Tuesday May 21: Choco Churros, Feisty Jack and Per Se Mobile
Wednesday May 22: Beach Boys Truck, Choco Churros and Gourmet Gringos
Thursday May 23: Buster’s Sea Cove, Hogtown Smoke and Pretty Sweet Cupcakes
Friday May 24: Crossroads Diner, Gourmet Bitches and Tiny Tom Donuts

If you plan on having lunch at Food Truck Fever this week, be sure to share your photos with us on the new foodtrucksTO iPhone app or via the blogTO website on their Toronto Food Trucks stream page and tag your photos with the #foodtruckfeverTO to enter the contest. Those who submit the photos who receive the most likes by May 31st will win 1 of 10 vouchers to one of Sony Centre’s performances next season.

The Sony Centre is located at 1 Front St E (Front St/Yonge St) and will be serving lunch from 11AM-3PM.

Here are the trucks you’ll find at the new spot this week:

Wednesday, May 15: Hogtown Smoke
Thursday, May 16: Gourmet Bitches
Friday, May 17: The Food Dudes

Corktown Gas is located at 176 Front St E at Sherbourne St

Monday May 13: Hogtown Smoke, Hula Girl Expresso Truck
Tuesday May 14: Choco Churros, Per Se Mobile and Stuft Gourmet Sausages
Thursday May 16: Feisty Jack, Food Dudes and Pretty Sweet
Friday May 17: Buster’s Sea Cove, Hogtown Smoke and Tiny Tom Donuts

We are 2 weeks into our Food Truck Fever TO photo contest and so far there have been many great photo submissions.

There’s still time to enter the contest – all you have to do is upload your photos onto the new foodtrucksTO iPhone app or via the blogTO website on their Toronto Food Trucks stream page. Make sure to tag all your photos taken from Sony Centre Food Truck Fever events with the #foodtruckfeverTO hashtag to enter the contest. Those who submit the photos who receive the most likes by May 31st will win 1 of 10 vouchers to one of Sony Centre’s performances next season.

The Sony Centre is located at 1 Front St E (Front St/Yonge St).

According to City Councilman Dan Garodnick, it’s nearly impossible (even if you fill out the right paperwork) to operate a truck without breaking some law. Trucks can’t sell food if they’re parked in a metered space . . . or if they’re within 200 feet of a school . . . or within 500 feet of a public market . . . and so on.

One truck operator, Thomas DeGeest of Wafels & Dinges, says enforcement is eratic and varies by neighbourhood. From the article:

Trucks in Chelsea are rarely bothered….In Midtown South…the N.Y.P.D. has a dedicated team of vendor-busting cops. “One month, we get no tickets,” DeGeest told me. “The next month, we get tickets every day.” DeGeest had two trucks and five carts when he decided he couldn’t keep investing in a business that was so vulnerable to overzealous cops or city bureaucracy.

The article has 85 comments and counting. Give it a read here. It might actually make you feel better about the state of food truck regulations in Toronto.

For those unfamiliar with Market 707, its a unique international food market housed in re-purposed shipping containers located at 707 Dundas St West. The event space will feature a number of local food vendors and retailers to create a unique shopping and dining experience.

This year, they have invited food trucks into the fold. On Friday, you will find Hogtown Smoke and Fidel Gastro in attendance serving up their gourmet truck fare from 5:00PM-9:30PM.

Market 707 is located at 707 Dundas St West (Dundas and Bathurst) and will be hosting Flavours of the City events every second Friday of each month.

Food trucks will now be holding regular lunch services at 495 Wellington St W at Portland St.

Hogtown Smoke is kicking off the new spot on Friday May 10th and will be there serving lunch from 11AM-3PM.

Here are the trucks you can find at the Sony Centre this week from 11AM to 3PM:

Wednesday May 8: Hogtown Smoke and Rome’N Chariot
Thursday May 9: Hogtown Smoke, Stuft Truck and Tiny Tom Donuts
Friday May 10: Buster’s Sea Cove, Gourmet Bitches, Caplansky Truck and Tiny Tom Donuts

There’s still an opportunity to enter the Food Truck Fever photo contest. To enter for a chance to win 1 of 10 vouchers to one of Sony Centre’s performances next season, all you have to do is upload your photos using the new foodtrucksTO iPhone app or via the blogTO website on their Toronto Food Trucks stream page. Please note: all eligible photos must be taken from the Sony Centre Food Truck Fever events and include the hashtag #foodtruckfeverTO.

The Sony Centre is located at 1 Front St E (Front St/Yonge St).

Here are the trucks you’ll find this upcoming week:

Monday, May 6: Gourmet Gringos and Blue Donkey Truck
Tuesday, May 7: The Food Dudes and The Feisty Jack
Wednesday, May 8: Hogtown Smoke and Per Se Mobile
Thursday, May 9: Pretty Sweet and Urban Smoke BBQ
Friday, May 10: Gourmet Bitches and Gourmet Gringos

As an added bonus, starting later this month you’ll be able to get your post-Brazen Head snack on Fridays and Saturdays from food trucks who’ll be parked by Cinema Night Club from 12AM until late.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, due to an interjection from the Liberty Village BIA, the food truck lunch services at Cinema Night Club will not be running this summer. We’ll update this post if any further info becomes available.

The trucks will be serving up their gourmet truck fare for lunch from 11AM-3PM and again for dinner from 4PM to 8PM. Here are just a few of the trucks that you can expect to see out tomorrow at Sew Hungry:

Buster’s Sea Cove
Curbside Bliss
Dirty South
El Gastronomo Vagabundo
Gorilla Cheese
Gourmet Gringos
Sweetness Bakery and many more

For those living in Toronto, I think a post-work road trip is in order because this looks like one food truck event that shouldn’t be missed.

Sew Hungry will be taking place in Hamilton along Ottawa St between Barton St and Dunsmure Rd.

CraveTO will feature several exciting pop-ups and craft breweries including local food truck favourites Buster’s Sea Cove, The Feisty Jack, Fidel Gastro, The Food Dudes and Rome’N Chariot. You can buy tickets here.

Who needs popcorn when you can have gourmet truck food!

The Burwash Quad is located next to Victoria College on the UofT campus, but if it rains, the screening will be moved indoors to the Rogers Industry Centre next to the outdoor venue.

The Stuft truck is making its first public appearance of 2013 and will be joined by The Feisty Jack and Smokes Poutinerie to support Better Living. The proceeds from this festival will help support Better Living programs and services such as long-term care, community care and leisure activities.

The food truck festival will run from 3PM to 8PM on Friday at 1 Overland Drive, just off the Donway by Lawrence Ave and Don Mills

To enter for a chance to win 1 of 10 vouchers to one of Sony Centre’s performances next season, all you have to do is upload your photos using the new foodtrucksTO iPhone app or via the blogTO website on their Toronto Food Trucks stream page. Be sure to hashtag your submissions with #foodtruckfeverTO – it’s that easy.

The 10 winners of the vouchers will be those whose photos receive the most likes by May 31st. To like a photo, just tap the like button in the app or next to the photo on the web site. Please note: all eligible photos must be taken at the Sony Centre Food Truck Fever and include #foodtruckfeverTO.

Here are the trucks you can find at the Sony Centre this week from 11AM to 3PM:

Wednesday May 1: Per Se Mobile and Hogtown Smoke
Thursday May 2: Gourmet Gringos, Beaver Tails and Urban Smoke Truck
Friday May 3: Gourmet Bitches, Hogtown Smoke and Pretty Sweet

And there’s more! The above food trucks will be giving away free meals to the first 15 people who show up each day. Be sure to be among the first in line when trucks start service at 11am. To get your free meal, all you need to do is bring your iPhone and show that you’ve downloaded our brand new Toronto Food Trucks app (sorry, Blackberry, Windows and Android users).

The Sony Centre is located at 1 Front St E (Front St/Yonge St).

The Gluten Free Garage is a pop-up marketplace that brings together gluten-free vendors from around the city to offer locals a chance to sample and buy some unique “g-free” products. Admission to the event is $10 at the door with free admission for children under 12.

Ticket proceeds will go to support the Canadian Celiac Association.

The event will be held at Artscape Wychwood Barns at 601 Christie St on Sunday April 28th from 10AM to 4PM.

Here are the gourmet trucks who will be taking part at the weekend event:

Dobro Jesti
The Food Dudes
The Feisty Jack
Hogtown Smoke
Pretty Sweet
Rome’N Chariot

Garrison Commons is located at 250 Fork York Blvd

Gourmet Gringos will be holding regular lunch service in the Club District, sharing a patio with Tryst Night Club at 82 Peter St just north of King St.

As of now, they will be serving lunch one or two times a week but if mother nature is kind, we may see them there every day this food truck season.

PULP: paper art party is a promotional fundraiser organized by the Architecture For Humanity Toronto who invited local artists and musicians to attend and celebrate the various creative uses of paper; even the walls are made of types of paper.

Tickets to this event is $15 plus tax online, or $20 at the door. All proceeds will go towards the Architecture for Humanity Toronto and future PULP: Reclaimed Materials Art and Design projects.

PULP: paper art party will be held at Metropolis Factory at 50 Edwin Ave on Saturday April 27th.

The following post was contributed to the site by Steve Lafleur, a policy analyst with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

Many Torontonians have cheered the growth of the food truck industry, and with good reason. Food trucks provide convenient, cheap, and delicious food to urban dwellers in many cities. Unfortunately, food trucks have faced many political obstacles, particularly due to lobbying efforts by restaurants. Furthermore, some activists are growing concerned about the fact that chain restaurants are getting into the food truck business. They worry that trucks owned by big corporations will crowd out independently owned food trucks. This argument is fundamentally flawed.

Opposing chain food trucks is like cutting off the right arm to spite the left. You can’t pick and choose which food trucks to allow. Chains that introduce food trucks could be powerful allies in creating sensible regulations. Opposing the expansion of chain food trucks will merely consolidate opposition to all food trucks.

Food truck aficionados need to have more faith in consumer decisions if they want more vibrant cities. Even if that means they have to walk, chin ever so slightly elevated, past a few chain food trucks to buy their fish tacos.

Jane Jacobs, perhaps the most important intellectual influence on Toronto urbanists, recognized the importance of vibrant communities. In particular, she understood that the neighbourhoods that have a diversity of uses, with residences and businesses in close proximity, tend to be the safest and the most enjoyable. Jacobs moved to Toronto in the 1968, and became among the most influential activists and intellectuals in the city. Her influence in the city is virtually unmatched. However, many of her intellectual disciples have failed to grasp one of her key insights – that great neighbourhoods are not rationally designed.
In economic terms, great neighbourhoods are the product of an aggregation of uncoordinated human actions, rather than of conscious design. Neighbourhoods like the Annex were not engineered by central planners. No one decided that Bloor street west of Spadina would be populated by a wide array of restaurants serving cuisines of diverse ethnic origins. It happened because entrepreneurs and corporations saw opportunities, and seized them. Many have failed, and been replaced.

One might argue that the neighbourhood would optimally contain an additional Ethiopian or Mexican restaurant, and perhaps that will happen if there is market demand. But no one would seriously advocate for any type of zoning measure to ensure that this happens.

Indeed, if local politicians micromanaged to that degree, Bloor would likely be a strip of chain restaurants who have the financial means to game the regulatory system that would be required to consciously plan out the neighbourhood. The trouble with using regulations to bring about an outcome you might prefer is that complex regulatory systems are easily hijacked by politically connected individuals and organizations.

While the idea of politicians picking and choosing which types of restaurants to permit seem far-fetched, it actually does happen. Consider the case of Joe Pantalone. The former councillor and mayoral candidate famously attempted to prevent barista Sam James from opening a coffee shop in his ward. The objection didn’t seem to be that James would have been creating excessive noise or traffic, but rather that Pantalone did not believe the business was viable.

Specifically, he objected to the size. He was quoted as follows: “I wouldn’t call them stores. I’d call them cubicles. We’re not in Japan here where people can rent cubicles.” Incidentally, Pantalone was wrong. The business proved to be wildly successful. This is an example of why politicians shouldn’t attempt to pick winners and losers (aside from the inherent injustice).

The simmering opposition to chain restaurants operating food trucks isn’t all that much different from the case of Sam James. Opposing chain food trucks on the basis that people do not want them is ludicrous. If people want them, they will be financially viable. If not, they will fail. That should be left up to consumers. While there are legitimate regulatory challenges that need to be addressed to accommodate the bourgeoning food truck industry, all trucks should be treated equally before the law.

Ironically, picking a fight with chain food trucks could undermine the industry entirely. If brick and mortar establishments aren’t allowed to enter the industry, they will lobby for regulations that restrict food trucks. When legislators exhibit a willingness to allow outside pressure to bend regulations, lobbyists will respond accordingly. If foodies think that they can run corporate food trucks out of town and not have the same happen to independent food trucks, they are naïve about how the political process works.

Toronto entrepreneurs, in both restaurants and food trucks, are gradually creating a world-class culinary environment in the city. If Torontonians want to live in a world class city, it is time to embrace progress.

Spearheaded by Graeme Smith, owner of Gorilla Cheese, and Mike Pitton of Southern Smoke Truck, the two entrepreneurs got together and leased a piece of land to create a place designated for trucks to come and serve up their gourmet grub when they aren’t busy with their bookings. They are hoping that Food Truck Alley can become a regular spot where people can come by for truck food at any time throughout the spring and summer.

This past weekend, Food Truck Alley hosted several different local vendors including Toronto favourites, Gourmet Gringos and Buster’s Sea Cove who made the trip over to Hamilton for the service. “It was an awesome sight to see all those trucks lined up like that, once we get some good weather I think we’ll see a lot more trucks coming out.” said Graeme.

Here’s hoping that Hamilton’s Food Truck Alley is only the first of many truck pods that open up in the city this food truck season.

Food Truck Alley can be found on Aberdeen Ave at Longwood St South in Hamilton by Highway 403.

Here are the trucks who will be on-site at the Sony Centre this week (April 17-19):

April 17: Hogtown Smoke and Beaver Tails
April 18: Hogtown Smoke and Beaver Tails
April 19: Buster’s Sea Cove and Pretty Sweet Bakery

The Sony Centre is located at 1 Front St E (Front St/Yonge St).

Updated on April 17th.

Packed with videos, slides and worksheets, “Hacking the Food Industry” promises to be a crash-course in PR and social media marketing, time-saving tips and strategies to success. It’s meant for anyone entering (or already in) the food industry but is especially relevant to those looking to start a food truck. And the best part? It only costs the equivalent of nine of Basile’s Sloppy Jose sandwiches (or, $72).

More information about the ‘Hacking the Food Industry’ workshop can be found on the INSIGHT Project website.

Photo by blogTO/Natta Summerky

This year, they are also inviting some of my favourite gourmet food trucks to the show and highlight the diverse cuisines we can find on our streets.

Here’s a full list of trucks that will be in attendance:

Buster’s Sea Cove
Curbside Bliss Cupcakes
The Food Dudes
Blue Donkey Streatery
Smoke’s Poutinerie
Gourmet Gringo’s
Rome’N Chariot
Mike’s Dog House
Crazy Cravings

In addition to the food truck tasting, the host of Eat St, James Cunningham will be live on the main stage on Sunday April 7^th at 1PM, followed by a book signing for the new Eat St. cookbook.

Tickets to this festival are $11 Online or $14 at the Door. You can also buy your sampling tickets inside for $1 per ticket!

If you want to try out some of Toronto’s best street food and have a chance to see Eat St host, James Cunningham live – go here to buy your tickets now!

The Direct Energy Centre is located at 100 Princes’ Boulevard by the Exhibition Place. The event will be on from Friday April 5^th to Sunday April 7^th.

Cunningham feels that when it comes to food trucks in Toronto, it is very much about the quality over the quantity.

“I’m very impressed with the trucks we have in Toronto, the quality of our food trucks are really good. We may not have many, but the ones we have are top notch. It really comes down to how passionate these guys are about this business, if you talk to Rome’N Chariot or Caplansky’s, they really put their heart and soul into their food,” says Cunningham.

I asked him about his favourite truck bites throughout his visits across the GTA and he was quick to point out some of his memorable meals from our local food trucks.

“To be fair, I haven’t tried everybody yet but I love the sandwiches from the Caplansky’s truck, Hogtown’s Po Boy and the lobster rolls from Buster’s Sea Cove. It’s amazing the kind of gourmet food you can find from a truck today.”

When speaking with him, I could tell that James is a proud Canadian and would love to see food trucks in Toronto continue to thrive. “Hats off to our GTA food trucks, these guys work real hard and it really shows in the quality of their food.”

He hopes to go out to the various food truck events this summer to help promote the idea of food trucks in Toronto starting with this weekend’s Good Food & Drink Festival.

The new season of Eat St starts up again on April 8th on Food Network Canada and the show’s cookbook, Eat St. – Recipes from The Tastiest, Messiest, and Most Irresistible Food Trucks is now available in stores.

As detailed on blogTO, the new restaurant will share the Gourmet Gringos name and offer its full menu as well as new options like a gluten-free burrito. The restaurant will also function as a catering and prep kitchen for the truck. It’s the same model that Fidel Gastro’s is using for its soon to open spot on Queen West.

Matt Basile, owner of Fidel Gastro’s, the popular food truck and sandwich pop-up is opening a new restaurant at 638 Queen St. W. at Bathurst.

As reported by The Grid, Basile will be taking over the 60 seat, recently closed Prague European Kitchen and reopening it as his own restaurant called Lise Marie – keeping in line with his Elvis theme after naming his food truck Priscilla.

Basile started as one of Toronto’s first pop-ups and opened his food truck last August. Since then he has been doing both public events and private events with the truck and as a pop-up catering operation.

Basile sees this lastest venture as another extension of the Fidel Gastro’s brand.

“I needed a hub to do my food truck and catering business. When this space came up, it had a perfect layout for a massive kitchen, a huge front of house and parking in the back for the truck. The food itself is going to still have a street food theme and the restaurant is just another cog in the Fidel Gastro’s wheel,” says Basile.

When asked how the new brick and mortar location will affect the food truck arm of his business, Basile assured us that the truck will still be hitting the streets of Toronto as frequently as ever.

“I think this will give me the opportunity to get the food truck out even more because now that there is a centralized location, I can actually staff my company properly and I don’t have to be in three places at once to make the business operate.”

Matt hopes to launch the new restaurant in the spring sometime. In the meantime, keep an eye out for his food truck.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

Four Toronto food trucks are facing off in a chicken wing showdown for this year’s Superbowl.

The event is taking place Sunday, February 3rd at 99 Sudbury and will feature The Feisty Jack, Fidel Gastro’s, Hogtown Smoke, Food Dudes and Chef Michael Pataran.

In addition to the food truck fare, the event will also feature a number of beverage vendors, prizes and large screen TV’s for viewing the big game.

Pre-sale tickets for the event are $7.00 and are available for pre-purchase online.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

Please note this event has already taken place.

Toronto’s newest carsharing program, car2go, is celebrating their first 100 days in Toronto with a free food truck ‘mobile feast’ this Thursday from 4-10 p.m.

The event is taking place at 525 King Street West (west of Spadina) in the Target Park lot and will include music, games and prizes.

Five Toronto food trucks will be on hand including Blue Donkey Streatery, Gourmet Gringos, Stuft Gourmet Sausages, Fidel Gastro’s and Rome’n Chariot.

car2go members and non-members are invited. Event-goers will receive complimentary food, free car2go lifetime membership and 30 minutes of drive time once they register for free with car2go.

The event is taking place rain or shine and is a great opportunity to grab a free food truck dinner Thursday night.

If you live or work in the area, come on out!

Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
Address: 525 King Street West; Toronto
Time: 4–10 p.m.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

After a busy summer, things don’t seem to be slowing down for Toronto’s growing food truck scene even with colder weather approaching.

The newest kid on the food truck block is The Feisty Jack, a truck dedicated to traditional and modern takes on classic British food.

Owner William Randolph grew up in the food business in London spending time in family run pubs and later going on to formally train as a chef.

We sat down with him to discuss his new truck and what he plans to bring to Toronto’s food truck landscape.

TFT: How did you first get involved in the food business?

Feisty Jack: I think my first time in a kitchen I was about 6 years old in the back of my uncles’ pub, one of his cooks called in sick and they had me peeling potatoes, but hey, everyone starts somewhere. Growing up in a family where everyone was involved in the service and food industry you just innately learn the ropes and it becomes second nature. Professionally I decided to attend culinary school after I already had 10+ years of life in a kitchen but I wanted some official training. In the end I could not hide the fact that food was my passion.

TFT: Why did you decide to start a food truck?

Feisty Jack: Street food for me is one of the most amazing and untapped forms of culinary expression, the idea of getting something delicious in places you’d never expect is a huge draw. I spent a fair bit of time traveling in South America, India and East Asia and was blown away by how the population embraces food from the street as opposed to how we in the West do. Some of the most delicious food I have eaten has come from the street and the food truck thing was a great way for me to put my own spin on it.

TFT: What is the concept/theme of your truck?

Feisty Jack: Modern and classic British, but I like to refer to our food as “Gastro fare” a high quality combination of ingredients cooked with style, flavor and ultimately love. I want to change the idea of what people think about British food, it’s not all about deep fried goodness anymore, Britain has so many different influences these days and we can’t ignore them, huge Indian and Asian influences have come into play and it has changed the palette of many Brits, I hope to bring a little of that to the people of Toronto and also put modern twists on the classics.

Our theme is something we wanted to have some fun with, we went with the classic Union Jack as the iconic backdrop, I added the Spitfire RAF imagery to honor some family history and the teeth to make the truck a little “feisty” and to top it off we named our truck the “MMFalcon” because I am a Star Wars g33k and it seemed right considering all the mechanical issues that have pushed our launch from June to October =)

TFT: Well it looks great. Can you give us some examples of some of the dishes on your truck…

Feisty Jack: On our truck you can find classic dishes like Bangers and Mash, we call it “Smash Smash, Bang Bang” as we take it to the next level, boring old sausages are transformed using a spiced homemade lamb sausage and our mash potato is smashed with roasted garlic and rosemary mustard. Our Shepherds Cottage pie is the best in the city (we welcome all challenges…) but you’ll also find new British food, like a classic East-London Chicken Tikka Masala and we can’t forgot the “Vinnie Jones” a very angry brit-burger that packs a punch and makes our air-siren on the truck sound when it’s ordered.

TFT: I understand you plan to offer baked goods as well? Why did you decide to do desserts on your truck? What are some of the dessert items you plan to feature?

Feisty Jack: When coming up with the concept of the truck, it just didn’t seem right to have a British truck without dessert. When it comes to dessert plan on some classic staples like the legendary UK Banoffee Pie and Sticky Toffee Pudding and a selection of butter tarts including Choco-Peanut Butter, Apple-Caramel and Strawberry to name but a few, and last but not least a full selection of British chocolate bars ready and waiting to become a deep fried snack.

TFT: What kind of pricing can people expect?

Feisty Jack: We want to find a balance between making it affordable for everyone to enjoy our food, but also not sacrifice quality in our ingredients. Expect our food to be anywhere from $5-$10.

TFT: Where do you hope Toronto’s food truck industry will be in a year and what are you hoping to contribute?

Feisty Jack: I really hope that Toronto embraces food trucks, I am sure most are aware of the restrictive and archaic rules that surround street side serving in the city, however there is a genuine thirst for this industry and if we all worked together it’s a win-win situation. I hope that in a years’ time we will have established some serious rules and regulations that can help local business and food trucks work alongside to promote and be successful together. We have got to remember that Toronto is the biggest city in Canada, the most culturally diverse and is capable of greatness on many fronts; we sincerely hope this is one of them.

Make sure to follow The Feisty Jack on Twitter and Facebook and don’t forget to check out their website.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

Toronto’s 7th annual Nuit Blanche celebration is taking place this Saturday, September 29 and 14 food trucks will be taking part serving up street eats all night long.

Sticking to the event mandate of being a ‘sunset-to-sunrise celebration’, the trucks will be open from 7:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.

Here are the details for the three truck locations:

Bay St., north of King St. West
Buster’s Seacove
Gourmet Gringos
Curbside Bliss Cupcakes
Texas Tornado
Tiny Tom Donuts

Albert St., east of Bay St.
Food Dudes
Rome’n Chariot
Sweetness Bakery
Texas Tornado
Tiny Tom Donuts

Church St., north of Queen St. East
Blue Donkey Streatery
Per Se Mobile
Smokes Poutinerie
Tiny Tom Donuts

Nuit Blanch is a sunset-to-sunrise celebration of contemporary art. One night only. All night long.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

On Friday, October 5th, Alexander Keith’s is celebrating it’s 271st birthday with a street food and music filled festival at the Evergreen Brickworks from 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Tapping into Toronto’s exploding street food scene, this year they’re kicking the party up a notch by bringing in seven gourmet food trucks as well as a number of Toronto’s favourite pop-up vendors.

Here’s a full list of trucks and vendors in attendance:

Rock Lobster Food Co
Stuft Gourmet Sausages
Fidel Gastros
Caplansky’s Deli Truck
Gourmet Gringos
Dobro Jesti
Pretty Sweet Cupcakes
Bonfire Catering
Neptuno Oysters
Babi & Co

In addition to exciting street food fare, the event will also feature great live music by popular east coast rocker Matt Mays and super-group cover band Dwayne Gretzky.

Tickets are only $10 and they include free shuttle service, entrance to the festival, access to a see the music acts perform live, and a host of other made to share experiences like a games station where you can challenge a Keith’s girl for a chance to win prizes and give-a-ways.

The shuttles home to Union and Broadview Stations will run until 2:00 a.m. We are also told they will make a pit stop at a few bars downtown in case anyone wants to continue their night out.

Also everyone who comes to the event gets-gift boxed Keith’s glassware and there will be an engraver on site who can personalized your glasses with your name.

Tickets are on sale now but are limited and selling fast.

If you want to try some of Toronto’s best street food, enjoy and cold pint of Keith’s and see some great live music – go here to get your tickets now.
·
The Toronto Evergreen Brickworks is located at 550 Bayview Avenue and shuttle service departs every 10 minutes from Union Station and Broadview station starting at 7:30 p.m.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

After a successful first week, food trucks are returning to Front and Sherbourne this week to feed the hungry lunch crowd.

Here’s is this week’s schedule:

Monday: Buster’s Sea Cove
Tuesday: Hogtown Smoke
Wednesday: Blue Donkey Streatery
Thursday: Food Dudes
Friday: Gourmet Gringos

If you live or work in the area, please come on out and tell your friends!

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

This Thursday, we are teaming up with Prostate Cancer Canada to bring you the Truck ‘N Tailgate, a food truck street party.

On Sept. 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., five trucks including Gourmet Gringos, Stuft Gourmet Sausages, Curbside Bliss Cupcakes, Hogtown Smoke and Caplansky’s Deli Truck will be serving up streat eats on Lombard St. between Victoria St and Church St.

In addition to the trucks there will be live entertainment and lots of fun for everyone. The event is just a short walk from Yonge St. and it’s for a great cause so it’s a perfect excuse to leave the office and come on out for a food truck lunch!

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

Today Adrian Niman from the Food Dudes appeared on Cityline to demonstrate how to make their popular Captain Crunch cod tacos which they feature on their food truck.

Here’s the recipe (Originally posted on Cityline website):

Lime-spiked slaw ingredients:
1/2 cup (125 mL) mayo
1/4 cup dijon
Juice & finely grated zest of 2 lime
1/2 tsp (2 mL) honey
4 cups (1L) slaw mix, shredded purple and green cabbages
1 mango, peeled, pitted, julienned
1 carrot, peeled, julienned
1/2 field cucumber, seeded, julienned with skin
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) cilantro leaves, chopped

Spicy guacamole ingredients:
1 avocado, peeled & pitted
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) hot sauce, or to taste

Smoked sour cream ingredients:
1/2 cup sour cream
Applewood smoke chips or liquid smoke (1 tsp)
Ice

Cod tacos ingredients:
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
Salt & pepper
3 large eggs
1/4 cup (60 mL) milk
3 cups (750 mL) Cap’n Crunch cereal
1-1/2 lb (675 g) boneless, skinless cod, cut in bite-size strips or chunks
Vegetable oil for frying
12 small white flour tortillas, warmed

Method:
1. For slaw: In small bowl, whisk mayo, lime juice and zest, and honey. In medium bowl, combine slaw or cabbage, mango, carrot, cucumber, onion and cilantro. Toss well. Add mayo mixture. Toss until well-mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. For guacamole: In bowl, combine avocado, garlic, onion, lemon, salt and hot sauce. Mash roughly with fork. If needed, place plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate for up to several hours until ready to use.
3. For smoked sour cream: Cold smoke sour cream on ice in your smoker with applewood chips for 20 minutes and then refrigerate and season with salt to taste.
4. For cod tacos: Put flour in shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
5. In second bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
6. Put cereal in food processor. Process into fine crumbs. Place in shallow bowl.
7. Put cod pieces in flour, tossing to coat. Dip in egg mixture, shaking off excess. Put in cereal crumbs; toss until well-coated. Transfer to clean plate.
8. In large cast-iron skillet, heat 1-inch (2.5-cm) oil over medium-high. Add cod. Cook, turning once, until outside is golden and inside is just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes depending on thickness of your pieces. Drain on paper towels.
9. To assemble tacos, lay each tortilla on plate. Top with small pile slaw, dollop guacamole and about 3 pieces cod, garnish with smoked sour cream, chopped tomato and scallions.

Makes 12, 3 per guest.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

And this year food trucks will be joining the festivities.

Four trucks will be parked on Queen St W. both days from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the south-east entrance of the park.

Here’s the lineup for this weekend:

Saturday:
Food Dudes
Caplansky’s
Stuft Gourmet Sausages
Gourmet Bitches
Curbside Bliss Cupcakes

Sunday:
Food Dudes
Gourmet Gringos
Stuft Gourmet Sausages
Gourmet Bitches
Curbside Bliss Cupcakes

The Queen West Art Crawl began as a one-day event in 2003. Since then it has blossomed into a weekend-long festival of creativity and community. Their goal is to celebrate and cultivate the unique character, diversity and ethos of Parkdale and Queen West – a natural habitat for individual artists, arts organizations, artist run centres and businesses that promote art and culture.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, consider checking out the Art Crawl and the trucks!

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

After feeding hungry crowds in the west in last week, we’re happy to announce that food trucks will be visiting the east side of Yonge for lunch starting tomorrow.

For the rest of this week, one truck will be rotating daily at Corktown Gas, located at 176 Front St E. on the north-east corner of Front and Sherbourne.

The trucks will be serving up lunch from 11:00 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. every day.

Here’s the schedule for this week:

• Tuesday: Stuft Gourmet Sausages
• Wednesday: Gourmet Bitches
• Thursday: Caplansky’s
• Friday: Gourmet Gringos

If you live or work in the area, come on out and tell your friends! Or if you need gas, come fill up and grab lunch!

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

From Tuesday, September 4th Wednesday, September 5th to Friday, September 7th you’ll be able to find a rotating roster of food trucks at their oneeleven presentation gallery and model suite located at 111 Bathurst St, just north of King St. W. at Adelaide.

Here’s the full schedule:

P.S. Please share this with any friends or colleagues that work in the area!

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

The King West crowd is getting some new lunch options next week.

Starting Tuesday, September 4th, hungry west-enders will be able to find food trucks located at 111 Bathurst Street at the corner of Adelaide and Bathurst (just north of King St. W.) from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

We are pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Harhay Developments to try out weekday food truck lunches at their oneeleven presentation gallery and model suite.

We will be releasing an official truck schedule shortly but next week you can look forward to appearances from Per Se Mobile, Hogtown Smoke, Fidel Gastro and Gourmet Gringos to name a few.

For months we have been getting requests to bring food trucks to the west end and we want to thank Harhay Developments for helping to make it happen.

Make sure you follow @oneelevencondos on Twitter where they will be posting daily truck lineups, and check out their presentation centre if you come by for lunch.

And if you live or work in the area, please share this with your friends and colleagues – they will thank you!

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

Fond childhood memories arise for most Torontonians when they think back on times spent in late August at the CNE. After all this 18 day festival has been around for 133 years now.

With hopes of continuing that trend, organizers have jumped on board Toronto’s unrelenting street food revolution, bringing 18 foodtrucks onsite for this year’s action.

David Bednar, CNE General Manager, thinks the trucks are going to add a new dimension to The Ex this year. “The CNE is in the experience business…These trucks are using different cultural foods, mixing and matching them together and creating different experiences.”

Patrons will have no shortage of options to indulge and fulfill their food truck desires.

The rally will host multiple BBQ trucks, serving up favorites such as brisket and pulled pork. Your East coast cravings can be satisfied by seafood offerings such as lobster rolls. You can try Latin American and Greek inspired food. Get your hands on ‘Extremo sandwiches’, sausage stuffed paninis, wood-fired pizza and more. There will also be ample opportunity to get your sweet tooth fix, with doughnuts, and cupcakes to name a few.

With so many trucks together in the same spot, the event is sure to create a buzz.

Festival goers will have three days to taste the variety of unique food truck offerings. The trucks will be parked along Princess Blvd, just inside the gates and open to all Friday from 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Popular Food Network show East St. will also be on hand to cover some of the action so you may have a chance to get yourself on TV if you’re lucky.

Here is the list of participating trucks:

• Buster’s Sea Cove
• Hank Daddy’s BBQ
• Gourmet Bitches
• Blue Donkey Streatery
• Sweetness Bakery
• Hogtown Smoke
• Texas Tornado
• Tiny Tom Donuts
• Pretty Sweet Cupcake Truck
• Canuck Pizza Truck
• Stuft Gourmet Sausages
• Rollin on the River Muskoka BBQ
• Gourmet Gringos
• Mike’s Doghouse
• Fidel Gastros
• Per Se Mobile
• Food Dudes
• Urban Smoke Fusion BBQ

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/18-food-trucks-descend-on-the-cne-for-three-day-rally/feed 1 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/from-pop-up-to-food-truck-fidel-gastros-hits-the-road http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/from-pop-up-to-food-truck-fidel-gastros-hits-the-road#comments Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:32:05 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2766 Click to Continue …]]>

In under a year, Fidel Gastro’s has gone from pop-up sandwich shop to full blown food truck.

Entrepreneur Matt Basile began serving up his ‘extremo sandwiches’ to the people of Toronto last November when he popped up for the first time in a tiny rental space on Tecumseth Street.

Since then, he’s gone on to become a staple at the Toronto Underground Market and favourite among Toronto foodies not only for his food, but also for his friendly and boisterous personality, shouting ‘Olé’ wherever he goes.

And if that wasn’t enough, he’s now filming the first season of his new reality TV show, Rebel Without a Kitchen, which chronicles his transition from pop-up to food truck.





Basile, who used to work in advertising, got into the food business because he wasn’t satisfied with his 9-5 job and felt that creating food for the people was his calling.

Realizing that starting a restaurant was going to be too financially prohibitive and risky, he decided to become one of Toronto’s first pop-up food businesses.

The ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ nature of a pop-up allows entrepreneurs to minimize risk and financial investment while still being able to test their menu concepts and start to grow a base of customers and fans through their food and with social media.

Basile was able to use the pop-up model to make a name for himself and make a business case for launching the truck.

His sandwich focused menu features slow cooked meats with various toppings.

“Our two most popular sandwiches right now are the ‘Sloppy José’, which is a braised brisket, baked bean and roasted corn aioli sandwich – and our ‘Sgt. Slather’ sandwich, which has pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce, guacamole and crushed tortilla chips”, explains Basile.





Now that he has the truck, Basile also plans to role out some new items such as a fish and chip sandwich he’s calling ‘The London Fog’.

“I’m pretty excited about it. It will just be easier to pull off on the truck with deep fryers on board.”

He also plans to bring back some of his rarer sandwiches that he’s done in the past like the ‘Olé!, Olé!, Olé!’ – a poutine-bacon sandwich and his ‘La Senorita’ sandwich which is a turkey chili and jalapeno popper combination.

In addition to his sandwiches, Basile intends to roll out some non-sandwich items on the truck. He told us he’s planning a ‘French Fry Pad Thai’ which uses french fries instead of noodles and pulled pork instead of chicken.

Another new dish is what he’s calling the ‘Gorgeous Jorgé’ which is a peanut butter braised pulled pork with bacon jam and pigskin crackling.

Basile sees Fidel Gastros as a food experience company and for him, the truck is just the latest spoke in the wheel.

You can catch Fidel Gastros tomorrow on Front St. just West of Bay St. from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. as well as all weekend at the CNE’s Food Truck Frenzy.











About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/from-pop-up-to-food-truck-fidel-gastros-hits-the-road/feed 0 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-trucks-toronto-international-film-festival http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-trucks-toronto-international-film-festival#comments Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:23:41 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2711 Click to Continue …]]>

Gourmet food trucks will be lining the red carpet for the first time at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

We are excited to announce that we’ve teamed up with Festival organizers to bring you a full ten days of food truck programming at this year’s event.

From September 7th through to September 16th, a rotating roster of trucks will be stationed nightly from 7:00 p.m. to midnight outside the Bloor cinema located at 506 Bloor Street West just east of Bathurst.

Film goers will have the opportunity to try exciting street food options like lobster rolls, tacos and pulled pork sandwiches (to name a few) as they wait in line outside the theatre.

Area residents are also in for a treat as the trucks will be accessible to ticket holders and non-ticket holders alike.

This is the first time gourmet food trucks and have come to the Bloor and Bathurst area and the Festival is excited to be back at the Bloor cinema, where they plan to showcase some of their edgiest films as part of their Vanguard and TIFF Docs programme.

Here’s how you can get TIFF tickets:

• Tickets packages are on sale now until August 22nd
• The official film schedule will be announced today
• Single tickets are on sale September 2nd

An official TIFF food truck schedule will be released soon. In the meantime, you can follow Toronto Food Trucks and TIFF on Twitter for updates.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-trucks-toronto-international-film-festival/feed 2 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/running-a-food-truck-for-dummies-book-now-available http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/running-a-food-truck-for-dummies-book-now-available#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:03:41 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2716 Click to Continue …]]>

Thinking of opening a food truck?

Then you might want to check out Running a Food Truck for Dummies, a new book that aims to simplify the process for would be food truck entrepreneurs.

The guide is written by Richard Myrick, the editor of Mobile Cuisine, a website dedicated to the mobile food industry. It’s available on Amazon now.

Richard was kind enough to chat with us about his new book and his experience in the food truck space.

TFT: How long have you been involved in the food truck industry?

RM: I started following food trucks back in mid 2010. Prior to that time, I had worked as an architect in the retail development industry. When the recession hit, the company I was working for started laying people off and eventually went into chapter 11 bankruptcy. 3 rounds of layoffs later, they finally found my cubicle and I was out of work, with no prospect of getting another. The recession stopped a lot of construction projects, and I knew it was going to be a long time before the industry started to pick back up. So as a way to figure out another means of income, my wife and I started discussing the idea of opening a hot dog cart here in Chicago. Once I started researching I came to the quick realization that there weren’t any site on the Internet that really covered the industry except for a few blogs on the West coast, and they really only covered foodies type subjects regarding mobile food.

It was this realization that prompted me to start writing about the industry in a blog. My goal was for Mobile Cuisine was to be part industry trade magazine and part entertainment blog. We are coming up on our 2 year anniversary and I have been writing about the industry 5 days a week since I started.

TFT: What made you want you want to write the book?

RM: The book came as a total surprise. One day while writing a blog post, I received an email from someone claiming to be an editor with John Wiley & Sons who wanted to know if I had interest in writing a for Dummies book for people interested in the food truck industry. Since I really had no knowledge of the publishing industry, I reached out to a friend who was. After a quick search on LinkedIn, it was determined that the email was genuine and not some spam marketing ploy. With this information in hand we started discussing what they were looking for, and it seemed as though it was a great opportunity for myself and others interested in getting involved in the mobile food industry. Writing Running a Food Truck for Dummies was going to be a perfect platform to do this.

TFT: What’s the biggest misconception among new food truck owners?

RM: It doesn’t take long for a new food truck owner to realize that while the industry has gained a lot of the foodie spotlight as being an exciting field to get into, it is no walk in the park. There are long hours involved even before the truck gets rolling, and those hours expand once the truck opens for business. Don’t get me wrong, this is a fantastic industry for those willing to put in the hard work, but if someone thinks they can merely purchase a truck with some kitchen equipment in it and start a successful business venture, they need to think again. Throughout the book, I explain the ins and outs of owning a food truck from the developing of a concept to the marketing of their products and service to hiring a great staff.

TFT: What’s the biggest challenge new food truck owners face?

RM: Perfecting their menu and their operational systems. Without these systems in place, it doesn’t matter how well you can market your truck or how long the lines are on your opening day. You need to have a well-developed, tasty menu that you can cook consistently, and you need to maximize the staff you have to prepare the food and get it out the window in a timely fashion. You are going to be introducing your product to new people every day, the goal is to provide them with a meal and fantastic service that will get them to keep coming back, and becoming brand ambassadors who will pitch your truck to their friends and family.

TFT: What’s the one piece of advice you would offer aspiring food truck owners?

RM: Before you jump into opening a truck, you need to make sure you have enough starting capital to help your business make it through its first 6 to 12 months of operation. Many people think that by getting enough money to scrap together to get the truck opened is enough. It isn’t. Just as any small business, the first year is going to be the most difficult and if you don’t have enough capital to pay your bills or your staff (including yourself) you could find yourself unable to purchase the food required to sell of the truck.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/running-a-food-truck-for-dummies-book-now-available/feed 0 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-dudes-host-block-party-to-launch-gourmet-food-truck-pics http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-dudes-host-block-party-to-launch-gourmet-food-truck-pics#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:40:32 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2659 Click to Continue …]]>

If there’s one thing the Food Dudes have experience with, it’s how to throw a party.

Last night they debuted their new gourmet food truck to a hungry crowd of guests and media at 99 Sudbury.

In addition to some exciting and tasty street food from their new menu, the party also included such attractions as a food truck ice sculpture, a body paint model, a giant Twister game, a giant Connect Four game, a live graffiti artist, a (real) tattoo station, and beverage offerings from Creemore Springs, Tromba Tequila and Stolichnaya Vodka.

In other words, subtle is not how these guys roll.

Nevertheless, the food was abundant and everyone we talked to – including ourselves – thought it was delicious.

They broke their menu down into three categories:

• Snacks
  • Mac and cheese arancini
  • Bone marrow toast with onion relish
• Boxes
  • Watermelon salad with goats cheese tempura
  • Bangkok slaw with triple seared steak and crispy calamari
• Sambos
  • Veal meatball on a basil bun
  • Captain Crunch cod taco
  • 24 hour braised beef brisket on a green onion biscuit

In addition to their food truck menu, they also served some items from their catering menu including smoked chicken quesadillas, beer battered shrimp, mini grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken wings and mini ice cream sandwiches.

Keep an eye out for their truck hitting the streets as early as next week.



















































About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-dudes-host-block-party-to-launch-gourmet-food-truck-pics/feed 1 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/introducing-gourmet-gringos-torontos-first-latin-american-inspired-food-truck http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/introducing-gourmet-gringos-torontos-first-latin-american-inspired-food-truck#comments Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:20:41 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2626 Click to Continue …]]>

Authentic tacos, arepas and homemade epanadas. Those are just some of the items that will be coming off Toronto’s newest food truck – the Gourmet Gringos.

The Gringos are the latest addition to Toronto’s growing roster of food trucks in what has been a breakout year for street food.

And from the looks of things, this is just the start.

In 2012 alone, seven gourmet food trucks have launched with a bunch more yet to come.

And not only are the Gourmet Gringos Toronto’s first real Latin street food truck, they’re also one of the easiest to spot with their bright orange, yellow and red wrap.

Owners Krystian Catala and Terry Nicolaou have been in the food business their whole lives and recruited chef Arturo Gresshave who grew up in Mexico surrounded by authentic home cooked meals. He also formally trained at a culinary school in Spain.

The trio has their sights set on bringing something new to Toronto’s food truck scene and are confident their bold latin flavours are going to be a hit.

We met up with them to chat about their new business and check out their shiny new truck.



TFT: So who are you guys and what got you into the food business?

TN: I’ve been in the food business a long time and come from a big Greek family where food is huge and we have big family dinners. My parents used to have a couple little restaurants where they would cook greek food and that’s where I first got exposed to food.

Then growing up I opened up a Wild Wing restaurant and did that for five years and sold it last year.

Krystian is my best friend and for 20 years we always talked about doing something together and he called me up one day and said I got this great idea for a food truck and then literally we bought the truck within 48 hours – and that was ten weeks ago.

TFT: Where did you guys find the truck?

KC: On either Craigslist or Kajiji – I found a bunch of them and just started calling. We made an appointment to see one in Toronto and when we saw it we knew this was our truck.

TFT: So then you guys brought Chef Arturro on board right? What’s your background Arturro?

AG: Well I’m from Mexico and I’ve been in the food industry for 11 years and went to culinary school in Spain. I first met Krystian’s brother and he told me about the truck and I was excited – you know latin food – and I said ‘I’m in’.

TFT: Explain the Gourmet Gringos concept. What are you guys all about?

KC: In terms of the name, my wife and I had a catering company that we called the Gourmet Gringos and we just thought that it sounded good and it worked.

TFT: What about the food that you will be serving on the truck. What can we expect?

AG: The concept is Latin American with a lot of Argentinian and Mexican flavours but we want to do food from a bunch of different places like Central America and South America. And I want to make specials every day. Stuff from El Salvador, Honduras, Columbia – show people that Latin food is amazing and packed with flavour.

TFT: Can you give us some examples from the menu you’re planning?

AG: We have a Spanish burger, an Argentinian burger, a spanish poutine with chorizo and pork belly and a couple salads.

KC: Basically our concept is ‘choose your vessel’ and then ‘choose your protein’. So for your vessel you can choose between arepas, tacos, burritos, tortas, or a poutine. And then you can pick any of our meats – carnitas, cochinita, mole braised short ribs, mexican spiced braised chicken, and our fish which is a mahi mahi.

TN: And everything is done from scratch. The food is quality and we use local ingredients when possible. Arturro marinates the meat for hours – Arturro what’s the process?

AG: I marinate the meat at least overnight, sometimes for two days. I think it’s very important that the meat is given the proper amount of time to marinate.

My training is not in a Michelin Star restaurant but I grew up with this food and I’m really excited to make it. It’s going to be street food with a refined touch.







TFT: Why do you guys think Latin food is so popular as a street food in other cites?

KC: The Latin culture is made up of more than one country – all South and Central America make up the Latin culture. So it’s not just one single country, you’re embracing at least 10-15 different countries which we also see represented in the Toronto area with it being one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world.

We love empanadas and we always said you can’t get a good empanada on the street in Toronto, and for us, that’s what clinched doing a Latin truck.

TN: The food is our strong point. The difficult part was getting the truck built because there’s no blueprint for how to do it and in Toronto is still relatively new. It took us 10 weeks and we built everything on the truck from the ground up.

But in terms of our food, we’re confident people are going to like it.





TFT: What kind of pricing can we expect?

TN: We’re trying to hit a price point that’s fair for us and the consumer.

KC: We have things on the truck for three bucks – like our empanadas. Burritos are $8 and they are large. Tacos are $3 each and although they are small tortillas, they are full.

TN: It’s not all about making money, it’s also about giving Toronto a good Latin street food experience.

Follow the Gourmet Gringos on Twitter and Facebook.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/introducing-gourmet-gringos-torontos-first-latin-american-inspired-food-truck/feed 0 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/toronto-caterers-food-dudes-launching-gourmet-food-truck http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/toronto-caterers-food-dudes-launching-gourmet-food-truck#comments Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:50:45 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2588 Click to Continue …]]>

Popular Toronto caterers, Food Dudes, are set to launch a gourmet food truck in mid August.

The plan is to take their globally inspired flavours and adapt them to a street food menu in a truck that’s just arrived from Miami and is fully loaded with plasma tv’s, a satellite dish and custom painted propane tanks that say ‘Sauce’ on them.

They plan to use the truck to take their ‘food driven entertainment’ philosophy to the next level by taking a live video feed of the chefs cooking inside the truck and displaying it on some of the flatscreens so customers can watch.

The truck will also be vegetarian friendly with each dish having it’s own veggie spin.

Food Dudes is a joint effort by owners Adrian Niman, Brent Mcclenahan and chefs Dan Frenette and Dave Mcintyre. Running social media and events for the truck will be Jamie Zuckerman.

Yesterday I sat down with Adrian, Brent and Jamie to talk about the new truck.





TFT: Can you tell us a bit about what Food Dudes is?

Food Dudes: We are a full service catering company located in Toronto that started around seven years ago and we’ve had a lot of growth in the last several years. Our whole concept is bringing energy to the industry. We’re all under the age of 30 – or 30 – there’s a few chefs now that have reached 30, and we’re basically trying to be a leader in the young food movement here in Toronto.

TFT: So what made you guys want to start a food truck and where did the idea come from?

Food Dudes: Well it’s been in our business plan for a while and we were kind of waiting for the laws to change but have decided to move ahead now anyway. When we started to see trucks coming out and tried some of the product, we thought we could bring something new to the table just like with our catering.

The Food Dudes concept is ‘food driven entertainment’ which came from our parties where we noticed that a lot of people would start talking about the food so much so that it became evident that it was a driving force in the overall atmosphere of the party – which helped us evolve into what we now call food driven entertainment.

And then we thought, ok, with the food truck, let’s add and enhance that idea at an event by having the truck there and putting television screens on the truck showing live feeds of our chefs cooking inside. And that’s how we see the truck being an extension of our brand. It’s taking food driven entertainment to the next level.

In terms of coming up with the truck, we went down to Miami and we found a food truck park, it was in Jupiter Florida, right beside their city hall. There were about five trucks there and it had this great community feel to it. Seeing the food truck experience down there made us think it we be really cool to try an bring that to Toronto.

Then we talked to one of the food truck owners there and he gave us a referral to a food truck builder in Miami and sure enough here we are.



TFT: What do you think of Toronto’s current food truck scene and what do you guys think you’re going to bring to the table?

Food Dudes: I think we’re going to bring a bit more character to the industry. We’re happy with how the industry here is starting to develop. The fact that there is even trucks coming out is a great thing and it’s going to be ever evolving until we become a more mature and exciting city when it comes to our street food. What’s really important for us is that we make an awesome product and show what Food Dudes is all about.

I think we’re going to bring a better overall quality product and be able to quickly serve large volumes of people. Because of our catering we have a production facility that we can use to prep a lot more food than some trucks which may have to do all their prep right on the food truck where there’s only so much space.

We also have two large service windows in the front of the truck that to open it up and show the chefs working which makes everything really friendly and creates an awesome atmosphere. The speakers on the outside are going to play cool music, we’ll have the olympics on the TV’s and we just want to bring a cool vibe to the scene.

Having a good product with good energy is what brings smiles to people’s faces.

TFT: You mentioned the plasma tv’s and the speakers, but can you tell me more about some of the features of the truck and what they will be used for?

Food Dudes: Well we have a satellite, a brand new generator so we can do a service anywhere without having to plug in, two 60 inch plasma tv’s on one side of the truck which can be used for anything and can be interchanged between photos and videos, ad materials, live tv – anything. And then we have two screens on the service side that run lengthwise with one that will be at eye level that’s for the menu and then the other one we were thinking could have a live feed into the truck so that the people in the line that are further back can see that, ‘ok the guys are in the weeds but they’re cranking it out and they’re smiling and they’re in good spirits’ and they can see what they might want to order. Our sound system is also really good and can pump music really loud.





TFT: Can you give us any exemples of dishes you’re going to have on the truck?

Food Dudes: Basically the stuff that you’re going to see on the truck is what we make together on our day off.

Really outside of the box, flavourful, not messing around with too much. For example you won’t be seeing any liquid nitrogen or molecular gastronomy, just really in your face flavours. Kind of like our catering but more in your face and stuff that maybe you don’t see here but that you’re seeing in Chicago, L.A. or New York – really outside of the box and really creative.

We can’t reveal any completed menu items yet but from a dessert perpective we’re working on a deep fried smores bar with a homemade marshmallow and a dessert taco idea.

We have some renditions of classic street food – we have a hot dog that we might do that’s not really a hot dog but in a hot dog style bun with things like brisket and tempura bits and some other crazy things. We just want to play with bold flavours and interesting combinations of textures.

The menu will be separated as munchies, boxes and ‘sambos’. And sambos to us basically means it doesn’t have to be a sandwich, it can be a po’ boy taco or a cornflake crusted talapia taco – but anything that you can grab in your hand and eat.

And what we’ve learned from our years catering is what already works together, so for us to think outside the box and really do some creative stuff isn’t that far fetched.

Another thing that we want to make known is that vegetarians will not feel out of place at our truck. Anything that is on the menu will also have a vegetarian spin on it. Which is important to us because when it comes to food trucks, vegetarians can sometimes get left out, but I’ve noticed in Toronto especially there’s a lot of people on the veggie kick and we want them to come out and enjoy the truck also.

All of our munchies will be vegetarian. So that means things like crispy lotus root and tarow root chips with smoked lime paprika salt, a seasonal corn on the cob and a really badass pakora.

Items on the menu are going to be represented from around the world. Our style of cooking isn’t like, just Italian for example, but what we do guarantee is that if we are making something more traditional like a meat ball, you will taste all the familiar authentic meat ball flavours. We will have the best meat ball sandwich around, that’s something I can guarantee.

We also like to do Mexican and Asian among others, and that’s what Food Dudes is all about – taking global flavours with local ingredients and making them pop in your mouth.

Another cool thing we are going to be doing on the truck is juices. Things like a rendition on a mojito or a daiquiri that use local ingredients to make some really fresh tasting drinks. And if you happen to have a mickey in your pocket and you want to slip some booze in, we won’t tell on you.

Our hope is that you’ll feel like you’re eating at a four-star restaurant but eating off the street at a much more reasonable price point. Everything on the truck is going to be from $3 – $10 max

TFT: Where can people expect to find you guys?

Food Dudes: We’ll be all over. You can book us for private events attached to our catering but we are open to going anywhere.

TFT: Where can people follow you online?

Food Dudes: People can follow us on our Twitter and Facebook pages.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/toronto-caterers-food-dudes-launching-gourmet-food-truck/feed 1 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/hogtown-smoke-bringing-late-night-street-food-to-ossington-bar-scene http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/hogtown-smoke-bringing-late-night-street-food-to-ossington-bar-scene#comments Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:57:13 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2558 Click to Continue …]]>

Partygoers in the Ossington Ave. and Queen St. W. area will have a new late night food option when they stumble out of the bar this weekend.

Starting tonight (July 19, 2012), BBQ food truck Hogtown Smoke will be serving up late night eats from 11:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. at 21 Ossington Ave (just north of Queen St. W.) and will be back again tomorrow (July 20, 2012).

Those looking to satisfy their late night cravings can now look forward to smoked brisket, patron infused chicken, pulled pork and poutine.

Follow Hogtown Smoke on Twitter.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/hogtown-smoke-bringing-late-night-street-food-to-ossington-bar-scene/feed 0 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/do-you-know-a-good-location-for-food-trucks-we-want-to-know http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/do-you-know-a-good-location-for-food-trucks-we-want-to-know#comments Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:03:33 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2520 Click to Continue …]]>

We are always on the lookout for potential food truck locations and rather than try to explore the entire City ourselves, we thought why not to ask you, our audience.

If you know a location (or own a property) that gets a significant amount of walk-by foot traffic that you think would be a good fit for food trucks, we want to know about it. We are particularly interested in locations inside the downtown core.

Some important things to keep in mind:

• The location has to be private property
• The location has to be zoned for commercial activity
• The location cannot be a parking lot that charges cars to park
• Space to accomodate a minimum of two trucks is preferable

Benefits to Business/Property Owners

Bringing food trucks to your business or commercial property will allow you to tap into the foot traffic food trucks bring as well as be included in marketing materials and social media campaigns. A condo presentation centre is a good example of a partner that could benefit from the above.

Get in Touch

Please use the form below to send us your suggestion(s).

• Name
  FirstLast
• Email*
• Comments

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/do-you-know-a-good-location-for-food-trucks-we-want-to-know/feed 0 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/toronto-council-votes-to-expand-hot-dog-cart-menus-heres-what-they-can-now-sell http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/toronto-council-votes-to-expand-hot-dog-cart-menus-heres-what-they-can-now-sell#comments Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:24:47 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2492 Click to Continue …]]>

At its meeting today, Toronto City Council voted to allow existing hot dog carts to expand their menus.

As reported elsewhere, here’s a list that provides some examples of what the carts can now sell (these are not the only items they can sell under the new rules however):

• Pre-packaged cut fruits and vegetables using only vinaigrette dips;
• Whole fruits and vegetables, including corn on the cob;
• Pre-packaged fruit salad;
• Bagels with individual serving containers of butter, margarine, peanut butter or jam;
• Pre-packaged nuts and seeds;
• Pre-packaged salads containing only vegetables and/or fruits with all dressings to be pre-packaged and not requiring refrigeration;
• Pre-packaged Tabbouleh salad and pita bread;
• Soups;
• Pre-cooked veggie burgers;
• Coffee and tea

Compared to some of the unique creations coming from Toronto’s new gourmet food trucks, that list will be interpreted by many as somewhat boring. However, what’s interesting is the fact that under the new rules, cart owners can now sell anything they want as long as it’s pre-cooked and approved by Toronto Public Health.

While restricting the carts to pre-cooked food is still pretty limiting, it does open the door for cart owners to get creative about the kinds of pre-cooked items they are going to serve.

For example, Marianne Maroney already sells pre-cooked wild game sausages, ribs and baked potatoes from her cart in front of Mount Sinai Hospital.

The bottom line is cart owners now have the opportunity to cook more than just hot dogs. Let’s hope they get creative and push the boundaries with what ‘pre-cooked’ means and bring some unique offerings to Toronto Public Health for approval.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/toronto-council-votes-to-expand-hot-dog-cart-menus-heres-what-they-can-now-sell/feed 1 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/heres-how-you-can-win-a-free-catered-service-from-hogtown-smoke http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/heres-how-you-can-win-a-free-catered-service-from-hogtown-smoke#comments Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:47:46 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2479 Click to Continue …]]>

The guys from Hogtown Smoke want to give you and your friends a free BBQ food truck party. The catch? All you have to do is ‘like’ them on Facebook.

Not bad for a chance to win your own personal food truck event. Plus you’ll be able to stay up to date with their locations and news.

When they reach 2,000 likes, they will randomly choose one of their fans who will then get to host an end of summer BBQ ‘block party’ for their friends sponsored by Hogtown Smoke.

Go here for all the details.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/heres-how-you-can-win-a-free-catered-service-from-hogtown-smoke/feed 0 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/introducing-per-se-mobile-torontos-newest-food-truck http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/introducing-per-se-mobile-torontos-newest-food-truck#comments Mon, 09 Jul 2012 22:22:13 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2422 Click to Continue …]]>

Toronto’s newest food truck is here and it’s called Per Se Mobile.

The truck is the brainchild of Luis Olarte, James Larratt-Smith and William Gavilan and is an extension of their existing business, Per Se Catering, which has been operating since 2009 out of the building at 411 Richmond St East.

They plan to serve a wide range of flavours from the truck but with both Luis and William originally hailing from Colombia and then Miami, it’s no surprise that there are some latin flavours represented on the menu.

This past weekend the trio served up their take on street food to the hungry crowds at Salsa on St. Clair and said they were slammed the whole time.


TFT: Can you tell a bit about Per Se Catering and Per Se Mobile?

Per Se Mobile: As a catering company we’ve been in business since 2009 and this year we are launching Per Se Mobile which is a separate identity but will have the same approach we take with all our catering in that everything is made fresh from scratch. We also do all our own butchering and have a full time pastry chef.

TFT: What made you guys want to start a food truck and what kind of food will you be serving?

Per Se Mobile: William and I are from Miami and there is a big food truck movement there already so after seeing some of those trucks we thought it would be something that we could bring to Toronto.

In terms of our food, there’s a mix of different items. We have a Colombian-style ‘Royale Burger’ which is a chuck burger with chipotle mayo, candied pineapple, smoked bacon and mozzarella. We’ve got a porchetta sandwich with pickled cipollinis and banana peppers as well as shrimp tacos with a fresh salsa mix and avocado mousse. And to drink we’ve got a really refreshing sugarcane lemonade.



It’s also important to us that we sell our food at a decent price but still leave people feeling full and satisfied. We’re doing a pretty big burger, it’s a 1/2 pounder for $8 and 3 medium size shrimp tacos for $8.

Everything is simple but really tasty.

TFT: Where can people find you online?

Per Se Mobile: People can stay up to date with us by following us on Twitter.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/introducing-per-se-mobile-torontos-newest-food-truck/feed 2 http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-trucks-coming-to-mel-lastman-square-for-canada-day http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-trucks-coming-to-mel-lastman-square-for-canada-day#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:25:45 +0000 Mark Macdonald http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/?p=2416 Click to Continue …]]> Gourmet food trucks will descend on North York this weekend for the City’s Canada Day celebration taking place in Mel Lastman Square on July 1, 2012.

Four trucks will be on hand serving up unique street food including Caplansky’s Deli Truck, The Cupcake Diner, Buster’s Sea Cove and the Rome’n Chariot.

In addition to great street food, there will be performances and fireworks.

View the full schedule of performances.

About the Author: Mark Macdonald is the Founder of Toronto Food Trucks. He is a Toronto freelance web designer and a street food movement supporter. Get more from Mark on Twitter and Google +.

]]> http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/food-trucks-coming-to-mel-lastman-square-for-canada-day/feed 0