Author Topic: Columbus: Food Trucks news & discussion (Read 8118 times)

Columbo · « **on:** April 14, 2009, 11:07:08 AM »

I don't know why, but I think this is a great idea...

http://tacotruckscolumbus.com/2009/04/10/taco-truck-tour-april-25th/

MyTwoSense · « **Reply #1 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:12:45 AM »

kingfish out of water · « **Reply #2 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:14:30 AM »

Taco trucks are the hot thing these days, and twitter is partially to blame.

MyTwoSense · « **Reply #3 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:16:50 AM »

Quote from: kingfish out of water on April 14, 2009, 11:14:30 AM

Taco trucks are the hot thing these days, and twitter is partially to blame.

You know where they got that idea, don't you? The BBQ trucks you see in the south.

After the club closes at 2/3 pm, those BBQ trucks appear out or nowhere and lines can be 50/60 deep.

kingfish out of water · « **Reply #4 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:32:15 AM »

In my day we called them Roach Coaches.

David · « **Reply #5 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:40:28 AM »

This screams "Our business is legit!". Is it owned by Mexicans?

I wouldn't be surprised if they're slipping rocks in some of those tacos. Westland is a haven for Mexican drugs. El Cora in Westland mall just got busted; it was the source of a huge drug ring. They were selling bricks right out of the restaurant.
(http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/02/27/el_cora.ART_ART_02-27-09_B1_CED26IG.html?sid=101 )

It's not just El Cora though. It's everywhere. This is the kind of sh!t that makes me not like illegal immigration. Police always wondered why so much cheap smack was coming out of Columbus. The far west side is gonna get worse and worse.

kingfish out of water · « **Reply #6 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:44:55 AM »

I'd like one "Jump To Conclusions Combo" for my friend David here, and an ice water for me, thank you.

dmerkow · « **Reply #7 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:55:41 AM »

Umm, Temple Univ. in Philly relies almost entirely on food trucks for campus food - only some of the them seem like the ice cream trucks that roam college neighborhoods at 2:00 AM, selling 'ice cream'. Most of the world has long parts of their fast food market on wheels, about darn time. Well we used to as well, had a great-grandfather who was a food peddler.

David · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2009, 11:58:16 AM »

Colleges are the best place to have them. You get about 30 drunk college students in the front of a house, a taco truck could make a killing.

edale · « **Reply #9 on:** April 14, 2009, 12:32:42 PM »

The taco trucks are EVERYWHERE here in LA. They are the LA equivalent of the NY hotdog stand. Between the taco trucks and the 24 hour walk up Mexican joints, you are pretty much guaranteed to get your fill of Mexican food whenever you want.

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #10 on:** April 14, 2009, 03:36:01 PM »

Quote from: David on April 14, 2009, 11:40:28 AM

This screams "Our business is legit!". Is it owned by Mexicans?

If you're referring to the blog and event, no. It's being put on by fans of the taco trucks.

David · « **Reply #11 on:** April 14, 2009, 04:54:36 PM »

How is this an "event"? I just don't get it. People are meeting up to carpool and check out dfferent taco trucks? What's the point? Discussing the merits and demerits of each truck's tacos? What a weird @ss 'event'. Nerds...

Columbo · « **Reply #12 on:** April 15, 2009, 01:23:09 AM »

Quote from: David on April 14, 2009, 04:54:36 PM

How is this an "event"? I just don't get it. People are meeting up to carpool and check out dfferent taco trucks? What's the point? Discussing the merits and demerits of each truck's tacos? What a weird @ss 'event'. Nerds...

...said the guy who has over 9000 posts on UrbanOhio!

Avogadro · « **Reply #13 on:** April 15, 2009, 02:57:03 AM »

That's right, David; all of us Mexicans deal drugs and slip them into food that we serve to you gabachos. I myself have been responsible for lowering the property values of my white neighbors, what with parking my trucks on my treelawn and housing a couple dozen "relatives" in my place.

Anyway, the taco truck thing has been around forever in Texas. It's only been recently that the hipsters have "discovered" them.

drewdrew · « **Reply #14 on:** April 15, 2009, 03:05:21 AM »

Hello All-

I'm Drew, one of the contributers to the tacotruckscolumbus.com blog and am also helping with organizing the Taco Truck Tour.

Let me respond to a few of the questions/comments brought up here:

As far as I can tell, these taco trucks are as legitimate as any other business - they're regulated to the same standards as any restaurant and are required to display their health inspection stickers (all of which were green!).

We are not affiliated in any way with the owners of these trucks - this blog is the result of a research project done by one of our contributors for an OSU class on Latin American geography. In going through the research (much of which involved visiting the trucks) we came to believe that they have a unique and high-quality offering that is distinctly underappreciated (largely due to location).

That pretty well explains the impetus behind the truck tour. It's simply providing an opportunity for people to get out there and see what these trucks have to offer. It's much more than tacos, btw, and we at least found it interesting to see the wide variety of different specialties and how they related to the origins of the different truck owners. The tour is structured in such a way as to hit trucks that provide a fairly wide range of unique offerings.

If you'd like to know more, you can visit our blog which provides descriptions of the 17 (and counting...) different trucks currently operating in the area.

http://tacotruckscolumbus.com/

MyTwoSense · « **Reply #15 on:** April 15, 2009, 05:22:49 AM »

Quote from: Avogadro on April 15, 2009, 02:57:03 AM

That's right, David; all of us Mexicans deal drugs and slip them into food that we serve to you gabachos. I myself have been responsible for lowering the property values of my white neighbors, what with parking my trucks on my treelawn and housing a couple dozen "relatives" in my place.

I knew it! Damn MessyKans! Gabacho? LOL Why not use Gringo? [thats a perfect example of regional dialetic. I only here that word when im Texas or LA.]

Quote from: Avogadro on April 15, 2009, 02:57:03 AM

Anyway, the taco truck thing has been around forever in Texas. It's only been recently that the hipsters have "discovered" them.

Funny you say that, the first time I saw the BBQ trucks was in either Houston or Dallas. They are super popular in those cities. I remember going to a club in Houston (on the otherside of the highway behind the convention center) and as we were leaving four or five BBQ and Mexican truck just appeared out of nowhere.

X · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2009, 06:20:09 AM »

Taco Trucks? Why don't we have these in Cleveland?

MyTwoSense · « **Reply #17 on:** April 15, 2009, 06:58:00 AM »

Quote from: X on April 15, 2009, 06:20:09 AM

Taco Trucks? Why don't we have these in Cleveland?

Maybe not a market.

Avogadro, sounds like a business plan man!

David · « **Reply #18 on:** April 15, 2009, 03:22:11 PM »

Quote from: rider on April 15, 2009, 01:23:09 AM

Quote from: David on April 14, 2009, 04:54:36 PM
How is this an "event"? I just don't get it. People are meeting up to carpool and check out dfferent taco trucks? What's the point? Discussing the merits and demerits of each truck's tacos? What a weird @ss 'event'. Nerds...

...said the guy who has over 9000 posts on UrbanOhio!

Yeah, every time I get on here I seem to spur long drawn out arguments

Maybe I revel in my own controversy too much.

Quote from: Avogadro on April 15, 2009, 02:57:03 AM

That's right, David; all of us Mexicans deal drugs and slip them into food that we serve to you gabachos. I myself have been responsible for lowering the property values of my white neighbors, what with parking my trucks on my treelawn and housing a couple dozen "relatives" in my place.

Sorry if I offended you. Of course not all Mexicans are drug dealers. Far from it. However, in the case of this part of town there's a strong correlation. "Correlation" doesn't mean "causation" but it's a general pattern. I'm much more familiar with this area than probably anyone else on the forum. I've lived in the area and have family and friends in the area.

Quote

Heroin from Mexico, plied by Mexican dealers, is turning up all over central Ohio. Experts say the potency of black-tar heroin, named for its appearance, almost matches the purity of heroin from the Middle East and that the stronger heroin is leading to more deaths.

The influx of heroin parallels the growing Latino population in Ohio.

"They're bringing with them black-tar heroin," said Michael Sanders, spokesman for the DEA's national headquarters.

Heroin use goes through cycles, said Columbus Police Sgt. Bill Mingus. "It's never been a bigger problem than it is now."

...
These days, deals are arranged by cell phone and completed in the parking lots of suburban shopping centers, preferably ones that offer quick access to an interstate.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Prichard said dealers fill and deliver drug orders with such ease you would think it was pizza.

One deal happened in September outside the Old Navy store at 1852 Hilliard-Rome Rd. in Columbus, near Hilliard, federal court documents say. Busy shoppers apparently weren't aware that 70 balloons packed with heroin, roughly $1,400 worth, had just been sold.

Over on the West Side near Hilliard, federal agents seized $34,170 in cash when they raided the 5577 Millwheel Court apartment. The three people they arrested there admitted that the cash was payment for black-tar heroin.

Some dealers immigrate to central Ohio from Mexico because they know they can make a living selling heroin. Emmanuel Arturo Aguayo Hernandez and Louis Perez Puentes paid a smuggler to help them cross the border, the DEA says. They moved into a Far East Side apartment and sold about $1,200 in heroin a day, according to authorities.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/12/10/HeroinOD.ART_ART_12-10-07_A1_QH8NRUS.html?sid=101

The use of the word "latino" is incorrect but you get the point.

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #19 on:** April 16, 2009, 04:06:44 PM »

Jesus. This got pretty de-railed.

Anyway, I plan on going to this event. Hanging out with some friends. Trying out some good authentic food.

It sounds like fun to me.

David · « **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2009, 04:20:55 PM »

Report back and let us know how good they are. I'm in that area a lot and if they're really that good I'll start getting them.

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #21 on:** April 17, 2009, 04:30:43 PM »

The reviews (and photos) on the website all look pretty awesome to me.

http://tacotruckscolumbus.com/2009/04/06/las-delicias/

mrnyc · « **Reply #22 on:** April 22, 2009, 04:52:42 AM »

Quote from: edale on April 14, 2009, 12:32:42 PM

The taco trucks are EVERYWHERE here in LA. They are the LA equivalent of the NY hotdog stand. Between the taco trucks and the 24 hour walk up Mexican joints, you are pretty much guaranteed to get your fill of Mexican food whenever you want.

yeah, el lay gets the press for them, but the taco trucks are all over ny too. in fact i've had 10 in a row lined up back to back down the whole block on a few nights -- feeding the meatpacking district club crowds.

and then every sunday morning we have trucks & stands that run down the block because of our mid-block church that co-hosts and alternates mass with a mexican parish that outgrew its home.

anyway, i think this columbus taco truck tour is a great idea and sounds like a lot of fun. in fact it's remarkable and anectdotally it really shows the level of immigration into columbus versus what seems to be the utter lack of it in the rest of the state. when i lived in columbus like 15 yrs ago this tour would have consisted of food at talita's and drinks at garcias on n. high st and that's it.

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #23 on:** April 25, 2009, 11:10:51 AM »

My wife and I attended the tour today and had a lot of fun.

The crowds around the trucks were fairly busy (15-25 people at any given time) but the truck owners were notified in advance of the rush and handled it like pros. We only had to wait around 5-10 minutes for our food.

Anyway, we only stopped by #2 (Super Torta II) and #3 (Las Delicias) on the tour.

At Super Torta we ordered two tacos (one adobada and one pollo) and a mandarina jarritos. Super deal at only $1.25 per taco and another $1.50 for the 20 oz drink. Good $4 lunch option for anyone on the west side. The tacos were of the simple meat, onion, cilantro variety with sides of cucumber, radish, and lime. Everything was very fresh, but without any sort of salsa it was a bit dry. Despite the dryness, the pork was pretty tasty, but my wife Anne said the chicken didn't seem to have any sort of seasoning added at all. The drink was great though! Can't recall the last time I've drank a carbonated beverage that was made with sugar instead of HFCS. The taste is so much different.

At Las Delicias we decided to go bigger and order burritos. They were $5 each and I went with barbacoa while Anne got chicken. To my surprise they were larger than Chipotle burritos and extremely filling, which is why we cut the tour short. We both enjoyed these quite a bit, and the flavors were great, but I was surprised to find that the burritos were filled with lettuce and sour cream. I thought that was an american invention? Or perhaps I forgot to specify that I wanted the non-gringo version?

Either way, I tried my best to eat around the lettuce (which I don't like) and enjoy the rest of it.

We'll definitely be back for more.

mrnyc · « **Reply #24 on:** April 26, 2009, 03:36:15 AM »

great report & taco truck fun!

re the burritos, i know a bit about their history. yes they are mexican, but very much low key down there, you dont see them so much -- vs in the states where they are insanely popular. my understanding is that californians (& texans to a lesser extent) took to burritos and really ran with them. so they that's how burritos got popularized around the rest of the usa, not via mexico. or you can think of it kinda like how thin neapolitan pizza morphed across the usa until it turned into monstrous chicago style pizza. anyway, the las delicias truck may cater slightly more toward those americano preferences -- but this is common among taco trucks.

most traditional mexican taco stands/trucks that i have experienced are more like the first truck you hit 'super torta,' except as you say it was odd that they didn't have any seasoning or worse any salsas. most really seem to pride themselves on their salsas.

oh and i love those jarritos sodas too. my fav are the sangria and tamarindo flavored versions. they are something different and very tasty vs the usual pepsi or whatever. you might keep an eye out for mexican versions of coke too, i think they still use cane sugar.

UncleRando · « **Reply #25 on:** April 26, 2009, 04:25:23 AM »

Sounds like lots of fun...if I were in Columbus at the time I would have been all over this. Thanks for sharing all the details and reviews everyone.

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #26 on:** May 01, 2009, 12:07:00 PM »

Great recap here:

http://tacotruckscolumbus.com/2009/04/25/taco-truck-tour-recap/

The word on the street is that they'll be announcing another tour event soon featuring other trucks. Stay tuned!

Columbo · « **Reply #27 on:** June 24, 2009, 03:06:55 PM »

Tracking tacos
Blog guides customers to Columbus for authentic Latino fare
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - 6:18 AM
By Kevin Joy, The Columbus Dispatch

Like a storm chaser in search of the perfect cyclone, Jim Ellison is seeking a taco. Surveying a back alley in the West Side neighborhood of Franklinton, he stops at a nondescript lot behind an auto-body shop -- a vague location where Internet tipsters had touted a nomadic taco truck serving "awesome" burritos. It's all in a day's work for the creators of Taco Trucks Columbus, a blog that provides photos, mini-reviews and addresses of the city's growing cache of Latino mobile-food vendors. Their discoveries -- a tally that includes more than 30 outlets and is still increasing -- are also cataloged via Google Maps (a link is provided on the site, www.tacotruckscolumbus.com).

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/food/stories/2009/06/24/1_TACOTRUCKS_-_Food_lead_ART_06-24-09_D1_V9E8JTU.html?sid=101

Columbo · « **Reply #28 on:** July 01, 2009, 04:53:00 AM »

Because we can't get enough of the Columbus Taco Trucks, here is an audio interview from Columbus Foodcast with the creators of the TacoTrucks Columbus website.

Episode 43 - Taco Trucking
Columbus Foodcast and the great minds behind Tacotrucks Columbus have a chat at Los Potosinos. Lydia, co-owner of Los Potosinos, was present during the introduction but her full interview was cut due to time constraints. Lydia will get her due though as she'll have an entire episode to herself in the coming weeks.

Hungrywoolf, CMHGourmand, and Taco Drew started Taco Trucks Columbus in January 09 "to try and locate, sample, and document the taco truck culture of Columbus Ohio." The local Latino population has grown to 6% up from 2.5% in 2000 and the number of Taco Trucks has seen an even more pronounced explosion. Luckily http://tacotruckscolumbus.com is here as a guide with written reviews, a glossary, T-shirts, and an extensive map.

We salute you, Taco Truckers.

Music
R.C. Mob - Hungry
Los Lobos - El Gusto
Los Lobos - One Time One Night
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - El Matador

Duration: 23.58

You can use the player at http://columbusfood.tv/index.php?post_id=494808 to listen to the podcast, or click here to download the mp3.

David · « **Reply #29 on:** July 02, 2009, 06:37:12 AM »

I can't believe that that map is the tour. There are well over a dozen taco trucks in that area and beyond. There's even one in the HILLTOP business district. I eat at a taco truck outside the laundromat while I'm washing clothes. The people are really friendly. They gave me free tacos one time because of a small inconvenience (they ran out of propane - big deal lol).

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #30 on:** July 02, 2009, 03:27:52 PM »

The point of the tour wasn't to hit every single taco truck in town. The point was to give people a sampling and allow them to try out four places in one evening and hop around.

It would be hard to go to a dozen trucks in a row, even if you only got 1 taco per truck.

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #31 on:** August 20, 2010, 03:33:10 PM »

Foodie Cart Brings Japanese Crepes to Columbus
By Walker | August 9, 2010 2:00pm

The Summer of 2010 may officially be known as the Summer of the Food Carts thanks to a wide variety of sidewalk dining options that have exploded over the past few months. One unique offering that has quickly gained a loyal following is “Foodie Cart”, which owners Kenny Kim & Misako Ohba created to serve Japanese-style crepes to Columbus diners.

We recently caught up with Kenny for a quick Q&A about their new business venture and to find out how it’s been going for them so far.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/foodie-cart-brings-japanese-crepes-to-columbus

Columbo · « **Reply #32 on:** August 28, 2010, 03:39:01 AM »

Nice overview of the Fusion Cafe street vendor from the website Serious Eats:

Street Food Profiles: Fusion Cafe in Columbus, Ohio

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #33 on:** August 28, 2010, 03:54:40 AM »

Yankee Cajun Food Truck Setting up Downtown
By Walker | August 25, 2010 2:30pm

Yankee Cajun is the latest destination food cart to make their Downtown debut, which will take place on September 7th. According to their twitter profile, they are all about “bringing the flavors of the French Quarter and Cajun country to foodies in Columbus”. They will be setting up near the corner of Gay Street and High Street next to the 3 Babes and a Baker Cupcake Truck.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/yankee-cajun-food-truck-setting-up-downtown

Columbo · « **Reply #34 on:** August 28, 2010, 04:25:34 AM »

And while were on the subject of mobile vendors, StreetEatsColumbus has an eclectic mix of cuisine which features reviews of the following:

Boston Bert’s Seafood -- Corner of Indianola and Blenheim in Clintonville.

Lucky Ladle -- Wednesdays (11:30am – 1:00pm) Nationwide-Pearl Alley Growers’ Association at North High Street and Nationwide Boulevard in Downtown Columbus and Thursdays (11:30am – 1:00pm) Nationwide-Pearl Alley Growers’ Association on Nationwide's Dublin campus at 5100 Rings Road.

Leslie’s Creperie -- In the Pearl Alley Market on Tuesdays and Fridays and on Broad street near Third on Monday and Wednesday for Breakfast and Lunch.

Rad Dog! -- Vegan hot dog cart operating Tuesday-Friday lunchtimes at Broad & High.

Dave’s Carribbean Food -- Caters to the crowd at Skully’s Sunday reggae night in the Short North.

My Snappy Wagon -- Located in the parking lot of the Columbus Gold Gentlemen's Club at 5411 Bethel / Sawmill Center, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9 PM to 2:00 AMish…maybe later depends on business at Columbus Gold. Egyptian gyros and sandwiches.

Slabadabado BBQ -- 904 South Sunbury Road, Near North Road and Hoover Dam (between Classic Pizza and Old Dutchman Bait and Tackle) on Wednesday and Thursday 11AM-7PM, Friday and Saturday 11AM-8PM, Sunday 11AM-5PM

Skillet: Mobile Rustic Urban Food -- An offshoot of the popular Skillet restaurant in German Village. The mobile kitchen has most frequently appeared in the parking lot of O’Reilly’s Auto Parts in Olde North Columbus (at N. High Street and Hudson) and more recently, in the Short North. The adventures and appearances of the mobile kitchen can be followed best on twitter at: @SkilletRustic

Columbo · « **Reply #35 on:** October 22, 2010, 02:12:18 PM »

September reviews of mobile vendors in Columbus from StreetEatsColumbus:

Veggielicious -- High Street and 14th Ave (OSU Campus) between SBX and Starbucks. Days/Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday (7am - 1pm, sometimes later). Follow Veggielicious on Facebook for updates on location and weather.

Mojo Tago -- Mojo Tago has a limited schedule for the time being, but can be found everywhere from Westerville to North Lewisburg to OSU home games. You can contact him via the website to book the truck for any catering gigs or special events. Website: www.mojotago.com (check the calendar for special events). Follow them on Facebook or Twitter for updates on their location.

Ray Ray’s Hog Pit -- Northeast Corner of High Street and Pacemont Rd (Clintonville). Days/Hours of Operation: Thursday-Sunday (12pm – 8pm)

Yankee Cajun -- Monday-Friday (11am - 3pm) between Gay and Long on High Street, Downtown Columbus. Yankee Cajun is the latest addition to the downtown lunchtime food truck scene. You can find them parked just up the street from 3 Babes and a Baker. Follow them on twitter @YankeeCajunOhio.

Columbo · « **Reply #36 on:** November 19, 2010, 04:48:18 AM »

October reviews of mobile vendors in Columbus from StreetEatsColumbus:

Da Levee Express -- A review of a cajun food cart that is mostly located across from the OSU campus at 15th Ave. and N. High Street (weekdays, 11am-2pm). Occasionally taking trips to Gay Steet, Clintonville, and special events. Follow them at Facebook for updates on their current location.

Families Mobile Kitchen -- A look at a food truck located at 1235 Oak Street, near corner of Oak & Wilson (Open 11am – 9pm, Mon – Sat). Families serves urban-style comfort food like Chicken & Waffles and Mac & Cheese. Their cart is set up outside of a retail space in Old Towne East that they’ve already taken possession of and are cuurently renovating. If all goes well, this mobile operation might become a bricks-and-mortar restaurant next year.

Street Eats also has recaps of two October food truck gatherings in Columbus. First is the Food-Truck-A-Palooza held on the public plaza outside the Ohio Historical Society Musuem next to I-71. The second is the Food Cart Food Court held on the Wonderland parking lot in Italian Village.

Columbo · « **Reply #37 on:** July 17, 2011, 10:57:27 AM »

Latin grill puts its food on wheels
Owners of El Arepazo open Yerba Buena Latin Grill, a high-tech food truck
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
By Denise Trowbridge
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The owner of the Venezuelan restaurant El Arepazo in Pearl Alley Downtown has officially opened a second location - on wheels.

Yerba Buena Latin Grill, a high-tech food truck, made its debut at festivals around central and southern Ohio in April and has settled in every Wednesday through Saturday at a Clintonville location, at 4080 N. High Street.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/07/05/latin-grill-puts-its-food-on-wheels.html?sid=101

ColDayMan · « **Reply #38 on:** April 10, 2012, 07:51:33 AM »

Dinin’ Hall to give gathering point for food trucks in Franklinton

It’ll be a food truck festival every weekday at a new dining destination in Franklinton.

Dinin’ Hall is scheduled to open April 30 at 400 W. Rich St., an industrial project converted into an artist community. The plan is for two to three food trucks or carts to set up shop outside the 1,300-square-foot Dinin’ Hall building each day. Orders will be placed at the trucks, but paid for at a register inside and delivered to tables. Dinin’ Hall will hold up to 60 between a 14-foot community table and bar-style seating.

Dinin’ Hall will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with food trucks regularly rotating to offer a variety of ethnic specialties. A dozen providers have committed to the project so far — Paddy Wagon Food Co., Mojo TaGo, Ajumama, Street Thyme, Pitabilities, Sophie’s Gourmet Pierogie, Spinelli’s Deli, Freedom a la Cart, Green Meanie, Nicolasa’s, Short North Bagel Deli and Sublime Smoke.

More below:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2012/04/dinin-hall-to-give-gathering-point.html

Columbo · « **Reply #39 on:** May 03, 2012, 02:29:52 AM »

Dinin' Hall is now open at 400 West Rich Street in Franklinton. Here's their website: http://dininhall.com/index.html

Here's their press release and some photos of the opening from the Columbus Underground thread: Dinin' Hall

Quote

Press Release: Dinin' Hall Opens Today!

Dinin' Hall, Columbus first street food hub, will officially open Monday April 30! We're located at 400 W. Rich in east Franklinton. Dinin' Hall features two to three food trucks and carts each day, Monday through Friday from, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., you will find different street food every time they come. Better yet, you can choose to either eat in on site or take out. Pre-order is available. Call ahead to make your order at 614-427-3560.

We feature Mojo Tago (freshest tacos) and Nicolasa's (creative fusion food) on Monday. Their menus can be viewed at http://dininhall.com/calendar--menu.html, where you will also find our food trucks and carts schedule for the month of May.

Columbo · « **Reply #40 on:** May 03, 2012, 02:40:01 AM »

More about the opening of Dinin' Hall from the Columbus Dispatch:

Franklinton is home to central Ohio’s first lunchtime-only 'food pod'

Columbo · « **Reply #41 on:** May 05, 2012, 03:23:41 AM »

As the above Dinin' Hall news shows, Columbus' burgeoning food truck scene is rapidly evolving. So it was also pleasing to see some news about one of the original taco trucks that kicked off this food truck scene from Columbus Underground. Los Potosinos has started a new location in the King-Lincoln District east of downtown. Starting this week Los Potosinos will be serving at the corner of Garfield and Long Street (791 E Long St). Famous for their 'Pollo Al Carbon', Los Potosinos was one of the first taco trucks to achieve mainstream popularity thru the Taco Trucks Columbus website.

More about Los Potosinos new location from Columbus Underground below at the link. The first photo shows their location (next to the renovated Lincoln Theatre, which is in the background). The second photo shows their taco creations. Authentic Mexican food in one of Columbus' historic black neighborhoods? Openness and diversity at its best!

CU: Los Potosinos in the KLD

Columbo · « **Reply #42 on:** May 09, 2012, 03:30:36 AM »

Columbus Underground interviewed Laura Lee, owner of a new food truck Ajumama. As she said in the interview: "Ajumama is all about Korean street food. Not the traditional-style BBQ or large meals that a lot of places here in Columbus do very well, but more like the quick snacks and meals you would find at a street vendor in Seoul. Some menu items have a little bit of an American twist, but we are striving to be as authentic as we can." Excerpt and link to the full interview below:

Ajumama Brings Korean Street Food to Columbus
By: Walker Evans, Columbus Underground
Published on April 16, 2012 - 11:17 am

You might recognize Laura Lee as a familiar face in the local culinary community. She spent several years in the kitchens of local restaurants before leaving Columbus on a culinary journey. But now she’s back and opening a new food truck called Ajumama, which specializes in authentic Korean food.

Their first official day of business will take place on Monday, April 30th outside the St. James Tavern. We caught up with Laura to find out what drew her back to Columbus and what caused her to want to open her own food truck business. Click the link below for the full Q&A:

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/ajumama-brings-korean-street-food-to-columbus

WalkerEvans · « **Reply #43 on:** May 20, 2012, 03:26:14 PM »

Quote from: Columbo on May 05, 2012, 03:23:41 AM

Starting this week Los Potosinos will be serving at the corner of Garfield and Long Street (791 E Long St). Famous for their 'Pollo Al Carbon', Los Potosinos was one of the first taco trucks to achieve mainstream popularity thru the Taco Trucks Columbus website.

We've eaten here 4-5 times since it opened. Good stuff! Doesn't hurt that it's a 60 second walk from our house.

The owner said that business has been good so far in this location, so hopefully they can can stick around awhile!

mrnyc · « **Reply #44 on:** May 20, 2012, 10:23:26 PM »

two words for chef laura lee: korean tacos!

Columbo · « **Reply #45 on:** June 04, 2012, 02:57:41 AM »

There's been alot of evolution and growth in the Columbus food truck scene. What started out with taco trucks in one section of the city has evolved into food trucks of many different cuisines all over the Columbus.

With this in mind, I've merged the some recent food truck posts in the Columbus restaurants thread with the older Columbus Taco Truck Tour thread. Please post any news and discussion of food trucks in Columbus here instead of the restaurants thread.

Columbo · « **Reply #46 on:** June 04, 2012, 03:04:40 AM »

Quote from: Columbo on June 04, 2012, 02:57:41 AM

There's been alot of evolution and growth in the Columbus food truck scene. What started out with taco trucks in one section of the city has evolved into food trucks of many different cuisines all over the Columbus.

With this in mind, I've merged the some recent food truck posts in the Columbus restaurants thread with the older Columbus Taco Truck Tour thread. Please post any news and discussion of food trucks in Columbus here instead of the restaurants thread.

With the previous post in mind, here's a post from the original reason for this thread - Taco Trucks Columbus. They recently looked back at three years of promoting their niche in the Columbus food truck scene.

Three Years of Taco Trucking – A Look Back

Columbo · « **Reply #47 on:** June 04, 2012, 03:18:38 AM »

And to see how far food trucks have come over the past three years, one need look no further than the largest mainstream newspaper in Central Ohio - The Columbus Dispatch. The Dispatch ran a recent feature article about 12 food trucks that operate from Food Fort Columbus, a business incubator that offers business counseling, overnight parking and networking events for food truck operators.

Below is the link to the Dispatch article. Also at the link is a pretty neat video about a "day in the life" of a food truck operator that featured Laura Lee and her Ajumama korean food truck.

Mobile munchies: ‘New Wave’ of food trucks broadens choices in central Ohio

surfohio · « **Reply #48 on:** June 04, 2012, 08:04:51 AM »

Quote from: Columbo on June 04, 2012, 03:18:38 AM

And to see how far food trucks have come over the past three years, one need look no further than the largest mainstream newspaper in Central Ohio - The Columbus Dispatch. The Dispatch ran a recent feature article about 12 food trucks that operate from Food Fort Columbus, a business incubator that offers business counseling, overnight parking and networking events for food truck operators.

Below is the link to the Dispatch article. Also at the link is a pretty neat video about a "day in the life" of a food truck operator that featured Laura Lee and her Ajumama korean food truck.

Mobile munchies: ‘New Wave’ of food trucks broadens choices in central Ohio

I am gonna give some props to Blu Olive. Delicious!!

Columbo · « **Reply #49 on:** June 06, 2012, 07:29:46 AM »

Food Truck gatherings are joining the summer festival season. One is coming up this weekend during the Park Street Festival that is going on for its 6th year just north of the Arena District. More about the food truck component from Columbus Underground:

Food Truck Roundup at Park Street Festival - Saturday June 9, 2012

Another food truck gathering is coming up for its second go around at Columbus Commons in July. Last year's festival was more popular than excepted with over 12,000 people attending. The only problem with that popularity was the excessively long lines for those attending. They're going to try it again this year with more food trucks and better prep for the large crowds. The Food Truck & Cart Festival will return to Columbus Commons on Friday, July 13th, running from Noon to 10pm. Over 50 food trucks and carts will present, in addition to arts and craft vendors, live music and other entertainment. More about it below from Columbus Underground:

Food Truck and Cart Festival Returns in July

Columbo · « **Reply #50 on:** June 15, 2012, 05:09:45 AM »

Couple of items about food truck(s) gathering spots, which seems to be the next evolution in food truck locating.

The first is a daily spot in the campus area at the northwest corner of Kenny Road and Lane Avenue. This spot is being offered Monday thru Saturday by the existing Campus Pitt Stop business. The owner is giving away spots for up to four food truck vendors, which he feels drives customers to his other businesses at the site.

The other is a monthly spot at the southwest corner of Parsons Avenue and East Gates Street. This spot is being offered from noon to 6 p.m. on the last Sunday of every month through October for up to eight food truck vendors. This spot is a vacant lot immediately north of Hal & Al's pub at 1297 Parsons Avenue and is being managed by Hal & Al's, the Parsons Avenue Merchants Association and the Merion Village Association.

Dispatch: Food trucks congregate at Kenny and Lane - Campus Pitt Stop, vendors drawing more customers

This Week News: Food truck, cart 'hop' debuts May 27 at Parsons and Gates

Columbo · « **Reply #51 on:** June 21, 2012, 02:04:20 PM »

Couple of new food truck profiles from Columbus Underground:

CU: Sweet Carrot Food Truck Brings Two Caterers to The Streets

CU: New Food Truck Serves up Gourmet Pierogis

ColDayMan · « **Reply #52 on:** September 07, 2012, 02:26:23 AM »

Schmidt’s Restaurant launching food truck

Schmidt’s Restaurant & Sausage Haus is taking its culinary show on the road.

The iconic German Village restaurant, catering and retail operation is launching a Schmidt’s Sausage Truck. But company executives see the venture as more than another entry in the area’s ever-expanding food truck scene. Rather, the initiative is aimed at helping develop the 126-year-old brand outside its Central Ohio stronghold and perhaps get the company into franchising.

Full article below:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/09/07/schmidts-restaurant-launching-sausage.html

ColDayMan · « **Reply #53 on:** September 07, 2012, 02:28:01 AM »

Microbrewery drawing food trucks for gathering

Visitors to Zauber Brewing Co. surely arrive thirsty. On certain Friday nights, they can show up hungry, too.

The microbrewery, at 1300 Norton Ave. near Grandview Heights, has teamed up with the Central Ohio Food Truck Association for a series of gatherings generally on the first Friday of each month.

Full article below:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/09/07/microbrewery-drawing-food-trucks-for.html

Columbo · « **Reply #54 on:** September 19, 2012, 03:12:15 AM »

Quote from: ColDayMan on September 07, 2012, 02:26:23 AM

Schmidt’s Restaurant launching food truck

Schmidt’s Restaurant & Sausage Haus is taking its culinary show on the road.

The iconic German Village restaurant, catering and retail operation is launching a Schmidt’s Sausage Truck. But company executives see the venture as more than another entry in the area’s ever-expanding food truck scene. Rather, the initiative is aimed at helping develop the 126-year-old brand outside its Central Ohio stronghold and perhaps get the company into franchising.

Full article below:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/09/07/schmidts-restaurant-launching-sausage.html

More about this from Columbus Underground:

CU: Schmidt’s Takes Their Meat to the Street with the Launch of New Sausage Truck

Columbo · « **Reply #55 on:** November 02, 2012, 03:38:01 AM »

Dinin’ Hall to Remain Open Through Winter
By: Walker Evans, Columbus Underground
Published on October 17, 2012 - 1:45 pm

After a successful summer, Dinin’ Hall announced today that it will continue to operate the Franklinton food pod business throughout the upcoming winter months.
(. . .)
Columbus boasts a mobile food scene of over 70 trucks and carts currently in operation in 2012. This year also saw hundreds of summer events where mobile food vendors were a prominent feature. Dinin’ Hall opened at 400 West Rich Street in May and has featured over 30 mobile food vendors on a rotating basis every weekday for lunch.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/dinin-hall-to-remain-open-through-winter

Columbo · « **Reply #56 on:** December 18, 2012, 06:23:00 AM »

Food-truck rules on city’s plate
By Lucas Sullivan, The Columbus Dispatch
Thursday, December 13, 2012 - 7:16 AM

Columbus officials are considering new regulations or clarifications to existing rules covering food trucks after problems that have resulted in fines and hurt feelings. The city council has previously chosen not to regulate food trucks because the city has a peddler's ordinance that covers how vendors operate. But the popularity of food trucks has exploded in the past 18 months, and the city is fielding more questions from business and neighborhood leaders, and trying to address competition among food-truck owners for space on the streets.

Council members have scheduled a meeting with the Central Ohio Food Truck Association to begin discussions about doing a better job of regulating the trucks. ... City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr. said the city wants to clarify what permits food-truck owners need and where they can operate. "We are also asking the question, should the law be changes to enhance what these food trucks do because the public seems to like this," he said.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/12/13/food-truck-rules-on-citys-plate.html

Columbo · « **Reply #57 on:** January 04, 2013, 04:12:21 AM »

Food truck operators band together to seek rule changes, including on-street sales
Business First by Dan Eaton, Staff reporter
Date: Monday, December 24, 2012, 11:19am EST

Cold weather means quiet time for most food trucks, but there has been plenty to work on this winter. Several area mobile food owner-operators have banded together to form the Central Ohio Food Truck Association, an industry group aimed at giving the growing business a unified voice on industry issues.

The group has 20 charter members, including Mojo TaGo, the taco truck run by Brian Reed since 2010. Reed is the group’s inaugural president. He said an initial meeting with the city was held this month and the discussion was positive.

Still, city rules weren’t formed with food trucks in mind. The biggest issue is on-street sales, which are outlawed under current rules. In these nascent days of the local food truck movement, operators are confined to private property like business parking lots. The trucks can’t park and serve from on-street spaces.

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2012/12/food-truck-operators-band-together-to.html

Columbo · « **Reply #58 on:** January 20, 2013, 04:55:14 AM »

This thread started out talking about Taco Trucks in the Capital City before evolving into a broader Food Trucks discussion. So it seems appropriate to check back with Columbus' OG food truck blog - Taco Trucks Columbus. In this recent post, TTC looks at the past, present and future of Taco Trucks in Columbus:

Columbus Taco Trucks: You’ve come a long way Bambina!
By cmh gourmand | December 20, 2012 - 8:17 PM

Taco Trucks crossed the decade mark in the Capital City last year. While still not quite mainstream, the acceptance of these kitchens on wheels has come a long way. While the non-taco truck mobile food scene has exploded since 2010, the number of taco trucks in Columbus has remained about the same, in the 35-40 range.

However, the community has not stagnated. ... This year something happened under the radar that deserves mention. Again, while still not embraced by Joe Average in Columbus, Taco Trucks have gone mainstream in one area....advertising.

READ MORE: http://tacotruckscolumbus.com/2012/12/20/columbus-taco-trucks-youve-come-a-long-way-bambina/

MyTwoSense · « **Reply #59 on:** January 20, 2013, 05:15:04 AM »

Quote from: Columbo on January 20, 2013, 04:55:14 AM

This thread started out talking about Taco Trucks in the Capital City before evolving into a broader Food Trucks discussion. So it seems appropriate to check back with Columbus' OG food truck blog - Taco Trucks Columbus. In this recent post, TTC looks at the past, present and future of Taco Trucks in Columbus:

Columbus Taco Trucks: You’ve come a long way Bambina!
By cmh gourmand | December 20, 2012 - 8:17 PM

Taco Trucks crossed the decade mark in the Capital City last year. While still not quite mainstream, the acceptance of these kitchens on wheels has come a long way. While the non-taco truck mobile food scene has exploded since 2010, the number of taco trucks in Columbus has remained about the same, in the 35-40 range.

However, the community has not stagnated. ... This year something happened under the radar that deserves mention. Again, while still not embraced by Joe Average in Columbus, Taco Trucks have gone mainstream in one area....advertising.

READ MORE: http://tacotruckscolumbus.com/2012/12/20/columbus-taco-trucks-youve-come-a-long-way-bambina/

Mexican food with and Italian description?? WTH?!

Keith M. · « **Reply #60 on:** January 20, 2013, 10:47:59 AM »

Mmmm. Mexican lasagna.

Columbo · « **Reply #61 on:** January 21, 2013, 02:47:04 AM »

Quote from: MyTwoSense on January 20, 2013, 05:15:04 AM

Mexican food with and Italian description?? WTH?!

Obviously the blog's ironic juxtaposition of Spanish and Italian language to hi-light the melting pot of cuisines and cultures in 21st century America just flew right over your non-hipster head. Either that or they didn't realize they were using the wrong language. In any case, the taco trucks are authentically Latino, even if the reviewers aren't.

MyTwoSense · « **Reply #62 on:** January 21, 2013, 03:11:54 AM »

Quote from: Columbo on January 21, 2013, 02:47:04 AM

Quote from: MyTwoSense on January 20, 2013, 05:15:04 AM
Mexican food with and Italian description?? WTH?!
Obviously the blog's ironic juxtaposition of Spanish and Italian language to hi-light the melting pot of cuisines and cultures in 21st century America just flew right over your non-hipster head. Either that or they didn't realize they were using the wrong language. In any case, the taco trucks are authentically Latino, even if the reviewers aren't.

I think the author, trying to be cute, used the wrong language. Also taco's are historically Mexican, not Latino. In this instance there is a difference.

Columbo · « **Reply #63 on:** January 21, 2013, 03:26:15 AM »

Quote from: MyTwoSense on January 21, 2013, 03:11:54 AM

I think the author, trying to be cute, used the wrong language.

I'm 99.99% sure that was the case.

Quote from: MyTwoSense on January 21, 2013, 03:11:54 AM

Also taco's are historically Mexican, not Latino. In this instance there is a difference.

These are "Taco Trucks" in a generic vernacular sense. Some of the trucks are exclusively Mexican food. Others feature food menus either partly or fully from other Latin and South American counties. Hence the "Latino" description.

Columbo · « **Reply #64 on:** March 20, 2013, 11:07:08 PM »

'Columbus Food Trucks In The Media' news from CMH Gourmand at Columbus Underground. One airing tonight on ABC's Nightline and another via a documentary by OSU students available on the interwebs:

Quote

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/hottest-business-venture-food-trucks/story?id=18774278

Months in the making, That Food Truck is on Nightline following them from launch to the end of their first season.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interested in learning more about food trucks in Columbus - building them, starting them, etc. - check this out.

http://streeteatscolumbus.com/2013/03/06/columbus-food-truck-culture-a-documentary/

Columbo · « **Reply #65 on:** March 22, 2013, 12:54:12 PM »

The video of that ABC Nightline piece about "That Food Truck" in Columbus is up on their website (linked below). A fun and informative little 6:50 minute video about the ups and downs of the food truck business. Kinda fun to see places in the city I recognize too. Definately worth a view.

ABC NIGHTLINE: Building a Food Truck Business from Ground Up - Two guys in Columbus, Ohio, with a used FedEx truck learn the hiccups of food service.

Columbo · « **Reply #66 on:** May 13, 2013, 02:55:16 PM »

A couple of Food Truck events set up for the downtown Columbus Commons park this year. The first is a weekly event on Thursdays from 11am to 2pm until Sept 26. The weekly event has seven food trucks - Ajumama, Burrito Bus, Hungry Monkey, Leslie’s Creperie, Paddy Wagon, Pitabilities and That Food Truck - plus a monthly rotating dessert truck.

The second is the 3nd annual Columbus Food Truck Festival. It features over 40 food trucks and will be at Columbus Commons on Friday August 16th at Noon till 10pm and Saturday August 17th at Noon till 10pm. Below are the links to both Columbus Commons events:

Food Truck Food Court, Thursdays, 11am - 2pm

Columbus Food Truck Festival Returns to The Columbus Commons - August 16th-17, 2013

Columbo · « **Reply #67 on:** May 13, 2013, 02:59:01 PM »

Couple of a Food Truck updates from Columbus Underground:

CU: Older Food Trucks Update With New Outlooks for 2013

CU: Food Truck Partnership Now Includes Delivery from The Campus Pitt Stop