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On Wheels
Pretty much everything the Pitruco Pizza truck serves is ETI material, but there's something not on their regular menu that deserves your special attention. You don't need a password and a secret handshake to get your paws on the fresh-baked bread made by pizzamonger Nathan Winkler-Rhoades; just send the Pitruco guys a friendly email inquiring about the secret yeastables.
They've got focaccia and baguette in production at the moment, and your best bet is ordering ahead of time, as they stock bread on the truck only sporadically and it usually sells out fast. That's because said carb bombs are good — real good. The endearingly wonky focaccia comes blistered and golden, a chewy, buttery disc dressed with olive oil and sea salt. Their traditional baguette is slender, baked dark and crispy, with a malty touch and a little woody smoke flavor Pitruco-fying it.
"The focaccia is better," says Winkler-Rhoades, but for me, picking a favorite is Sophie's Choice tough. The best part is the price: Pitruco will charge you just $3 for one of each. Pay up and eat both immediately.
Photo: Alexandra Weiss
The mobile redo of Brahim Ighladen's Marrakesh Express, which closed in West Philly in May 2011, is up and running. Can't miss his bright yellow truck, which slings at the corner of 40th and Locust Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; he's been selling out of homemade falafel sandwiches, plus chicken, beef/lamb and cheesesteak shawarma since rolling out last week. Last night we peeped his fish shawarma, boldly marinated tilapia in a pita griddled crisp on all sides like a burrito, plus a side of "Moroccan fries," mini potato wedges dusted with a North African spice blend and served with an aioli for dipping. Ighladen's been pouring cups of sweet Moroccan tea for chilly customers waiting in line, too. His menu is small for now, but expect the Casablancan to start playing with more ambitious specials — tagine, his well-regarded couscous, etc. — as he falls into a groove.
Bensalem native Nati Jay is working on launching ThaiBQ, a truck specializing in Thai-style barbecued meats, in the coming months. The St. Joseph's grad, currently working in distribution for Kraft Foods and helping out at his family's Thai restaurant in Buckingham, plans on leaning on the traditional cooking he learned growing up for his in-the-works menu; the idea is to combine American barbecue meats, like brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken and even duck, with traditional Thai flavor profiles and techniques. Jay hopes to operate his truck at Love Park or in West Philly. Progress is coming slowly but surely, but he's joined forces with the Philadelphia Mobile Food Association and has also set up a debut gig on April 21 at his alma mater's annual Taste of Hawk Hill event. He's on Twitter, too: @ThaiBQTruck
View galleryIn the last week of December, Caracas native Siu Fung launched Delicias, the city's only Venezuelan food truck. Fung, who's been in Philly for about two years, is running the operation with the help of her husband and mother, the latter of whom is making sure her ingredients and recipes are true to Venezuelan tradition. Her most popular offerings so far are the pabellon arepa, a Venezuelan corn cake filled with shredded beef, black beans, fried plantains and cheese; and the choripan, a spicy chorizo sandwich with homemade pico de gallo and caramelized onions. Right now you can find the truck on Market Street between 34th and 36th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday. Follow Fung on Twitter to get up-to-date information on her whereabouts and offerings: @PhillyDelicias
Last week, we told you about the new Mt. Airy commissary (26 Mt. Airy Ave.) from food truckers-in-arms Strada Pasta and Pitruco Pizza and the dinner series that would follow. Pitruco's crew is hosting one this Saturday, Jan, 14. A suggested donation of $35 gets you five courses, and while an amazing-sounding chanterelle, Fontina and prosciutto pie is on deck for the dinner, it won't be all pizza. Pitruco will be flexing their culinary chops with tomato consomme, lamb belly stew and more. Peep the full menu on Pitruco's Tumblr and email pitrucopizza@gmail.com for reservations.
We first talked to the folks at Philadelphia Mobile Food Association (PMFA) back in December when they were organizing their first-ever meeting — and still calling themselves the Philadelphia Food Truck Association. Founding member Andrew Gerson of Strada Pasta says they decided on a name change to make things more inclusive — vendors of all kinds are welcome to share their thoughts and voices with the organization.
They'll get a chance tomorrow, January 11, from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m., when the PMFA holds its second meeting at the Free Library (1901 Vine St., fourth floor). They'll get into the nuts and bolts of the association, including the formation of committees and the election of a board of directors. Discussion will also focus on the three communal vendor lots the PMFA hopes to get up and running soon, which would allow multiple vendors to operate at private gathering places. Gerson emphasizes that Philly eaters, and not just business owners, are encouraged to attend the meeting. “These food trucks are for Philadelphians," he says. "[Customers] should let us know where they want the food trucks and why."
Andrew Gerson of the yet-to-launch Strada Pasta and the burgeoning Philadelphia Food Truck Association recently teamed up with Pitruco Pizza (see Adam Erace's review) to open a street-food commissary at 26 Mt. Airy Avenue in Mt. Airy, right near Earth Bread + Brewery. But serving as a certified home-base kitchen for the two mobile operations is only part of the plan for the space — they're also using it as a venue, hosting public and private events, "laidback chef tables" and tastings in the evenings. They've got the capability to do 20- to 25-person communal tables, as well as a scattering of four- and six-tops on the commissary floor. "The idea is a fun, relaxed BYO feel, relatively inexpensive," says Gerson, who will host the commissary's first event of 2012 this Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. (Here's more info.) The plan is for Gerson and Co. to host events on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; he also wants to move into pastamaking classes after he launches his truck in March.
Photo: Andrew Gerson
More than two years after he rolled out Honest Tom's Taco Truck, Tom McCusker has moved on up to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in West Philly (261 S. 44th St., 215-620-1851). Open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with extended hours coming in the near future, the shop starts the day with GreenStreet coffee and breakfast tacos (scrambled eggs, potato, cheese, bacon, salsa, guac), moving into tacos and burritos by lunchtime. Though there is a table and a handful of counter stools are coming soon, he's banking on mostly takeout business for right now; local delivery will start after the new year. McCusker says his eventual plan is to bust out the front of the shop and introduce a 8-foot-long communal picnic table that will spill out onto the sidewalk for a little fresh-air seating.
McCusker will continue to run his mobile taco operation on Saturdays at Clark Park, but won't be back at his usual Aviator Park haunt until this spring. By that time, he says, the Honest Tom's truck will be tricked out enough to allow him to offer both tacos and burritos to walk-up customers.
The growth of Philly's food-truck culture in the past calendar year is birthing collaboration — Andrew Gerson of the soon-to-launch Strada Pasta is working with other local street-food-entrepreneurs to found the Philly Food Truck Association, which will host its very first meeting next Monday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Free Library (1901 Vine St.).
Matthew "Feldie" Feldman and his wife Quavin Johnson Feldman launched the Lucky Old Souls Burger Truck in mid-October, easing into weekday vending at mobile-food-friendly LOVE Park. Now they're cooking outside Center City on the weekends. They'll be at Farm to City's year-round Chestnut Hill Growers' Market (Germantown Avenue and Winston Road) tomorrow, plus Dec. 17 and 31; the second and fourth Saturdays of the month for the winter; and every Saturday in the spring/summer. Also look for them at Clark Park on Sundays.
Since LOS starts serving at the Growers' Market early (10 a.m.-1 p.m.), the Feldmans have developed a new breakfast menu, featuring local free-range eggs, house-cured bacon and local cheese, in addition to their base menu. Peep it after the jump.
Photo: A.D. Amorosi
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