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!

Much to our delight, guest blogger Jackie Armstrong has returned! You may remember her last post on Phil’s Steaks (which made each of us in the office promptly order a 6-inch Philly with extra peppers…) and this time, she’s reporting in on all the fun at this month’s Boston vs. NYC Food Truck Throwdown! There’s a lot to cover so let’s get started, shall we? Take it away, Jackie!

BOSTON VERSUS NYC FOOD TRUCK THROWDOWN

by Jackie Armstrong

Nine New York trucks made their way to Boston last Saturday to participate in the second Boston vs. New York Food Truck Throwdown, – and they were nice enough to let me tag along for the ride!  Big D’s Grub, Comme Ci Comme Ca, Cupcake Crew, Itizy, Mike ‘N’ Willies, Momos & Buns, Nuchas, Munchie Mobile, and Uncle Gussy’s comprised New York’s “StrEATS” team. It was a perfect day for the event – and probably the only thing brighter than the sun were the smiles on the faces of everyone who got to experience a full (and I mean FULL) day of eating from the trucks of our two great cities.

Our New York trucks came out strong as always, and served the dishes that we know and love – along with a few specials (event sponsor Maker’s Mark made a welcome appearance in many). To my dismay, I realized I hadn’t already tried every NYC truck that was present – Operation: Try Everything began and yes, I tried something from every single truck.

My newest obsession in life is Comme Ci Comme Ca. I had the Kofta Couscous, which includes beef seasoned with onions and cilantro. Their food is so incredibly flavorful, and how could you not love Chef Samir? A week later I am still telling people about it…

Nuchas was a huge crowd favorite (no surprise!) serving up a variation of meat, veggie and a special Maker’s Mark Pork Shoulder empanadas. From empanadas to tacos from Mike ‘N’ Willies to Fries from Uncle Gussy’s … I was starting to get full.

Not to fear, I always leave room for dessert. I cleansed my palate with some Blueberry Mojito Sorbet from Itizy. They pride themselves on being able to serve fresh and locally made ice cream and you can definitely taste that reflected in what they serve. The final decisions of the day would be which creation from the Cupcake Crew I would go for. I couldn’t resist their Bailey Mocha.

I don’t discriminate when it comes to food and I was equally as happy to eat from every Boston truck as well. Boston is a fantastic city and it should come as no surprise that the food coming out of their local trucks was equally as fantastic – and they were all more than willing to make sure I got plenty to taste! My favorite Boston bites included the brisket grilled cheese (Roxy’s Grilled Cheese), Shrimp & Grits (Captain Marden’s), Oozy crepes (Paris Creperie)  and a chocolate chip cookie topped with a Maker’s Mark boozy caramel sauce (Cookie Monstah).

Sure, some judging went on and a few winners were named, but the reality is, everyone that day was a winner. It was an amazing (and filling) day for everyone who was there. A truck sized thank you has to go out to Boston for being such fantastic hosts. Looking forward to the next one – and hopefully welcoming Boston into town for a New York style Throwdown soon!

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If you enjoyed this article, tell Jackie so on Twitter! You can find her there at @onegirlsdish!