My ordering technique at the food truck fest: going up to each truck's window and saying, "Gimme the thing that's gonna make me go 'MMMMMM!'" And it turns out that was a winning strategy. The only truck I didn't use that line on was the meatball truck Great Balls On Tires, where I switched to, "Hurry, stuff your balls in my mouth!"
What? Oh, please, get your mind out of the gutter, people! Really, I'm surprised at you, Granada Hills. I'm just talking about eating their meat!
Verily I say to thee, Clint, Michael (a GH homeboy!) and their crew had the best balls I've ever tasted. And as for the double entendres the truck's name lends itself to — they've even got "Best Balls In L.A.!" painted on their hood — apparently, the gag never gets old. After cracking a few extremely obvious jokes with the Great Balls crew that got more laughs than I expected, I asked, "Aren't you tired of this stuff by now?" To which they replied, "Of course not! We're boys!"
I also learned at the Food Truck Fest — I think the precise moment was when I took my first bite of a Komodo taco — the reason why I'm never going to be a food critic. When me taste incredibul food, brain stop working. The only words that leak out of my crammed-full cake hole are "Mmmmm!" and "Yum."
So here's my reviews: Komodo: Mmmmm. Great Balls: Yum. Vizzi: Mmmmm. Lomo Arigato: Yum. Tanota Takoyaki: Mmmmm. Crepen Around: Yum. Greenz on Wheelz: Mmmmm. Del's Lemonade: Yum. Big Swirl: Mmmmm. Gourmet Genie: Yum. Bool BBQ: Mmmmm. Papas Tapas: Yum. Yeah, Jonathan Gold, if you're reading this, you can quit worrying; your job is safe. Of course, The Incredibles is still my favorite Pixar movie, and it's even better when viewed with a belly full of tacos, sliders, takoyaki, lemonade, melts, truffle fries, tapas, frozen yogurt, crepes, and god-knows-what-all I ate that night. Mmmmm. Yum. And to answer all of the inquires I've received, the answer is YES, we're going to do it again, and soon. Neighborhood Council member Brad Smith estimated the event's attendance at about 8,000, but Jerry Askew put the number at closer to 10,000. I'm going to go with 12,000, but that's just me. The important thing is that it was super fun, and I want to say thanks to all 15,000 of you that showed up!
Special thanks to Mark Hovater for the video!
Updated 9/19/2010: All participating food trucks paid a fee to participate in the G.H. Food Truck Fest. These proceeds made it possible for Giga Granada Hills to make a $150 donation to Friends of The Granada Hills Library. Thank you!
We had a great time as well... looking forward to the next Food Truck Fest! We'll better plan and get more people out so we can try more than just a couple things. Also, LOVE the bumper sticker, thank you!
A group of black-shirted staffers of Numero Uno Pizzeria stand in a cluster in front of their store, surveying the Friday night scene on Chatsworth Street. Over the course of the last several months, they've watched the number of food trucks — or as they call them, "roach coaches" — burgeon on the stretch between Yarmouth and Zelzah, growing from one or two, parked only in front of Menchie's, to tonight's herd of fifteen trucks, spread up and down the street. And they're not happy. "Obviously it's a nuisance. You see nothing but wrappers, and cans, just trash. Why would Granada Hills want catering trucks to damage the place and destroy it? Not one of these trucks is from Granada Hills, not one. Why not pump up businesses that have been here, that support the Little Leagues, the Devonshire Police Station pasta night, instead of this little fad with catering trucks?" Numero Uno's staff says they're not alone in their frustration
Mike Spasoff is a tireless servant to this community -- at least for a few months out of the year -- and that's good enough for me. It's also more than good enough for the 600 trick-or-treaters he delights and terrifies with the elaborate, Disney-rivaling, pirate-themed yard display at his house on San Fernando Mission Boulevard (near Shoshone). When I was a kid, I used to always wish someone in the neighborhood would do something beyond carving a pumpkin. Fortunately, kids in Mike's neighborhood will never have to cope with that same unfulfilled sense of longing that I always had. What makes you want to invest the time, money, and resources into such an elaborate production? I can remember the magic of walking the streets of our neighborhood each Halloween and the excitement of finding a house that did something more than just a jack-o-lantern or a cardboard skeleton. My parents and I always made a special effort to do something extra but it wasn't until we move
Photo Courtesy Pat Walsh In-N-Out Burger, the family-owned, California-based restaurant chain has funded the planting of several of its signature palm trees along the center median of Chatsworth Street. Company spokesman Ennis Hout explained to GigaGranadaHills that the trees are just one of a string of civic beautification projects the chain plans to undertake in Southern California, in order to "give back to local communities while simultaneously promoting our brand." The chain has planted the trees at no cost to the city. Response to the project has overwhelmingly positive. Initially, Neighborhood Council members balked at the choice of tree, as Palm trees provide no shade whatsoever and could be seen as disharmonious with the existing landscape. At a pubic hearing on the matter, one resident suggested that Deodar trees, like those along White Oak Avenue that are now a historic landmark, would have been a more appropriate choice, not only because of their historic
Best thing they've done in GH is ages. Too much fun!
ReplyDeleteWe had a great time as well... looking forward to the next Food Truck Fest! We'll better plan and get more people out so we can try more than just a couple things. Also, LOVE the bumper sticker, thank you!
ReplyDeleteNext time ask the boys from Fuxion Tacos to join the line up. They are amazing!!!! I had their food at a grand opening.... I'm Now hooked!
ReplyDeleteLOVED the clip and the photos!
ReplyDeleteKudos for organizing such a successful event!
Can't wait till next year's...
Another suggestion for next time: www.getyourlardon.com
ReplyDeleteALL BACON FOOD TRUCK - YES !!!!!! Tried it in North Hollywood today, great!