Archive for Alex Levine

Chicago Judge Advances Food Truck Lawsuit

June 13, 2013 Chicago, Legislation No comments
This is definitely just a first step to the bigger goal, but it is a major victory for food trucks since they will get their day in court. FINALLY.

AND THE CROWD GOES WILD FOR JUDGE PETER FLYNN! Today, the lawsuit filed against the City of Chicago by the Institute of Justice was brought in front of the judge. The lawsuit claims that the 200ft buffer that food trucks must put between themselves and any existing

“restaurant” (steakhouse to gas station) and mandatory GPS requirements are unconstitutional. The judge heard IJ’s argument as well as the city’s; his honesty and reason provided a much-needed dose of honesty and reason on the legislative side of things.

Here’s a summary of what he said, according to DNA Info and the live tweets we’ve gathered from Kristin Casper, co-owner of Schnitzel King, one of the food trucks represented in the lawsuit:

1) 200 Foot Ban: “Judge Peter Flynn said the effect of the city’s ordinance, which forbids food trucks from setting up shop within 200 feet of an established restaurant, appeared to be to ‘exclude food trucks from the entire Loop and then some…Flynn took issue with the ordinance’s definition of a restaurant to include convenience stores like 7-Eleven.’” “Judge says the purpose and regulation doesn’t match up re: 200 ft rule”-@kristinrcasper

2) GPS Requirements: The judge isn’t “comfortable” with this part of the city’s ordinance. He wanted to know “how the city proposes to protect against misuse of the data.” The judge asked “Does the city have the right to put GPS on all cars & monitor?”

The Sun Times reports “…requiring food truck operators to install GPS systems so the city and the public can monitor their whereabouts — violates the vendors’ rights ‘to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures.’”

3) Next Steps There will be a status on September 10, but the actual court hearing is TBD.

For the first time perhaps ever, there is a glimmer of hope on the legislative horizon for food trucks in Chicago all because a reasonable judge. ”This is a big win, make no mistake about it,” said Bert Gall, an attorney for theInstitute for Justice, also nicknamed the Patron Saint to Food Trucks. “We get a chance to show this was protectionist legislation….The city was trying to cut this case off at the knees, and it failed.”

 

 

4 Delicious Food Truck Recipes

May 30, 2013 Chicago, Recipes No comments
Orange Dream Cupcakes

You know how we know summer is nearing? We get multiple e-mails a week from new food trucks! And MAN do they make us giddy for the months ahead. We will tell you more about them next week (hint: one truck’s concept is they sell all things in patty form)!

That also means that The Taste is near. Despite all the stupid politics around food trucks, we of course will be there to support our trucks! A group of us food truck freaks can visit the trucks and nosh together. Join us at 4:30pm on Thursday July 11; the music portion (Estelle and Robin Thicke) take the stage at 5:30. Comment below or tweet @foodtruckfreak if you plan to join!

For now, we want to share with you some great recipes the folks from Eat St. sent us to share in honor of their 4th season airing and new cookbook sittin’ pretty on shelves.

(BTW Eat St. airs on Mondays at 11:00pm and 11:30pm ET on Food Network Canada and on Tuesdays at 8:00pm ET on Cooking Channel. If you want a gazillion-ish more food truck recipes, you can get the full book Eat St.: Recipes from the Tastiest, Messiest, and Most Irresistible Food Trucks by James Cunningham at bookstores or online).

RECIPES

Kung Pao Chicken from The Rice Box, Houston

Nacho Grande Poutine from Smoke’s Poutinerie, Toronto

Malaysian Lime-Chili Tofu Grilled Burritos from Roaming Dragon, Vancouver

Orange Cream Dream Cupcakes from The Yum Yum Cupcake Truck in Orlando

Orange Cream Dream Cupcakes Food Truck Recipe from The Yum Yum Cupcake Truck in Orlando

May 30, 2013 Blog, Recipes One comment

We know how food truck freaks love cupcakes. So, here’s a summer-inspired recipe we think you’ll enjoy!

Orange Dream Cupcakes

Orange Dream Cupcakes

These recipes were provided by Eat St. If you like them, check out the full cookbook.

If you ask Orlando’s Alex Marin and Joey Conicella what the single most important  ingredient is in their cupcakes, they will answer without hesitation: “Love!” Their cute little cakes are an uncomplicated throwback to the days when Grandma would whip up something simply delicious. These are called Orange Cream Dreams because that’s what you will be thinking about in your sleep!

 

Cupcakes – Makes 12

¼ cup (60 mL) butter, softened

1 cup (250 mL) sugar

1 egg

1 tsp (5 mL) orange food color (optional)

1 tsp (5 mL) pure orange extract

¼ tsp (1 mL) pure vanilla extract

½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder

¼ tsp (1 mL) baking soda

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

1⅓ cups (325 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk

 

Filling

½ cup (125 mL) butter, at room temperature

1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup (250 mL) marshmallow fluff

1 ¼ tsp (6 mL) pure vanilla extract

 

Frosting

5 tbsp (75 mL) butter

1 ½ tsp (7 mL) pure orange extract

3 cups (750 mL) icing sugar

½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream

¼ tsp (1 mL) orange food color (optional)

 

For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beating continuously, add egg, food color (if using), orange extract, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, alternately stir in flour and milk, in three additions. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners.

 

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before removing cupcakes from pan.

 

For the filling, using an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy. With mixer on low speed, add icing sugar and salt; mix well. Beat in marshmallow fluff and vanilla. Transfer filling to a pastry bag. Using a ¼-inch (5 mm) round tip, insert the tip a little more than halfway into a cupcake. While pushing the filling into the cupcake, pull the tip out of the cupcake.

 

For the frosting, using an electric mixer, cream butter until smooth. Beat in orange extract. With mixer on low speed, gradually add icing sugar. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. Add cream and orange food color (if using); beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy. Frost the cupcakes.

Malaysian Lime-Chili Tofu Grilled Burritos Food Truck Recipe from Roaming Dragon in Vancouver

May 30, 2013 Blog, Recipes One comment

When most people (not necessarily food truck freaks) think of food trucks, they usually think of tacos and burritos. But not just any tacos and burritos- ridiculously awesome, mouthwatering, crack-like ones. We haven’t made this burrito recipe yet, but this definitely looks like a winner.

These recipes were provided by Eat St. If you like them, check out the full cookbook. 

“Roaming Dragon in Vancouver was one of the first trucks we featured on Eat St. Many, many trucks and chefs later, it is still one of the best, and you’re going to understand why with this recipe. I still remember the first time I tried Don Letendre’s incredible fusion cuisine. I knew instantly that this truck was going to be a huge hit. The six basic items on the menu contain over four hundred ingredients and combine the best old-world Asian techniques with a new-world Grumman ’67 truck.

“These burritos may sound intimidating, but you can do it. It just takes a little Zen-like patience . . . and some shredded sui choy cabbage.”

 

Pickled Red Cabbage

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup (250 mL) thinly shredded red cabbage

½ cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

¼ cup (60 mL) cider or malt vinegar

 

Malaysian Peanut Sauce

1 cup (250 mL) garlic cloves

1 cup (250 mL) chopped galangal

15 kaffir lime leaves

½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil

5 cups (1.25 L) skinless roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

2 cups (500 mL) shaved palm sugar

2 cups (500 mL) kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), plus extra for drizzling

¼ cup (60 mL) sambal badjak

 

Carrot Salad

3 tbsp (45 mL) rice vinegar

1 tbsp (15 mL) mirin

2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar

2 tbsp (30 mL) sesame oil

1 large carrot, shaved into long

ribbons

¼ cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced

2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 mL) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup (125 mL) unsalted peanut halves

 

Burritos – Serves 6

3 tbsp (45 mL) canola oil

1 lb (450 g) firm tofu, cut in ½- × 1-inch pieces

3 cups (750 mL) shredded sui choy

(napa) cabbage

¾ cup (175 mL) shredded red cabbage

6 large flour tortillas

½lb (225 g) spinach leaves

¾ cup (175 mL) julienned carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

 

Make the pickled red cabbage a day or so ahead. In a large nonreactive bowl, combine onion, cabbage, sugar, and vinegar; stir to combine. Cover and chill for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. (Pickled cabbage keeps, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.)

 

For the peanut sauce, in a blender combine garlic, galangal, lime leaves, and ¼ cup (60 mL) of the oil. Process until very finely chopped. Heat remaining ¼ cup (60 mL) oil in a large, deep skillet over very low heat. Add garlic mixture; cook gently, stirring frequently, until garlic is cooked but not coloring. Add peanuts, palm sugar, kecap manis, and sambal badjak; stir well. Add enough water to cover peanut mixture. Cook, stirring constantly (peanuts burn easily), until sauce thickens, about 45 minutes. Let cool.

 

For the carrot salad, in a small bowl, combine vinegar, mirin, sugar, and sesame oil; whisk until sugar is dissolved. In a medium bowl, combine carrot ribbons, cucumber, cilantro, and peanuts. Toss with vinaigrette to taste. Set aside.

 

For the burritos, in a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the oil over medium-high heat. Fry tofu until golden and crispy on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Wipe out skillet.

 

Divide sui choy cabbage and red cabbage among flour tortillas. Top each serving with ¾ cup (175 mL) peanut sauce. Arrange tofu over sauce; top with pickled red cabbage, spinach, and julienned carrots. Fold in bottom and top, then fold in sides.

 

Heat remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook burritos, starting seam side down, until golden brown on both sides. Cut each burrito in half on the diagonal with a serrated knife. Drizzle with kecap manis. Serve with carrot salad.

 

Nacho Grande Poutine Food Truck Recipe from Smoke’s Poutinerie in Toronto

May 30, 2013 Blog, Recipes One comment

Ah, poutine. We hardly know ye, but we love ye. This trendy dish pops up on menus in Chicago, but not as often as we would like. It’s one of those dishes that has endless possibilites and beg for our talented chefs to put their own spin on. This recipe, for example, is a mashup between nachos and poutine. It’s got the salsa and guac of nachos using the potato and gravy base of poutine. We’re not sure what we think about the gravy and salse mixing, but we won’t knock it ’til we try it!

These recipes were provided by Eat St. If you like them, check out the full cookbook.

Poutine is a proud Canadian dish that combines all the heart-stopping power of melted cheese curds and gravy with the healthy benefits of a plate of deep-fried potatoes.

But even the deep-fried lovin’ city of Toronto is not enough to contain the poutine army that Smoke is building. With a few restaurant locations already operational and a fleet of trucks planned across Canada and in the U.S., it won’t be long before Smoke is at a street corner near you. To say these guys are passionate about poutine would be an understatement. They care so much that they oversee several fields in P.E.I. where they grow their own brand of “Smoke’s potatoes”!

 

4 cups (1 L) chicken-based gravy

1⅓ cups (325 mL) chili

31/2 lb (1.5 kg) Yukon Gold potatoes

Canola oil for deep-frying

Salt

1⅓ cups (325 mL) cheese curds, at room temperature

1⅓ cups (325 mL) tomato salsa

1 cup (250 mL) guacamole

1 cup (250 mL) sour cream

4 fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers, sliced

 

Heat gravy and chili separately until hot; keep warm.

 

Cut unpeeled potatoes into ½-inch (1 cm) sticks. Soak in cold water for at least 5 minutes.

 

In a deep-fryer or deep, heavy saucepan, heat 3 inches (8 cm) of canola oil to 300°F (150°C). Drain potatoes and pat dry. Fry for 4 ½ minutes, being careful not to brown potatoes. Drain on paper towels. Heat oil to 350°F (180°C). Fry potatoes until crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl lined with paper towels; season lightly with salt. Remove paper towels; gently toss potatoes.

 

Mound fries in serving dishes. Spread curds over fries. Pour hot gravy over curds. Mound chili over gravy; top with salsa. Spoon guacamole on the side. Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream (or use a squeeze bottle) and jalapeno slices.

Kung Pao Chicken – The Rice Box Food Truck Recipe

May 30, 2013 Recipes One comment

Kung Pao chicken is our go-to when ordering delivery Chinese food. This, however, does not look like your typical takeout Kung Pao. Instead, it’s a fresher, less greasy alternative. When we’ve tried to make our own Kung Pao at home in the past, the one thing we’ve never gotten right (and is arguably the most important component) is the sauce. We will test this one out and report back!

These recipes were provided by Eat St. If you like them, check out the full cookbook.

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken

For years Houstonians were used to ordering Chinese food and having it delivered, but Arthur Peterson and John Wentworth have taken that idea to a whole new level. With their rolling truck Rice Box, they bring the entire restaurant to you! There are a few examples of fusion-esque flair, but for the most part theirs is classic old-school Chinese food served up American style.

Kung Pao Chicken is a dish we’ve all had a thousand times before, but these guys do it up with a few slight differences.  First, they use dark thigh meat, which westerners find more flavorful but is contrary to your average Chinese joint. Second, substituting jasmine rice for the traditional white rice stands true to the truck’s motto: “Powered by rice!”

 

2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce

4 tbsp (60 mL) sesame oil

1 tbsp (15 mL) minced ginger

1 tbsp (15 mL) minced garlic

10 bird’s eye chilies (or to taste)

2 cups (500 mL) bean sprouts

1 cup (250 mL) chopped celery

½ cup (125 mL) roasted peanuts

Steamed jasmine rice for serving

 

Kung Pao Sauce

¼ cup (60 mL) sugar

¼ cup (60 mL) water

¼ cup (60 mL) chicken stock

¼ cup (60 mL) soy sauce

2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar

2 tbsp (30 mL) rice wine

1 tbsp (15 mL) hot pepper flakes

1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp (15 mL) water

 

In a bowl, combine chicken with soy sauce and 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the sesame oil; mix well to coat chicken thoroughly. Marinate, covered and refrigerated, for 2 hours.

 

Meanwhile, make the kung pao sauce. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil for 1 minute. Stir in chicken stock, soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine, and hot pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; whisk in cornstarch mixture to thicken sauce. Remove from heat.

 

In a wok or large, deep skillet, heat remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) sesame oil over low heat. Add ginger, garlic, and chilies; cook, stirring, until chillies are sizzling. Increase heat to medium-high and add chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken is light brown and almost cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bean sprouts, celery, and peanuts. Stir in kung pao sauce, stirring until chicken is coated and cooked through. Serve on a bed of rice.

Food Truck-Based Movie “Free Samples” Released Today

May 21, 2013 Chicago No comments
Weixler and Eisenberg at the truck

Weixler and Eisenberg at the truck

Today a movie revolving around a single food truck launches. It’s not a documentary, it’s more like Juno meets Groundhogs Day. Dry humor, all things hipster, and the same thing happening over and over with a slight variant each time. It appeared in the 2012 Tribeca Film festival (among many others), and is now coming to us!

The basis of the storyline is a girl (played by Jess Weixler) works on a food truck for a day, largely because her hangover weakened her will to protest a friend’s plea to fill in for her. So, she’s stuck in a metal box under the strong California sun serving a single sample of ice cream to each person who comes up to the truck. She’s romanced throughout the movie by Jesse Eisenberg (of The Social Network) in a slightly Napoleon-and-Deb type fashion, with all the awkwardness plus a sprinkle of aggression. We don’t want to tell you too much about the movie itself, but we do think people who like food trucks might enjoy it, so we want to give you some additional deets we got from Weixler and director Jay Gammill (below).

Weixler said the heat in the truck was made even more fierce by all the lights for filming and can definitely sympathize with food truck owners who are in trucks in hot weather day in and day out. However, despite feeling claustrophic in the small space, she said it came with a certain sense of power as well. “You have people something want,” she said, adding that the vantage point added to the feeling of power.

That fleeting ascendancy was reflected back to her by comedian and Chicagoan Matt Walsh, whose moment of improv ranked as one of our favorite lines in the movie; he said, “You food truck people think you’re so cool. You’re not! I can get ice cream from the store.” Gammill said this unscripted moment is exemplary of Walsh’s fine improv chops. Upon further investigation *coughfivesecondsonimdbcough* we found out that Walsh co-founded the Upright Citizens Brigage with Amy Poehler and a couple others, and he was also in big movies like Ted and The Hangover.

So, if they could open their own food trucks, what kind would they be? Without missing a beat, Gammill said “tacos.” (We’ll try not to read into that too much, but we’re guessing that might be an indication that he either loves all things classic. Or isn’t a foodie. We sometimes forget that not all people google “new food trucks” for fun.) Weixler at first said sushi, then took that back wondering how that would be logistically possible to maintain food freshness, then replaced that response with “fried food” or a thai/mexican fusion truck (we would so go to that truck).

Our take on the movie? Weixler is dynamic and fun to watch, the food truck freaks (and freaky laypeople) are interesting enough you wonder who will come next, and you get thrown a less funny/more serious curveball now and then. it’s not a mind-bender but it’s quirky and enjoyable and BOY do we love a movie that has a food truck on screen more often than not.

If you are now so intrigued that you want to make the leap and see the movie, it is on iTunes today! Nope, it won’t be in theaters in Chicago. So just go on iTunes. Or Amazon Instant.

Food Truck Week on NBC

May 6, 2013 Blog One comment

Today kicks off food truck week on NBC. Kicking off this morning was a story about Giordano’s  and their new truck. Here’s what the schedule looks like, so if you’re interested in tuning in they’ll be doing these segments during the morning news!

Schedule provided by NBC. 

Monday: at 5:45 Andy Avalos gets a first look at the brand new Giordano’s Food Truck @giardanospizza which also happens to have @drose pictured right on the back. The truck will hit the streets in the coming weeks.

Tuesday: Daniella Guzman takes a turn in @thesalsatruck to learn how to make a tacos on the go.

Wednesday: Kye Martin gets the love story behind @thefatshallot a brand new food truck hitting the road soon.

Thursday: Stefan Holt spends time with one of the hottest food trucks on the road - @5411empanadas.

Friday: We take a look at how the explosion of these new meals on wheels has created a whole Food Truck culture in Chicago which will include interviews with the city and yours truly.

Saucy Porka Launch

May 3, 2013 Chicago 2 comments

Saucy Porka LogoAbout 2 years ago I started this blog because I was living in a corporate “food desert” of sorts. There were 2 quick lunch options around and, for a person who tends not to bring their lunch, that got old quick. Now, I work in an area where there are quite a few options but yet they all seem pretty homogenous. They’re chains. On Monday May 7 a restaurant is opening that I already crave: Saucy Porka. And, it just so happens that it has deep food truck roots.

Amy Le, who started Duck N Roll, is opening this breakfast-lunch joint in the heart of the financial district. I invited a hungry, food-loving friend and we ordered way too many items on the menu for our stomachs to bear (our eyes thought it was a phenomenal idea). In fact, the menu was a wonderful oasis in an area desolate of fresh ingredients and tastiness yet laden with a gajillion fast food chains (side note: a nearby chain is owned by one of the corporations who testified to continue to exile food trucks from the city center *coughwowbaocough*).

The concept is a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant. There are menu items familiar to food truck x
freaks who have tried Le’s fare, layered with the delish dishes from the talented Chef Rafael Lopez, who once worked for the Wagyu Wagon food truck. While there are Latin-Asian fusion restaurants in Chicago, the best way we can distinguish this one is that it feels honest yet inventive.

Here’s what the two of us ordered (don’t judge):

  • Chorizo Egg Roll Chihuahua cheese, sweet potato, red cabbage, onion avocado aioli: Not gonna lie, can’t pass up an egg roll. This could have easily gone super greasy, with the chorizo and fried-ness and such, but it wasn’t. This was the dish that was gone just as quickly as it was set on our table.
  • Umami Nachos topped with your choice of pork, chicken or meatless with scallions, pineapple, tomatoes, and queso fresco cheese: We didn’t get meat on ours, and neither of us are fans of pineapple nor tomato. I know, why the heck did we order it? It still sounded great, and Le’s mango salsa is a long-time fave, and this did not dissapoint. The chips were substantial enough to hold the hefty toppings, but they tasted light enough that we still had room for the entrees. We did note though that there wasn’t a stand-out ingredient of the dish, we missed a power player like something spicy or salty. Bacon? Jalapeño? We had solid Pipens and Rodmans, but longed for a Jordan.
  • Curry Sweet Potato Fries served with queso fresco cheese. My +1 ordered this. If there are 2 things I don’t like it’s sweet potatoes and curry, so I had little interest in this. After one bite, I reconsidered it all. Of all our apps, this was the one that was so craveable and perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing.
  • Asian Style Paella served with Chinese Lap Chang pork sausage, chorizo, edamame, scallions, and cilantro. The sausage wasn’t the crumbled Mexican-stlye chorizo I expected; it was sliced sausage-style chorizo (not true Spanish style either, it was less greasy and more subtle). The pork was the mouth-watering protein in this dish, doled out in mouth-water chunks atop a bed of beautifully seasoned rice with its trusty spicy sausage sidekick playing a complimentary Robin to its Batman.
  • Domo Arigato miso braised beef short ribs served on French baguette topped with a pickled Asian slaw: My friend got this and, as a baco virgin, didn’t know what to expect. She recognized the dough from baos, but seemed to appreciate the presence of the slaw that balanced out the heftiness of the meat and masa (what do you call bao dough/bread?)IMG_1194
  • Cupcakes Our food truck-loving conscience told us we couldn’t leave without trying the two cupcakes Flirty Cupcakes food truck made especially for Saucy Porka. Yes, you can get food truck fare at this brick-and-mortar! We even heard other food truck owners lent their support to help prepare for the night; that’s the kind of love food truck owners have for one another hear (eat that, NYC). One was a Mexican Chocolate cupcake and the other was a Ginger Lemon cupcake. We thought it was pretty cool that the two had collaborated to create desserts that weren’t just there to have a sweet to finish the meal, but they were thoughful and meaningful collaborations. I was hoping for a more potent ginger presence in the Ginger Lemon cupcake, but l liked that the frosting was so thick it legit cut like butter. For those of you who have read this blog for a hot minute, you know I don’t have a sweet tooth; I’ll defer to you all to rate these cup-sized cakes.

If you are downtown in the near future between the hours of 8am-4pm, let your behind over to Saucy Porka. They open Monday May 7, so let’s support Amy! We’ll be back opening day to wrap both a figurative and literal hug around Ms. Le, and hope to see you there too! Also, though our eyes were roughly 12x the size of our stomaches, there is a significant portion of the menu we have yet to eat through, so tell everyone what you think in the comments below!

Saucy Porka

400 S. Financial Pl (Cross St: Wells, a couple doors down from Dunkin’)
Open Monday – Friday 8am-4pm

http://www.saucyporka.com

 

Emanuel Swings and Misses: Taste of Chicago & Food Trucks

April 29, 2013 Chicago 2 comments

Le sigh. Chicago has done it again. Just when we think they couldn’t get any slimier in their communications about their actions regarding the food truck industry, they proved us wrong. The city’s politicians and publicists have been hard at work crafting up ways to rebound from the public outcry about last July’s poor food truck legislation and even poorer execution (or lack thereof).

Angry Business Cat summarizes the city's stance better than we ever could.

Angry Business Cat summarizes the city’s stance better than we ever could.

Before we talk about the bizarre announcement in regards to trucks now being welcomed at the Taste of Chicago, we need to talk about what happened leading up to it.

So, about those cooking licenses…

The city is celebrating having awarded 5 food trucks with cooking licenses, tweeting pictures showing a city worker handing the truck their license (see below). Yes, it’s a start! But, at the time this article was published, 279 days had passed since the city voted to do so. On top of that, they are awarding these licenses to businesses with established brick-and-mortar locations and/or new trucks that haven’t been operational in Chicago or ever. Nevermind the entrepreneurs who have poured their souls into getting this industry off the ground in this city. This doesn’t quite measure up with Emanuel’s “commitment to creating the conditions and opportunities that will allow this industry to thrive.” They have scant evidence to support that claim and the claim of spurring job creation, and is doing damage to the “food culture” by not budging from their protectionism and showing at least a smidgeon of respect for our city’s existing fleet.

@RKrim is the Commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection at the City of Chicago

@RKrim is the Commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection at the City of Chicago

Instead, they started by awarding the first license to a truck who said he didn’t need the license to serve the menu he designed, and said it was a great “publicity” moment for the city! *facepalm*

****Let us be clear: we harbor no beef (figuratively speaking, of course) with these food trucks; they rock. The issue is the city and their well-documented, long-standing, unabashed protectionism over the brick-and-mortar business model.****

Taste of Chicago Sketchiness

Let’s begin, well, at the beginning. The title of the city’s press release is “Taste of Chicago to Welcome Food Trucks for the First Time Ever.” What does that tell the reader? Never before has the city welcomed food trucks to The Taste even though we’ve had trucks for years. *slow, slow clap*

How about the fact that food trucks are being charged 25% commission and pop-up restaurants are being charged 20%. Based on the city’s calculations, if a food truck owner and a pop-up restaurant each net $9,000 in sales, the truck’s net cash out is $403 less than the pop up restaurant’s purely because of their chosen business model.

"Jessica's waiting to license you, too! @FoodTruckFreak @FoodTruckPages @chifoodtruckz pic.twitter.com/ocIZqsHvfZ" - via @RKrim, Commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection at the City of Chicago

“Jessica’s waiting to license you, too! @FoodTruckFreak @FoodTruckPages @chifoodtruckz pic.twitter.com/ocIZqsHvfZ” – via @RKrim, Commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection at the City of Chicago

Also, the language in the application is a bit fuzzy, pointed out keenly by observant @uchinomgo. The application states, “Trucks will be charged 25% commission on gross profits after taxes.” However, their formula shows trucks (and pop up restaurants, for that matter) being charged commission based on gross revenue. We would be shocked if the city took into account the vendor’s food costs and overhead to deduct from the total in order to arrive at gross profit. Instead, they very likely deduct the commission from the money brought in that day, A.K.A. gross revenue. Perhaps the lack of financial gain (and arguably financial strain) for vendors is a large reason all vendors have soured on this event. We contacted the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (@ChicagoDCASE) to clarify but they have not responded.

Also, if you do the math in terms of capacity, food trucks would be hard-pressed to serve $9,000 of food. Can a sweet truck hold 3,000 cupcakes? Can the non-MFP-licensed savory trucks store 1,100+ pre-packaged (by law) entrées? We thinks not. They’ll have to cut into their profits shuttling food from their remote kitchens to the event, further cutting into any potential financial gain with the added cost of employees and gasoline.

While we’re on the subject of math, $9,000 (profit) – 35%+ taxes and fees to Chicago – $3,000 food costs = $3,041 net gain *before* paying themselves, employees preparing and shuttling of food from remote kitchens, kitchen rental costs, packaging costs, and the other costs they incur to do business. So, in the absolutely best case scenario they’ll be leaving with less than 1/3 of their revenue.

One food truck owner told us that there are a lot more additional costs on their end to participate and they’d be lucky to break even if they took the risk of being a Taste of Chicago vendor, and even luckier to earn a few hundred bucks for all their efforts. The 3 trucks who are slated to be there (Jerk, The Salsa Truck, and Porkchop) have 3 of the 5 licenses issued, so perhaps they’ll have better success than the unnamed 4 trucks the city said will be there without such licenses. For their sake, we hope so!

It’s no secret that the Taste of Chicago has been plunging downward year-over-year when it comes to attendance and revenue. Emanuel’s efforts to bring in money backfired, according to the Tribune, “The shortened 2012 Taste lost $1.3 million, according to the city. That left it

deeper in the red than the previous year despite Emanuel’s moves to raise more money by charging attendees at the nightly Petrillo concerts $25 for reserved seats and adding $40 daily gourmet meals prepared by local chefs alongside the sausages and churros usually found in abundance.” So, since Emanuel’s last-ditch efforts didn’t resurrect the Taste, now food trucks can come. That’s like getting an invitation to a wedding a couple weeks before it happens; you know you weren’t even on the Plan B invitation list, and at that point the bride and groom threw in the towel just invited you so as not to have an sparse reception hall.

Lastly, we found it odd that city publicists copy and pasted the mayor’s quote from his last press release regarding food trucks. C’mon guys, look alive.

The Great Food Truck Race

In the press release, the city mentioned the Great Food Truck Race will be filming “highlighting Chicago’s efforts.” See what they did there? They are actually being semi-transparent about the fact that it’s about them and their image, not the food trucks. What the city may not know is that it’s been a long-standing joke among food truck fans that in fact Chicago is the BEST city to come to for that show because it is the greatest challenge. Being a profitable food truck in Chicago is enormously more difficult than most other major U.S. cities largely because of the city’s restrictions on the industry. It would be difficult for them to do the show without facing these issues because most trucks on the shows are not compliant with Chicago laws, but something tells us the city will bend over backwards to portray an image of a healthy food truck industry.

Level the Playing Field

If Emanuel was in fact attempting to repair the Chicago food truck scene and their relations with these small business owners, wouldn’t he consider mending the rifts created by the previous administration and the antics of his aldermen?

In response to asking about the status of the food truck stands.

In response to asking about the status of the food truck stands.

There is a theme that the city seems to be missing out on: granting businesses things that are industry standard (participation in industry events, operational licenses, etc) is not newsworthy. On the contrary, it further underlines that food trucks are treated like second class citizens in our glorious culinary scene. Nice try, Emanuel (and publicists).

APPENDIX

Did you know there has been a lawsuit filed against the city to amend food truck legislation to uphold truck owners’ constitutional rights (no arbitrary government interference, protectionism, and rights to privacy)? Read more here.

Thanks to the Institute for Justice for compiling this information. Who is the IJ and why do we love them so? “As the nation’s leading libertarian public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice engages in cutting-edge litigation and advocacy nationwide to defend individual rights from overreaching government,” – IJ website Simply put, they are the ones fighting the legal battle to get the city on the right side of the constitution when it comes to mobile food vending legislation.

  • Castaneda v. City of El Paso—In January 2011, the Institute for Justice brought suit against the City of El Paso, which stopped mobile food vendors from operating within 1,000 feet of a restaurant or convenience store, and prohibited them from stopping to await customers anywhere in the city.  As a result of the lawsuit, the city passed a new ordinance that eliminated these and other protectionist restrictions.
  • Membreno v. City of Hialeah—In October 2011, the Institute for Justice Florida Chapter filed a lawsuit in state court on behalf of street vendors.  These vendors are challenging a law passed by Hialeah, Fla. (located near Miami), that forces them to constantly be on the move and prevents them from vending within 300 feet of any store that sells “the same or similar” merchandise.
  • People v. Ala Carte Catering, a California state court held that prohibiting food trucks from operating within 100 feet of a restaurant was unconstitutional. 159 Cal.Rptr. 479 (1979),
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