Local Food Trucks Battle for National TV Segment on Eat St.

For weeks now, several area Food Trucks have been hard at work perfecting their video submissions to the Cooking Channel's Eat St. Video Contest. From January 5th thru the 31st, fans all over the nation will be able to vote for their favorite video to win the ultimate prize: a chance to be featured on a nationally televised segment of Eat St. Videos were submitted by So-Cal Tacos, Nammi Truck, Red Jett Sweets, Ruthie's Rolling Cafe and The Bacon Wagon. Winning a segment on Eat St. would bring well-deserved national attention to the burgeoning Dallas/Ft. Worth Food Truck scene, so follow the link and make your picks!

Stuff their Stockings with Something They'll Really Want: Food Truck Gift Cards!

Red Jett Sweets Holiday Cupcake

If you saw all the snow on the news blanketing the DFW suburbs this morning then you know that the holidays are fast approaching. This can only mean that it's that time of year again where you have to shell out some cash for the purpose of thanking all of your nearest and dearest for putting up with you for another day! This year, give your friends and family something they'll never expect with a Food Truck gift card. Many of Dallas and Fort Worth's tastiest rolling restaurants offer cards or certificates that will be sure to impress even the most dilettante of diners. Be sure to swing by one of the following trucks offering gift cards before your next White Elephant office party:

-The Bacon Wagon
-Red Jett Sweets
-Ruthie's Rolling Cafe
-Trailercakes
-Good Karma Kitchen
-Rockstar Bakeshop
-Sassy Hot Dogs
-Crazy Sisters
-SoCal Tacos
-The Butchers Son
-Tacoheads
-Gennarino's
-Nammi Truck
-I Scream 4 Cupcakes

Food Truck Fridays at The Shops @ Park Lane

Graphic courtesy of shopsatparklane.com

When I saw the line-up for the inaugural Food Truck Friday at the Shops at Park Lane, I suddenly found the need to stop by Nordstrom Rack between, say, 11 and 2... Greenhouse, Jack's Chowhound, Ruthie's Rolling Cafe, Trailercakes, 3 Men and a Taco, Gennarino's and Ssahm BBQ are the first group slated for tomorrow's food court setting up on the green across from Gordon Biersch. Even if you can't swing by, make sure and go to the Shops at Park Lane's facebook page and vote for your favorite mobile eatery. The one with the most 'likes' under their photo nabs a spot on the center's new digital board!

Food Trucks to Invade Aurora in the Dallas Arts District

Photo courtesy of dallasaurora.com

This Friday, Aurora, a cultural event like no other will be taking place in the 19 Blocks that make up the Dallas Arts District. Having never been to anything quite like this, I'm relying on the description provided by the event's website: "...buildings will become projection screens; streets and courtyards will morph into art galleries; and steel, glass, and concrete will pulse and reverberate..." There will be installations of sound, light and performance from dozens of  American artists and the best part, it's all free and open to the public. With all of this stimulation, count on a hefty number of Food Trucks to be there to feed the hungry masses! The following trucks will be on hand from 7 to midnight with food for purchase: The Bomb Fried Pies, The Butcher’s Son, Enticed Shaved Ice, Gandolfo’s NY Deli, Greenhouse Truck, Jack’s Chowhound, Nammitruck, Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe, Ssahm Korean BBQ, Trailercakes, and Yum Yum Truck. To see a full line-up of the artists showing at Aurora check out their website at http://dallasaurora.com/artists/ and do your mind a favor and go pencil in a little culture this weekend! 

Dallas' First Gourmet Whoopie Pie Truck?

Photos from Rockstar Bakeshop facebook

Rockstar Bakeshop is working in reverse order of many start-up Food Trucks; they already have an established operation selling their unique Whoopie Pies across Dallas. With pie flavors ranging from Butterscotch Ganache sandwiched between Chocolate Cake to the Tiramisu filled with Espresso Mascarpone Cream, Rockstar is already two steps ahead of most mobile vendors. But owner Kristin Leonard and her husband see huge potential in taking their pies to the people, via a food truck. They'd like to be hitting the streets by Valentine's Day of 2012 and they're going to need your support to get there. While they currently have no truck of their own, they will be partnering with other Dallas food trucks to sell their pies. This coming Wednesday Ruthie's Rolling Cafe will be selling Rockstar's Whoopie Pies out of their truck at City Hall's Living Plaza. Look for them to team up with other trucks in the future as well as selling their pies at local markets and events. Check often with us to find out who they're partnering with so you can get in on the goodness! If you simply can't wait to try them, take advantage of the Daily Candy deal where you can get a dozen (or two) of their Halloween pies at a third off the price.

Food Truck Fiesta at the Santa Fe 5K

Non-profit organization Friends of the Santa Fe Trail is hosting a 5K race Thursday at Lindsley Park and this will be an event you won't want to miss! Even if exercise isn't exactly your thing, there are 6 good reasons why you should be at the race: Greenhouse Truck, Jack's Chowhound, 3 Men and a Taco, Enticed Ice, Gennarino's and Ruthie's Rolling Cafe. Actually make that 8 reasons: booze and music will be there too. The food trucks will be rolling out to celebrate the newest Dallas trail system that begins at White Rock Lake and meanders through the edge of Deep Ellum and Fair Park. So get on out there and support the racers or better yet, sign up yourself! (Registration is open through race day)

Round 2: Sigel's Food Truck Festival

Photo from www.dallasobserver.com

I was not one of the 2,000 people that flooded the Sigel's parking lot for the the first Food Truck Festival...but only because I was stuck at a Jackson, Mississippi wedding. While I can't say I was sad to miss out on the sweltering heat, I am delighted that that this event is coming back and bringing along with it, those elusive cooler temps. The next Sigel's Food Truck Festival is staked out for November 12th and the line-up for this go round is a long one:
3 Men & a Taco
Butcher’s Son
Il Cane Rosso
City Street Grille
Enticed Shaved Ice
Gandolfo's NY Deli
Gennarino’s
Jack's Chowhound
Nammi Truck
Ruthie's Rolling Cafe
If space permits, there may be more trucks joining the event along with craft beer, wine and spirit tastings inside Sigel's.  With one of these already under their belt, I'm betting the trucks will have some kinks worked out making this will be an event not to be missed!


Sigel's Winter Food Truck Festival @ 5757 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX Time: TBA

Food Trucks: The Next Trend in Wedding Catering

Being a girl in my late 20's, my friends are coupling up at an alarming rate.  Save the date magnets, shower invitations and registries are ruling my life; but what I really want to know about is the food. Well, that and the open bar situation. 

If I have to hear another bride prattle on about food stations and how cute mashed potatoes can look in a martini glass, I might just vom. I came across an article from The Knot a couple months back and I thought my future of attending weddings was looking up. The newest catering trend for nuptials is mobile trucks and carts and I could not be more thrilled. Maybe you're having a casual afternoon event where food trucks provide your main course, or a soiree the size of Wills & Kate where trucks provide fare for late night revelers; either way I'm all over this. 

If you want to consider this for your own wedding, make sure you read The Knot's "Wedding Catering: Everything you need to know about Wedding Food Trucks" And if you book Ruthie's Rolling Cafe or Trailercakes for your own affair, I bet you can count on more people check-marking that 'yes' box on your terrifically expensive Vera Wang reply cards. 

All the Cheesy Details on upcoming Ruthie's Rolling Cafe

Top: Ruthie's Classic Grilled Cheese
Bottom: Ruthie's Newly Remodeled Truck

With the bevy of new food trucks on the horizon in Dallas/Ft. Worth, we're excited for all the details coming in on each and every one, starting today with Ruthie's Rolling Cafe.  Coming  to us from the folks over at In Any Event, an established Dallas-based event planning company, Ruthie's hits the road tonight for her big debut at a private party.  It won't be long, however until they'll be making stops all over town and we've got the scoop on the locations they have in the works. I spoke with Lauren Brundage of In Any Event and starting the last week of August, Ruthie's will be rolling to the following locations around Dallas: The Hunt Building downtown, Walgreens at Lemmon/McKinney & Cedar Springs/Oaklawn, Bank of Texas on Hillcrest, Centennial Wines at Preston Center, Shell station at Lemmon/Cole, Polly DuPont on Beltline in Plano and of course the Dallas Arts District.


Manning the griddle will be former chef of Twisted Root's SMU Boulevard location and when it comes to cheese Ruthie's aims to please. Their event planning background makes them a private party specialist where the menu can be customized to fit the client's need. But if it's grilled cheese you want, it's grilled cheese you'll get. They source their cheese from local vendors right here in Dallas. The bread comes from Empire Baking Company and veggies are sourced locally from the Dallas Farmer's Market. 


Your first chance to get a taste of Ruthie's will be on August 20th at the Lemons to Aid event at the Museum of Science and Nature at Fair Park. Let us know in the comment section if you have any questions about Ruthie's and we'll try to get them answered for you. Check back often, we're excited to profile new food trucks on our blog giving you all the details on where to find them and what to eat when you get there!

Empire Bakery Breads for Ruthie's assorted Grilled Sandwiches
All photos from Ruthie's Facebook Page