GIGA GRANADA HILLS

Like Mediterranean food? Definitely hit up the Gourmet Genie Truck at this Saturday's Granada Hills Food Truck Fest. Your Next Bite says: I was pleasantly surprised by the Gourmet Genie, not just for the healthy Mediterranean food they serve, but for the enormous portions and great value that comes along with the magic food truck ride. For $14.50 I split Jasmine's Feast Entree, a hefty Chicken Kabob Pita Wrap & Dessert, and left feeling full with leftovers to boot. The Jasmine's Feast ($8) definitely is! The 2 Falafel Patties are crunchy on the outside, yet still buttery moist on the inside, and have a thick creamy, slightly bitter citrus sauce that I can't quite put my lamp-rubbing finger on. The Grape Leaves have a bit of crunch on the outside, are stuffed with Lemony Rice, and are oh-so-good. The dollop of Olive Oil and Paprika on the Hummus make it extra dip-worthy. The Baba Ghanoush is kind of unexpected with a thick yogurt, even cream cheese tast...

Apparently, Del's Lemonade, a participant in this Saturday's Food Truck Fest and Movie Night, has a cult-like following -- this is a regional treat from Rhode Island that Californians need to be instructed on. Asserts one aggressive Yelp reviewer: There is nothing else like a Del's. Lemon ice? I'll slap you! Lemonade? I question your parentage! Del's is in a class of its own. It's frozen lemon bliss is what it is. How they manage the perfect ratio of lemony goodness to ice to sweetness is a question best left to NASA...or the Rand Corporation. They manage to avoid the trend of being sickly sweet or face-twistingly tart....and what you get is fresh, frozen, with bits of lemon. I want one right now. Granada Hills Movie Night And Food Truck Fest is this Saturday, Sept. 11 at Granada Hills Recreation Center, 16730 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills. Admission is free. Food Trucks start serving at 6pm, a screening of The Incredibles begins at dusk.

The very worthwhile website Drink Eat Travel has this to say about Saturday Food Truck Fest participants Papas Tapas : Tapas come from the verb tapar , which means to cover in Spanish. It is also the name for Spanish appetizers and snacks. The Muccia family tell us they came up with the idea for Papas Tapas food truck after visiting the L.A. Street Food Fest back in February 2010. Papa Mike Muccia is the cook in the family and Mama Julia loves to entertain and throw parties. They already had the ingredients necessary for a successful food truck! The Muccias were determined to have their own food truck and after four months of elaborate planning, Papas Tapas finally hit the streets. “One of our more popular items is the croquetas.” Julia told us. The croquetas are balls made out of dough with ham, fried and served with garlic aioli. We also tried the La Tortilla del Calabacin con Queso de Cabra, which is an omelette with zucchini, goat cheese and parmesan cheese topped wi...

I'm actually quite creeped out by octopi, with their flailing, tapered tentacles and that powerful beak lurking somewhere underneath that curling tangle of menacing suction cups they call legs. So surely you can imagine that for me, the idea of octopus balls has even less appeal. But then came takoyaki. No wrihting tentacles, no threatening suction cups -- just a really nice tasting Japanese style omelet! The stated goal of the owners of the Tanota Takoyaki Truck is to make this Osaka street food to become as commonly known and loved as sushi is now. According to their their mission statement, We want everyone from all over the world to actually eat and experience how awesome this “Takoyaki” thing is and spread the word to the world. They'll be spreading plenty of it around Granada Hills this Saturday, anyhoo, and I'm pretty sure this truck will be my first stop at the Food Truck Fest, because they make it sound really good: At Tanota our Takoyaki shell is based from ...

Meatball kitchen on wheels Great Balls On Tires has just been added to the lineup of the Granada Hills Movie Night and Food Truck Fest on Sept. 11 at 6pm. Come for the food trucks, stay for a free outdoor showing of The Incredibles , hosted by Granada Hills North and South Neighborhood Councils et al.

Wow, it's not that often that Groupon offers something right here in Granada Hills, but today's deal is for Gotta Dance Studio, $40 for an 8-class series, that normally costs $82. So grabbing that for my daughter!!! Here's the link: Daily Deal Groupon Los Angeles Look on the right hand side of the page and you'll see the "Granada Hills" link for the Gotta Dance offer. Happy dancing!

The Vizzi Truck is just one of the trucks scheduled to be at the Granada Hills Food Truck Fest and Movie Night (featuring The Incredibles!) on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 6pm. TheFoodTrucker.com says this in their review : The braised wagyu beef sliders (maple-basalmic bbq beef, creme fraiche/chimichurri sauce, and cilantro/scallions) were my favorite. One bite into these babies and I instantly tried to hide my container so I wouldn't have to share. Mrs. FoodTrucker saw right through that. The shredded beef melted in my mouth - it was sweet and tender and the sauce added just the right creaminess. After Mrs. FoodTrucker took a bite, I heard her say, "That sh*t is the bomb!" This is a compliment of the highest order because she hardly ever says it. The Granada Hills Food Truck Fest And Movie Night is on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Granada Hills Recreation Center, 16730 Chatsworth Street. Be there!