Think a meal from a food truck is limited to either a slice of pizza or a greasy taco? Think again. There’s a whole new generation of creative chefs in locations across the country who have taken food truck cuisine to a new level, offering a variety of quality items on their menus that put many brick-and-mortar restaurants to shame. Whether you’re a street-level foodie or a newbie to the culture, the following list of unique food truck cuisines might surprise you or at least make your mouth water.

1.Haute cuisine on a stick - “We create classical haute cuisine and we put it on a stick,” says Chef Ruth Lipsky who runs the Houston-based food truck Stick It with her chef boyfriend, Alberto Palmer. Not only is their menu of filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables unique to food truck cuisine, so is its presentation. Lipsky credits the stick food at the Renaissance festivals she attended as a child for inspiring this venture. Chipotle honey-glazed chicken with charro beans and rice and beer-battered fish with hand-cut fries are just two other menu items the culinary duo cooks and skewers on 10-inch bamboo sticks.
2. Bratwurst - Well, yes, bratwurst isn’t exactly unique to food trucks, especially for those who grew up going to state fairs in the Midwest. But Austin, Texas, food truck Wurst Texoffers several variations on the perennial Germanic sausage that will surprise even the most seasoned regular at Oktoberfest. Their menu includes veggie brats, buffalo brats, elk brats, and, since this is Texas and you don’t want to mess with it, rattlesnake brats. Many early settlers in Texas came from Eastern Europe, so is it really surprising that the brat is so popular in the Lone Star State?
3. Products from local farms - Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, in Austin, Texas, creates a daily menu out of locally produced food. Half quail with potato salad, butternut squash with greens, and roasted beets with grilled carrots are just a few of the delectable and inexpensive items truck owner and chef Bryce Gilmore serves to a clientele loyal to his cuisine and their local farms. Gilmore also runs the brick-and-mortar restaurant Barley Swine, serving pork, lots of beer, and dishes made with ingredients sourced from local farms.
4. Big fat doughnuts - Austin food trailer Gourdoughs concocts and serves a mind-blowing array of doughnut creations for the most discerning yet gluttonous of sugar addicts. “More is more” must be the mantra chanted by Gourdoughs culinary team, as each doughnut is filled almost to a fault with a wild combination of exotic ingredients. Plain ol’ whipped cream is utilized as well. Street-smart troubadour Tom Waits once sang of a diner on a particularly mean street, “All the donuts have names like prostitutes.” Gourdoughs menu is no exception, with items that include Heavenly Hash, Dirty Berry, and Blue Balls. Mmm. Eat up!
5. Reindeer sausage filled with Coca-Cola-soaked grilled onions - Wurst Tex’s menu is bland compared to that of Biker Jim, who serves sausages from a steel cart on the busy downtown streets of Denver, Colo. The former repo man takes delight in creating hot dogs from wild game, including boar, antelope, and pheasant, and serving them to hungry “cops and crooks, politicians and babysitters, office workers and tourists.”
6. Vegan gluten-free chili served over brown rice - After gorging yourself on rattlesnake, Blue Balls, and Coca-Cola-soaked onions, hop a plane to Portland, Ore., for a much healthier meal at Mira’s Ladle which boasts several homemade vegan dishes, many inspired by Polish cuisine. The food is made fresh daily, and includes organic vegetables and, for the non-vegan dishes, humanely raised animals. Mira’s Ladle hosts a Water Bar where you can buy ionized alkaline water by the gallon. Visit Mira’s truck to eat and drink healthy and support an independently owned business. Pretty cool!
7. Tempeh ribs (i.e. Vegan barbecue) - Portland, Ore., boasts a lively, and health-conscious food truck scene that includes the Homegrown Smoker food truck specializing in vegan barbecue. Soy curls, tempeh ribs, barbecue beans, plus traditional comfort foods that include cole slaw and mac and NO cheese, can be washed down with sweet mint iced tea or lemonade. Even the most rabid of meat eaters will find their mouths watering, although they’re probably going to ask for seconds.
8. Mexican Grits - Owned by sisters of Spanish, Italian, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and American descent, the Crazy Sisters food truck serves both “street” and “gringo” food, including Mexican grits, to citizens of Fort Worth, Texas. The sweet and spicy dish, with roots in Native American as well as Mexican cuisine, includes bacon, onions, peppers, and mushrooms with a handful of slow-cooked brisket. It’s a unique spin on a familiar dish. Interestingly, three-quarters of grits sold in the U.S. are sold in the South, including Texas which is part of what’s known as the “grits belt.”
9. Ratatouille - Writer Ernest Hemingway famously opined, “Paris is a moveable feast!” But San Francisco is where you have to go for white table cloth French cuisine served out of a converted taco truck. Spencer on the Go offers ratatouille, grilled sweetbread with sherry, truffle boeuf bourguignon, and other quintessential French dishes at prices that range from just $12 to $16. For dessert, treat yourself to an escargot puff lollipop.
10. Barbecue pulled pork waffle - Leave it to those crazy Belgians to come up with a food truck that serves both Brussels and Liege-style waffles as intense as the New Yorkers who eat them. The Wafels & Dinges food truck serves instant sugar comas in the form of hot waffles dripping with whatever dinges (Flemish for things or stuff) you can imagine, including what Today’s Al Roker calls, “The best pulled pork barbecue on the East Coast.”

Hanabishi Izakaya & Sushi Bar / Kyushu Ramen

The restaurant is located on a strip mall along Sherman Way very close to the 405 freeway. I actually don’t have the story behind the union of these two restaurants or what have you but there’s two different signs outside. However, they are essentially just one restaurant and you enter through Kyushu Ramen and you can sit anywhere. They have 2 kinds of menu so make sure to look at both.

Hanabishi Izakaya & Sushi Bar

This time we were seated at the Hanabishi side and on a Friday night, it was a full house.

One interesting detail that caught my eye was the row of sake bottles along the wall…cute

Staff was very friendly and efficient. After we looked through the menus we decided on the following…

Shumai $3.00

We’ve had it before and I don’t know why it escaped my mind that this shumai has that ready-made, store-bought taste to it and this visit just proved it right. I had to send it back because the middle is still frozen cold. But then, this is not a dumpling place so I can’t really complain.

Sushi Set (Tuna, Salmon, Albacore, White Fish & Shrimp) $9.50

Since I was craving for raw fish I decided to order this and it was ok. Quality was not bad nor was it excellent.

Pork Miso Ramen

B had this the last time and wanted to order it again. Their portions are big. It was delicious.

Salmon Oyako Don (Grilled Salmon Rice with Salmon Roe) $5.50

This is what I ordered for J since he loves salmon so much. It was indeed as expected. Heaven on a bowl for a kid (or anybody else) who loves fish.

Salmon Miso $7.50

The salmon comes on a bed of mushrooms that are sliced paper thin. It was cooked just right. It was slightly sweet almost resembling the teriyaki flavor but not quite. I enjoyed this one very much.

Overall, it wasn’t the best experience but for the price and location you can’t really beat it. We would probably be making a return visit soon

Hanabishi by Kyushu
15355 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91406
open everyday 11:30 am – 1 am
http://www.freewebs.com/hanabishibykyushu/

xo, Emilie

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The Grilled Cheese Truck

What better way for us to celebrate this precious holiday…combining two loves… cheese + gourmet food trucks = The Grilled Cheese Truck. So here’s their Friday schedule so we can all plan accordingly.

Friday schedule screenshot

FRIDAY'S lunches:
Poms and Associates 1pm-2:30pm 5700 Canoga Ave Woodland Hills
AND
ACI International 1-2pm 844 Moraga Dr. LA—
Grilled Cheese Truck (@grlldcheesetruk) January 19, 2012

dinner FRIDAY in Los Feliz! Bigfoot Lodge East, 6-8pm 3172 Los Feliz Blvd! What a great way to end the week (or start the weekend!)—
Grilled Cheese Truck (@grlldcheesetruk) January 19, 2012

xo, Emilie
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National Cheese Day is here…well, not today but tomorrow, January 20th. It’s that one food day that I actually celebrate with the family. In the past we’ve done grilled cheese using different kinds of cheeses, eaten at The Grilled Cheese Truck, or try something that we’ve never tried before.

A couple of days ago I received a “advertising” kind of email. I thought I’ll share in it’s entirety (words in italics lifted straight from the email, pictures from the website) to give you guys an idea on how to celebrate this wonderful holiday.

TOP 4 CHEESE TRENDS TO ENJOY ON JANUARY 20 – NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER’S DAY!

National Cheese Lover’s Day (January 20th) is the perfect time to discover new Swiss cheese delights – and who better to share the latest trends in cheese than Emmi, one of Switzerland’s premium dairy companies. 

Regi Hise, Corporate Chef & Director of Culinary Development at Emmi Roth USA, suggests celebrating National Cheese Lover’s Day with one of these four Cheese Trends:

1.    Everything Artisanal – “Handcrafted cheeses made from fresh, all-natural ingredients maximize everything cheese lovers love – from the first bite to the finish,” says Hise. Kaltbach Cave-aged Le Gruyère Switzerland AOC is a classic and one of the great cheeses of the world.  Whether it’s at mealtime or just for snacking, Le Gruyère delivers rich, full, delicious flavors.

Kaltbach Cave Aged Gruyere

2.    Breakfast Anytime – Hise offers, “Easy and inexpensive, breakfast fare like cheese frittatas and omelets offer great options for lunch and dinner too.” For an easy and delicious surprise, make traditional Swiss Roesti Potatoes by adding Switzerland Swiss or Le Gruyère to shredded hash browns.

Le Gruyere

3.    Fondue Fun – “Cheese Fondue is still a classic social meal that brings family and friends together over a shared fondue pot. Today it’s been updated and upscaled with specialty cheeses like Le Gruyère, Switzerland Swiss,  Emmentaler, Appenzeller and a host of others.  Try some special accompaniments for dipping like craft breads, soft hot pretzels and a selection of fresh cut fruit, fresh and pickled vegetables.

Emmi Fondue Original

Emmi Fondue Gorgonzola

4.    Melt It – “Melting cheese allows all its delicious flavors and aromas to be released.  Whether it’s on cheeseburgers, mac ‘n cheese, grilled cheese, deli sandwiches, pizza, or a hot bowl of French Onion Soup topped with Le Gruyère, comfort foods can easily go gourmet with the additions of specialty cheeses.

You don’t need to be one of the world’s great chefs to enjoy one of the world’s great cheeses. However you choose to celebrate National Cheese Lover’s Day, Hise has one strong piece of advice: “Just be sure you use top quality cheese made from fresh, all-natural ingredients. It’s the key to maximizing your cheese enjoyment.”

For more information about Emmi of Switzerland, including recipes for every cheese lover, please visit EmmiRothUSA.com

xo, Emilie
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Bock Fest – it’s simple great beer for beer lovers

Last Year’s winner Weltenburger the world champion Bock beer, is back to try and win the crown again this year on Jan 14, 2012.

xo, Emilie