don't affect the crispy shell or make it soggy. The (I think) chipotle mayo was the bomb.

World famous 'Wow Waffles' with powered sugar.

Our waffles came out last because they were making a fresh batch, but they made for a nice dessert. They weren't sweet, which is what I expect of waffles (that's the way my Nana makes them). It was great though because I drowned them in the maple syrup. I may or may not have finished off the bottle.

Overall, the meal was exactly what we looking for- savory, greasy, sweet and comforting.

Fun Fact: Eat Street filmed the truck back in November and their episode is set to air June 5th at 8:30 p.m. CST.

Check out their Facebook here.

Dock and Roll Diner

2012-03-26T19:28:00.001-07:00

I went to Dock and Roll with a friend recently for lunch. We were driving around Soco looking for something new and out of the ordinary and weren't having much luck. I turned down a random street, happened to drive by Dock and Roll and remembered that I had just seen a post by Trailer Food Diaries on their new spot on South 1st. We parked near the guys drinking 40s and playing harmonicas (wise choice I know) and decided to check the place out.

The trailer's cuisine is described as new and traditional American, fused with seafood, southern and tex-mex. So it's definitely something out of the ordinary, and very uniquely-Austin.

The specialty or "Maine Event" is their lobster rolls, but I wasn't in the mood for seafood. The "South Westlake" sounded awesome: chicken breast, grilled corn, Rajas (a traditional Mexican blend of sautéed onions and poblano peppers), cotija cheese (one of my faves) and their signature Greenbelt Sauce (a Tomatillo-Avocado blend) all served up a on a sub roll. Sounds amazing right? Well, they were out of chicken. That put a smaller damper in my plans, so I opted for the "Infidel Castro" ($7).

The Infidel Castro with jalapeños and Southwest Slaw

The Infidel is "cuban rubbed and smoked pork sirloin with Dock and Roll mayo, Prosciutto di Parma, Gold Label Swiss cheese, and pickles." I added the "ree jalapeños of course. I also tried the "Southwest Slaw" ($1.75), but they were out of their signature elote, which I was told was the real tasty twist to the slaw.

The Blue Bahn-ett

My friend tried the Blue Bahn-ett ($6) --caramelized smoked pork sirloin sliced thin (to mimic pork belly I suppose), slaw and pickles--and was really happy with her choice.

Lee, the chef and one of three co-founders, felt bad about being out of stock on so many items and comped my friend and I free jalapeño macaroni and cheese poppers. What we didn't tell him was that we wanted to order those to begin with, but couldn't bring ourselves to justify buying fried macaroni and cheese. For some reason eating free junk food doesn't feel as bad as purchased junk food.

Jalapeno Mac “N” Cheese Poppers

The food was delicious and the pork had an awesome smoky flavor. The fresh jalapeños added some real kick and I ~~loved~~ quite liked the D&R mayo. I would've liked the toppings to be distributed a little better, one side of the dog tasted different than the other side. The slaw wasn't anything to go on about, but I don't feel I can really rate it since there was no grilled corn. The poppers were a little too greasy for me, but I guess that's to be expected. Their signature house ketchup was SO GOOD though. I was dipping my leftover hotdog bun in the sauce because I liked it so much.

I would definitely recommend this place- the food was great, prices are reasonable and the guys that run and own the airstream are super friendly. They're in the Elizabeth Street Cafe Lot and open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Closed Sunday, sorry all you brunch goers. Follow em on Twitter or Like them on Facebook if you're already a fan!

Leave a comment below of your favorite menu item or what you thought of the Maine Event! Or if you have any other seafood recommendations in Austin, please let me know, because this picky seafood lover would love a new place to try!

SXSW Food Truck Highlights

2012-03-16T09:51:00.004-07:00

Three days of SXSW and I'm beat, but a sweet list of free concerts, free parties and free food spots is what's keeping me going (rough life I know). This has been one of the best weeks of my life and a big part of the experience has been surviving off all of the food trucks downtown. So, a big thank you to you guys for keeping me and the rest of SXSW fed!

Here're the highlights of where I've chowed:

mmmpanadas
THE Mashable food truck (mmmpanadas wrapped in the Mashable logo) was the first truck I spotted last week when I left from my last day of work before Spring Break. I snapped this pic from the balcony of Cohn & Wolfe.

The pic was later posted on the Mashable site as I was informed via Twitter. I didn't actually sample the mmmpanadas though, I'm going to have to catch them soon.

Yumé Burger at Foodspotting Street Food Fest
We braved the rain and stopped by the Foodspotting party Saturday with a wide assortment of trucks including, Surf n Turf Poboy, Yumeburger, Peached Tortilla, One Taco, Lucy's Fried Chicken and others.

Yumé Burger has been on my list for a while now, so naturally I got this bad boy:

The Original with the awesome jalapeno-onion relish and "pink sauce."

It wasn't on their SXSW menu, but I want to go back and try the Chicken Katsu: panko encrusted deep fried chicken, Asian slaw Tonkatsu sauce and Japanese pickles. It sounds so good.

Coolhaus
Can you say free ice cream sandwich!? Not before someone jumps on you and asks where they get their own. Thanks to a startup app, PayGo (for iPhone and Android), a visit to the bing lot and a quick download of the app, and I got a chocolate chip cookie with Nutella ice cream sandwich. FO FREE.

The cookie was tasty and soft, but the Nutella ice cream was a little much for me, I'd get traditional vanilla next time.

This tweet from Coolhaus actually drew me to the truck. #pandalove

Coreanos
The same app got me a free Coreanos taco--which I later was told was a bug in the app because I was supposed to only have a $5 credit-whoops. I made up for it with a second visit to Coreanos later in the week. Seasoned fries + korean bbq chicken taco make for great refuel food.

Sidenote: Coreanos was recently named the #1 food truck in Texas and the 8th best food truck in the nation by Smithsonian Magazine. So, if you haven't tried this food yet, get moving!

**UPDATED**

Chupacabra
I've never ventured inside Chupacabra Cantina off East 6th, but I did visit the Chupacabra stand after I danced my self starving at the Jay Z show Monday (see pics below!).

My order was a version of the Yucatan Pulled Pork Tacos, but on a hoagie roll. The slow smoked pork shoulder, jack cheese, jicama slaw and habanero-sour cream hit the late-night spot.

Squarespace - P. Terry's
Squarespace, a seamless site that allows users to build sophisticated websites for their company, blog or personal business, visited SXSW again this year, but stayed for the full 9 days. So the question I have for myself is, why the heck did I not make my way to their amazing free food truck everyday?

The line up included, The Peached Tortilla, Salt & Time, Three Little Pigs, Izzos Tacos, East Side King, Man Bites Dog, Foreign and Domestic, and others. Clearly, these guys did their research and pulled together some of the best food in Austin.

The first day I stopped by was for P. Terry's, a "local chain" if you will, serving up some of the best burgers in Austin. I was having a momentary bout of insanity and ordered two veggie burgers that I made into one large burger. This was to make myself think I was being 'healthier' than ordering the real beef, which I immediately regretted. My friends all raved about their 100% all natural black angus beef patties, so at least they were satisfied!

Squarespace - FRANKLIN BARBECUE
I had planned on visiting the highly praised Franklin Barbecue (that people have a cult-like devotion to) during Spring Break/SXSW because I thought I'd have the time to wait in the 2 hour long line, but that plan never panned out.

When we went back to Squarespace the second and final time around, I nearly started crying with joy when I found out we were in line for FREE FRANKLIN BARBECUE. Free. And with only a 20 minute wait.

The brisket slider with was my favorite. I probably could have had 12 of those little bites of heaven.

Other nommings
Easy Tiger
I also had the chance to ~~pig out~~ sample the Cooking Channel + Easy Tiger Bake Shop & Beer Garden party. The garlic sausage on a pretzel bun and the beer cheese were my favorites of the many, many things I tried.

Frank
I'm not sure if the 50 minute wait was worth it, but the Beer Soaked Brat from Frank was delish and held me over for the majority of St. Patty's Day. I also got two free coffees out of it because the bartender felt so bad about how long my two to-go hotdogs took.

And here are a few of my fave pics from the past week:

The Studio by HGTV

Jay Z at ACL Live

Gary Clark Jr.

fun.

Santigold

Mac Miller

Lil Jon

Steve Aoki

Chiddy Bang, Lil Jon, Steve Aoki

Rubblebucket

Sahara Smith

Whiskey Shivers

Bright Light Social Hour

Love Balls Bus

2012-02-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

There's something about the East Side Drive-In that makes me want to try new food. The last three times I visited, I went for a specific cuisine and ended up getting something completely different, like when I went in for an egg sandwich and came out with chicken souvlaki. This time it was breakfast tacos for love balls.

Takoyaki with kewpie mayo, powdered seaweed, bonito flakes & "Japanese sauce"

Love Balls, is a food ~~truck~~ bus that brings Japanese street food to East Austin. Their specialty and namesake are the Love Balls. The sign outside the bus describes them as a savory fried pancake balls, but I think it's a slightly more comparable to the savoriness of a hushpuppy. A cornmeal-less hushpuppy sometimes filled with octopus.

I decided to try the Love Special, an order of eight Takoyaki and one large yaki-onigiri, for only $7 or $8. I braved the Takoyaki at 11 a.m. because I knew it was the big menu item and I felt like it was just necessary that I try these crazy looking things, and the smell coming from the trailer was delicious.

Another small part of my hankering to try this bus out was that Bizarre Food's host, Andrew Zimmern, visited the truck back in November.

Photo source: @AndrewZimmern

You can read more here about the places around Austin he dubbed bizarre enough for his show. Still no word on when the show will air.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, THE FOOD.

So, what is Takoyaki? It's the savory pancake ball/hushpuppy filled with octopus ("Look the suction things are still on them!" my pizza-eating friend said in shock), pickled ginger and green onions. The octopus was tender and not too chewy- I'm curious where they import it from as I usually avoid any bargain priced seafood in central Texas. What really made the meal were the toppings: takoyaki sauce, kewpie mayo, aonori and bonito flakes.

I'll admit I had a very small inkling of an idea what all of these things were, but after a little digging: Takoyaki sauce is similar to the ketchup-Worcestershire sauce you may be familiar with, but with sake and other Japanese spices added. Kewpie mayo is a popular mayonnaise in Japan and the only difference between it and regular mayo it's that it's a little creamier and made with rice vinegar. Aonori and bonito flakes is dried green seaweed and thin mackerel fillet.

All together it is one of the most unique, yet tasty dishes I've ever tried.

The special also came with garlic yaki-onigiri aka rice balls grilled with garlic soy sauce (YES) and wrapped in seaweed. It looked like a weird rice sandwich. It was good, but I just ate the rice from the outside that had all of the garlic soy sauce-y goodness.

Yaki-Onigiri

My friend tried the Caprese Love Balls which are good for vegetarians or someone looking for a slightly more familiar dish, but the cheese in combination with the deep fried batter got pretty heavy for me. The tomatoes were SO good though.

Caprese Love Balls with preserved tomatoes and kewpie mayo-basil pesto combo

I asked the chef how well the love balls would hold up in the fridge, but he didn't really recommend bringing them home. Not that they would go bad, he said, but that they'd get soggy and lose their distinct flavor. Of course I didn't want all of that octopus to go bad, so I just at the good stuff from the middle and tossed the last two fried shells (don't yell at me).

If you try out Love Balls, let me know which dish you try and what you think! I really want someone to try the Texas Takoyaki Roulette challenge. Your choice of the Takoyaki or The Veg. Seven balls are served, but one is filled with a "ghost pepper laced habanero." The 'winner' gets a free bottle of water. It sounds like sick joke challenge for the people working the truck on a slow day, but definitely something I'd love to witness.

Love Balls is located in the East Side Drive-In off East Sixth & San Marcos. Go try some balls!

Did you say pie-ro-gee? - Hill Country Pierogi Truck

2012-02-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

I learned about the Hill Country Pierogi trailer from my roommate last fall. She really wanted to visit the new trailer and told me I should come with, so I could tell you wonderful people all about it.

Delicious new food? I’m there, but what the heck are pierogi?

The roomz described pierogi as a traditional Polish food, similar to ravioli, but in a half-moon shape, filled with potato and cheese and pan-fried in butter.

Potatoes, cheese, butter. It sounded like a Paula Deen dish all wrapped in a noodle- let's go.

A week or so later I saw that Hill Country Pierogi was having a Twitter contest for fans to send in pictures of the Austin skyline in exchange for free pierogi. Challenge accepted.

I sent in this pic I found on an 'ode to Austin' blogpost and won. Free food's always good.

The Austin version of Aurora Borealis.

Last weekend I finally went to redeem my prize.

Hill Country Pierogi truck off East 11th & Juniper

Not only did Brit & Rob remember my and my roommates names from months ago, but they were so incredibly nice and gave me plenty of time to flip flop between The Chorizo or the Traditional. The Texan in me went for The Chorizo. The roomie ordered The Bacon. And we threw in an order of The Apple Pie for good measure.

The Chorizo

These little guys smelled AMAZING. It was one of those times where you knew the food was going to be way too hot, but it was worth burning the roof of your mouth. The filling , a combination of ground chorizo, black beans, sautéed onions, chipotle and mashed potato, genius. The diced jalapeños and chipotle sour cream were great for me because I like spice. But the regular side of sour cream will bring down the heat if you want a milder flavor.

I tried one of the bacon pierogies and liked it as much as mine, though it had a completely different flavor.

The Bacon

The caramelized onion added a sweetness to the savory cracked black peppercorn bacon and mashed potatoes. The peppercorn bacon crumble on top was a nice vittle between bites.

After three delish dumplings I knew I had to stop so I could save room for The Apple Pie.

The Apple Pie with SWEETENED WHIPPED MASCARPONE

Brit, Hill Country Pierogi co-founder and chef extraordinaire, brought out the apple pie and our mouths fell open. She made sure we knew that the heavenly little dollop of cream was not "just" butter, but homemade sweetened mascarpone cream.

The apple pie filling is homemade and the whole pierogi is topped with dulce de leche drizzle and powdered sugar. The combination of the buttery dumpling with the deep-fried breading was a little heavy for me, but my favorite part of the dessert was the mascarpone. By the end I was snagging bites of it with a spoon. (Brit admitted she does this too which made me feel more normal.)

An order of 5 homemade pierogi is $7 which isn't a bad deal. Considering you'll probably take a couple home (or eat them in the car on the way back), it's almost two meals. The menu has a wide variety of choices and some vegetarian options as well.

The next time I go back I want to try the Traditional or the Kielbasa (Polish sausage) and The Blueberry for dessert. Yes, I've already planned my entire order.

On a side note, I just want to commend Brit and Rob on how quickly they've grown their business and settled in to the Austin food truck community. Their food is amazing, but they're also one of the most resourceful food truck operations I've seen. They ship, deliver and sell bulk quantities of their products and their menu is featured at the Longbranch Inn.

You can read about Rob and Brit's full adventure from their "corporate" lives in New York to running their small business in Austin, and keep up-to-date on the trailer, on their blog, Twitter, or Facebook.

If you visit the trailer and try The Blueberry before I get a chance to, leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

Na zdrowie!

Mmm biscuits... - Biscuits + Groovy

2011-11-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

WHO doesn't crave biscuits on a Sunday morning? (Especially after a late night of Halloween festivities?)

A couple weeks back I wanted to grab breakfast, but didn't feel like heading out of the comfort of my sweet Hyde Park surroundings. So, I did a quick Yelp search of "food trailer 78751" and the third listing down was "Biscuits + Groovy." I remembered that seasoned writer and foodie, Addie Broyles, had recommended the trailer via Twitter a few weeks back when I was looking for new trailers to try. A top recommendation plus a food trailer specializing in BISCUITS makes for a required visit.

We parked and were hit in the face by the smell of biscuits baking across the street (the Biscuits + Groovy site recommends you park in the Snappy Mart parking lot on the other side of 51st).

I tried to take pictures, but my phone wanted to take ultra-bright shots. I think it wanted to give an ethereal aura to the pictures because the biscuits were that good.

The menu has cute musically-inspired names for all the different biscuit plates- The Johnny Hash, The Gloria Gaynor, The M.C. Hammer - to name a few.

I decided on the M.C. Hammer because I was a little short on cash and it was only $4 for a biscuit, scrambled eggs, cheese and vegan bacon, I got white gravy on the side because I've never been a huge smother-your-food-in-gravy person. I went with the vegan bacon because I was trying to be a little healthier, but didn't like it so much. Unless you're vegan or vegetarian, I say just go with the real thing.

The scrambled eggs were fluffy and the cheddar cheese hit the spot. I took it easy on the gravy, I just wasn't feeling it that morning. The biscuit was lovely! It was warm, soft and had just the right amount of saltiness. It reminded me of the biscuits you'd get an authentic mom 'n pop comfort-food joint.

Again, the over-bright picture reflects the heavenly goodness.

I went back to Biscuits & Groovy the following Sunday because I didn't feel like I had fully experienced the groove of the trailer. (Sorry pun felt necessary.)

This time I went all out and ordered the Johnny Hash, vegan style. It comes with THREE halved, perfect biscuits, potatoes, (vegan) sausage, (vegan) bacon,(vegan) brown gravy, sprinkled with (vegan) cheddar cheese and chives on top . I think the biscuits alone make the meal, but the hash was pretty good.

Photo cred: @saholas

I don't know why I went with the vegan again against my own advice because I think the real deal tastes so much better. I know because I sampled my (clearly smarter) friend's dish. She ordered the orginial, Biscuits + Groovy with 3 halved biscuits, sausage, white pepper gravy and chives. The white gravy is ridiculous and I liked the real sausage better than the vegan. NOTE - I wouldn't recommend eating the whole boat of biscuits in one sitting because you'll leave feeling pretty heavy. We learned this lesson the hard way.
The wait at the trailer can be a little long, but just bring along your own coffee, sit back, sing along to ABBA and people watch. Time will fly.

Also, it seems like a pretty popular place for families with young kids. There were several cute moms wiping jelly off faces and dads in band tees sharing the perfect-for-sharing plates with the young'ins.

My overall recommendation is to not come starving because there WILL be a wait, order the real thing (if it's not against your food-lifestyle choices) and bring along a pal so you can try different dishes, toppings and fillings!

What's your favorite breakfast or brunch place around Austin? Comment below or tweet me, so I can try 'em out!

Biscuits + Groovy is off 51st and Duval, across the street from Snappy Mart. They offer vegetarian and vegan options. And they recycle! Hours are M-F 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and S&S 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

UPDATE: Since writing this, a friend of mine went to Biscuits + Groovy with her boyfriend when he came in town and my neighbor brought his parents when they visited from Wisconsin. They all raved about it! I love when friends help friends find good food. :)

Gypsy Picnic 2011

2011-10-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Bringin' the gypsy to the picnic

If you got to experience Gypsy Picnic this year, yay! I hope you ate your fill of the variety of trailer food and enjoyed the amazing weather. If you went to last year’s Gypsy Picnic and tried it out again this year, WASN’T IT 50,000X BETTER?

The harsh, but true criticism of the first-ever Gypsy Picnic in 2010 was heeded and the attendees benefitted. I was thoroughly impressed by C3’s improvements to the festival: the area blocked off at Auditorium shores seemed twice as big as last year, the number of trucks increased and the vendors were more prepared overall.

This year I had the chance to work behind-the-scenes at the festival at The Peached Tortilla. If you’ve read my posts (and there isn’t an overabundance of them...yet) you should know that I’m madly in love with the Banh Mi taco and all other things ‘peached.’ So basically I felt like I was getting to work backstage on the set of one of my favorite TV shows!

"I'm a peach head!"

Being on the inside of the truck – or in Gypsy Picnic’s case, on the other side of the table – was such an amazing experience! I got to talk to so many cool people and tell hundreds of hungry folks that they should buy one of my favorite foods in Austin. And man, were we churning out some tacos!

I parted ways with the peached crew around 2 p.m., but not before having a banh mi taco, BBQ brisket taco and szechwan veggie taco. I have no shame. The Szechwan veggie was new to me and caught me off guard with how spicy it was. The eggplant, red bell pepper and onions blended well with the black bean garlic sauce, tofu and pickled daikon slaw. I don’t think anything will top the banh mi taco for me though.

After happily stuffing my face, I wandered out to the center of the park to try to decide where I wanted to go with my $20 in ‘research funds.’

My first stop was Short Bus Subs because I saw on Twitter that it was one of their peeps' birthday and I have never been out to visit the trailer at Mueller Park. Eric, the birthday boy and one of the three co-owners and brothers who runs the bus, traded my birthday wish for a sub!

The Short Bus

I sampled The Hot Teacher, a veggie sub with roasted portabella mushroom, red pepper, sun-dried tomato pesto, mozzarella, cheddar and fresh sun dried tomatoes. I was honestly surprised with how good the sub was. I mean subs are subs, but I think it was the sun-dried tomato pesto and freshly baked from scratch bread that made it.

My second stop was East Side King, the fan favorite winner. A hippy-biker type recommended the Thai Chicken Karaage, but I opted for the Fried Brussels Sprout Salad. It was a unique combo of fried brussels sprouts, sweet and spicy sauce, shredded cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, basil, cilantro, mint, onion and jalapeño. The brussels sprouts were flavorful and not deep fried, just crispy enough. I’m not sure if it was the sweet and spicy sauce or the mint in the dish, but something triggered a coughing fit. I had to give up on the rest of the salad which was unfortunate because I really liked it!

East Side King
Left Thai Chicken Karaage, Right Fried Brussels Sprout Salad

I met up with some friends and we made our way over to Tenderland for the “battered” (aka deep fried) pork tenderloin sandwich. It was HUGE! I snagged a couple of bites of my friend’s sandwich and it was good, but a little too much fried sandwich for me. I think if they made the sandwich in a smaller portion it’d be better, but it’s not something I would seek out to buy.

Gypsy Michelle with her Austin-made craft beer and tenderloin sandwich.

I was getting full, but I had few more stops on my list. I powered through to give you more, fellow food truck lovers. I had planned on trying Ju Ju’s Kaboose, a Cajun/traditional Louisianan food trailer that I learned about for the first time in the Gypsy Picnic lineup. I loved the roving musicians that happened to be walking by as were waiting in line at Ju Ju’s, especially because they had a brass band sound that went along with the Cajun cuisine.

The roving jazz band!

Having roots in New Orleans I was really looking forward to trying the Crawfish Cornbread served up by Ju Ju herself…I was so disappointed. The cornbread was served in a cupcake sleeve with a spoon. You needed the spoon because it was so mushy you couldn’t eat it like normal crumbly corn bread. It lacked flavor overall and left me wishing I had a bottle of Crystal hot sauce to pour all over it. The Pork Poboy did look like the real thing (compared to some so-called poboys I've seen in Austin), but I was too full and also didn’t want to shell out $8 to try the foot long sub.

Ju Ju's Kaboose
Crawfish Cornbread

My last two samples before dessert were bites of each slice from Spartan Pizza. The Zeus, made with roasted garlic olive oil (something I don’t think I’ve ever tried, but loved!), bacon, spinach, tomatoes and mozzarella, was delicious, but was a little overtaken by the bacon. It seemed to be their rendition of a Margarita pizza. I really liked The Spartan with tomato sauce, green bell pepper, white onion, lots of fresh garlic and parmesan, and topped with red pepper flakes. People at the picnic had said that Spartan Pizza was better than Homeslice Pizza which is pretty much the only place that can get me out of the house for a pie. Though Spartan definitely gave 'em a run for their money, I think Homeslice still has a special place on my palette.

Van ~~kissing~~ eating a slice of The Zeus.

I ended on a high note with the Frozen Hot Chocolate from Holy Cacao. Holy chocolate was that shake amazing. I had planned on sharing it with a friend to try to compensate for all the calories I’d already consumed, but once I tasted that sucker I became very greedy. It was great when you were drinking it and at the end of each sip there was a punch of chocolate that stayed with you. Everyone I was with either bought or shared one after tasting it. Yeah, it was good.

Leah and I fighting over Holy Cacao's Frozen Hot Chocolate.

Overall, this Gypsy Picnic was a 500% improvement from last year. Lines were kept to three minutes or less at most spots, hardly anyone sold out before 5 p.m. and the $3 samples at every trailer made it easy to try a wide variety. AND I got to meet Tiffany Harelik of Trailer Food Diaries who I consider to be a total local celebrity.

Tiffany Harelik, Trailer Food Diaries author and co-creator of Gypsy Picnic and me squinting happily.

This food truck foodie left feeling happy, full and excited for next year's picnic.

Which trailer was your favorite? Did you try one of the dishes I did? Do you agree or disagree with my reviews? Was there something I missed that I need to hunt down around Austin? Leave a comment below and share your Gypsy Picnic experience with me!

Eating under the evil eye: Mati Greek Trailer

2011-10-12T23:51:00.000-07:00

I took my first trip to the Eastside Drive-in a two weeks ago looking for an eggy breakfast at The Local Yolk.
My friend and I were severely disappointed when we arrived to find the trailer closed! We had our hearts so set on egg sandwiches that we were just going to leave and head home to make our own. But we decided to look around first, after all it was my first time at a new food-trailer park!
We scanned the menus of the trailers there and decided to stay and try out Mati Greek Trailer.

I didn't snag a pic, but chef/owner Jason Rodis is a character. He's one of those people who makes me feel like I'm a step behind or missing out on the joke- in a good way. His passion about Greek cuisine shows through the enthusiastic and proud way he talks about his menu.

"I don't have a favorite...it's my menu!" he told me when I was trying to decide what to order.

I went with the chicken souvlaki pita for $6. (Should I admit here that I knew what souvlaki would taste like based on my favorite Pita Pit menu item? I love my Pita Pit!)
Souvlaki is traditionally a lamb dish, but can be prepared with other meats or just vegetables. At Mati you can order "pork, chicken, shrimp or mushrooms marinated in herbs and olive oil grilled then topped with red onions and tomatoes." The tzatziki sauce was excellent, not too oily and no mint from what I could tell.
The chicken was easy to slide off the skewer and the marinade made the meat juicy and tender. I liked the healthy portion of onions and tomatoes, but some shredded lettuce wouldn't have hurt.
My favorite part though was the pita! It reminded me of a homemade tortilla: it was soft, warm, and got extra attention from the tzatziki sauce. Mmm
Rodis' "125%" Greek heritage makes for authentic Greek dishes right in East Austin. I enjoyed my lunch and didn't walk away feeling like I had overindulged...that came later when I went for froyo.

Head over to Mati at the East Side Drive-in, 1001 East 6th street, Austin, TX 78702.
@MatiGRtrailer https://www.facebook.com/Mati.Greek.trailer

Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival Line Up

2011-09-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

The line up has just been announced for the 2011 Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival Line Up.

Can I just say how excited I am?! I'm exciteeeeeeeeeeeeeeed!

Though last year's festival was a bit of a disappointment for me, I'm giving this year a clean slate.

The event site boasts more trailers, a bigger space and live music. If you want to bring your pup along, in true Austin fashion, it's encouraged at the designated dog area. There's also a children's space for the little ones to run around with their trailer treats.

The Gypsy Picnic will be Saturday, October 22 from 11AM to 8PM at Auditorium Shores. Admission is FREE, but the grub isn't. Bring about $30 and you can try 10 different sample items! Every trailer has $3 sample meals, but bring a little extra if you want to have a bigger bite. Cash is recommended.

With 35 trailers attending, I think this is going to be a very expensive weekend for me.

See you gypsies there!

Which trailer do you plan on sampling?

The Peached Tortilla Strikes Again

2011-09-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

I recently found out that one of my former coworkers, Jess, is the brand manager/operations manager for The Peached Tortilla--my favorite ATX food truck!

So of course once I was off from work at 2 a.m. I walked down the street to Star Bar, where The Peached Tortilla hangs out Friday and Saturday nights, and indulged in a few sliders.

I've sought out the truck a handful of times and I've always gone with tacos. Jess basically told me when I ordered my usual Bánh Mì tacos that I was in fact getting the sliders. (You don't argue with the chef!)

According to Jess, and the string of orders coming in, the Bánh Mì sliders are one of the most popular items on the menu.

Bánh Mì is a traditional type of Vietnamese sandwich that has been growing in popularity recently. See the entire website dedicated to these little morsels on http://battleofthebanhmi.com/. They can be served in a variety of ways, but the original recipe is on a Vietnamese baguette inspired by the French.
The sandwich can be stuffed with BBQ pork, pork belly, headcheese, grilled chicken or tofu. The usual condiments include pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeño or chili peppers, mayonnaise and paté.

Founder Eric Silverstein got it just right with his Bánh Mì sliders. Served on sweet Hawaiian rolls with braised pork belly, pickled daikon and carrot salad, sriracha mayonnaise and cilantro. The sweetness of the roll in combination with the spicy sriracha mayo, sweet and sour salad, and juicy pork hit every taste bud on my tongue. Rarely do I have those moments of pure joy and astonishment with how good a meal can taste, but tasting this slider was one of those moments.

I also tried the BBQ brisket slider following the Bánh Mì. That was a big mistake because after the perfection of the first slider, the BBQ brisket was good, but paled in comparison. The BBQ brisket is also served on a sweet Hawaiian roll with creamy slaw, and peach barbecue sauce. I think it could use a little less creamy and a bit more sweet peached flavor.

Next time I track the trailer down I want to try their banana nutella wontons...just thinking about the combination of banana, peanut butter, chocolate and Mexican caramel sauce makes my mouth water. I'll make sure to let y'all know how it is!

Have you been to The Peached Tortilla? Which slider or taco is your favorite?

Have you had a momentous food tasting experience while in Austin? Leave a comment and fill me in, so I can get out there and try!

I'm back! - Cazamance Mini-Review

2011-09-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hello mobile-food lovers!

I've been MIA for a couple of months due to my summer travels. I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica for seven weeks this summer and food trucks are unheard of there. My host family actually seemed a little offended at the idea of buying food out of a truck (which is odd to me because señors walk around the little pueblos with food in freezer packs and sell out all the time).

Needless to say, no food-truck updates writing opps there. Here's a pic of my favorite meal my mama tica (host mom) made for me though. It's basically shredded chicken with lots of vegetables, but made with that Tica style of real butter and lots of spices. Oh, and don't forget the 'platanos maduros,' overripe plantains sauteed with butter and brown sugar. Delicioso.

Following my Costa Rica trip was my second summer stay in New Orleans with my family. The food-truck business is growing there, but Lucky Dog Hot Dogs has a Rotolo's Pizza-like monopoly on the French Quarter.

When I'm bartending there, I pretty much don't make it out of that .66 square miles to get to the food-trucks uptown. I did get to have a tasting of gourmet appetizers at one of Emeril Lagasse's restaurants: NOLA. A friend of mine's sister, Tina, is the sous chef and is one talented young cook. Let's just agree that I was on vacation from venturing out to do my mobile food research.

But, now I'm back in Austin and have no more excuses! It seems like over the last few months tons of new food-trucks have rolled out and I can't wait to try them all (within my college-student budget, of course).

My first mobile-food tastings this semester, were not at food-trailers per se, but at an outdoor, catered, American Red Cross fundraiser: A Taste for Something Good, sponsored by The Cupcake Bar, CTC Garden Venue and Texas Belles.

The event featured donation-based tastings, raffles, and a silent auction that benefited the people of Central Texas who lost their possessions and homes in the recent fires. The fundraiser was at this cool place off Cesar Chavez, the CTC Garden Venue. CTC is known for hosting charity events and as the hangout spot for Food Network star, Rachael Ray, during SXSW 2011. The event was a success and raised over $2,000 to be donated to the American Red Cross of Central Texas.

The CTC Garden Venue

I don't know any better excuse to indulge in some delicious food than for charity- especially one for fellow Texans. I sampled the nachos from Tacodeli first. The Puerco Borracho, pork braised in tequila and sherry, was little a heavy, but delicious nonetheless. The Queso Fresco required second-helpings from all my girlfriends and me. But really, it was some good stuff.

Tacodeli has a couple of locations (all brick and mortar restaurants) in South, North, and Central Austin. I called two locations to double check that they were not a food-trailer and the staff were super friendly and both people that answered the phone told me to come by ASAP for some "freaking awesome" and "totally good" breakfast tacos. I think I will be visiting soon not just to try what I expect to be some delicious breakfast tacos, but for the energetic atmosphere as well.

I also sampled Kellie's Kandies and Cookies - which have a unique flavor of spicy shortbread with a creamy fondant topping; Objects of Confection Double Chocolate and Irish Cream truffles that would've been a lot better if it hadn't been so hot outside; the enticing build-your-own cupcakes from The Cupcake Bar and some tasty mini-endive appetizer from the onsite-trailer Cazamance. Unfortunately, by the time I realized there was an actual food-trailer in the back I was full and only had room for the endive. I want to go back and sample more from the Cazamance West African menu.

Overall, the event was a good way for me to donate to a good cause, eat and get back into the swing of blogging.

I'll be at ACL manaña and have so many trailers I want to sample I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to watch any live music. I'll make it work. The post will probably be up next weekend, so look out!

If you went to ACL yesterday and have a recommendation of a trailer I should sample please let me know in a comment below!

By the way, here is the updated link for my feature on social media and Austin food-trucks. The other link brings you to an error page now and I know all of you want to be able to read it over and over again!

I'm like a real grown up writer, or something.

2011-02-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

Remeber when I hinted about more details to come surrounding my interview with Peached Tortilla? Well, whether you read that post or not, good news! An article I wrote (and edited with the help of Professor Dave Junker) was chosen to be published to the Texas Advertising and Public Relations news page.

So, click below to check it out! Texas Advertising and Public Relations - NEWS

A special thanks to Jodi Bart of Tasty Touring and Eric Silverstein of The Peached Tortilla for their time and contributing words.

Comments are welcome!

Ahem..Introductions? - The Peached Tortilla

2011-02-06T01:08:00.001-08:00

Let's just say I've been on a brief hiatus for the last few months. After studying for exams, stressing over exams, and actually taking exams, I couldn't bring myself to voluntarily put effort into writing anything. I know that maintaining a blog takes self discipline and hopefully it will be a discipline I can master. At least on my free time from 386346 other school commitments or when it's 3 a.m. and I can't fall asleep.

I went to New Orleans for a month to work over break, but a few days before I left Austin I fulfilled one of my desired food truck visits at The Peached Tortilla.

I saw via twitter (@peachedtortilla) that there was a lunch special at the trailer off 2nd and Colorado. I convinced my roommate to hop in the car and take a trip to the truck that I had somehow kept missing. The food and the service were exceptional.

I went after the Banh Mi taco on white corn because it had been the most highly recommended. And I loved it! The description of "Vietnamese braised pork belly, pickled daikon and carrot salad" intimidated me a little, but these new ingredients didn't scare my palate. The spicy sriracha mayo and cilantro pulled it all together as a taco that rivaled my beloved Torchy's Brush Fire.

I think my roommate ordered the BBQ Brisket taco with creamy slaw and smoke roasted peach bbq sauce. Mmmmmmmmmmm

Eric Silverstein, owner and founder of The Peached Tortilla, was a pretty laid back guy. He answered some questions I had for an article I was working on (more details on that to come) and even let me take his picture.

I need to make my way over to West Campus (where the truck is located most evening at Freewheeling Bicycles), so I can relive the Banh Mi and maybe try a slider or two.

Can't rely on a Gypsy-- Izzo's Tacos & Holy Cacao, another story

2010-11-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

I went to the Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival thinking “This is it. The perfect end to my required blog stream about food-trailers: a trailer food festival!”

Too bad it sucked. And when I say sucked, I mean it crushed my little foodie heart to walk into the grounds to see 2009 ACL-like-dust, disgruntled people and lines. Oh, the lines.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little harsh. I think I built up my excitement for the festival and it turned out to be very disappointing. Apparently the Gypsy Trailer Festival organizers did not expect the kind of turn out that occurred. The festival was supposed to be a combination of merchandise shopping, listening to music and of course snacking on your favorite trailer foods. Instead, it was a festival of lines. Every trailer had a line at least 100 people long. There was a line to buy your food, then a line to wait for your food to be made, and finally, a line of the people eating their food.

On top of the lines, half of the trailers were completely sold out by the time I got there (2:30 p.m.), and the festival was supposed to go on until 8 p.m. After about 20 minutes I left with no food and lots of disappointment.

I decided to head down South First and see if I could find a trailer that wasn’t at the festival that I could snag something from. To my surprise, when I pulled in the Trailer Park & Eatery, Torchy’s was open and Holy Cacao had an ice chest full of cake balls.

I begrudgingly passed up Torchy’s and decided to try the recently awarding-winning Holy Cacao. I asked the server for their best flavor, she recommended the red velvet cake. I’m not a huge fan of red velvet, so she recommended her favorite, chocolate. Now you’re talkin’.

The website lists the chocolate cake ball as “Holly’s Favorite Cake Ball: All chocolate, all the time: Chocolate cake dipped in chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder.” It was delicious! The perfect balance of fudgy brownie and bitter sweet chocolate.

After enjoying my chocolate treat, I went further down the street to a lot with no official name, but holds around three trailers. I found Izzo’s Tacos parked here and decided to give them a try. Again I asked the server for the best item on the menu and he recommended The Padre…which they were all out of. They were out of beef, chicken, and carnitas because of the Gypsy Picnic. I asked him if the vendors didn’t think that a lot of people were going to come. He said that they thought there would be a lot of people and had quadrupled their normal daily preparatory meals, but ran out in three hours. Again, I don't think the Gypsy Picnic organizers realized how successful the festival was going to be.

After this process of elimination, I opted for the Escobar, made of carne guisada (cubed pork), pico de gallo, and cilantro, and the Portabella Shroom, made with a generous portion of portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle aioli. The aioli was delicious, but I really enjoyed their salsa which was just chunky enough and really spicy. Overall, Izzo’s Tacos was good, but left a little something to be desired and didn't live up to Torchy’s.

If you went to Gypsy Picnic- please leave comments below about your likes or dislikes at the festival.
To read a few reviews about Gypsy Picnic you can visit Yelp or Mike Sutter's Statesman blog.
Also if you have a favorite Holy Cacao cake ball or Izzo’s Tacos dish share it with me because I definitely will be going back to Holy Cacao at least.

Note: Please excuse the poor quality of the pictures. My camera died, so I had to revert to my phone.

N.O., Louisiana...more like NO Food-trucks

2010-11-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hey there foodies,

This weekend I was in New Orleans for Halloween, so I did not get to dine at a scrumptious Austin food-truck. As such, I’m dedicating this post to the (apparent) lack of food-trucks in New Orleans and how much it bothers me!

Photo source: Destination360.com

When staying in the French Quarter of downtown New Orleans, it’s easy to find a few things: bars, strip clubs and souvenir shops. What’s not so easy to track down is a quick breakfast on the go. I don’t know if it’s because most people staying in the Quarter are passed out or just going to sleep around breakfast time, but you either have to go to a sit-down restaurant breakfast or settle for lunch.

It’s really frustrating to go from Austin where there’s a coffee and breakfast taco food-trailer on every corner to none at all! You really don’t realize how much you appreciate the savory convenience of breakfast taco food-trucks until there are none at all.

I’ve always wondered why the French Quarter, an internationally known tourist destination, never capitalized on the booming food-truck trend. I mean, it’s the perfect setting: people are getting around on foot, they’re on a traveler’s budget, and their out at odd hours. To me this sounds like the perfect food-truck potential.

While I was there this weekend I talked to Pedro Lucero, a manager at a popular bar and music venue on Bourbon Street, who actually tried getting a food-trailer permit in New Orleans. Lucero, who lived in Austin for about 10 years, was inspired by the Austin food-trucks and thought it would be a hit in New Orleans. He said that after a little research he found out that within the French Quarter there are stringent restrictions on parking (even temporary parking), and that Lucky Dogs, a popular hot dog cart company, has something of a monopoly on permits in the area.

“The Quarter would be perfect for food-trucks…at least other food-carts,” said Lucero. “People want more than just hot dogs and I think New Orleans is well-known internationally and food-trailers could cater better to all tourists.”

I have to admit that I have never tried a Lucky Dog because I’ve heard too many urban legends about what’s in their hotdogs and what they do to your body (aside from the fact that I don’t eat hotdogs anyway).

I’m shocked though that the Vieux Carré Commission, the regulatory agency for the historic districts of New Orleans, have not realized the growing popularity of food-trucks and the potential profits and benefits they bring to tourist towns. Then again, the old 18th century style street layout is probably not ideal for large parked trucks.

While living there this summer the closest I came to a taco food-cart was a man on a bike known only as “Al” who delivers his wife’s homemade tacos to the same bars every weekend. He has no phone number or ordering system, he just shows up around 2 a.m. and those desperate little bartenders dying for something other than hotdogs or crappy pizza from across the street (AKA yours truly) cannot wait to get their hands on one.

A little googling did tell me that there are a few roaming snowball carts, but it just isn’t the same. There are food-trucks in New Orleans, but again none are in one of the most frequented areas in the entire state of Louisiana! I don’t know if it will ever change, but I do know that if I spend another summer in New Orleans, I hope Al is still around to curb my Austin taco-trailer appetite!

You can read about the (ironic) filming of the 2010 “Great Food Truck Race” in New Orleans on the Culture Mob food blog. Also check out this blog post dedicated to food-trucks in New Orleans (outside of the Quarter of course) in this linked article on neworleans.com.

Damn Worth Getting Lost For - Torchy's Tacos

2010-10-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

This week I visited Torchy’s Tacos in the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery off of South First. I was going to attempt to venture outside of the more frequented food-trailers, but I woke up Sunday morning and could not get my mind away from Torchy’s "damn good tacos." Bare with me people, I’ll be adventurous next week.

I am a taco fiend. I love the spices, the succulent flavor of the meat, the salsa, the cheese, the variety of toppings…everything! My favorite kind of taco however, is the breakfast taco. I don’t think it gets any better than eggs, beans, cheese and salsa all wrapped up in a homemade corn tortilla. Torchy’s Tacos pulls this off perfectly.

I’ve been to the UT District Torchy’s off Guadalupe several times, but had never been to the trailer park location. I had heard of the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery and always wanted to check it out, so I wrote down the address and hopped in the car.

The address listed on the website is 1311 S. First St and I live off 43rd, so I thought that I could just drive South on Lamar and I’d eventually hit First Street and take it from there. After passing Sixth Street, I was getting pretty excited for my long overdue breakfast taco but, after driving for another ten blocks I realized that I must have gotten turned around. It turns out that all the numbered streets in Austin run East to West, except First Street magically runs North to South. I guess I’m realizing this late, but for all you Austin newbies out there- you’ve been informed!

I whipped out my priceless TomTom, forced myself to continue driving past Gourdough’s, and eventually found the Trailer Park & Eatery.

The Torchy’s Tacos food-truck shares the trailer park with Holy Cacao and Man Bites Dog, but Torchy’s was the only one open at 10:30 a.m. The trailer park has generous parking (for Austin), umbrella tables, and a covered eating area that boasts Torchy’s Tacos as Austin Chronicle’s choice of Best Taco & Best Taqueria for 2010.

I normally would order my usual egg, bean, cheese and green chilies, but I went out of the norm just for you lovely reader! Also, it gave me an excuse to buy two tacos. I ordered my usual and the taco of the month: The Scarecrow. $3.50 for pumpkin crusted chicken, roasted poblanos, escabeche carrots, cojita cheese and cilantro, served on a corn tortilla with creamy chipotle.

Can I just say that ordering that taco was one of the best random-order-decisions ever? The escabeche (pickled) carrots were the bomb, they were crunchy and packed so much flavor. The pumpkin crusted chicken caused a déjà vu moment, but I realized it reminded me of the breading at The Mighty Cone. I thought the poblanos were a little soggy for my taste, but overall the taco was a great choice. I even enjoyed the chipotle sauce that I normally would substitute with the traditional salsa.

You should visit the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery if you’re trying to get some good, cheap food and stroll slightly off the beaten path.

P.S. Torchy’s Tacos just opened a new location in Dallas! If you’re there for a visit you should stop in and tell me if that location is as good as the real thing.
What’s your favorite Torchy’s Taco? Answer in a comment below and I’ll try and check it out!

**All photos by Rachael Sperling

"We don't say 'fried,' we say deep sauté." - The Mighty Cone

2010-10-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow food-lovers!

I hope you enjoyed the amazing weather we had here in Austin this weekend as much as I did!
In my last post I listed off a few of my favorite ACL food-truck favorites, including The Mighty Cone.

(Photo by Rachael Sperling)

This wonderful food trailer not only has a spot at the festival, but also has a main location in the trailer park eatery off South Congress. I tried to share the gift of fried-goodness-in-a-cone with my mom and little brother who visited this weekend, but The Mighty Cone was closed! Word to the wise- they’re open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Tues-Sat. AKA not on Sunday afternoon with your family.

As a result of my poor timing, this week’s review is about a week and a half old, but good fried food is good fried food everyday of the week. Don’t question this philosophy.

Across the street from the delicious South Congress Café and just down the block from the ever-popular Electric Ladyland, The Mighty Cone has one of the best food-trailer locations on SoCo.

The stand opened just over a year ago and quickly gained popularity among South Congress food goers. The idea of creating the trailer stemmed from the high demand for the “Hot ‘n’ Crunchy” cones after their introduction to Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2002.

Their menu is not for the healthy-minded as the phrase informs below the service window: “We don’t say fried, we say deep sauté.” The menu, inspired by popular recipes and items from The Mighty Cone’s sister-restaurant, Hudson’s on the Bend, includes a variety of “Hot ‘n Crunchy” cones, shakes, organic all-veggie sliders and Hudson’s gourmet fries. I have yet to try the “Death by Chocolate Brownie,” but I don’t see how anything with such an angelic name could not be delightful.

(Photo by Rachael Sperling)

I’ve tried to make myself try one of the sliders with Hudson’s secret ancho sauce or the “Hudson’s Cone Dog” made with grass-fed venison (this is one lean cone dog!), but I cannot pull myself away from the deliciousness of the “Chicken-Avocado Cone.”

If you can tell me a better batter for crusting your chicken than with sesame seeds, almonds, arbol chili flakes, sea salt, sugar and corn flakes, then I may lessen my allegiance to the fried chicken of The Mighty Cone. But, let’s face facts: this will probably never happen!

The prices are reasonable with the most expensive item topping out at $7, so it’s an ideal place for a cheap dinner on the go.

If you haven’t tried The Mighty Cone yet get out there and eat some cone deliciousness!

Leave a comment of your favorite The Mighty Cone dish (especially if you’ve had the “Death by Chocolate Brownie”)! Let me know if there’s any food-trailer you recommend.

You can visit The Mighty Cone website for more information and a full menu.

If you don’t trust me, the two blog posts below have their reviews of The Might Cone.
http://gardenandgun.com/newsletter/street-food-gourmet
http://austin.eater.com/tags/the-mighty-cone