Food Truck Tuesdays in Lincoln Park

I just returned from Food Truck Tuesdays (http://mobile-cuisine.com/events/food-t ... coln-park/) and thought I should post a quick report.

There were 4 trucks total. The 2 parked in the CB2, EddieZ's and Kaehler Luggage parking lot were Flirty Cupcakes and the Gaztro Wagon.

The Southern Mac and Tamalli Space Charros trucks were parked along the west side of Halsted, just north of the Halsted/North intersection, along the east wall of CB2.

I'm not sure why they chose a location where the trucks need to be separated, but it was confusing at first. Also, the CB2 parking lot is always jammed with cars and even pulling in/out is a challenge, especially during rush hour. I was able to park for free though - the gate was up so I just pulled in and grabbed a space. Perhaps they can relocate to a parking lot or block where all trucks can park together and is easier to access via car. The location is great for those walking up, though, and is across from the red line and North or Halsted bus stops.

There were plenty of people checking out the various offerings and definitely some first-time food truck consumers. I tried the Southern Mac truck for the first time after several missed opportunities, deciding upon the Truffle Mac with White Cheddar. They were sold out of the large $10 portions so I went with a small portion for $5. It was served piping hot and was very tasty. Next time I'll try a different truck since they will be rotating the vendors each week.

Did anyone else check it out today?

Lerdawg wrote:I'm not sure why they chose a location where the trucks need to be separated, but it was confusing at first. Also, the CB2 parking lot is always jammed with cars and even pulling in/out is a challenge, especially during rush hour. I was able to park for free though - the gate was up so I just pulled in and grabbed a space. Perhaps they can relocate to a parking lot or block where all trucks can park together and is easier to access via car. The location is great for those walking up, though, and is across from the red line and North or Halsted bus stops.

I didn't go, but the choice of location is totally baffling to me, aside from what sounds like the screwy logistics of separating the trucks. It's great that the quasi-pod is across from the Red Line stop and just off the Halsted bike lane, but that intersection during rush hour and particularly that stretch of North Ave. with cars is perhaps the worst clusterf^(< in all of Chicago. The last thing that area needs is a tamale spaceship to contribute gapers block. I do hope Chicago trucks can figure out how to form accessible, regular pods.

FWIW, I heard from my friends at Strand Design that there will be several trucks at this year's Guerrilla Truck Show on Fulton Market this coming Tuesday, June 14. You can check out Strand's awesome dining tables, planters and maybe onion lights (and other design vendors' wares) and eat some truck food.

happy_stomach wrote:I didn't go, but the choice of location is totally baffling to me, aside from what sounds like the screwy logistics of separating the trucks. It's great that the quasi-pod is across from the Red Line stop and just off the Halsted bike lane, but that intersection during rush hour and particularly that stretch of North Ave. with cars is perhaps the worst clusterf^(< in all of Chicago. The last thing that area needs is a tamale spaceship to contribute gapers block. I do hope Chicago trucks can figure out how to form accessible, regular pods.

Getting off the Red Line yesterday at North & Clybourn, I happened on the gathering of food trucks (not sure that it deserves to be called even a quasi-pod). I had other plans so only made a quick pass through the CB2 parking lot and around the corner on Halsted. It would be difficult to imagine a worse venue for an event like this. That's not an exaggeration: a small crowded parking lot next to a busy street with no seating and little shade is not an appealing space in which to eat over-priced held-over snacks. The narrow sidewalk on Halsted, hard up against CB2's brick wall, seems no more inviting.

CB2 is a sponsor of the event and lets people bring their food-truck purchases inside to eat at the tables and chairs on their sales floor. I thought it was kind of charming to walk in there yesterday and see many convivial groups enjoying their eats.

watson wrote:CB2 is a sponsor of the event and lets people bring their food-truck purchases inside to eat at the tables and chairs on their sales floor.

This makes of think of an article I read in the NYT the other day about increasing demand for customized mannequins and renewed interest in store window displays in general. Real people eating real food on their kitchen and patio tables seems in line with this trend.

Rene G wrote:It would be difficult to imagine a worse venue for an event like this. That's not an exaggeration: a small crowded parking lot next to a busy street with no seating and little shade is not an appealing space in which to eat over-priced held-over snacks. The narrow sidewalk on Halsted, hard up against CB2's brick wall, seems no more inviting.

I still think the location was a bad choice and still no shade, but I just remembered that there are (or were) tables in the plaza area between the Apple store and the Red Line station that food truck visitors might be able to use, too.

I'm sorry you folks are not happy with the location. I am the organizer for these events, and as mentioned earlier, the reason for the location was because CB2 is the store that reached out to me to set up a series of events for them.

The reason the trucks are broken up is merely because we wanted to maximize the number of trucks that could join the festivities, also, because the lot is shared with other tenants, we could not take up all the room needed to get all of the trucks parked inside the lot boundaries.

There is one more thing that is prohibitive to this location, and that is the entry ways into the lot are very tight (9 feet wide) so some of the trucks would have a very difficult time getting inside and parked.

If any of you know of any lots where these types of events would be welcomed by the lot owners, please drop me an email at rmyrick@mobile-cuisine.com and we can look into it.

The primary purpose of these events was to help market CB2 and this specific store and then secondarily to introduce the city to the food truck craze that is sweeping the nation. With the food truck ordinance sitting in a committee chaired by the owner of Ann Sathers, the word needs to get out to the people that would most use these mobile bistros, so that trucks will be able to cook on board as they are in most major cities in the country.

Hope to see more of you out on Tuesdays (tonight and through July now). We have had a blast meeting the people that have shown up so far.

-MC

MobileCuisine wrote:the word needs to get out to the people that would most use these mobile bistros, ...

Undiscerning 22-year olds with extra pocket cash who recently moved to Chicago, landed in Lincoln Park, immediately bookmarked 312diningdiva.com and hope their parents don't enforce the threat about making them to get a job? Yes, this should definitely be a legislative priority.

But Kenny, what about us drunk 28 year olds who recently moved back to Chicago and are worried about our parents enforcing the threat to invite us over and make us eat green bean and lamb stew on a Friday night?

Habibi wrote:But Kenny, what about us drunk 28 year olds who recently moved back to Chicago and are worried about our parents enforcing the threat to invite us over and make us eat green bean and lamb stew on a Friday night?

You should eat at that 50/50 place or somewhere like it in Wicker Park. The whole neighborhood's a meat market, and parents of 28 year olds like to hear that their sons are getting ready to provide grandkids.

Welcome back! New York sucks.

To be honest, the attendees of the events so far have been of all age ranges, including families. Gourmet food trucks attract foodies of all ages, at least so far they have.

-MC

Kennyz wrote:

Habibi wrote:But Kenny, what about us drunk 28 year olds who recently moved back to Chicago and are worried about our parents enforcing the threat to invite us over and make us eat green bean and lamb stew on a Friday night?

You should eat at that 50/50 place or somewhere like it in Wicker Park. The whole neighborhood's a meat market, and parents of 28 year olds like to hear that their sons are getting ready to provide grandkids.

Welcome back! New York sucks.

Best thing that I've read on here in some time as a fellow 28 yr old that's from NY - too funny! I won't take the NY hit personally.

Trucks should park around West Town - Chicago/Ada - tons of parking, near a park. Actually the strip of Noble just north of Chicago would probably be AWESOME.

ll982 wrote:

Kennyz wrote:

Habibi wrote:But Kenny, what about us drunk 28 year olds who recently moved back to Chicago and are worried about our parents enforcing the threat to invite us over and make us eat green bean and lamb stew on a Friday night?

You should eat at that 50/50 place or somewhere like it in Wicker Park. The whole neighborhood's a meat market, and parents of 28 year olds like to hear that their sons are getting ready to provide grandkids.

Welcome back! New York sucks.

Best thing that I've read on here in some time as a fellow 28 yr old that's from NY - too funny! I won't take the NY hit personally.

A decade ago, I was a 28 yr old from NY too so I mean no disrespect

If this demographic...

Kennyz wrote:Undiscerning 22-year olds with extra pocket cash who recently moved to Chicago, landed in Lincoln Park, immediately bookmarked 312diningdiva.com and hope their parents don't enforce the threat about making them to get a job?

is a target of Chicago's new food trucks, then I'd agree with this suggestion...

ll982 wrote:Trucks should park around West Town - Chicago/Ada - tons of parking, near a park. Actually the strip of Noble just north of Chicago would probably be AWESOME.

since it is close enough demographically and geographically to:

Kennyz wrote:[...]50/50 place or somewhere like it in Wicker Park.

I have yet to eat truck food in Chicago that I would choose over non-truck options reasonably near wherever I am (don't work in the Loop, have tried many but not all of the new trucks), so I'd be happy to see the trucks where there are really no food options or at times when most nearby restaurants are closed (i.e. late night).

Also, as I've told every food truck operator I've met thus far, a great place for trucks to park at this time of year would be at the different running and walk-a-thon-type events that take place every weekend, usually close to the lake. Especially at the former, these are large, captive, hungry audiences on foot that would buy whatever the trucks sell. There are the participants and the spectators. I wouldn't have said I was a Dunkin' Donuts customer before this year, but I've now purchased drink and food from the DD truck more than any other food truck in Chicago because they seem to be the only business that's made it out consistently to this type of event.

Edited for typo

happy_stomach wrote:I'd be happy to see the trucks where there are really no food options or at times when most nearby restaurants are closed (i.e. late night).

Me too, but it's a losing battle trying to get them to venture much outside of the downtown/hipster areas. Nearly all of the truck owners don't seem to realize that Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, not just a central business district.

stevez wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:I'd be happy to see the trucks where there are really no food options or at times when most nearby restaurants are closed (i.e. late night).

Me too, but it's a losing battle trying to get them to venture much outside of the downtown/hipster areas. Nearly all of the truck owners don't seem to realize that Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, not just a central business district.

I think a safe start would be the corner of Melrose and California on a Friday or Saturday afternoon... 4 minute walk from Kuma's, 3 minute walk from Hot Doug's. Not as a substitute, just as a contingency plan.

happy_stomach wrote: I'd be happy to see the trucks where there are really no food options or at times when most nearby restaurants are closed (i.e. late night).

The key is finding areas that have foot traffic. Yes food truck owners don't have traveling parking lots for their customers to park in, so there either needs to be public parking in an area, or there already needs to be people on the street to sell their food too. Yes there is Twitter to tell followers where they'll be, but during the week, many people in the city are stuck to an area near where they work.

In regards to the time they sell, I too have spoken with most of the truck owners and lunch in Chicago is their prime time. As you all know, the loop shuts down for the most part after regular business hours, and as stated earlier, trucks need foot traffic. The current legislation does not allow trucks to operate legally past 10 PM, so the after bar crowd is out. I would love to see the new ordinance allow trucks to navigate the streets after 10 PM myself. The trucks would be able to partner with bars that their kitchens close early, to me it's a match made in a drinkers heaven.

-MC

stevez wrote:Me too, but it's a losing battle trying to get them to venture much outside of the downtown/hipster areas. Nearly all of the truck owners don't seem to realize that Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, not just a central business district.

They do understand this, but for now, there aren't enough people that follow the trucks for them to be able to start dedicating important business hours to experiment on certain areas where foot traffic isn't as high as others. I know many trucks spend time near the college campuses, but for now, and until the park district allows trucks to operate within their controlled areas (parks and beaches) the trucks need to operate in the cbds.

-MC

MobileCuisine wrote:

happy_stomach wrote: I'd be happy to see the trucks where there are really no food options or at times when most nearby restaurants are closed (i.e. late night).

The key is finding areas that have foot traffic. Yes food truck owners don't have traveling parking lots for their customers to park in, so there either needs to be public parking in an area, or there already needs to be people on the street to sell their food too. Yes there is Twitter to tell followers where they'll be, but during the week, many people in the city are stuck to an area near where they work.

The problem is that neighborhoods with foot traffic also tend to have restaurants. And restaurants tend to sell food. And food from restaurants tends to taste better than food from trucks.

Food trucks in Chicago would probably best serve the Loop, in my opinion. While I've never worked there, my friends who do constantly bemoan the lack of independent shops offering interesting and affordable food. The Loop seems to have plenty of falafel, as well as corporate sandwich and bakery chains. I'd like to think that the legalization and eventual proliferation of food trucks that can cook on premises would expand these options. Kati rolls? Banh mi? Even better falafel? Lobster rolls?

Oh and Kenny, it was wishful thinking on my part when I said I had moved back to the Chi. For now, I'm still in NYC, working in Midtown, where we have a mighty selection of food trucks, some mediocre, many great. I really don't think something like that could be anything but good for the Loop, and most of downtown.

Food trucks have definitely become more of a presence in the Loop, although I'm not sure they've improved the overall quality of available lunches. I've tried a few, and the only one that I would include in my semi-regular rotation is the Meatyballs Mobile.

jesteinf wrote:Food trucks have definitely become more of a presence in the Loop, although I'm not sure they've improved the overall quality of available lunches. I've tried a few, and the only one that I would include in my semi-regular rotation is the Meatyballs Mobile.

I really like Haute Sausage as well as Meatyballs. Gaztrowagon and the Southern Mac truck not so much... And the cupcake trucks are not as good as going directly to the bakery. The Brown Bag Lunch truck is growing on me too... And I am trying Slide Ride for the first time today.

I spent 3 years in Streeterville at Northwestern Law and the lunch options were ridiculously slim. The only bright spots were Fox & Obel, where I could purchase a fresh mini baguette, some cheese and maybe a cucumber or red pepper for under 7 bucks, and of course, the African lunch trucks, who as KennyZ noted somewhere, were the true prioneers of the Chicago food truck scene, and in my book, probably the best examples of good food ala truck.

If a revamped food truck ordinance can expand options downtown and around other parts of the city - namely by allowing some of the more obscure or specialized cuisines to proliferate, I will be verry happy. What I could care less about (no offense) are meatball, mac and cheese and cupcake trucks, though I do recognize that many people enjoy these foods, so its good to hear that those trucks are making someone happy.

Bring on the godamn brain curry and goat biryani truck. I will seriously move to Chicago tomorrow.

I agree with the general point. I just think they need to allow cooking on the actual trucks before food quality gets noticeably better. That's when these things can really compete with actual restaurants/lunch places for business.

jesteinf wrote:I agree with the general point. I just think they need to allow cooking on the actual trucks before food quality gets noticeably better. That's when these things can really compete with actual restaurants/lunch places for business.

How so? I always hear that food trucks will be better (or at least in their best form) when cooking is allowed on the trucks. But I don't see how a truck will be able to keep up with demand such that it will be able to compete in the Loop food scene. How many made-to-order hamburgers can a hamburger truck (for example) produce in the 11:30-1:30 Loop lunch period such that it can compete with a larger venue such as Au Bon Pain and Pret a Manger? Probably not enough. Right now, it's to the food trucks' benefit that they must have premade food.

aschie30 wrote:

jesteinf wrote:I agree with the general point. I just think they need to allow cooking on the actual trucks before food quality gets noticeably better. That's when these things can really compete with actual restaurants/lunch places for business.

How so? I always hear that food trucks will be better (or at least in their best form) when cooking is allowed on the trucks. But I don't see how a truck will be able to keep up with demand such that it will provide a useful contribution to the Loop food scene. How many made-to-order hamburgers can a hamburger truck (for example) produce in the 11:30-1:30 Loop lunch period such that it can compete with a larger venue such as Au Bon Pain and Pret a Manger? Probably not enough. Right now, it's to the food trucks' benefit that they must have premade food.

Well, how they execute it is really up to them. I would think, if done right, freshly cooked food would be better than cooked and held food.

jesteinf wrote:

aschie30 wrote:

jesteinf wrote:I agree with the general point. I just think they need to allow cooking on the actual trucks before food quality gets noticeably better. That's when these things can really compete with actual restaurants/lunch places for business.

How so? I always hear that food trucks will be better (or at least in their best form) when cooking is allowed on the trucks. But I don't see how a truck will be able to keep up with demand such that it will provide a useful contribution to the Loop food scene. How many made-to-order hamburgers can a hamburger truck (for example) produce in the 11:30-1:30 Loop lunch period such that it can compete with a larger venue such as Au Bon Pain and Pret a Manger? Probably not enough. Right now, it's to the food trucks' benefit that they must have premade food.

Well, how they execute it is really up to them. I would think, if done right, freshly cooked food would be better than cooked and held food.

Sure, in theory. But I don't know how much a truck can produce in a two-hour busy period such that it can compete with a facility like Pret-A-Manger, where there is a mini-army of people in the back continually making sandwiches. It seems like food trucks run out of food quickly, even when, at this point, they're just traveling warehouses. When you account for the additional room that cooking/assembly will require, I'm not convinced that how viable of a business option they are.

I don't know either. Just seems like other cities seem to have figured it out a bit better than we have here. If the businesses weren't viable, I would think the whole system (outside of Chicago where this is a relatively new trend) would have collapsed by now.

Just look at the Meatyballs truck, for example. They produce a good product, but if they could construct the sandwiches a la minute, they would be infinitely better. That doesn't mean they need to be forming and frying up the meatballs per order, but maybe they are just simmering in sauce waiting to be put on freshly sliced bread and topped with condiments. Right now they spend every second after preparation steaming away in their foil jackets, bread getting mushy and soaking up whatever sauce they've used (sparingly, lest the whole thing disintegrate). Being able to slap a couple balls on a roll and sauce/garnish on site is not that time intensive, and would lead to seriously better offerings. I have to believe there are countless operations that would be newly feasible or see a similar improvement.

kl1191 wrote:Just look at the Meatyballs truck, for example. They produce a good product, but if they could construct the sandwiches a la minute, they would be infinitely better. That doesn't mean they need to be forming and frying up the meatballs per order, but maybe they are just simmering in sauce waiting to be put on freshly sliced bread and topped with condiments. Right now they spend every second after preparation steaming away in their foil jackets, bread getting mushy and soaking up whatever sauce they've used (sparingly, lest the whole thing disintegrate). Being able to slap a couple balls on a roll and sauce/garnish on site is not that time intensive, and would lead to seriously better offerings. I have to believe there are countless operations that would be newly feasible or see a similar improvement.

I don't think anyone is disputing that the food would taste better if it is prepared on the truck (except maybe Kenny).

aschie30 wrote:I don't think anyone is disputing that the food would taste better if it is prepared on the truck (except maybe Kenny).

I was referring to this:

aschie30 wrote:Right now, it's to the food trucks' benefit that they must have premade food.

Then, aren't you inherently saying that it's in the food trucks' best interest to serve worse tasting food? I guess I could make that argument in certain situations, but I doubt it's a sustainable business model, nor can it be true across the board.

Right now the trucks are making due the best they can under the current law. I don't think there's any question that they would do as well or better, both financially and flavor-wise, if the legal prohibitions regarding preparing food on the trucks were removed/relaxed.