Hi, everyone!

As the NYC Food Truck Association (NYCFTA) Community Manager for the past 11 months, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know all of our members. They’re as diverse as the city is itself but they do share one thing in common: they are a passionate bunch!

Today, I’m excited to share our newest blog series: “Behind the Wheel”. Each Friday, we’ll sit down with one NYCFTA member and ask them 10 random questions so you can get to know them better, too. After all, you see them and their crew nearly every day- Wouldn’t it be cool to know a few things about them?

Please tweet us at @nycfoodtruck using the hash tag #BehindTheWheel if you have awesome questions for this series and be sure to check back each Friday for a new post!

Thanks,
Laci

Photo courtesy of fastcodesign.com

We’ll kick the series off today with Natasha Case, co-founder of the one and only Coolhaus Ice Cream Truck.

Deriving its name in part from “Bauhuas”, an influential modernist design movement in the 1920′s and 30′s, and the famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, Coolhaus is known for its architecturally-inspired flavors and ice cream sandwich designs. Coolhaus started in 2009 with one truck in LA and now has two trucks and a cart in NYC, four trucks in LA, two trucks in Austin, two trucks in Miami, and a storefront in Culver City.

NYCFTA: Natasha, thanks so much for taking time to participate in our new blog series, “Behind the Wheel”.

NATASHA: Great concept! Happy to answer your 10 questions for readers.

NYCFTA: Excellent! Let’s get started: If you came to our house for dinner, what would you hope we made you for dessert?

NATASHA: Wow! OK, that is random! Let’s see. A cheese plate with marcona almonds and local honey- I eat enough sweets all day at Coolhaus! That said, maybe a very simple/refined rum paired with chocolate tasting, preferably wheeled out on a bar cart… Is that weird?

Photo courtesy of liquor.com

NYCFTA: A food truck entrepreneur requesting that her dinner be served on wheels? Nope, that’s not weird at all! Next question: What do your family and friends think of the fact that you started an ice cream truck operation that’s now a national brand?

NATASHA: They love it! They’re all proud and always curious about what’s happening with Coolhaus. Also, I didn’t know this until after we launched but my maternal grandmother and my paternal grandfather are former ice cream professionals, too! She made ice cream floats at a soda fountain in New York City and my grandfather worked the summer after his senior year of high school selling ice cream sandwiches to people on the beach. Apparently, love for ice cream is an inheritable trait. 

NYCFTA: Well now that we know you come from a family of fervent ice-cream fans in addition to owning 10 ice cream trucks, we’re going to assume you consume more ice cream than your average person so we’ve got to ask: What’s your favorite physical activity to stay balanced?

NATASHA: I love riding my bike to the gym- I am philosophically against driving to work out- then working out at the gym and riding home. I also love a good, long outdoor jog or just a solid bike ride. I live in LA and I love riding my bike to the beach!

Photo courtesy of naplescyclery.com

NYCFTA: Again, with the wheels! Next question: If you only had $10 to spend, how would you spend the day in NYC?

NATASHA: Hmmm, I think I would pick out a really good prosciutto from Eataly, get a few slices and maybe a chinoto soda, and hang out in Madison Square Park people watching and savoring each bite of the prosciutto! 

Photo courtesy of spongebob.wikia.com

NYCFTA: Ah, yes. People watching- One of NYC’s best pastimes. Good answer! Next question: If you could pick any cartoon character to join the Coolhaus team, who would it be and why?

NATASHA: I’d definitely want Sponge Bob operating the Coolhaus truck and hopefully better than he does at the Krusty Krab… Was that too deep of a reference???

NYCFTA: Absolutely not- Who doesn’t know about the Krusty Krab?! Now, onto a slightly more serious question: Is there a cause you hold close to your heart?

NATASHA: Oh, that’s an easy one for me to answer: Education!!! In general, I support educational causes of all types but one way we’ve incorporated our love for learning in to the brand is through architecture. We have the pictures of some of the architects who we’ve named our sandwiches after posted on our truck. It gives people something new to learn in fun way by bringing this architecture and these architects and these theories and design into the mainstream language.

NYCFTA: That makes sense and learning is always more fun when there’s ice cream involved. Speaking of architecture, what are your three favorite buildings in the world?

Photo courtesy of newswise.com

NATASHA: Rem Koolhaas architecture department at Cornell University (I just visited it, actually!), the Pompidou in Paris, and my apartment in LA! It’s a pretty awesome space to call home.

 

NYCFTA: Very cool. Next question: Are you a dog person or a cat person?

NATASHA: DOG!

 

NYCFTA: Whoa, that was fast! Your pup is super cute- We can understand why you might have a canine-bias. Shifting gears now: What artist might we hear in the cab of the Coolhaus truck on any given day?

 

NATASHA: Azealia Banks! And judging by her Google+ avatar, it seems she has a sweet tooth and might like us, too! I’ve also recently gotten into Tokimonsta.

 

 

NYCFTA: Natasha, thank you so much for being the first food trucker in our Behind the Wheel series today! Let’s end with your best piece of advice for an entrepreneur.

NATASHA: It’s been fun- Thank you! As for my advice to entrepreneurs? Just go for it! There’s only so much analysis you can do. The real world is the real test. Also, keep in mind that your product doesn’t have to be “perfect” to launch! You are better off evolving it once it has fared the public’s response.

 Keep up with the Coolhaus NYC fleet on Twitter @CoolhausNY and by visiting their website: www.eatcoolhaus.com

Please don’t forget to vote for us for the 2013 Neighborhood Achievement “Helping Hands” Award! We’re honored to be nominated for our Hurricane Sandy relief work and would be thrilled to win!

Vote HERE (and don’t worry, it doesn’t take more than 5 seconds)!

Photo courtesy of Big D’s Grub.

Carpe diem and GRUB!

Special request for you: Please vote for the NYC Food Truck Association in the Neighborhood Achievement Awards contest! We’ve been nominated for the Hurricane Sandy relief work we did thanks to the generous contributions of people around the world, corporate sponsors, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC, and supporters’ assistance in spreading the word.

Voting can be done HERE and takes no more than 5 seconds!

Cheers to a wonderful work week!

Growing up with immigrant parents, I was lucky enough to eat authentic Cantonese dishes ranging from the sweet to salty to the very spicy on an almost daily basis. My mom and dad were the proud owners of a “fast food” Chinese restaurant for several years before I was born, and transferred their education from that experience and their childhood memories, onto our dinner table.

Hailing from two separate regions in China, my mom and dad acquired two very different cooking styles. My mom cooked out of necessity, and always prepared fast, healthy, inexpensive, and simply delicious meals. My father, on the other hand, favored bolder, more complicated flavors. Cooking wasn’t something he did often, but when he did, it was art. Somewhere down the line, my sisters and I chose our allegiance – I, my father, and my sisters, my mother.

Photo courtesy of HeathersBlog.com

It’s been many years now since I’ve lived with my parents, but my love for spice – both the kind that scalds your mouth and those that tempt every taste bud – has never faded. It’s a no wonder, with all the food trucks within the New York Food Truck Association; I’d look to them to whet my appetite.

Ethnic fare has always held a special place in my heart. Full of diverse spices and explosive flavors from regions I hope to someday visit, dishes from Palenque and Mausam were obviously, on my “must try”.
The brainchild of co-founders Viviana Lewis and Nena Sierra, Palenque opened in September 2011, serving hungry New Yorkers healthy (!!) homemade Columbian dishes. True to my love of spice, I ordered up a quinoa arepa with organic chipotle chorizo, vegan chipotle mayo and chimichurri-cilantro sauce, topped with hogao (tomatoes, green onions, and olive oil).

Though obviously not Cantonese, the flavors tickling my tongue reminded me of my parents’ cooking – not only was my arepa delicious and full of an unexpected, but happy, combination of heat and sweet (the peppery arugula and quinoa balanced out the spice from the chipotle mayo and vegan chorizo), it brought me back home, uniting my father’s complex cooking style with my mother’s healthy disposition. Not only was my arepa tastier than any other I’ve tasted, it didn’t weigh me down like many others I’ve had.

To your, and my luck, Palenque can be found all over Manhattan and Brooklyn, including Smorgasburg. Follow them on Twitter @palenquefood or visit their website.

Next stop was the Mausam Curry ‘n Bites Mobile. Mausam, meaning “seasons,” acts as an extension of the restaurant, with the truck offering more than 35 curry dishes freshly prepared every day, along with savory bites like samosas and kati rolls. High on my list of favorite types of cuisine is Indian. In fact, finding out there’s a mobile Indian food truck roaming around the streets Manhattan might very well be one of the best discoveries I’ve made in a very long time.

With its beginnings as a sit-down restaurant in Secaucus, NJ, Mausam added a set of wheels to their repertoire as food trucks started to become a booming industry, bringing Indian food to the streets of New York.

If you’re looking for a good spice challenge, you owe it to yourself to try Mausam’s chicken vindaloo with their special garlic hot chutney. But be forewarned, this dish is not for the faint of heart, and should only be tasted by regular heat lovers. Regular customers “know better” and order this dish “medium,” knowing that asking for it “hot,” will make them “sweat the rest of their work day.”

For those of you who are still adventurous but weary on the spice, try Mausam’s Chicken Masala. Widely known by all, this dish is a fan favorite. This traditional tomato-based chicken curry is cooked so perfectly, you’d never guess it was cooked on a truck!

Visit the truck in Midtown or either of the two restaurants in New Jersey (Secaucus and Montclair), follow them on Twitter at @mausamnyc or visit their website for more details.

If you, like Jackie, are just as obsessed with fiery food and traditional flavors, follow her on Twitter at @ostrichfoot for the spiciest of updates!

Allow us to do the cooking this Memorial Day Weekend and join us at the Prospect Park Food Truck Rally on Sunday, May 26th, from 11a-5pm!Put down the shopping list and toss your recipes aside because more than 12 food trucks will be on-hand this holiday weekend to feed you and yours! Join them at Prospect Park’s Grand Army Plaza on Sunday, May 26th, from 11a-5pm for a Memorial Day picnic unlike any other.

The following trucks will be spending the day with you:

Momos & Buns

COOLHAUS

Eddies Pizza

Gorilla Cheese NYC

Green Pirate Juice Truck

Hibachi Heaven

Kelvin Slush

Mexico Blvd, Mexicue

Miami Food Machine

Mud Truck

Nuchas

Shorty’s on Wheels

Souvlaki Gr

Toum NYC

Wafels & Dinges

Directions: Grand Army Plaza is located at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway. Take the #2 or the #3 subway to the Grand Army Plaza Station. Walk up Flatbush Avenue or Plaza Street until you see the monument and traffic circle. Or, take the Q or B to the 7th Avenue Station and follow Flatbush Avenue up the hill. Grand Army Plaza is about 3 blocks away.

It’s going to be a lovely day so head to your nearest park and enjoy lunch outside today!

Shorty’s NYC: Jay & Water Street.

NYCFTA Lots:
Brookfield Place in Battery Park City (North End & Vesey, 11a-3pm): Rickshaw Truck, Munchie Mobile, Mexico Blvd., Mike & Willie’s, Valducci’s Pizza.

Find more details using this Twitter list!

Krista Spurr

Travel and food blogger Krista Spurr hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She loves exploring the world through food and shares her adventures in travel, food and drink on her blog, Bite-sized Travel, and on Twitter at @bitesizedtravel.

Canadian in the City

Canadians count themselves among the millions of annual visitors to New York who sample a little bit of life in the best city in the world. This Canadian tries to get to the city at least once a year, and when I’m there, I do my best to find a new culinary treasure so I’ll always have recommendations when asked for New York food suggestions.

I know people who book tables months ahead of their visits, or get in long lines for a meal at a famous restaurant, or eat somewhere seen on tv or in the movies. For my recent long weekend in town, I decided to skip the scramble for a table and went out in search of New York’s best food on four wheels.

I’ve given a lot of thought to why I enjoyed eating around New York’s food trucks and it’s quite simple, it’s more suited to my needs as a traveler in the NYC, compared to a lengthy sit-down lunch commitment. Grazing from truck to truck as I moved around the city meant I could stay well-fed and moving as I explored.

The good news? Finding a great food truck requires little effort. The bad news? Narrowing down the list of options to a manageable number was painful. While I didn’t get to try everything I wanted, I managed to eat at five different trucks in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Palenque

My first stop was in Brooklyn, where I found Palenque and fell in love with homemade Colombian food. I asked lots of questions about the best combinations, finally deciding on an arepa, topped with cheese and hogao, a flavorful combination of tomatoes, scallions and olive oil. With a sweet cup of agua de panela to go with it, I started wondering if my next big trip should be to Colombia, just to keep eating different delicious versions of the same meal. (@PalenqueFood on Twitter)

Gorilla Cheese NYC.

After a morning of exploring, I found myself at Union Square and spied my next target: Gorilla Cheese. As a grilled cheese enthusiast, I know there are endless ways to do grilled cheese right. I browsed the menu out of curiosity, but when it was time to order, I went with my gut and let the fellow taking orders decide what I should eat. I had the Gruyère on multigrain bread with caramelized onions, and it was divine. (@gcnyc1 on Twitter)

Frites ‘n Meats.

Pounding the pavement in Midtown, I was starting to run low on energy when I spied Frites ‘n Meats, delicious gourmet burgers and twice fried Belgian-style frites. I picked the frites for a quick snack and they were absolutely perfect. Hot and crispy, with mayo for dipping and a sweet treat for dessert. It was enough to keep me going while burning through my New York to do list and avoiding the long lines at peak lunch time. (@fritesnmeats on Twitter)

Taco Bite

The more I explored, the more I found to like among the trucks that crossed my path. When it was time to sit rest my feet and take in the sunny day, I stopped for a taco at Taco Bite, also in Midtown. I went with the daily special for the day, the Tinga Bite shredded chicken on a soft corn taco. With its tasty sauce and loaded with cheese and vegetables, I was debating whether to go back for another one, or to continue on and see what else would cross my path. (@tacobite on Twitter)

Miami Food Machine NYC

It was well into the afternoon on my last day in NYC when I found Miami Food Machine. Luckily, for me, I got there just before they packed up for the afternoon. If I’m being completely honest, they had me at the name. After my South Beach chicken slider with plantains on the side, they had me at the food, too. (@miamimachinenyc on Twitter)

While I was at Miami Food Machine, I chatted at length with one of the owners about a day in the life of a food truck operator. To all of the owners and operators out there, I admire your stamina!

These discoveries gave me the New York food experience I was seeking: something that expanded my culinary universe, fresh ingredients, unique meals and lots of talking to New Yorkers. The only downside to taking in this much great food in such a short time? Forgetting to bring containers so I could take a doggy bag home on the plane. Oops!