Austin Food Trailers

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Austin Trailers Are Movin' And Shakin'

Before you would know it, the last week of May is almost over. Over at Austin Food Trailers, it's another very busy week as several Austin trailers offer updates and news morsels to tide us over until the next big Austin food trailers-related event. We want to bring the disparate updates to you in one clean package here; so let's get started.

The Vegan Yacht, finally, has a new location that the healthy food trailer is thriving at. After a few years of instability in terms of geography, the Yacht is finding some permanence and loving it. The Austin Chronicle writer Melanie Haupt has the review and report:

"It's been hard for the trailer to find a stable location, especially over the past year. In its four years of operation, the Vegan Yacht has spread the gospel of the vegan Freeto Burrito from two different locations on East Sixth, a bucolic lot on East 12th, and a stint at hip Eastside bar the Grackle. That relationship was short-lived, ending abruptly after this year's South by Southwest festival. A few weeks later, the Vegan Yacht found an unlikely new harbor in the garden of Spider House, the longstanding North University coffee shop.

'I don't think we're ever gonna leave here,' gushes Mike Wood, who is running the Yacht singlehandedly while Danielle cares for their son Otis and prepares to deliver their second child later this year. 'This is the evolution we've been looking for.'

The Vegan Yacht joins a handful of other trailers that have operated on the grounds of the protean renovated house frequented by generations of college students in its 20 years of operation. "No one worries about stepping on anyone's toes," says Wood. Despite the fact that Spider House is ostensibly a coffee shop, patrons walk past Beware Coffee as they enter through the parking lot, where they can also grab a brownie or $4 toast from adjacent pastry trailer Fresh Baked. While the Vegan Yacht occupies a cozy corner on the west side of the outsider-art-themed garden space, another nook reveals the Love Balls takoyaki trailer, while the Greek Original Gyros trailer stands sentry outside the Spider House Ballroom."

In news that focuses on one of our beloved Austin trailers making menu recommendations, The Celia Jacobs Cheesecake Experience had this tip on May 29:

"We are open and ready to rock your socks with some cheesecake bites! We suggest pairing up a LaLa's Lemonade with our NY Style cheesecake for an out of this world tastebud experience! We're here till 8pm or sold out..see you soon!"

And then there was Goldis Sausage Company (3116 S. Congress Avenue), which updated (temporarily) their menu in response to strong customer demand:

"The people have spoken! We shall smoke a limited number of The Blue Sausage (pork, blueberry, maple, mint, mustard seed, balsamic, etc.) every Wednesday night forth whence!

Tonight and tomorrow our special sausage is still The Pink Lady (pork, Himalayan salt, habanero chunks, pink peppercorn, Thai Basil, green onion).

We have also added a couple of new menu items, one for vegetarian appeasement, and another carnivorous side. I'm not gonna tell y'all what they are though yet."

Get the Blue Sausage while supplies last...

Finally, Korean Komfort Food Trailer is making a big move. Time to update your map:

"We would like to announce that Korean Komfort will be moving to east Austin to the GoodLife Food Park at 900 E. Cesar Chavez St. this Sunday June 1st.

We deeply appreciate all of the support that we have received here at the Rancho Rio Eatery since we opened our doors this past March. It has been a pleasure serving the west UT campus area.

Our last day at the Rancho Rio Eatery will be this Saturday May 31st so please come visit us if you are in the area! On Sunday June 1st, we will make the 3 mile move to the GoodLife Food Park at I-35 & E. Cesar Chavez which is just a 10 minute drive from our current location. We should be set up and ready to serve on Sunday but please stay tuned to our FaceBook and Twitter for any updates.

Please help us get the word out by telling your friends. Thank you!"

So there's the deluge of Austin trailers news for this particular mid-week period. In another 48 hours, though, Austin Food Trailers will be drenched again with updates and news bits. Stick around to stay on top of this stuff!

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/austin-trailers-movin-shakin/

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Trailer Food Tuesdays Cancelled, But The Austin Trailer Food Culture Rolls On

Austin Food Trailers NOTE (courtesy Trailer Food Tuesdays):

"Good morning Trailer Food Tuesday fans. The Trailer Food Tuesdays team and The Long Center have been closely monitoring the weather conditions for this evening in hopes of moving forward with tonight's event.

As always, the safety of our patrons, vendors, partners and staff is of the utmost importance. Although rain is something we can typically push through, the possibility of thunder, lightning and hail pose a safety issue for all involved.

As a result, we regret to inform you that tonight's event has been cancelled. Please keep an eye out on this page for updates for trailers and trucks that were scheduled for the event.

Sincerely,

Trailer Food Tuesdays & The Long Center"

Oof. That's quite a way to begin the Austin trailer food week. But the weather is an act of God and we have to move forward through it. Austin Food Trailers is sure the June TFT will be twice as wild.

Stay dry, though, because there are multiple trucks out there, changing the city landscape. Llama's Food Trailer, the chief purveyor of Peruvian Creole fare on the scene, is making big waves. They've recently acquired a new (and bigger) trailer, and are planning to expand to a second location. But that's not even the major news; Llama's is beginning a special "supper club" experience next week! For anyone who is looking for a unique dining experience and would like to get closer aquatinted with one of the men behind the magic, Executive Chef Julio-Cesar Florez will be hosting the 5 course meal should check out the EVENT FLYER HERE!

Then there's all the activity with Veracruz All Natural. They are also adding a new truck, which will serve the far south of ATX with its location at 4208 Manchaca Road. Folks who really know this city will recognize that address as the same one that holds Radio Coffee & Bar. The brand new cafe and alcohol emporium will also get some Austin trailer food love from Veracruz' special Tex-Mex servings. When Austin Food Trailers says "brand new," we mean it - this place just had its sign put up a few weeks ago. We'll be sure to visit the trailer/bar/coffee house when all the infrastructure is in place. It sounds like another great meeting place for Austin culture.

Meanwhile, the South Folk Eatery (10106 Manchaca Road, if you don't know) is offering up some delicious fried catfish for the entirety of the following weekend. The folks at South Folk have been hitting it out of the park, food-wise, in the recent days. They just put out a fantastic Facebook post on Friday, May 23 that promoted their custom fish tacos. Earlier than that, on May 21, they were on about their portabello mushroom tacos. We don't know many Austinites who can say no to this kind of menu; even if you're not into fish it's hard to pass up those mushrooms.

If certain Austinites are down to totally throw off the "healthy eating" idea altogether (no judgement), there's Bananarchy's special this week: the Snicker's Banana:

"Dipped in chocolate, topped with peanuts, and drizzled with caramel and marshmallow creme! Who's in??"

I think Bananarchy just answered their own question there. Yum and yum again. Be sure to let Austin Food Trailersknow if you know any breaking Austin trailer food scene news items. We'll do the story justice.

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/trailer-food-tuesdays-cancelled-austin-trailer-food-culture-rolls/

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Trailer Food Tuesdays Curates Austin Trailer Food Excitement for May 2014

Well, it wouldn't be long before Austin Food Trailers' gaze turned to another exciting Trailer Food Tuesdays event. The May 2014 edition takes place on May 27th at, as always, the Long Center. While the structure of the Austin trailer food happening is pretty entrenched at this point, the individual trailers are always a toss-up. As is any live music, and of course the crowd of people will always be shifting and changing in a great, diverse city like Austin, Texas.

Trailer Food Tuesdays' actual words are probably the best source for all information on the events occurring on the 27th.

"Join us at the Long Center May 27th for the next Trailer Food Tuesdays presented by Real Ale Brewing Company!

Live music by Doug Strahan & The Good Neighbors from 6p-9p! Our friends at Camp Gladiator will return with a free workout at 6:30p, just bring a mat & water.

Trucks & Trailers: The Peached Tortilla Whole Foods Market GoodPop Cow Tipping Creamery SLAB BBQ OMG Cheesecakery Rosarito Foodtruck mmmpanadas Lambert's Foodapalooza Regal Ravioli Stony's pizza Tiger Lily

An assortment of refreshing brews from Real Ale will be highlighted in beer pairings with special menu items from Whole Foods Market Truck, SLAB BBQ, and The Peached Tortilla. Stay tuned to www.trailerfoodtuesdays.com or @TrailerFoodTues on Twitter for event updates.

All you need is your family and friends, a blanket, plus an appetite!" - Trailer Food Tuesday Website

Tiffany Harelik is one of the most ambitious and important figures in the Austin food truck community. Clearly, TFT is one of the most effective public showcases for many of these trucks (and other assorted Austin businesses). It's frankly hard to imagine the spring and summer seasons without the event at this point.

Some of these trailers are less well-known to the readers of Austin Food Trailers. Rosarito Foodtruck, for instance, is a new truck name in the community. Lambert's Foodapalooza is also worth a look. How do they describe themselves?

"Lambert's Foodapalooza is pleased to announce the Foodapalooza Mega Bus serving gourmet truck/bus food. Now serving Austin!

Lambert’s FoodaPalooza Mega Bus is a multi-concept Gourmet Food Truck that serves the Austin area for corporate lunches, lunch deliveries, private caterings, events & festivals. Our FoodaPalooza Mega Bus has the capability to execute six different Food trailer concepts, all which will be their own trailer at our Foodapalooza Park in 2015!

We are happy to offer customized breakfast and lunch options. From serving straight from our Foodapalooza Mega Bus to white linen table-scaped buffet, hors d’oeuvres after five o’clock, dinner and late night caterings, we can custom tailor a catering solution to fit your needs. Our team has over eighty years of food and beverage / catering experience and can deliver on our promises to make your event special."

Tiger Lily is a new name from some old friends. A Southeast Asian food truck operating at 1905 South Capital of Texas Highway (The Midway Food Park), Tiger Lily was established by the folks behind perennial Austin food truck favorite Tapas Bravas. Here's Austin360 with the scoop:

"The owners of Spanish food truck Tapas Bravas open Tiger Lily today at the Midway Food Park (1905 Loop 360). The truck serves Southeast Asian street food inspired by the owners’ travels. The menu includes sweet and spicy pickled cucumber ($4), Vietnamese chicken wings ($9), Asian street corn ($6) and an assortment of bubble teas. The trailer is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m."

What are you looking forward to most at next week's Trailer Food Tuesdays? Austin Food Trailerscan hardly wait for the smorgasbord of great Austin trailer food.

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/trailer-food-tuesdays-curates-austin-trailer-food-excitement-may-2014/

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GoodLife Food Park And Other Austin Trailer Food Updates

Before Austin Food Trailers begins in earnest this week, let's check out this Buzzfeed "DYI" list for "31 Impossibly Fun Wedding Ideas." What's that at number 9? Oh, that would be "Hire a rad food truck for a late-night snack." Well, we couldn't have said it better ourselves.

"According to Pinterest: “IN-N-OUT will rent you a truck for 1K fully stocked with a cooking team for the day. Perfect for a midnight snack at a wedding!” (You can contact their event services to verify this.)"

Perhaps In-N-Out Burger isn't your dream wedding choice; it doesn't matter because if you're getting married in Austin (which is a real treat in the first place), this city has so many great food trailer choices that the bride and groom could find any taste range for the late night, post-ceremony snack. Wedding bells and Rosarito's, anyone?

Now for some big news: there's going to be a new food trailer park for enjoying afternoons and nights (and Austin trailer food, of course). The GoodLife Food Park will be the "gateway to East Austin," according to founder Garry Wise, who has his builders constructing the park at the intersection of Interstate 35 and East Cesar Chavez. Wise had apparently long been looking for a spot to construct a food trailer park, and the land at the East Austin intersection was previously only held down by a run-down house. The GoodLife Food Park is clearly an improvement to the visual appeal of the area.

Certainly, a new place to eat great Austin trailer food while sitting and enjoying the city atmosphere is a good thing. It's yet to be seen if GoodLife, for all its obvious benefits, will be a major traffic and parking concern when the doors finally open. It obviously seems possible with its city hot spot geography. However, Wise has promised "ample parking" in this CultureMap Austin article.

It's all pretty up in the air right now for the new trailer park. While the area could hold up to 17 trailers, it's going to have less than that to make room for other amenities. No word has come through yet on just how many trucks will end up at GoodLife. Facts that are currently known, though, include an unusual approach to landscape. Grass, dirt and/or gravel, which other Austin trailer parks use often, will be totally absent at the new Food Park. Instead, Wise has chosen wood chip landscaping to avoid grime, dirt and other unappetizing details in the trailer food and on the GoodLife visitors' person. This might end up being Austin's cleanest food truck park.

Additional notice: Ms P's Electric Cock is hiring: "We're hiring a part-time cook to work Mon-Fri 11:45am to 4pm. This could possibly turn into a full-time position for the right person! Shoot us an email at [email protected]."

Employment offers are not something to be handled lightly...

BTW, before you go, make sure to remember that Trailer Food Tuesdays for May happens next week on Tuesday (May 27). While Austin Food Trailers will plan more coverage (obviously) of TFT, it's good to start getting ready now. As everyone knows, a week in Austin trailer food goes by fast in Austin, Texas.

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/goodlife-food-park-austin-trailer-food-updates/

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News For Food Trucks In Austin, Plus Memorial Day 2014

Let's catch our breath and take a look around at the scenery for a moment. Austin Food Trailers doesn't have to look long to find the juicy tidbits and mini-narratives playing themselves out. These are "the quarters on the corners," in the words of the great American filmmaker Robert Altman. And they lead right up to Austin 's Memorial Day.

Yes, there is a steady stream of activity rumbling as we move closer to Memorial Day 2014 in this fair city. As with any holiday and celebration, the food trucks in Austin are going to be moving in high gear, both sustaining and adding to the general hustle-bustle and sense of activity that's always going down in the ATX.

On the evening of May 15th, for example, updates were offered from Garbo's Lobster Truck, Ms. P's Electric Cock, and Health Box. Garbo was at "Torchy's Food Truck Park" (Austin Food Trailers is pretty sure they mean the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery) for some more Food Network filming. Those guys have been here for a while, eh? Elsewhere, Ms. P's was pulling out a "southern staple" in the form of their custom cole slaw - or "slaw" if you're into the whole brevity thing. Have you had the Electric Cock's special approach to this classic side? It's highly recommended...

Health Box, for their part, posted a charming photograph on their Facebook. The shot depicted customers who had gotten some special topping action on their Fruit Poops. The rush of activity across multiple food trailers in Austin is inevitable; the awful weather of May 11 and May 12 kept most of Austin (and our food trucks) hunkered down in shelter. When the sun came out and it was brisk, all the critters were bound to come out to play.

Speaking of play, Trailer Food Tuesdays also went ahead and announced their May lineup on the 15th. Here's the message, courtesy of the TFT Facebook:

"It's official! The lineup for the May edition of Trailer Food Tuesdays presented by Real Ale Brewing Company is finally out! Drumroll please.... The Peached Tortilla Whole Foods Market GoodPop Cow Tipping Creamery SLAB BBQ OMG Cheesecakery Rosarito Foodtruck mmmpanadas Lambert's Foodapalooza Regal Ravioli Stony's Pizza & more TBA! Come on down to the Long Center terrace and support your local food trucks while enjoying live music by Doug Strahan & The Good Neighbors! Our friends at Camp Gladiator will host a free workout on the lawn at 6:30p. See y'all there!"

So we've got some familiar names and a few new trailers to check out. As usual, the eclectic spread speaks well to the Austin food truck culture. We don't have to point out that Austin Food Trailers will be at Trailer Food Tuesdays, do we? TFT will be taking place on the 27th, which is one day after Memorial Day. The Monday holiday will be strewn with so many events that no one would be able to see all of them. Take a look at this list for the weekend, which is a only quick Google search away! There are likely to be dozens of food trailers dotting the landscape as this city's citizens move from one spot to the next. Remember, Austin Food Trailers wants you to have a fun Memorial Day. So, in the days up until then, make sure you make a strong plan going forward!

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/news-food-trucks-austin-plus-memorial-day-2014/

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Austin Food Trailers Samples Princess and Moose`s Sister's Magical Confections

Discussing marketing strategy with food trailers affords Austin Food Trailers the opportunity to really get to know trailer owners and their food on a personal level. Although the passion and the philosophy of the trailers undoubtedly comes through in the food, it’s always a pleasure to hear about the history of a trailer from the horse’s mouth. Or in this case from the Princess and Moose`s Sister mouth!

Ideology

Huh? Yea, that was our first question too. Why Princess and Moose`s Sister? Is it a fantastical psychedelic Lewis Carol-esque children’s story, or maybe… well, I don’t know, that was my best guess. Anyway, we found out where the name came from. Their website clearly explains the origin of the name and its significance to Edie and Stephanie, the ladies who own the trailer, and the ideology behind their food and business.

"Who are we, you ask? We are 2 sisters who grew up learning how to bake from our mother, grandmothers, and aunts. We do old school baking with a twist! We want you to feel the love we have for baking when you indulge in our treats. We want you to feel like you are a part of our family! (The love most certainly comes through. Princess and Moose`s Sister have skillfully taken their deep love for family and baking and translated it into the Austin community.) Our name comes from our uncle, they are our nick names! When we were little, we were Princess and Pretty Girl. Then our brother came along, he was a big baby! So his nick name became Moose and Pretty Girl became Moose's Sister. So our bakery has been in the making for the last 30+ years! We have been in Austin since 2006 and love it here! Our style of baking and thinking goes hand in hand with the "Keep Austin Weird" attitude that we love. We like to mix up the flavor combinations to make wonderfully delicious confections just for you!”

I’m emphasizing just for you because that is another sentiment that comes through with resounding clarity. If you have food sensitivity or are a picky eater, they will eagerly rise to the challenge and accommodate you. Are you vegan and soy free? They’ve got you covered! What other bakery do you know that would do that?

Ingredients

“We use local ingredients from Tito's Handmade Vodka, Mill King Milk, Richardson's Farm, Johnson's Backyard Garden, and various local farmers for in season fruit and vegetables. We want to support local businesses plus they have GREAT products! Their great products help our products be the best they can be and taste amazing! Buying local helps everyone!"

This is exactly what my mom would do and I absolutely love it! Their approach is so homey, honest, and unpretentious.

Everything they make, from start to finish, is from scratch. They squeeze their own juices, and make their own marshmallows. (I didn’t even know you could make a marshmallow, I just assumed they were a byproduct of some unfathomable chemical combination, like a Twinkie, but no, and to top it off, Lick Ice Creamery on SoLa uses their marshmallows, too!!!)). They make their own vanilla extract (that’s where Tito’s comes in), and use locally sources eggs from truly free-range chickens (acres of roaming space).

When I visited, I got to try their Soy Free Vegan Raspberry and Blackberry Mookies - which are muffin top cookies. As you would expect, they used fresh locally sourced berries and it was really excellent! The Mookie was flavorful, fresh, and moist, and virtually indistinguishable from a regular muffin top – no compromises! I would definitely reach for one of these over a regular muffin and skip out on that drab, boring bottom.

Princess and Moose`s Sister's Treats

While I was visiting with the sisters I got to try a whole variety of their treats!

The Chocolate Overload - It is, as you would expect, decadent and delicious. The cake is moist, the frosting, rich and creamy, and there were a variety of chocolate flavors to experience in every delectable mouthful. Next time you’re looking to stuff your face full of a variety of chocolate flavors and textures and take a dive into a palatable chocolate wonderland, Princess and Moose`s Sister (PMS - no coincidence!) is the way to go!

Lisa’s Boring Cake - It’s a vanilla cake with vanilla custard and milk chocolate butter cream. Although the cake started out basic, the girls couldn’t help but give it a little flare. The end product is anything but a generic vanilla cake. Instead it’s a creamy Boston crème butter cake. (NEVER buy an HEB cake again!) (Note, how the name refers to someone in their family. And just like that you're part of their family and know that Lisa likes her cake on the plain side! I love that!)

Toots Maghoots Key Lime Pie - It's served in a small mason jar but packs one heck of a flavor punch! You can taste the freshness of the key limes and the accenting zest, which the girls are very liberal with. The rich silky texture and full flavor of the cream makes the “pie” hard to eat quickly. That must be why they serve it in a sealable jar. It’s a little unconventional, but it really gets you to slow down and savor the flavors instead of just gulping it down. It’s very relaxing to have something slow you down and focus your attention on what’s right in front of you. Princess and Moose`s Sister ideology comes from their grandma, who would always make everything from scratch. You know, back when few things were mass produced and you could only eat what was seasonal. And their recipes come from meals at home and hours of bouncing ideas around the kitchen table with their mom. Austin Food Trailers can really tell that they are home grown, and that's our kind of food!

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/austin-food-trailers-samples-princess-and-mooses-sisters-magical-confections/

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Limited-Edition Food Trailer T-Shirt

Limited Edition Austin Food Trailers T-Shirt Not Sold in Stores - Sale Ends May 19th

http://teespring.com/keepcalmaustintrailerfood

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You Won`t Believe What Austin Food Trailers Saw During a Food Network Film Shoot!

I know no one claims that reality TV shows are 100% rooted in truth, but that’s never been clearer to us at Austin Food Trailers than it was this past week. On Thursday afternoon, the Food Network was in town, setting up the final round of one of their episodes of The Food Truck Face Off in Austin’s own Midway Food Park. The contestants were . . . well, there’s no real need to spoil the episode, now is there? The show will be airing on Food Network later this year. But both contestants put their best feet forward to try and win the competition by serving up interestingly eclectic food to fit their niche. For once though, I’m not writing to talk about the food. Instead, I want to talk a little about the experience.

When we watch these sorts of competitive reality shows on TV, what we’re used to seeing are intense, fast-paced situations where people are pushing themselves to their limits to win. We see heated arguments between partners and opinionated judges that pull everything apart with a discerning eye.

Today, Austin Food Trailers wants to remind everyone to take these shows with a grain of salt. Our experience on set with The Food Truck Face Off had us impressed: impressed at the lengths these shows will go to cultivate the exact sort of drama needed for the competition to be interesting.

As you might expect, the scenarios are set up and polished in an editing room, but it was amazing to see the piece get pulled together in the way the editors wanted despite the reality of what was happening before us.

The Interaction and Relationships

The personalities that are on the show are of course authentic to an extent, but grossly exaggerated. A minor spark between two people can become a full blow-out fight unnecessarily. For example, as we were waiting for our orders of food to come out, the camera crew stood inside one trailer instructing a contestant to look over her shoulder and reiterate an instruction to her partner in a more annoyed and rushed way than she had a moment ago. For a better take. On a side note, I would start to feel authentically annoyed and rushed if I had someone telling me what to do while I was trying to focus on getting lots of orders out in the final round of a competition.

Testimonials

“Man on the Street” testimonials, the ones where seemingly independent and unrelated people talk about the food, were completely staged as well. One of the guys we sat with, a person who genuinely enjoyed the food he was eating, was asked to give a testimonial and then directed into complaining about the spicing and seasoning when what he said was too positive. He was essentially instructed to lie for the sake of making the trailer seem more inept. Another of the people sitting with us happened to be of an ethnicity related to the trailer. She was instructed to speak convincingly in a negative way about the food as well.

On the other hand, I was asked to give a testimonial as well. In mine, I was allowed to be honest and as positive about the food as I felt, so there is a bit of truth in that!

All of this staging and intense direction does make for enjoyable television. In fact, these competition shows are some of my favorite, but it’s important to realize that the whole thing is fiction. Both trailers did the best they could considering they were inexperienced, facing tough first-day crowds and situations, and most importantly had cameras and directors in their faces the whole time. One that note, I can’t wait to see how everyone fared in that final competition and who got to take home their truck as the grand prize!

If you’re interested in participating in reality TV and would like to get in on some of the action, see what it’s like for yourself, or just get some on-camera time, the Food Network will be doing another episode of The Food Truck Face Off on Wednesday, May 14th @1pm at Republic Square, and Thursday, May 15th @ 8pm at South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery. The first 60 customers to each taping will receive $10 dollars toward their food truck meal and the chance to participate in the show.

Filming should take no longer than 3 hours. If you’re interested, send an email to [email protected] with your NAME, PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS, and PREFERRED DATE OF ATTENDANCE.

Good luck!

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/austin-food-trailers-discovers-just-unreal-reality-tv/

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Delicious Feast at The Picnic Launch Party!

Being a food blogger has its perks. I mean other than getting to indulge in deliciousness created by happy, food loving people, Austin Food Trailers also occasionally gets invited to special events like The Picnic Launch Party. The Picnic, which is located at 1720 Barton Springs Road, has curated quite the collection of food trailers and launch organizer Ronnie Brooks was eager to share the collection with those of us most vociferous on the topic of food. And of course I’m more than happy to oblige with an article, especially after such an excellent meal and experience.

The lineup of trailers is as follows: Ms. P’s Electric Cock, The Seedling Truck, Turf N' Surf Po Boy, Tapas Bravas, Skinny Limits, Hey!. You Gonna Eat or What?, Hey, Cupcake!, and The Mighty Cone.

After acquiring my wristband, I bee-lined for Ms. P’s. I haven’t had any of their amazing fried chicken since Truck by Truckwest (I know, for shame!) and was eager to get my fix. I came up to the window anticipating a tasty treat, but even my expectations were exceeded when Ms. P herself greeted me at the window.

Ms. P’s Electric Cock

 I don’t usual get starstruck by celebrities. Just mildly curious. But I swear my heart stalled when she said hi. I have an exorbitant amount of respect for her and her business and after I regained my voice, I was delighted to finally get to meet her and tell her how much I love her trailer.

After that, I was presented with the initial delicacy I had expected: a sampling of fried chicken and their truffle mac and cheese. The chicken is straight up excellent and you can read all about it here, but the truffle mac and cheese is what I’d like to focus on.

It was everything a perfect mac and cheese should be, but with a splash of decadence. It’s the ultimate comfort food for a foodie. I don’t know about you, but even when I make a simple and classic dish at home, I’m always compelled to add a little something fun to it, and since truffle salt is one of my favorite condiments, I really enjoyed the creamy "highbrow" flavor of the mac and cheese.

The Seedling Truck

After starting the evening on such a high note, I floated over to The Seedling Truck to see what they had. The offering was sweet potato grits with seared quail and ancho chile lime honey sauce, all of which was beautifully decorated with a sprinkling of micro greens. The dish was reminiscent of rustic fine dining, both in its presentation and in the complexity of the flavors. The quail was cooked to a tender medium well, and the ancho chile added a subtle smokiness to the honey, which was then refreshed with a sprinkling of lime. It was all around delightful.

Turf N' Surf Po Boy

After we established our home-base, I ventured out to the po'boy trailer. Have you seen this thing? It’s pretty gargantuan for a trailer. The picture only kind of does it justice.

After the guy at the counter walked me through all of the ordering options, I ordered a yellowtail taco which in itself is like a meal and a half. It came with mixed greens, slaw, tomato, onion, cilantro, and a really delicious cilantro-ranch dressing. It was a very hearty, yet refreshing meal. Later on, Ralph Gilmore, the owner, came over to our table and told us to get whatever else we’d like. They were SO GENEROUS!

At this point I needed to take a breather and observe my surroundings. Caroline had come back to the table with a beautiful assortment of veggie options from Tapas Bravas, but as they’re already one of my favorite trucks, I felt irresponsible indulging in their delicious food when there was still so much to try. Instead, I’m going to share a great photo and description of their goat cheese stuffed peppers from Slow Down and Savor:

Tapas Bravas

Now, I’ve had these bundles of joy before, at Trailer Food Tuesdays, way back when. They’re Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Goat Cheese, Toasted Pine Nuts, and honey, and there’s really nothing like them. The peppers were beautifully roasted and had a gorgeous red color that contrasted nicely with the fresh parsley and the soft goat cheese. The goat cheese was remarkable. It was velvety and luscious. It filled my mouth with the tangy pungency that only goat cheese can bring. The sweet roasted peppers combined with the cheese was a perfect pair. Perfect. Pair. The pine nuts added a nice and unexpected crunch while the honey just tied everything together. Basically? Yum. - Click HERE to Read More about Slow Down and Savor's trip to The Picnic 

Hey!. You Gonna Eat or What?

 Finally I ventured over to Hey!. You Gonna Eat or What? and was presented with a delicious sample of their famous Monte Cristo by none other than Eric Regan himself. Talk about being starstruck! He set down the plate, gave a quick funny description of the sample, sincerely thanked us for coming, and scurried away to deliver another order. It was an entirely charming and delicious exchange! If you've never had a Hey!. You Gonna Eat or What? Monte Cristo, here's what you're missing: The Monte Cristo is everything it promises to be! It’s a little unconventional in appearance, a sandwich by name, but by sight, a deep fried concoction filled with several meats and cheeses with a bright, fruity dipping sauce.  Then, you try the sandwich. What the what?!? The flavors and the textures are surprisingly nostalgic, the sandwich is perfectly balanced in its mixture of soft, gooey, crunchy, sweet, and salty. It hit every spot with a resounding clarity.

The Mighty Cone

I could see that the end of this gastric adventure was near, so I had to make my next choice carefully. Mighty Cone, Hey, Cupcake! (which is serving CoolHaus now, btw!), or Skinny Limits… I decided to go with Mighty Cone because, although I am ashamed to admit it, I’ve never tried their food. As we were all getting pretty stuffed, I was fortunate enough to share some of the samples supplied by a few friends I met at our table: a Hot and Crunchy Avocado Cone, and Hot and Crunchy Chihahua Cheese Stix! Both were breaded in cornflakes, which are seasoned with sesame seeds, almonds, arbot chili flakes, sea salt, and sugar. Un-freaking-believable! The combination created a very delectable spicy/smokey flavor, which  paired very nicely with the satisfyingly crunchy texture of the coating. I don’t know how they came up with it, but here it is and it is delicious. I’m so excited to have finely gotten to try it!

Skinny Limits

At this point I was pretty much donezo, but I had to try one last thing. Skinny Limits was offering a vegan egg salad, featuring cauliflower. You couldn’t tell from reading this post, but I’m actually very health conscious, and eat a very clean diet on normal days, so Skinny Limits will probably be my goto whenever I casually visit the Picnic. The sample was creamy and very satisfying, the way egg salad should be. I was also given a quick tour through some of their extensive juice selection, all of which were really great!

The entire evening was simply delightful. And besides the incredible food, what made the experience that much more pleasant was the company. When I was looking for a place to sit down, I and another girl zeroed in on one of the last shady spots and in the spirit of the occasion were happy to share the table and the meal. She turned out to be one of the writers for BitchBeer.org, which strives to amplify the female voice in the beer community! They’ve even written a book: Austin Beer: Capital City History on Tap. Sarah Wood and one of her co-authors, Caroline Wallace, were wonderful dinning and drinking companions!

It’s an honor to have been invited and I’m very excited to welcome The Picnic to the Austin Food Trailer Community! The food was spectacular and the park was beautiful. There truly is something for everyone in your group. You can run the spectrum from bar finger food to fine dining and everyone will find themselves satisfied. I can’t wait to visit for lunch next time I’m playing with my dog at Zilker Park or enjoying a relaxing swim at Barton Creek.

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/aft-welcome-new-food-trailer-park-the-picnic/

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The Midway Food Park Austin Live Music Spectacle!

The Midway Food Park, still standing strong at 1905 South Capital of Texas Highway, is known at this point to Austin, Texas' many food trailer fans. Austin Food Trailers would like to think wehad a hand in that. But at the Midway Food Park, Austin's most famous cultural currency also gets attention. Midway has been propping up some live music performances lately, and the response has been strong enough to make it a recurring event.

For instance, Saturday, April 26 was the night of a visit to the Midway by Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay. The Austin-based country duo is hard at work touring in support of their new release, Before The World Was Made, and the 26th could count as one of the early dates. It's the two artists first collaboration, and it was produced by Austin's famous roots-rock empresario Gurf Morlix. The sweet and funny tones of Leigh and McKay were undoubtedly lovely on the cool April air at Midway.

If you want to investigate the album, use this quote from the Chicago Tribune as fuel:

"Before the World Was Made is a witty, heartfelt record of dusty barroom shuffles, sassy two-steps and ethereal country-folk. It's informed by the vintage duets of George Jones and Melba Montgomery, as well as the more modern pairing of John Prine and Iris DeMent."

Dave Insley, another country troubadour, performed at Midway on April 25. Originally from Kansas, Dave currently resides in Austin. A good city to pick, as it turns out, as no Austin food truck park could resist his rough-hewn charms as the sun goes down over the King & Country Food Co. (a newer edition to Midway, as it turns out!)

By the way, Dave, we'd love to hear the follow up to West Texas Wine (2008). We'd also like to know if the Careless Smokers were backing Insley up - Austin Food Trailers wasn't actually able to make the show, unfortunately.

Recently, there's been even more action on the Midway Food Park Austin fame-gathering tour. A trip to Midway's Facebook page reveals that other arbiter of popular culture - television - has come to visit the Park:

"This Thursday, May 8th, @ 1PM, the Food Network will be filming Austin it's Food Truck Face-off episode, so come down and get fed for free by the contestants. We won't be competing, but were very much looking forward to seeing this showdown go down."

So the lineup at Midway will get some very wide exposure indeed. That current lineup is: CoolHaus, OneTaco, Dock & Roll Diner, Bob & Mike's Chicken, Gregorio's Italian,  Tiger Lily, Widespread Dave's, The Celia Jacobs Cheesecake Experience, Tapas Bravas, and the previously-mentioned King & Country. There's a choice for every flavor interest in the rainbow.

Will events like regular live music and nationally-syndicated television programming make the Midway Food Park Austin's most well-known food park? Austin Food Trailers would be loathe to suggest it would hurt their exposure. Additionally, Midway's location is one of the most highly-populated, most traveled areas in the city not connected to Downtown Austin or the University of Texas. Head on down and let AFT know what meal goes best with the twang of a guitar.

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/midway-food-park-austin-live-music-spectacle/

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Fantabulous Discoveries @ Trailer Food Tuesdays ~ April 2014

As far as Austin Food Trailers is concerned Trailer Food Tuesdays marks the official start of food trailer ON season. We said it, so it is so! (read: feigns authority :D) Anyway, super giddy excitement aside, let's talk shop! 

At this point, Trailer Food Tuesday is a well-oiled machine. Upon coming up to The Long Center Terrace I glanced over at the organizer’s table to see everyone hanging out and looking thoroughly relaxed and pleased with themselves, as well they should be! Their confidence was then mirrored in the Trailers, which were set up in their usual neat semicircle, facing in alternating directions to manage the large lines that form in front of them. The whole initial feel of the event was one of relaxed confidence. Very professional, and very well organized. After attending this event for an entire season, last year, there were few trailers in attendance that I hadn’t tried yet. Which was actually a great thing, because it afforded me the opportunity to explore a hitherto undiscovered treasure: Svante’s Stuffed Burgers!

We ordered the Space Jam, which features grass-fed beef, stuffed with jalapeño Havarti cheese and topped with bacon-onion jam, roasted garlic aioli and arugula on a whole grain bun. With a description like that, it was downright irresistible! It was, as it sounds, exquisite! To start with, the jalapeño Havarti was incorporated perfectly into the patty. The cheese was present in every juicy bite, not just in the middle. You can actually see the care with which they build the patties, as they make them to order right in the trailer. The bacon-onion jam added a fun layer of sweetness to the savory meat and cheese, and the arugula added a refreshing balance to the rich flavors. All of this was then rounded out beautifully with the roasted garlic aioli. OFFICIALLY one of the best burgers in Austin! Congrats guys! You won!

Ooof… from there you’d think we’d just pack it up and call it quits, but nope, that’s not how Austin Food Trailers do. From there we tried a new, to us, sandwich from our beloved Burro Cheese Kitchen, the Via 206 with Sour Dough, Cheddar, Gruyere and Balsamic Apricot Fig. So decadent, so delicious! You’ve gotta try it to understand, there’s just so much going on. Some of our dining companions were a little smarter than us and worked a bit of fruit into the proceedings. I kind of wish we did too, but alas, you only get to view the beautiful fruit cup from Mr. Fruit Cup and not get a description.

The crew at Austin Food Trailers couldn’t be happier to have Trailer Food Tuesdays back for the summer. As usual, the food was exceptional, but it just wouldn’t be the same without the company. One of my favorite things about TFT is its ability to create a sense of community in a busy city. Over the course of our meal, my dining companions and I had the pleasure of chatting with at least four couples that sat at the table with us at various times. I mean, great food and great company, does it really get better than that?

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/fantabulous-flavors-trailer-food-tuesdays-april-2014/

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How to Market Your Austin Food Trailer

Like true Austinites, the crew at Austin Food Trailers loves this city. The love comes from a variety of sources - some just have the ever-burning Texas pride, while others are transplants that have found a place to love and call home. Wherever your love and pride for the city comes from, there’s something in this city that perpetuates it for you, and for us, it’s the Austin Food Trailer Community.

That’s why we report on the community so regularly and why we started offering services that help you market your Austin food trailer.

If you Register Your Trailer on the Austin Food Trailer Website, right up front you get to enjoy perks that will help promote and grow your business.

Basic Membership on the Austin Food Trailers Site

Listing in the Food Trailer Directory You will be visible to anyone who visits the Austin Food Trailers website in search of Austin Food Trailers.

A Pin On Our Map They’ll know exactly where to find you!

Customizable Profile Page with Pictures, Links, and Descriptions You get a free page that shows off your trailer in all its glory, just as you always intended it!

Enrollment in the Austin Food Trailer Newsletter We’ll keep you up to date on what’s going on in the Austin Food Trailer community, tell you about events that are coming up, and let you know about vending opportunities!

Window Decal We vouch for you and we want everyone to know it!

Free Online Marketing Webinars We’re all busy, but we’ve still gotta find time to grow and expand our businesses, that’s why we’re offering Free Marketing Webinars to the Austin Food Trailer Community. We’ll being the information to you, and you can use the information as it fits your business.

If you feel like you’re ready to step up your game, you’ve got the option to sign up for a POWER PACK (cue echo, echo, echo!)

Power Pack Membership on the Austin Food Trailers Site

The Power Pack Membership gets you everything listed above, with some additional perks.

2 Weekly Email and Social Media Promotions We’ve got a huge audience and we want them to see you! If you have a deal or a coupon, we’ll make sure everyone knows about it!

Event Promotion Similarly, if you have a big event coming up, we’ll spread the word far and wide, by posting it on our website’s calendar and boosting your signal to all of our social media channels!

Membership in Private Community Forum Public Facebook, Twitter pages, and even Google can get you only so far when you have an industry specific question you need answered. Our Forum is a platform that allows the AFT Community to communicate and pose questions about industry specific and marketing issues! We’re all here to help each other!

Inclusion in “Featured Food Trailer” Banner Every Power Pack member gets their very own spotlight! The banner is visible on every AFT page!

Invitation to “Insider Only” Marketing Webinars Get some of the juicier details on what clicks in the marketing world!

10% Off any Marketing Service from Clockwork Digital Marketing Our parent company, Clockwork Digital Marketing offers online marketing services like, website design, SEO Services, Video Creation, and a whole lot more! (Give us a call to get the details.)

Access to a List of Preferred Partners and Resources If you need a plumber, electrician, commissary kitchen, promotional printer, designers, or what have you, we know great people that we trust and can get you a great deal on the services, after all, there’s strength in numbers! :D

Finally there's the Rev It Up Package, but it's so amazing, we need a separate blog post about it! Give Austin Food Trailers a call if you have any questions, but in the meantime, Register Your Trailer, to start getting updates and info on catering and vending opportunities in Austin!

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/learn-to-market-your-austin-food-trailer/

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Tons of Great Austin Events Will Soon Be Here

Things are getting serious now. Austin events are exploding outward across the city, and Austin Food Trailers is juggling trying to keep everything lined up. If we're this busy, we know that any of the Austin food trucks that truly know what they're doing have their schedules packed up. If they don't get on the docket now for some of these major gatherings, there won't be any space left...

Eeyore is turning 51. That's the big news for this year's version of Eeyore's Birthday Party, which is to be

held on Saturday, April 26 at Pease Park. The whole-family-welcoming festivities start at 11 a.m. and run until "dark." That indeterminate descriptor is a great indication of the personality behind Eeyore's b-day; while the character is from a children's cartoon, this is an event that should appeal to all ages (as long as they're good with walking). The event will feature live music from noon until 6 p.m., free entry and (most interestingly, in our eyes) multiple mobile food services. There isn't a comprehensive listing on the Eeyore website, but AFT will probably make it to Pease Park. We'll bring you the details in the next week.

Additionally, the Fusebox Festival is continuing throughout the city of Austin for the remainder of April (or, at least, until the 27th). The multi-week art festival is a "an idea engine. A space where artists and audiences can take risks, ask questions, break rules, blur boundaries, and explore ideas together. It is a platform for visionary works, unabashed play, and new ways of engaging with our world." (thanks Fusebox website) But artists get hungry, too, and there's only so much time between exhibitions. What is probably going to happen is that the various Austin's food trucks will be too good of a deal to pass up. Aren't artists supposed to be starving, anyway?

Of course, the big news recently was the announcement of the 2014 Austin City Limits music festival lineup. They don't do a similar announcement for the food carriers who will be feeding the festival's attendees, because Coolhaus can't outpull OutKast, but rest assured that there will be as wide a selection as ever at ACL. The official ACL website does have this to say, though:

"The Austin Eats Food Court is home to yummy food, drinks, and snacks from local favorite eateries. The 2014 Austin Eats Food Court vending application is available until June 6. We invite Austin-Area restaurants to apply to represent Austin's thriving food scene in Zilker Park for six days of music, food, art, and festivities. Contact [email protected] with questions."

Get the hint, Austin food trucks? The time to move on ACL is now. And, as with last year, the events go on during two separate weekends. Who's doubling up?

There's also the Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival (April 23 - 26), the Austin Food & Wine Festival (April 25 - 27), Austin Fashion Week (starting on April 26), the Wiener Dog Races (April 26 - 27), Austin Psych Fest (May 2 - 4) and X Games (June 5 - 8). Well, that's just a taste of the coming few weeks; all of them will be filled with people who want trailer food.Well, maybe not the models taking part in Austin Fashion Week.

Austin Food Trailers is sure there will be more than enough work for our food truck community during the hotter months of 2014. 

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/get-load-austin-events-coming/

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Trailer Food Tuesdays Returns!

One of the most beloved and popular events for Austin food trucks (and Austin Food Trailers) is finally returning. Trailer Food Tuesdays, the brainchild of Trailer Food Diaries kingpin Tiffany Harelik, will open its 2014 season on the final Tuesday - the 29th - of this month. On the 29th, the Long Center will once again be swarmed with a wide selection of Austin food trailer choices and hungry Austinite patrons. Adding to that throng will be the usual assortment of drink/bar services (the event is still sponsored by the local Real Ale Brewing Company - that means Fireman's 4) and live music. Let's see what the official plans are... According to the Trailer Food Tuesday website, the trailers amassed for TFT on the Tuesday after next include The Peached Tortilla, Whole Foods' truck, Coolhaus, Burro Cheese Kitchen, Chi'lantro and ALC Steaks. Which is your favorite? The Peached Tortilla is, of course, a common site at Trailer Food Tuesdays (and all over Austin, really). Whole Foods and Chi'Lantro are also regular contributors. However, ALC Steaks is a newer name and will add a down-home, American flavor to the proceedings. Dig a little more into that TFT website and hypothetical Long Center visitors can see the menu a week or so early. The Peached Tortilla, for instance, will be serving:

"Kim-cheese" aranicini balls. kimchi puree, risotto, mozzarella, panko.

JapaJam Burger. 6 oz all beef hamburger, Japanese tomato jam, jalapeno jack cheese, fried egg, tempura beer battered onion strings, Japanese BBQ sauce on a Sweetish Hill Bun

Pad Thai Rice Bowl. Pad Thai stir fried basmati rice, chili garlic marinated chicken, scrambled egg, green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, lime wedge

Banh Mi Taco. Vietnamese braised pork belly, pickled daikon carrot salad, sriracha mayo, cilantro

And Coolhaus...

Ice Cream Sammies

Ice Cream

Cookies

Ice Cream Bars

Beyond Real Ale and Trailer Food Diaries, the additional sponsors of Trailer Food Tuesdays are SpaceCraft, the Long Center, Whole Foods, The Peached Tortilla (that makes sense) and Foodtrailersaustin.com. This is Trailer Food Tuesdays' third season. Last year, during their second, Austin Food Trailers got to know the TFT organization. We also saw it grow from a relatively well-kept secret in town (as much as anything that takes place at the Long Center can be) to a major social event. There's very little chance (other than a terrible weather event) that this season opener will not mean huge groups of people, seriously condensed traffic around Riverside Drive from 5-9 p.m. and the immediate loss of free parking. If you're really excited, as we are, then RSVP to the official Trailer Food Tuesdays Facebook event:

Welcome back! We’re ready to roll on Season 3 of TFT!

Stay tuned for the lineup of Trailer Food Tuesdays presented by Real Ale!

April 29 Lineup The Peached Tortilla Whole Foods Chilantro BBQ ALC Steaks On Tour Svante’s Stuffed Burger Gonzo Juice Coolhaus Fullhouse BBQ “Just one bite, and you’ll go all in!!” Mister FruitCup More soon!

The lineup is still growing. How is Trailer Food Tuesdays going to fit all those trucks on the Long Center terrace? Austin Food Trailers will see, as will many other Austinites, on April 29.

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/trailer-food-tuesdays-returns/

[austinfoodtrucks]

Austin Food Trailers Review: East Side King - South Lamar Brick and Mortar

Last Sunday’s threat of thunderstorms kept many of Austin’s food trailers closed for the day. Understandably so, but Austin Food Trailers saw it as the perfect opportunity to explore The East Side King brick and mortar on 2310 S Lamar Blvd.

I’m happy to tell you right upfront, that the brick and mortar location is just as good as any of the trailers. It’s not uncommon for the quality of the food to diminish when a trailer expands its business, but that’s not the case here, Paul Qui runs a pretty tight ship! No surprises there!

Anyway, we had a feast! Like I always say, if you’re going to food trailers, bring friends! That way you can try more, and obviously it’s more fun that way!

What we Ordered

  Thai Chicken Kara-agé

Deep-fried chicken thigh, sweet & spicy sauce, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeño

Poor Qui’s Buns

Roasted pork belly in steamed bun, hoisin sauce, cucumber kimchee*, green onion

Beet Home Fries

Deep-fried roasted beets, kewpie mayo, Shichimi togarashi, green onion

Brussels Sprout Salad Fried Brussels sprouts, sweet & spicy sauce, shredded cabbage, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeño, deep-fried bun Ebi Ebi TacoTempura fried shrimp in a steamed moo shu wrap, with gochujang sauce, kewpie mayo, avocado, cabbage, basil, cilantro, mint

How was the Food?

Everything was as delicious and perfect as usual, but my favorite parts of the meal were the Poor Qui’s Buns and the Ebi Ebi Taco.

Poor Qui’s Buns

If you glance up to the description, you’ll see that the Poor Qui’s Buns are a pork belly sandwich. I’m not usually a big fan of pork belly, but I knew if anyone can do it right it would be East Side King. I decided to try it one more time, and decided that if I didn’t enjoy it after this time, then I was just going to call it quits on the whole pork belly situation. And I was disappointed! The sandwich was great! My problem with pork belly is that it’s just way too fatty and rich for me. East Side King remedied this by selecting a meatier slice of pork belly and accompanying it with some cucumber kimchi and green onion to give the meat a little more substance and cut the richness. Then, the steamed bun and hoisin sauce brought the whole experience together. It was excellent!

Ebi Ebi Taco

The Ebi Ebi Taco was straight up deloycious! (And, yes, had to look up the spelling.) All of the flavors and textures came together perfectly, but what I really enjoyed were all of the fresh veggies and herbs in the taco, it was so light and refreshing! I was actually challenged on that by one of my dinner mates. He thought the veggies and herbs gave the taco a rougher texture than he would have preferred. To each there own obviously, but now you have two opinions to go on. Do you like course, fragrant salads? Then you’ll LOVE this taco!

Ambiance

I REALLY appreciate what they did with the space. It actually still feels like you’re at a food park. You order your food, then find a table to sit at. And the tables are very picnicy and happy, with the silly and uplifting grafiti all over them. The sky blue/green walls, and the giant windows further contribute to the feeling that you’re sitting outside. Also, it’s very clean and not at all stuffy, or chemically, it all feels very natural. Austin Food Trailers loved the new East Side King location!

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/austin-food-trailers-reviews-east-side-kings-south-lamar-brick-mortar/

[austinfoodtrucks]

Austin Food Trailers Won a Free Pizza from Roppolo`s Pizzaria

This past Friday Austin Food Trailers enjoyed a wonderful treat compliments of Roppolo’s Pizza. The week before, Roppolo’s urged fans to share an image that was posted  on their Facebook Page for a chance to win a prize. We shared, we won, we got us some pizza!

Sasha Said:

Roppolo’s invited us over to their 6th Street location for a 12’’ pie, so we decided to have our team meeting there. While I was waiting for the rest of the group I got to chatting with the guys behind the counter.

Origin

I know that Roppolo’s is an Austin icon, but it’s actually pretty new to me so, as any self respecting NYer would do, I interrogated them on their origins. I was delighted to discover that the owner, Marc Roppolo studied his trade in NY under the tutelage of “Sicilian Pizza Master,” Armando Spavenda - that's pretty legit pizza training right there!

Ambiance

With the confidence that the pizza was bound to be good, I started exploring the restaurant. I really like their building. It's part NY Pizzeria, and part small Italian restaurant, like the kind you'd find in an Italian city. Most urban building in Europe are tall and narrow and because Roppolo's picked a spot that is in the historic district of Austin, the architecture is pretty similar to a European building, in its dimensions. This goes to create a cozy intimate space.

Service

If you check out Roppolo’s About Page, you’ll see that Marc is committed to creating an experience that makes you feel welcome, at home, and special, and that was exactly how I felt while chatting with the guys behind the counter. They were extremely helpful and accommodating with our order and they eagerly told us about the pizzas and the history of the Pizzeria.

We ended up going for a half and half pie - an Italian Garden and an Italian Grill.

The Rosalie (white) 

Named after Rosalie Roppolo, Marc's mother, this beauty is as light and fresh as a new spring day. Its base is ricotta cheese that is then topped with fresh tomato slices, sautéed spinach, chopped onions, sliced mushrooms and minced garlic. One of our all-time favorites…just like Mama Roppolo.

The Italian Grill

Our pizza for chicken lovers, this member of the family is one of our newest and best. We've combined grilled chicken with Italian meatballs then added chopped red onion, tomato pieces and the finishing touch of roasted red and gold peppers. The result? Taste it yourself, it's delicioso.

The pizza was made to order and it was quite evident that Roppolo’s values fresh and quality ingredients, the slices were very yummy.

Jack Said:

As a lifelong Austinite and University of Texas at Austin alum, I'm a bit familiar with Roppolo's. Well, at least I thought I was. My previous experience with the Pizzaria had been at their famous carts and smaller shop location about a block from this story's 6th Street spot. While those  memories and visits are vivid, the 6th Street Roppolo's is a different story altogether.

Food

While I was a bit surprised by the half hour our pizza took to deliver, when Austin Food Trailers saw the pie it was clear why the cooking had taken so long. This might be the the biggest single pizza this author has ever eaten. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. Even before the 'za arrived, we got a chance to try one of Roppolo's specialized house salads. While there wasn't a big stylistic innovation to the salad spread, it was an undeniably filling plate. The veggies were crisp and it was a bountiful meal in its own right.

But trust us: if you order a large pizza at Roppolo's, you won't need anything else. Not even if you have three or four people in your party.

To be honest, I enjoyed The Rosalie more between the two options. The lack of sauce ("white") was not a hindrance at all on The Rosalie, and the melange of toppings all worked together fabulously. The Italian Grill, while filled with things I love (except the meat strips-called-meatballs, perhaps), was just too much of a good thing. The gigantic, doughy serving size went down easier with the "lighter" vegetarian option.

This free pizza initiative was a great idea on Roppolo's part. It's possible, with Austin Food Trailers' focus on, well, food trucks and trailers, I might have waited for a long time to visit this 6th Street headquarters. I'm happy we got the chance to visit; maybe I'll order a smaller size next time...

http://austinfoodtrailerstexas.com/everyones-winner-roppolos-pizzaria/

[austinfoodtrucks]

Austin Food Trailers Catches You Up on Some Austin Food Truck Stories You May Have Missed

April's sun is shining and the temperatures are rising. It's not terribly hot yet in Austin, Texas, and Austin Food Trailers knows what that means. This might be the best weather we get all year in this city, so people are going out to enjoy the air on their faces. That means all the Austin food trucks will also be setting out on their wheels to serve the ATX citizens and visitors. With all this activity, there's bound to be some food truck news that slipped past your horizon. Austin Food Trailers rounds as many up as we can find below. Thrillist recently published a story on its Austin-centric site about "Austin's 10 Best Under-the-Radar Burgers." Most folks love a good burger. And wouldn't you know it, but two food trucks made the list. Here's what Thrillist had to say about The Peached Tortilla (man, they're everywhere), Cow Bells and Lard Have Mercy:

"Cow Bells: Spare Tire East Riverside This little food truck on the East Side is grilling up some serious heart stoppers. If you are feeling gluttonous (and since you're reading about burgers on the internet, that seems like a possibility), spring for their Spare Tire burger, a towering stack of two thick fresh-grilled patties, double cheddar, bacon, and fried pickles. A token smattering of lettuce makes it feel quasi-healthy."

.... 

"Peached Tortilla: Japajam Burger Roaming food truck Before your start your night of drinking, it is always smart to coat your stomach with something that can soak up some booze, and the Peached Tortilla’s Japajam Burger has got your back (and stomach). They grill up a 1/3 lb beef patty and cover it with semisweet tomato jam and Japanese BBQ sauce. Top it off with tempura battered onions, a fried egg, and gooey, creamy jalapeño jack cheese and you've got a huge, delicious mess that'll have you ready for anything."

....

"Lard Have Mercy: Juicy Lucy West Campus This West campus food trailer is doing their part to up the ante on the "freshman 15". Their Juicy Lucy is a cheese-stuffed burger (native to Minnesota) topped with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and a creamy chipotle mayo. They pair this delectable mess with bacon-flavored fries just in case your heart was still beating. If you ask nicely and maybe pay a little extra, they can toss some of their chicken fried bacon on it, since you've clearly given up at this point."

Additionally, there's a new Austin food trailer park that has sprung up on the east side of the city. You'd be forgiven for missing East Seventh Eats so far - the park just opened and is only dribbling information about itself out a little at a time. They are located at 1403 East 7th Street, and their Facebook page describes them such:

"Food Truck/Trailer Park, established April 2014. On location: The Unconventional Oven (pizza) Aunt Fanny's (Sandwiches and fried pies)"

That's not much to go off. Let's drill down. We've met The Unconventional Oven before, but Aunt Fanny's is a new name to Austin Food Trailers. Their Facebook says they've been around since September of 2013, and this:

"Mobile food vendor, Premiere Fried Pies, Custom Cakes, Catering, and more!!"

Darnit. Not much there, either. Well, we'll just have to look a little more closely and get some Austin food truck news about East Seventh Eats and Aunt Fanny's out on our own. That's what Austin Food Trailers is for, after all. Please send us any photos or comments if you've visited these parks! Enjoy the next few days of wonderful weather and excellent Austin food truck eats.