Still Not Perfect, But Getting There: Taste of Edmonton 2012

The Taste of Edmonton just racked up its most successful year ever, as defined by ticket sales. There was such a high demand for food that organizers ended up having to utilize their 2011 ticket inventory.

So in the face of stagnant or declining attendance at Capital Ex/K-Days, what made the Taste of Edmonton such an attractive festival in this packed summer calendar? Was it truly the changes and additions to its 2012 incarnation that had such a huge impact? In part, I think the answer is yes.

First Annual Taste Festival Cook-off

Taste of Edmonton introduced several different initiatives in an effort to reach a new, younger demographic this year. One of these initiatives was the on-stage cook-off.

Over two days, bloggers and food enthusiasts put their skills on display in live cooking competitions. Although Taste has hosted cooking demonstrations in the past, the inclusion of amateur chefs was a new element.

On stage

Mack and I were present for one competition involving three food bloggers, who had an hour to put up their best food truck-inspired entrées. It was an absolute scorcher that afternoon, but Phil, Teresa and Michelle all toughed it out and made it look easy. Hosts Liane and Amanda also kept the crowd entertained, providing relevant commentary and opportunities to win prizes throughout.

The final dishes were judged by three local chefs – David Omar of Zinc, Lindsay Porter of 4th and Vine, and Shane Chartrand of Murietta’s. They tasted, tasted again, and agonized over the scores, as it turned out only a single point separated the winning dish from the other two.

Judges

In the end, Phil was crowned the victor. But in a surprise announcement, it turned out that all three were victorious in a way – each of the three chefs had agreed to adopt one dish to be featured on their restaurant’s menu.

The winning dish

Congrats, Phil!

Though the crowds could have been larger for the cook-off that we attended (and perhaps would have been if the competition had been kept to half an hour), it was a great first time event. It added a community dimension that has been lacking, and is something I hope organizers expand in the future.

Curb Your Hunger

In a way, food trucks were an inevitable addition to Taste of Edmonton. With organizers looking for a way to punch up the food offerings, food trucks were an easy way to do it – they are self-sustaining (and thus would not need to draw on power or water sources), offer consistent and unique products, and are undoubtedly fashionable. So Curb Your Hunger, Taste’s food truck corral, was born.

Drift in the thick of things

Given our experience with the trucks at What the Truck?! and other events, Mack and I weren’t sure how well the trucks would fare. No doubt their food would be a hit, but could they keep up with the volume demanded by the large crowds and long hours? How would they store that amount of food in the truck? Could they compete price-wise, given some trucks use superior, locally-sourced ingredients? And with organizers taking a significant percentage of ticket sales, would it be worth their while?

Curry ‘N’ Hurry, one of the newest trucks

Organizers admit that this was a bit of a mixed bag. It probably didn’t help that the trucks weren’t consistently present (some through no fault of their own, having made other commitments prior to signing on to Taste). Their menus were also listed separately from the other restaurants, while some trucks like The Act were probably easily overlooked because they faced away from the rest of the vendors. In addition, some trucks did sell out early to the dismay of some patrons, without kitchen staff to lean on to replenish supplies.

The Act

Of course, it should be noted that Taste’s embrace of food trucks (and the recent announcement that Eat St. will be filming in our city) means that these darlings of the food scene may finally be considered mainstream. No doubt this provided some Edmontonians with their first exposure to gourmet mobile food, and that’s a good thing.

So – should trucks continue to be a part of Taste? Obviously, this is ultimately up to the trucks if they want to participate (and if the festival is open to having them), but I hope organizers tweak this aspect for next year if Curb Your Hunger returns.

New Menus Items

Food festivals like a Taste of Edmonton are extremely democratic. Patrons eat what they want, and vendors who can cater to that are rewarded with monster sales. For that reason, it’s easy to see why crowd-pleasing dishes like green onion cakes and mini burgers will forever remain on the menu at Taste, and restaurants are unwilling to risk serving something outside of the box. Understandably, organizers are also faced with a dilemma: sure, an exotic menu peppered with innovative dishes would be easier to promote, but would it appeal to the average festivalgoer? Edmontonians are known for their fairly conservative palates.

Still, to attract patrons who are tired of seeing the same dishes return year after year, or to pique the interest of those with more adventurous tastes, organizers heralded a menu boasting 65% new menu items. Some of the most anticipated items came from the food trucks, but some new restaurants like Guru and TZiN stepped up to the plate as well, bringing with them a reputation of quality and higher-end food.

As a whole, Mack and I were satisfied with the food we tried this year. We were very deliberate with our choices, but were much more impressed with the quality of the dishes we at this year when compared with 2011.

The grilled pork dumplings from Urban China were easily my favourite. The skin was nice and crispy, and the three ticket price didn’t hurt either. We also enjoyed the falafel and pork belly sandwich from Drift, but that was no surprise given we’ve had it many times before!

Pork dumplings from Urban China

Pork belly sandwich from Drift

Falafel from Drift

Guru’s samosa had been freshly fried and absolutely packed with tandoori chicken, while the accompanying tamarind sauce cut the heat in one sweet stroke. Moreover, TZiN’s vegetarian dish of panzanella salad was a nice change of pace, light and refreshing.

Samosa from Guru

Panzanella from TZiN

We are admittedly not immune to having old favourites, though – Mack couldn’t leave the grounds without a sample of his favourite crack chicken from The Lingnan!

Dry spicy chicken from the Lingnan

Given the record ticket sales, I would imagine most who attended Taste had positive food experiences. Hopefully the organizers can build on that momentum for next year.

Still Not Perfect, But Getting There

Although some seem to think this year’s event was near flawless, I disagree. I’ve written in the past about what changes could make the event better, and though organizers have made some great enhancements and improvements this year, I think there is more to be done.

The layout still needs to improve in places, where flow is obstructed due to lines or a lack of room to move.

No room to move

In addition to Centennial Square, couldn’t 99 Street between the Art Gallery and City Hall be better utilized? Telus had set up a booth there, but really, couldn’t the organizers have utilized the space better and placed food vendors there, instead of a promotional vehicle that was only present for a few days?

Waste of space

More non-beer tent seating would also be appreciated. It’s hard to get past the Churchill Square visual of Taste essentially being a giant beer garden when so much real estate is allocated to the 18+ zone.

Churchill Square

Though the reality is that the festival won’t ever be a “taste of the best of Edmonton”, when the draw isn’t just the food, but the atmosphere of it all, it would still be great if one of the summer’s premiere events did continue to attract the crowds that came out this year. It will be interesting to see how the event manifests itself in 2013, especially with Giuseppe Albi retiring. Former Northlands employee Paul Lucas will be taking over Events Edmonton (and Taste of Edmonton along with it), so we will see.

What the Truck?! @ Victoria Promenade on August 3, 2012

One of the best things about food trucks is their mobility, and the fact that they can set up virtually anywhere. If What the Truck?! was well received, Mack and I planned to move the festival around, with the knowledge that there are numerous underutilized places and parks in Edmonton that we couldn’t wait to colonize with food trucks. Thanks to the Edmontonians who have embraced food trucks in droves, we have that flexibility!

When we started to plan out our 2012 season earlier this spring, we identified Oliver as a prime potential site. The densest neighbourhood in the city, with great access to public transportation made Oliver ideal. We connected with the Oliver Community League to see if this was something they were interested in supporting, and to our delight, they were right on board.

We jointly identified a number of suitable locations, which included Paul Kane Park and Oliver Pool. But without a doubt, Victoria Promenade was the street at the top of our wish list.

Victoria Promenade (picture from marceloilers)

It is often lamented that to animate the river valley, more amenities are needed. Although the Victoria Promenade doesn’t offer quite the same natural escape, we think it’s still one of the most meditative spots in the City, with expansive views and benches to relax on. Even better, there are numerous restaurants and cafes just one street over. In our opinion, the Victoria Promenade is one of the best kept secrets in Edmonton.

Whether or not you’re already familiar with the Promenade, we hope you’ll consider joining us for eats and beats on the street next week! It will be unlike any other What the Truck?! we’ve organized so far.

What: What the Truck?!, Edmonton’s food truck extravaganza
When: Friday, August 3, 2012
Where: Victoria Promenade (100 Avenue, south of Jasper and 121 Street – very limited parking, so walk, bike, or ride transit!)
Time: 5-9pm

We are also happy to now be able to share the menus with you. With ten trucks in total, there should be something for everyone.

See you there!

A Whirlwind Sampling: Toronto Food Trucks

Back in May, Mack and I headed to Toronto – I was the tagalong as Mack was attending a conference. It was great because I could hang out with Amanda during the day, and the three of us would hook up for dinner each night. I can say that I really am starting to appreciate their food scene, and look forward to even more visits!

While Edmonton’s policies surrounding food trucks could be much improved, I’m sure Toronto’s trucks would consider themselves lucky if they were governed in the same way. At present, groups like Food Truck Eats are trying to lobby the City to allow new trucks to vend curbside downtown, but brick and mortar restaurants are stifling change. As a result, we found that most trucks were restricted to private land and parking lots – to the point where it can actually be an income-generator for these owners. Or, most trucks seem to simply vend outside of Toronto in more hospitable towns like Hamilton.

Parking lot seeks trucks

Though we were in Toronto for less than a week, we were able to hit up five trucks. It definitely helped that there was a small gathering of trucks our very first day in town!

Amanda alerted us to an event at the University of Toronto that was taking place that Saturday afternoon. After checking into the Hyatt, Amanda met us at the hotel and we walked over to the campus, eagerly anticipating our first taste of Toronto food trucks.

Food trucks!

There were three trucks set up alongside a science expo for children. To our surprise, though several hours of service had already passed, most of their menu items were still available (I will say that the generators seemed noticeably loud, though as Mack commented, the fact that they were placed against stone buildings, which did the opposite of dissipating the noise, didn’t help matters).

Loved the wild colours of Toasted Tangerine

Amanda and Mack

The toasted ravioli ($7) from the Toasted Tangerine was an all-around hit. Crispy pockets of ravioli were served with a marinara dipping sauce. Great finger food, and for next time, if they made them one-bite ravioli, I think it would be even more appealing. Their pulled chicken sliders with habanero pineapple slaw ($8) were tasty, but Drift’s similar jerk chicken is bolder in flavour.

Toasted ravioli

Pulled chicken sliders

From El Gastronomo Vagabundo, we tried their crispy pork schnitzel ($8.50). Street consumption-friendly, it had been cut into thin strips that were easy to eat and share. With a nice breading, it also benefited from the wide of crunchy lime slaw. We also loved their potato wedges ($6.50), elevated with sweet chili oil, sour cream and green onions.

Pork schnitzel

Dessert was from the Cupcake Diner. Unlike the other two trucks, the cupcakes were obviously baked off-site, so this was probably more of a catering vehicle than anything else. Still, Mack and I both couldn’t pass up trying the cookie dough flavour ($2.75 each), which was not only topped with a cookie sliver, but also had dough baked right into the cake!

Happy with our cupcakes

Our next two truck encounters were over the lunch hour in downtown Toronto. I’d been keeping my eye on Twitter, ready to pounce and plan our days around their service. We lucked out with Buster’s Sea Cove, a brand new truck that had opened a few weeks prior. A St. Lawrence Market favourite, they are known for their tasty seafood entrees. And though they were brand new, their popularity was obvious – when Amanda and I arrived, there was a small but ravenous crowd already gathered!

Buster’s Sea Cove

Parked in a private lot without immediate seating options, it didn’t seem like the ideal location for food trucks. But with its proximity to several towers, it seemed like most in line were content with taking their lunch back for desktop consumption. Amanda and I ended up hoofing it over a few blocks to the picturesque St. James Park.

The menu was small (just three items), but they all sounded so good it made selecting just one difficult! The grilled swordfish sandwich ($13) I ended up with was delicious – flaky, with fresh tomatoes and red onions served on herby, aromatic focaccia. I probably could have done without the token pre-boxed side salad though, as it didn’t really add anything.

Grilled swordfish sandwich

Amanda’s shrimp tacos ($8) were also pretty tasty. Breaded and fried shrimp had been drizzled with pico de gallo and salsa verde.

Shrimp tacos

The next day, Amanda and I had lunch nearby, this time from Caplansky’s Deli, though their truck is fondly known as “Thunderin’ Thelma”. Caplansky’s is another well-established restaurant, a deli located in the trendy Kensington neighbourhood. But they famously wanted to expand their business to include a mobile component, and presented their case to the Dragon’s Den investors, only to be rejected. The owners went ahead anyway, and Thelma is now regarded as one of the successes that made it even without the requested financial support.

Thunderin’ Thelma

Similarly located in a private lot (they apparently pay $300 a month to park there), we encountered a situation opposite from Buster’s –there was absolutely no line. Visibility from the street was definitely an issue (being tucked next to a building), and possibly competition as well – McDonald’s was just across the street.

The best in town

Regardless, we had heard far and wide about their Montreal smoked meat sandwiches ($7), and couldn’t wait to try them ourselves. We took our boxed lunch over to a park bench next to the Metropolitan Church and dug in.

Sandwiches

The sandwiches were unreal. The meat was juicy, slightly honeyed, and the rye held up to the moisture – no soggy mess here!

Mmmmm

The reuben spring rolls ($5) were overpowered by a bit too much hot mustard, but they were crispy enough. And for dessert: the maple bacon doughnuts were warm, and balanced sweet and savoury flavours well, even if we didn’t discern too much bacon flavour.

Maple bacon doughnuts and reuben spring rolls

I was happy to have been able to try a slice of Toronto’s food truck scene. I do hope it continues to grow, in spite of the lack of policy changes. Until next time!

One Last Hurrah: Old Strathcona Truck Stop

Our final Truck Stop in Old Strathcona took place last Wednesday. Mack and I nervously watched the skies all day, as it had started off rainy and overcast, but thankfully, the grey mostly cleared by the time the trucks pulled up at McIntyre Park.

The sun was shining!

The crowds weren’t as robust as those that were seen towards the end of May, but a fair number (including many young families) came out to enjoy a casual picnic in the park. A band, Yikes, were also on hand to lend some music to the event (we were told that music programming will be consistent on Wednesdays throughout the summer).

Lounging in the grass

We recognize that the June series of Truck Stops weren’t as successful as the preceding May dates. Weather played a big factor, and because McIntyre had been booked by another group on June 20, we weren’t able to make it known that “every Wednesday in June” would play host to the event.

Mack’s calzone from Battista’s

That said, as a whole, we think the venture of What the Truck?! across the river had been very well received! Though we suspected the appetite for food trucks in Edmonton wasn’t just confined to downtown, the response to these Truck Stops proved that. It was also wonderful working with Stephen Liley of the Old Strathcona Business Association and Kathy Stanley, the City’s Vending Coordinator, who helped make this series happen.

Great day for food trucks

As for the rest of the summer, we’ll be retiring Truck Stops for at least a month. Many events in Edmonton’s packed festival calendar will feature members of our local brigade (including Curb Your Hunger at Taste of Edmonton), not to mention the outdoor farmers’ markets where trucks have become a staple to feed hungry shoppers (124 Street Grand Market and the City Market, just to name a few). And don’t forget – many trucks are out and about every day – just check their Twitter feeds for details!

Mack and I are in the process of organizing two big What the Truck?! events to take place before the close of summer, however. We will announce the dates and locations when they are confirmed. In the meantime, keep on truckin’!

Super Saturday: DECL Pancake Breakfast and What the Truck?! at Al Fresco

If you weren’t downtown on June 9, 2012, you missed a heck of a party. Dubbed “Super Saturday”, June 9 saw a convergence of several high-traffic, high energy events in downtown Edmonton, including the DECL Pancake Breakfast, City Market, Pride Parade, TEDx and the Al Fresco Block Party. I am happy to say that I was involved in two of them.

DECL Pancake Breakfast

I took on the lead role this year in planning Downtown Edmonton Community League (DECL)’s annual fundraising Pancake Breakfast. All funds raised are donated directly to Al Fresco’s charity of choice, chosen to be Zebra Child Protection Centre this year.

Zebra Child Protection Centre’s display

It was a great experience working with Sobeys on 104th, our long-standing lead sponsor who donated the pancakes, sausages and coffee that we served, and Affordable Storage on 104th, who secured a large donation of juice boxes for use at the event. Sobeys and Affordable Storage demonstrated to us again that they are community-minded businesses who didn’t hesitate before committing their support.

Scott shows ‘em how it’s done

We were also happy to secure a prominent location to set up our breakfast this year. In 2011, we were relegated to the two lanes of Jasper Avenue, out of the sightline of City Market shoppers. This year, the market and the City were amenable for us to host the event in the intersection of 104 Street and 102 Avenue. As a result of this and the good weather, our lines stretched longer than we had ever seen before.

Around the block!

For a donation of $2, hungry patrons received a plate of pancakes and sausages, served up by enthusiastic DECL board members and volunteers. They were in the weeds for most of the morning as the crowds grew ever larger, but they handled it with grace and smiles to spare!

Love the aprons!

The drawback to our location was having to vacate the intersection by 11:30am, given the Pride Parade was set to charge down the street beginning at noon. As a result, we had no flexibility of extending our breakfast service beyond 11am, and unfortunately, disappointed some who had been waiting in line.

Great morning for an outdoor breakfast

At the end of the day, DECL was able to raise and donate over $1150 to Zebra. Thanks again to the generous donations from those who took part!

What the Truck?! @ Al Fresco

Mack and I were excited to take on a more active role relating to the Al Fresco Block Party this year. We’ve attended the festival every year since its inception in 2008, and as this was our second year as residents on 104 Street, we relished the opportunity to positively contribute to the neighbourhood.

Thanks to Brittney who snapped this photo of us before the madness began!

I mentioned in a previous post that the Planning Committee thought integrating food trucks into this year’s event was an ideal way to offer food, and Mack and I agreed. Servicing street party patrons than with curbside cuisine seemed like the perfect fit. It was also a great opportunity to be a part of something larger, and plug into the expected crowds that would gather downtown to take in one or more events. Rough estimates for that Saturday pegged the numbers at around 30,000.

Al Fresco from above

What the Truck?! @ Al Fresco was our first for 2012, and our largest event to date, with ten vendors in total. We took over both the intersection of 104 Street and 102 Avenue, as well as the street directly north of that. The space afforded us to have a seating area in the intersection, and room for many strategically placed lines.

Smokehouse BBQ had the longest line all night

We have to commend the City Market on an efficient load out (an hour!), which enabled us to load in nearly all trucks in less than forty minutes. Special thanks also goes out to Tri-Line Disposal, who donated not only several large collection bins, but also smaller wheeled bins for organics and recyclables, which greatly helped us control the on-site garbage.

Busy square

With the skies threateningly overcast for most of the afternoon, Mack and I were worried that a downpour would lead to a dip in attendance. But we were very fortunate to have a solid three hours of operation, as the downpour didn’t begin until 8pm. Until then, we had a very strong crowd enjoying the food and music who didn’t seem to mind the grey skies.

Mack and I even had the opportunity to try some food on our own! Battista’s Calzones was on our list, as WTT was the site of the Calzonemobile’s debut. They were the first truck to sell out.

All smiles inside the Calzonemobile

We also tried out the BBQ pork and custard steamed buns from The Lingnan Express. I love that they consistently experiment with items never found on any of their restaurant menus; I know I appreciate it as an eater!

Steamed buns

As we spent most of our time at WTT, we didn’t get a chance to take in the rest of Al Fresco this year. Some of the feedback we received, however, was that the stage set up at the south end of 104 Street divided the festivities, and prevented essential north-south sightlines. As a result, many patrons who visited WTT or the extended patios and Melcor tasting lot had no idea anything else was going on down the road. We wholeheartedly agree, and this is something the Planning Committee will address next year.

Extended patios from above

The weather also was a factor in the TEDx after-party shutting down early. Their flashy stage and screens set up on 104 Street south of 104 Avenue were only functional for about half an hour until the rain forced them to tear down, lest the equipment sustain water damage. Mack and I were too late to see the stage in its full glory, but from our balcony, it was a pretty epic view.

All the way to 104 Avenue

Being a part of Al Fresco, the vendors all agreed to donate proceeds from the evening to Zebra Child Protection Centre. In all, the donations totalled about $4,000!

There were a lot of “sold out” signs that night

Thanks again to everyone who came out and supported What the Truck?! Thanks to our tireless vendors for putting street eats on the map in Edmonton. And thanks to the few unsung heroes who helped us pick up trash and move tables after dark.

We still have plans for a few more events this summer, but until then, don’t forget about the final Truck Stop in Old Strathcona on June 27, 5-8pm. Hope to see you there!

What the Truck?! @ Al Fresco: June 9, 2012

It’s that time of year in Edmonton – because our summer is so short and precious, every weekend is an opportunity to take in something outdoors. Next weekend, the place to do this will be downtown, with numerous events and three festivals colliding on the same day.

Downtown Edmonton Community League is kicking things off at 8:30-11am, with its annual Pancake Breakfast (all proceeds benefit charity). The 4th Street Promenade summer mainstay, the City Market, will be running from 9am-3pm. Midway through at noon, the Pride Parade will wind down 102 Avenue from 108 Street all the way to Churchill Square. And to round off the night from 5-11pm, the 4th Annual Al Fresco Block Party will take over the Promenade from Jasper to 103 Avenue. Expect a wine and spirits tasting tent, extended patios, a great musical line-up, fashion show, and a kids zone.

One of the extended patios in 2011

Mack and I are two of the members of this year’s Al Fresco organizing committee. After attending the festival in 2009, 2010 and 2011, we thought it was time to give back, especially because we now live on the street and love events where neighbours can get to know one another. On the committee, Mack represents our condo (The Century), while I represent the Downtown Edmonton Community League (of which I volunteer as a Board member).

Volunteering for the 2011 DECL Pancake Breakfast

That said, we’re also involved in another capacity – Al Fresco was looking for a different way to feed hungry festival goers. Last year, the food component was expanded by hosting several downtown restaurants on the street – you may remember Tres Carnales in particular, because their Rice Howard Way digs weren’t yet complete at the time.

Tacos to the people!

Given the rise of food trucks in Edmonton over the last year, the committee thought they would be a wonderful addition to the festival. Mack and I might be a bit biased, but we agreed with them.

As a result, our first What the Truck?! extravaganza this year will be taking place in conjunction with the Al Fresco Block Party.

What: What the Truck?! Edmonton’s Food Truck Extravaganza
Where: 104 Street, north of 102 Avenue
When: June 9, 2012
Time: 5-11 p.m.

This will be the largest What the Truck?! we’ve ever organized, with ten of Edmonton’s premier food trucks ready to show the city why street cuisine is here to stay:

Best of all – the trucks will all be donating a portion of the evening’s proceeds to Zebra Child Protection Centre, Al Fresco’s charity of choice this year. A non-profit, community-based organization that improves the lives of children who have suffered abuse, the Zebra Centre is able to provide children and their families with essential social, medical and mental health services and supports.

We will be updating the website with menus on Tuesday – so check back then to whet your appetite. Hope to see you there!

Check out the Facebook event here, and follow us on Twitter! Read more about last year’s What the Truck?! events here and here.

Truck Stops in Old Strathcona: The Kickoff!

The first of five Truck Stops, our mini-What the Truck?! food truck festivals, was held tonight at McIntyre Park in Old Strathcona. Mack and I joked that between these five events and the several larger WTT festivals planned for this summer, we’re bound by the law of numbers to run into a calm, sunny day.

Truck Stop

But thankfully, in spite of the weather, many hearty Edmontonians came out to enjoy food from Drift, Eva Sweet, Fat Franks and Molly’s Eats. Drift and Molly’s even sold out of a few items!

The line-up at Drift

McIntyre Park really is an ideal location for food trucks – there is ample seating, a bit of rain cover in the form of a gazebo, and some grassy space. As with the two What the Truck?! events last year, Mack and I were happy to see that some people brought their children to the event.

McIntyre Park

The Park is also bordered by a busy thoroughfare, with great visibility. I have to say I was secretly hoping some of the drivers in the passing cars might rethink their destination and come check out all of the activity on the street.

Parked curbside!

In many ways, because it was less busy than some of our previous events, Mack and I were actually able to sample from all of the vendors! For example, we are rarely able to visit Drift at their downtown location during the day, so it was great to have the chance to finally try their falafel sandwich with a manageable line to boot!

Drift’s Falafel sandwich (delicious!)

Fries duo from Molly’s Eats (so crispy)

Huevos rancheros from Molly’s Eats (loved the crispy tortillas and the runny egg)

A meal is not complete without a waffle from Eva Sweet

We really want to thank the Old Strathcona Business Association for their help in arranging these Truck Stops. Their enthusiasm and financial support is much appreciated.

With Stephen Liley of the OSBA

But wait, we’re not done yet – there are still four more Truck Stops to go! Join us for more street eats every Thursday from 5-9pm in May. There will be a different line-up of trucks each time, so you’ll never have to have the same meal twice! We’ll be updating the website every Sunday with the list of vendors for the coming Thursday. Hope to see you there!

Check out Mack’s photoset here.

Announcing: Truck Stops in Old Strathcona!

Although Mack and I are stalwart supporters of downtown, we also wanted to spread the food truck festivals to other neighbourhood as well. So we are thrilled to announce a series of Truck Stops (our mini What the Truck?! festivals) that will be taking place in Old Strathcona.

Every Thursday from 5-9 p.m. in May, you’ll be guaranteed great eats at McIntyre Park, where four trucks will be serving up dishes both savoury and sweet.

What: Truck Stop
Where: McIntyre Park, 8303 104 Street
When: May 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2012
Time: 5-9 p.m.

The line up of trucks will change from week to week, but most of the vendors you are familiar with from farmers’ markets, festivals and street side will be represented this month. There will also be a few new trucks who will be debuting at Truck Stop later in the month, including Battista’s Calzones and The Next Act.

On deck this Thursday, May 3: Drift, Eva Sweet, Fat Franks and Molly’s Eats. A menu will be posted on the What the Truck?! website on Wednesday at the latest, so check back for updates.

Thanks to the Old Strathcona Business Association for their support in getting this off the ground!

Hope to see you there!

Check out our What the Truck?! website here, or follow us on Facebook.

Kitchen Takeover: Big City Sandwich

Even as the seasons are changing, enthusiasm for food trucks in Edmonton continues. Interestingly enough, the truck that is propelling that momentum into autumn isn’t really a truck at all!

Well, at least not yet. Chris Delaney, owner of Big City Sandwich, will be launching his truck in May 2012. Until then, to help generate some income (and excitement!), he will be taking over kitchens all over town so diners can start getting to know his food (it’s so great that restaurants are open to this concept – it sounds like the arrangement is that the establishment earns the liquor revenue while Chris takes home the food balance). Last month, Chris served a Cuban braised pork sandwich at The Bend Lounge. On Sunday, he was banging out eats at Packrat Louie – Mack and I had to check it out.

Packrat Louie (with small Big City Sandwich signs in the window)

We arrived just after 5pm to a half-full dining room. In hindsight, getting there early was the best decision we could have made; the lobby was soon buzzing with diners waiting for tables – I don’t think I’ve ever seen Packrat Louie so busy!

Instead of the usual silverware, linens and wine glasses, the place settings were made up of a disposable fork and napkin, a reminder of the casual nature of the meal we were about to have.

Place setting

On the menu that night: a smoked beef brisket sandwich with bacon jam ($8), although there was also a vegetarian option. Mack and I both upgraded to a combo ($12) so we were able to select two of the three available sides: Big City beans, slaw or fries (we chose the latter two).

Our orders arrived in biodegradable boxes. The sandwich was topped with a cheesy jalapeno popper which was so tasty (and perfect for someone like me who can’t handle heat). The brisket itself was wonderfully tender, and Mack and I both agreed that the smoky-sweet bacon jam helped elevate the sandwich. The fried onion straws were also a great crunchy addition. That said, the weak link for me was the bread – it was a little too big, and a touch dry.

Beef brisket sandwich

The kitchen was extremely generous with the serving sizes of the sides. The fries had been tossed with some seasoning, but as far as we were concerned, nothing else besides the chipotle mayo was needed. We’re not sure if it is Chris’s signature dipping sauce, but it could definitely become his equivalent of Drift’s house tomato sauce. Not surprisingly, I enjoyed the slaw more than Mack did – I loved the light but creamy dressing, and the unique inclusions of both bell peppers and cilantro in the mix.

A combo box

They were also offering a dessert – pumpkin ginger whoopie pies ($3) from Bluebird Cakes. Mack and I shared one, and found that the dominant flavour was definitely ginger. The cake itself had a good texture though, soft and doughy.

Pumpkin ginger whoopie pie

Based on the response that night, I can’t imagine the line-ups the truck will have when it debuts next year. But until then, according to Liane’s article, Big City Sandwich will be taking over another kitchen near you on November 27. Make sure to get there early!

Street Food for Lunch: Truck Stop

This afternoon, from 11am-2pm, we hosted our inaugural Truck Stop, a smaller offshoot of What the Truck?! at Churchill Square.

At this point, we’ve resigned to the fact that the weather won’t be on our side. We recognize that it could have been much worse – the rain held off until the very end – but after three events in less than ideal weather, we don’t know what we have to do to get some sunshine on our side!

Anyway, set-up this morning was seamless – 102A Avenue in front of City Hall has been closed to vehicular traffic for a few years now, and as we found with What the Truck?! 2, curbside is the best way to go with food trucks. By 11am, all five vendors were ready to go – but would Edmontonians brave the elements for street food?

Ready to go

Of course they would! The crowds didn’t swarm in droves as they did for WTT, but we didn’t expect them to, given the lack of notice and the inherently smaller nature of the event. We had pulled some of the colourful bistro tables from the centre of the Square to create a more inviting space, and were happy to see the slight chill didn’t deter people from al fresco dining.

Lunch time!

Smokehouse BBQ, with its wafting aromas of wood smoke, had a pretty solid line up during the noon hour lunch rush. They tweeted later that it was indeed a good day – they sold more today than they would have over four days in their usual spot in Nisku! So fans of Southern BBQ – if you give them a reason to come back – they will!

The line at Smokehouse

Mack and I had been looking forward to trying Smokehouse BBQ ourselves – and they didn’t disappoint! The three rib mac and cheese was my definite favourite – the meat just slid off the bone! And the creamy mac and cheese was especially comforting in the cold.

The bacon bomb and the three rib mac and cheese

But the beauty of food truck gatherings is the variety – and it was great to see groups of diners arriving together, but ultimately choosing the truck that would best fit their craving, whether it was from Bo Thai, Drift, Fat Franks or Eva Sweet.

Jill enjoys her pork belly sandwich from Drift (and tries not to look cold!)

At noon, a zumba class on the Square definitely enlivened the atmosphere. Mack and I weren’t sure that the dance class would go forward with the numbers that were anticipated, but boy, were we wrong. Upwards of forty people joined the instructor for an up-tempo work out right in Churchill! Unfortunately, this was the last zumba class of the year, but given its success, it sounds like programmers will want to continue it next year.

Zumba on the Square!

Halfway through the event, we noticed some fire pits and heat lamps on the Square. It’s too bad we couldn’t have put them into use today – I’m sure it would have encouraged more people to stick around to have lunch outdoors – if places like Earls and Joey’s can extend their patio season with heat lamps, why couldn’t food trucks?

Chris and Brit are content with al fresco dining

Thanks to everyone who came out to Truck Stop today – you helped us prove that food trucks aren’t just a warm weather phenomenon! Thanks to the City for helping us to make this happen. And a big thanks to the vendors who stuck with us through the rain – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Mack and I don’t have plans for any more food truck extravaganzas this year, but that doesn’t mean food trucks are disappearing from Edmonton streets. Drift, Molly’s Eats and Bo Thai will be out at the Movies on the Square on Friday, and Bo Thai will continue to serve in Churchill Square on weekdays until October 21. For the whereabouts of Eva Sweet, Drift and Smokehouse, be sure to follow them on Twitter!

You can see Mack’s photoset here.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: