Are You Ready for the Long Beach Street Food Fest – Saturday October 9

In less than two days, there will be 28-gourmet food trucks heading to Rainbow Lagoon for the Long Beach Street Food Fest. This will be the second edition of this event. The first happened back in July and was a huge success with over 3500 people attending. If you missed the photos from the last event click here to check them out.

"Grandma" from Slice Truck

Considering the gourmet food truck trend is still new to many people we wanted to take a little time to share what we have learned over the last several months. Hopefully one of these tips will help you enjoy so much more. We will also share with you our list of trucks we are looking forward to trying for the first time. There are even some that we have to eat from every time we see them!

Sweets from the Sweets Truck

Before we get to the suggestions please make sure you come by the Save the Food Trucks and Food Truck Tweet up booth between 11 and 2pm. (story here) There will be several food truck owners you can meet and speak with. Saturday Night Foodies and a few big time bloggers will be there as well. Come by and see us.

Ice Cream Sandwich from Cool Haus

Lets start off with the tips and tricks. Kim and I along with some others have worked this almost to a science. Here are some helpful tips to make your day more enjoyable.

1. Be patient, for people that regularly visit food trucks. lines are part of the experience. Seriously, I have met a ton of great people while in line at food trucks. There is nothing better than sharing experiences and what foods each other liked and from where. This is how we figured out where to head first. In this case, lines are a good thing!
2. Do some research. Figure out what trucks sound interesting to you. With 28 food trucks there is a lot to choose from. Here is the complete list of trucks.
3. Get there early! This will help you get to some of the more popular trucks before the lines get long. The way someone told this to me was, come for breakfast stay for lunch.
4. Some like to split up and conquer. I do that to a point. If you attend with friends and/or family send a couple of people in one direction, then you and with another person in the other direction. Meet-up, enjoy, relax then head out again. I use it as a time to just catch-up.
5. Graze, meaning if you have split up to conquer, pick a couple of things at each stop so everyone can taste. This helps you not eat too much in one sitting so you can sample more. It makes it easier for everyone to experience the variety. If you find a truck you really like dive deeper or find them on the street at another date.
6. It is a good idea to have cold hard cash. A limited number of trucks will accept credit cards so cash will be king!
7. Bring your beach chairs or a blanket. 
8. Make sure you stay hydrated.
9. One of the most important rules of all for a great gourmet food truck experience is to be adventurous and try new things. With 28 trucks there is something for everyone and many more for people that are looking to try new things.
10. Most important of all, Have Fun!

Special Brat from the Greasy Wiener

Now for the food, Kim and I have had the privilege to try many of the trucks out there. However we always find more and more! Here are two lists that may help you get started. I will tell you right now there are no trucks on this list that we have heard you need to stay away from. This is an awesome gathering of the best trucks in Southern California.

Craving to Try:

• Nom Nom Truck (@nomnomtruck)
• Manila Machine (@ManilaMachine)
• Baby’s Badass Burgers (@BabysBBs)
• Fresh Fries (@FreshFriesLA)

Time and time again:

• Great Balls on Tires (@GreatballsOT)
• Tropical Shave Ice (@TropShaveIce)
• Slice Truck (@SliceTruck)
• The Greasy Wiener (@TheGreasyWiener)
• Sweets Truck (@TheSweetsTruck)
• CoolHaus (@Coolhaus)
• Crepes Bonaparte (@CrepesBonaparte)

I will stop there. If we add anymore it will be the entire list. I was serious when I said the showing is unreal!

If you see us please make sure you stop and say Hi!

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Save the Food Trucks & Food Truck Tweet-up Join Forces at Long Beach Street Food Fest - Saturday, October 9

As you know Save the Food Trucks is joining forces with Food Truck Tweet-up on October 9, 2010 at the Long Beach Street Food Festival. There will be a table setup for anyone that is interested in more information on the challenges and successes of the Gourmet Food Truck phenomenon. The meet-up will also be a great place for Twitter and Facebook fans to meet their tweeps face-to-face.

During the event there will be guest Gourmet Food Truck owner/operators on hand to answer questions, take pictures and meet their loyal fans. Here is partial list of the Gourmet Food Truck owner/operators that will be stoping by the table.

• The Grilled Cheese Truck
• The Greasy Wiener
• Tropical Shave Ice 
• Knock Out Taco Truck
• Fresh Fries LA 
• Slice Truck
• Crepes Bonaparte
• Great Balls on Tires
• Manila Machine
• Don Chow Tacos
• Komodo Foods
• Nana Queen
• Ahn Joo

Kim and Jason from Saturday Night Foodies will be at the table as well along with some top bloggers in Souther California. Joining us will be Marian from Marian the Foodies and Chris from The Food Trucker.

They have also announced that special guest Matt Geller from the SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association will be stopping by between 11:00 & 1:00. We recently met Matt looking forward to listen to be discuss all the things gourmet food trucks are doing. In addition you can learn about what the association does to help the community and the Gourmet Food Trucks.

Save The Food Trucks was launched to publicize the great things Gourmet Food Trucks do for the community, charities and redevelopment of downtown locations in cities across the country. Its also a place to call out the challenges that face food trucks from politicians, developers and private land owners. When you have a chance I strongly recommend you check out their site and see some of the letters people have submitted. There is a lot of good stuff going on.

Food Truck Tweet-up is simply a way for people with a love of Gourmet Food Trucks to get together and put a face to a tweet. The overall purpose is to help build a solid family oriented community of like minded Gourmet Food Trucks lovers. As you would expect we are big fans of Food Truck Tweet-up. It has been fun to meet people that enjoy the trucks as much as we do.

We are looking forward to seeing you Saturday!

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Quick Post: Orange County DinDin-A-GoGo - Wednesday, October 6

UPDATED 3:49PM - Will be attending @DosChinos @ShortStopBBQ @TheLimeTruck @PiaggioonWheels

UPDATED 12:47PM - @TheLimeTruck will be at @AtomicBallroom for OCDinDinAGoGo. @LomoArigato and @SeabirdsTruck have so far cancelled. Watch here for more updates!

UPDATED 11:52AM - CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER: Eric from Lomo Arigato posted a tweet at 11:21am that the evening event will be cancelled.  If something changes we will update.

Are you ready for some gourmet food truck grub?  Wednesday night DinDin-A-GoGo will be heading back to Atomic Ballroom in Irvine from 5:30 to 9pm.  Rick from Tropical Shave Ice has lined up 8 trucks for this week, including two trucks that will be heading down to the OC for the first time.

There was a great turnout last week at Atomic Ballroom.  It was very fun to see all of the people with their chairs and blankets hanging out and having a great time.  This week will be more of the same and we hope to see you there!

Love the Signs, and No We Did Not Make Them! 

Resident Trucks:
Tropical Shave Ice - Hawaiian Style Shave Ice Truck (@TropShaveIce)
Lomo Arigato - Peruvian and Japanese Fusion (@LomoArigato)
Piaggio On Wheels - Argentine Taco Truck (@PiaggioOnWheels)
Dos Chinos - Latin Asian Cuisine (@DosChinos)
The Lime Truck - California Beach Cuisine (@TheLimeTruck)

Special Guests:
Seabirds - Vegetarian Catering Truck (@SeabirdsTruck)
Mambo Juice Truck - Fresh Squeezed Juices (@MamboJuiceTruck)
The Place LA - Hot Pastrami (@ThePlaceLA)

Location:

ATOMIC Ballroom

17961 Sky Park Circle

Irvine, CA 92614

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LAST CHANCE: Win Tickets to the LB Street Food Fest - Oct 9

The Long Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation is organizing the Long Beach Street Food Fest on October 9th.  With ticket proceeds benefiting the Adopt-A-Teacher program and Long Beach City College Student Scholarships.  The event will host  28 of your favorite gourmet food trucks (such as @slicetruck, @crepesbonaparte, @thegreasywiener, @thesweetstruck, @grlldcheesetruk, etc.) and have live entertainment.  There will also be a beer and wine garden. 

Click here for the complete list of food trucks

We have two more sets of tickets to giveaway!! 

Contest details:  

There are a three ways to win:

1. Tell us in the comment section which trucks you are most excited to visit (1 entry).

2. Follow @satnightfoodies and @LBstreetfood (1 entry for each follow).

3.  After you follow, simply RT this link (1 entry). We've made it easier for you tweeters, all you have to do is copy and paste the following into twitter:

            I entered to win tickets to the @LBStreetFood Festival in Long Beach Oct 9th via @SatNightFoodies http://bit.ly/lbstreetfood3 RT to enter!

That means you can get a total of four entries!! 

Contest ends Wednesday, October 6 at 11:59pm PT and the winners will be announced on October 7.  Two lucky winners will win a pair of tickets.  Good luck and happy tweeting!

NOTE: The winner will have to present valid ID at the gate to pick up the wristbands

Event details:

Saturday, October 9, 2010 - 10:30am - 5:00pm

Rainbow Lagoon Park in Long Beach

Click here for directions

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Whipping Up Some Frosted Goodness in the Windy City - Flirty Cupcakes – Chicago, IL

I had several business trips that took me to Chicago in September, so we looked for Gourmet Food Trucks and funky food joints that I could try while I was there. The Gourmet Food Truck movement has not taken off in Chicago like it has LA, NY and other metropolitan cities. However, I was able to find Flirty Cupcakes. Flirty Cakes, is the first gourmet food truck (actually it’s a van) to hit the streets of Chicago.

Since Jason and I are going to be guest judges for the Cupcake Camp Inland Empire competition, a fundraiser benefiting the Susan G. Komen foundation, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to “practice” my critiquing skills. (☺)

Thanks Jessica!

I began following @flirtycupcakes on twitter. They are really good about tweeting their daily schedule/times so you know exactly where they will be. When I approached Big Blue, what they lovingly call their cupcake delivery vehicle, I was greeted by Jessica, the driver. I was having a hard time deciding which cupcake to try so she suggested the mini sampler which would allow me to try a variety of their cupcake offerings. It included: Devil in Disguise – red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, No Plain Jane – vanilla cupcake with Italian buttercream frosting, The Curious George – banana chocolate cupcake with a light salted caramel buttercream frosting and CBFF – chocolate cupcake with Nutella ganache frosting.

I’d like to think that I am pretty discerning when it comes to cupcakes, not too rushed in my judgments but I have to say these are probably the moistest cupcakes I’ve ever had! The frosting tastes like sweet, slow-churned butter that is whipped to an airy lightness with just a dash of sugar. The frosting has a subtleness that doesn’t overpower but enhances the cake, and you can really taste the butter or the cream cheese used in the frostings. It’s not the dry, crumbly thing that the cupcakes become when bakeries use too much confectioners’ sugar. The cakes are super moist, really rich, and surprisingly, not too sweet.

I had to go back to Chicago two weeks later so I decided to hit up Flirty Cupcakes again to make sure that the first experience wasn’t just a fluke. I touched down at Chicago O’hare and hadn’t been in the city one hour before I was at the Flirty Cupcakes van once again. They were sold out of the minis so I had to pick up the full-size cupcakes. Oh darn. I grabbed the banana chocolate, red velvet and one I hadn’t previously tried, the mocha chocolate cupcakes(?). I had the banana chocolate that day and the red velvet the next morning for breakfast. The third one, I decided to bring home so Jason could experience it. They were as delicious as I had remembered from my first visit, and still super moist. To further demonstrate, the third cupcake was purchased on a Tuesday and then traveled 1700 miles from Chicago to Orange County on an airplane, and eaten on Friday morning. It tasted the same as if it had been baked that day! How many cupcakes can you say that about?

They would be a great contender on the next season of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. But don’t just take my word for it, if you are ever in Chicago, I highly recommend you hit up Flirty Cupcakes.

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Street Supper Club and Movie Night - Thursday, September 30

UPDATED Sept 30

Central Park West will host Street Supper Club and Movie Night featuring To Catch A Thief. Bringing in six of Orange County’s hottest trucks.  This is the first nighttime gourmet food truck event at this site.  They have a very good turn out when they do lunch events at this location.

Make sure you bring some chairs to sit on so you can stick around watch the movie and eat some great food.  The event starts at 5:30 and will go to 9:30pm.  To Catch A Thief will begin at 7:30pm.

There will be six of Orange County’s most followed gourmet food trucks:

UPDATED!
Chunk-n-Chip - BOO-Yah! Truck (@ChunknChip)

The Lime Truck - California Beach Cuisine (@TheLimeTruck)

Seabirds - Vegetarian Catering Truck (@SeabirdsTruck)

Barcelona on the Go - Spanish Cuisine Truck (@Brcelonaonthego)

Dan Dan BBQ - Asian Fusion (@DanDanBBQ)

Piaggio On Wheels - Argentine Taco Truck (@PiaggioOnWheels)

Oh For Sweets Sake – Cupcakes (@ohforsweetssake)

Location:

Central Park West
(Michelson & Teller)

21 Gramercy

Irvine, CA 92612

View Larger Map

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It's On! Orange County and South Bay DinDin-A-GoGo Update for September 29 & 30

DinDin-A-GoGo is on for this week in Orange County and South Bay. Make sure to check out the location information below as both have changed. This will be SB DinDin's new home for Thursday nights.  There will be a lot more room to hang out and enjoy the food! 

Tofu Tallarin Saltado from Lomo Arigato

The events start at 5:30 and go to about 9 pm weekly. Make sure you bring your chairs and hang out. Actually, bring the entire family. You will be glad you did!

Wednesday, September 29

Orange County DinDin-A-GoGo will have a strong gourmet food truck lineup for this week. Believe it or not but they are all OC trucks, check out this list:

Tropical Shave Ice - Hawaiian Style Shave Ice Truck (@TropShaveIce)
Lomo Arigato - Peruvian and Japanese Fusion (@LomoArigato)
Piaggio On Wheels - Argentine Taco Truck (@PiaggioOnWheels)
Dos Chinos - Latin Asian Cuisine (@DosChinos)
DogZilla – Asian Hot Dogs (@DogZillaHotDogs)
Oh For Sweets Sake – Cupcakes (@ohforsweetssake)

Location:

ATOMIC Ballroom
17961 Sky Park Circle
Irvine, CA 92614

Sample Sized DogZilla Dog!

Thursday, September 30

South Bay DinDin-A-GoGo is going to be huge! This is another incredible lineup of gourmet food trucks. Make sure you get to the event early as this will be an epic evening.  In case you did not know there is even a full bar open at Alpine Village.  What more can you ask for?  Check out this gourmet food truck lineup:

Lomo Arigato - Peruvian and Japanese Fusion (@LomoArigato)
Tropical Shave Ice - Hawaiian Style Shave Ice Truck (@TropShaveIce)
Grilled Cheese Truck – You guessed it! (@grlldcheesetruk)
White Rabbit Truck - Filipino Fusion (@WhiteRabbitTruk)
Knockout Taco Truck - Global Tacos (@KOTacoTruck)
Mambo Juice Truck - Fresh Squeezed Juices (@MamboJuiceTruck)
DogZilla – Asian Hot Dogs (@DogZillaHotDogs)
Takoyaki Tanata - tradition food of Osaka (@takoyakitanota)

Location:

Alpine Village
833 W. Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90502

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Quick Post: Orange County and South Bay DinDin-A-GoGo Changing Locations

Due to the growing popularity, both DinDin-A-GoGo events are changing locations.  We are expecting to hear about the new South Bay location by the end of the day.  The Orange County edition is looking for a new home.  Once we learn the new location and food truck lineup we will post an update.  

Both events have been wildly successful and are continuing to grow in popularity.  We have been to all of the OC events and it is amazing the see the growing crowd.  It is very common at both sites to see people setting up chairs and tables to hang out with their friends and family while enjoying some incredible street food.  Both events have become regular dining locations for many people.

As we hear updates we will be sure to pass it along.  Considering the number of people that support these events things will get back in swing soon!

If you know of or own a possible location in Orange County please let us know.

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Save the Food Trucks & Food Truck Tweet-up Join Forces at Long Beach Street Food Fest - October 9

Save the Food Trucks is joining forces with Food Truck Tweet-up on October 9, 2010 at the Long Beach Street Food Festival. There will be a table setup for anyone that is interested in more information on the challenges and successes of the Gourmet Food Truck phenomenon. The meet-up will also be a great place for Twitter and Facebook fans to meet their tweeps face-to-face. 

During the event there will be guest Gourmet Food Truck owner/operators on hand to answer questions, take pictures and meet their loyal fans. The list of owners and times will be published prior to the event.  We will make sure to share that list as soon as we see it.

Save The Food Trucks was launched to publicize the great things Gourmet Food Trucks do for the community, charities and redevelopment of downtown locations in cities across the country. Its also a place to call out the challenges that face food trucks from politicians, developers and private land owners.  When you have a chance I strongly recommend you check out their site and see some of the letters people have submitted.  There is a lot of good stuff going on.

Food Truck Tweet-up is simply a way for people with a love of Gourmet Food Trucks to get together and put a face to a tweet. The overall purpose is to help build a solid family oriented community of like minded Gourmet Food Trucks lovers.  As you would expect we are big fans of Food Truck Tweet-up.  It has been fun to meet people that enjoy the trucks as much as we do.

This will not only be a great time to chat with the truck owners but Saturday Night Foodies will be there as well.  We hope you come tweet with us and the rest of the Food Truck Tweet-up crew.  

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Food Truck Fare - Thursday September 23

The OC Fair & Event Center, home of the annual Orange County Fair, and Mobile Food Properties have teamed up to bring you Food Truck Fare Thursdays. The events will be held every Thursday at the OC Fair & Event Center.

Food Truck Fare Thursdays will bring a variety of gourmet food trucks that will change weekly. The event will take place in Lot D from 11- 2 pm and offers free parking and admission, all you need to bring is your appetite!

This weeks line up features some of the best trucks Orange County has to offer.  Here is the lineup for the kick off this Thursday:

Calbi - Fusion Tacos and Burritos (@CalbiBBQ)
Louks - Greek Gourmet (@LouksToGo)
Morsel's Baking Company - Bakery on Wheels (@BakeryTruck)
Piaggio On Wheels - Argentine Taco Truck (@PiaggioOnWheels)

If you are a fan of gourmet food trucks then this is a event to help satisfy your Thursday lunch cravings!

The OC Fair & Event Center
Lot D (enter Gate 4 off of Arlington Dr.)


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Orange County DinDin-A-GoGo - Wednesday September 22

Early Crowd from September 15

If you have not been to OC DinDin-A-GoGo then you are truly missing out.  This weekly event at K1 Speed in Irvine is the happening place to be on a Wednesday night.  There is a ton of food to choose from and it is like being at a tailgate party.  The best part is every week there are new trucks to choose from.  This is one reason why we keep seeing people come back time and time again.  

This week we are in for a treat.  There will be eight gourmet food trucks including Nana Queens from the Great Food Truck Race.  There are also a couple of fan favorites joining the party.  Here is the complete list:

Resident Trucks:
Tropical Shave Ice - Hawaiian Style Shave Ice Truck (@TropShaveIce)
Lomo Arigato - Peruvian and Japanese Fusion (@LomoArigato)
Piaggio On Wheels - Argentine Taco Truck (@PiaggioOnWheels)
Dos Chinos - Latin Asian Cuisine (@DosChinos)

Special Guests:
Nana Queens - Puddin and Wings (@NanaQueens)
Louks - Greek Gourmet (@LouksToGo) 
Ahn Joo - Korean Pub Grub (@AhnJooLA)
Dan Dan BBQ - Asian Fusion (@DanDanBBQ)

K1 Speed Irvine is going to be happening!  We are talking some serious gourmet food truck talent!

K1 Speed
17221 Von Karman Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614



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The Beach Gives Back: Food Truck Festival for Heal the Bay - Sept 25

Latitude 33 is throwing a fundraiser on Saturday, September 25, as a benefit for Heal the Bay to be held immediately after Coastal Cleanup Day at noon.

The Event will feature cuisine from over 20 of LA's famous gourmet food trucks, 10% of all food truck sales, as well as attendee donations will benefit Heal the Bay and the International Bird Rescue Research Center to give back to our beaches.

Open to the public, the September 25th fundraiser will be held from noon to 4:00 pm on site at Latitude 33 in Marina Del Ray. Celebrity TV Host Carson Daly, an avid supporter of Heal the Bay, will support the event with on-air promotion for The Carson Daly show that will be broadcast nationwide to request further donations for Heal the Bay and IBRRC.

Over 20 of LA’s most notorious and ever-popular food trucks will be serving up delicious, varied bites satisfying all cravings from crepes, lemonade, dim sum, grilled cheese, hotdogs, shaved ice and tacos.

Confirmed gourmet food trucks include:

• The Grilled Cheese Truck
• Papas Tapas
• Big Swirl
• FrySmith
• Del’s Lemonade
• Vesuvio
• India Jones
• Crepe n Around
• Ahn-Joo
• World Fare
• Buttermilk Truck
• Lake Street Creamery
• Morsel's Bakery Truck
• Border Grill
• Dosa Truck
• The Sweets Truck
• DimSum Truck
• Organic Oasis
• Dogtown Dogs
• Get Shaved Ice
• Slice Truck
• The Shrimp Pimp
• Canters

Beyond O2 Water on Main Street in Santa Monica is also a proud sponsor of the event and is supplying water.

Latitude 33
330 Washington Boulevard
Marina Del Rey, CA 90291

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Win Tickets to the LB Street Food Fest - Oct 9

If you are a foodie or a gourmet food truck fan like we are, and live near Long Beach, CA, then you are in luck!  On Oct 9, the Long Beach Street Food Festival will host 28 of your favorite gourmet food trucks (such as @slicetruck, @crepesbonaparte, @thegreasywiener, @thesweetstruck, @grlldcheesetruk, etc.) and have live entertainment.  There will also be a beer and wine garden.  The event, held at Rainbow Lagoon Park, promises to be a fun day for all.

The Long Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation is organizing the event with ticket proceeds benefiting the Adopt-A-Teacher program and Long Beach City College Student Scholarships.   

Click here for the complete list of food trucks

So, you have some of the best gourmet food trucks, live entertainment, and libations, all for a worthy cause.  How can it get any better than that?  By getting in for free!  We are giving away tickets!

Contest details:  

There are a three ways to win:

1. Tell us in the comment section which trucks you are most excited to visit (1 entry).

2. Follow @satnightfoodies and @LBstreetfood (1 entry for each follow).

3.  After you follow, simply RT this link (1 entry). We've made it easier for you tweeters, all you have to do is copy and paste the following into twitter:

            I entered to win tickets to the @LBStreetFood Festival in Long Beach Oct 9th via @SatNightFoodies http://bit.ly/lbstreetfood2 RT to enter!

That means you can get a total of four entries!! 

Contest ends Thursday, September 23 at 11:59pm PT and the winners will be announced on September 24.  Each lucky winner will win a pair of tickets.  Good luck and happy tweeting!

NOTE: The winner will have to present valid ID at the gate to pick up the wristbands

Event details:

Saturday, October 9, 2010 - 10:30am - 5:00pm

Rainbow Lagoon Park in Long Beach

Click here for directions

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Long Beach Street Food Fest is “Truckin’ back to the LBC” - October 9

The gourmet food trucks are returning to Long Beach by popular demand! It was clear with the overwhelming success of Long Beach’s first street food festival in July, participants and attendees alike, wanted a second helping. On October 9th, LA and Orange County’s preeminent mobile eateries will once again roll in to scenic Rainbow Lagoon Park with doors up from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m serving their delectable fare.

The Long Beach Street Food Festival “Truckin’ back to the LBC” will feature more than 25 of Southern California’s favorite gourmet food trucks, a beer garden and rockin’ live entertainment! Many of these trucks attract rock star followings, thanks in part to the latest Food Network hit “The Great Food Truck Race”. The Nom Nom Truck, will make an appearance along with Crepes Bonaparte, and Nana Queens.

You may want to try a Banh Mi sandwich from the Nom Nom Truck, or a crisp and gooey grilled cheese “Smoky Melt” with gouda, bacon and tomatoes from the #1 Truck in LA, The Grilled Cheese Truck? How about an order of “Fish N’ Gapes”- Deep-fried Alaskan Cod tossed with Fresh Grape Salad from the Komodo Truck. Whether your palate leans toward a pizza slice or “Korean pub grub” from the Ahn-Joo Truck inspired by Chef/Owner of Debbie Lee, you will be tempted to try them all. But leave room for dessert because there will be famous Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches, Del’s Lemonade and Sweet’s Truck red velvet cupcakes.

Click here for a complete list of trucks.

Enjoy cool ocean breezes and listen to the music of local bands Blue Steel and Cynthia Manley while you experience the truly amazing cuisine.

Tickets are $6 per person in advance ($8 at the gate). For more information and to purchase tickets, visit LBStreetFoodFest.com. You may also follow the event on Facebook (Long Beach Street Foodfest) and Twitter (@LBStreetFood).

The Festival is organized by the Long Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation. Ticket proceeds from the event benefit the Adopt-A-Teacher program. This program provides funds to local teachers to pay for unreimbursed classroom supplies which the districts no longer provide.

The event in July was a huge hit.  You do not want to miss this!

Saturday, October 9, 2010 - 10:30am - 5:00pm

Rainbow Lagoon Park in Long Beach

Click here for directions

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Event Wrap-Up - Power Pavement Lunch Irvine

Power Pavement Lunch is a gourmet food truck gathering organized by Cluster Truck Events at Central Park West in Irvine, CA (Michelson & Teller off Jamboree).  It happens the third Thursday of every month.  Lee's Philly, Great Balls on Tires, King Kone, and Barcelona on the Go were serving up some tasty treats.  

This was the second time the event has taken place and the turnout was very good.  There were the usual line as gourmet food truck lovers come to expect but it was not out of hand.  Many people stopped by during their lunch hour, and were able to sample a couple of LA trucks that normally do not get down to Orange County. 

With successes like this and other events in the OC, we can look forward to many more trucks opening their gates and sharing the foodie love.

The next event will be on October 21, and as soon as we get the truck lineup we will be sure to share it with you.  If there are any specific trucks you would like to see at this event, please let us know in the comments section below.  The good folks at Cluster Truck Events will definitely see the list!

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Fall Orange County Restaurant Week - September 26 through October 2

The Orange County Restaurant Association has finalized participation of more than 100 restaurants that will unite for the region’s fastest growing and most anticipated culinary event. Click here for the complete list.

During the week, participating restaurants will offer special three-course menus, many with a cocktail or signature item at no additional charge. Each restaurant will have the freedom and flexibility to showcase its best offerings by talented chefs who will, no doubt, personalize each menu to reflect their culinary style. Participating restaurants will offer prix-fixe menus within three price categories: lunch for $10, $15 or $20, and dinner for $20, $30 or $40. Guests will have the opportunity to search restaurants by cuisine, location and price point, as well as make reservations online at www.OrangeCountyRestaurantWeek.com.

The week will begin with an official kick-off party at Prego Ristorante in Irvine from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 26. There is no cost to attend this event (parking in lot will be validated), but space is limited and those interested in attending must RSVP to JILL-FM, who will be broadcasting live from the event, online.

Guests will have the opportunity to taste the many flavors of Prego as the restaurant, which is also celebrating its 25th anniversary, showcases its cuisine with tray-passed fare. In addition, Tres Agaves tequila, Sobieski Vodka and 4 Orange Premium Vodka will be sampling signature cocktails for all attendees. A complimentary wine-tasting by Coppola Winery will allow guests to experience some of the finest Prego has to offer. Prego will be offering its weekly Happy Hour during the course of the event and guests are invited to stay for dinner and enjoy Prego Ristorante’s $30 OC Restaurant Week prix-fixe menu, which includes a glass of house wine.  Click here for more information and to see the menu.

This will be a great time to get in touch with your inner foodie.  We are looking forward to hearing what restaurants you visit.  What was good, what wasn't.  We will be sure to share our foodie adventures as well.

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South Bay DinDin-A-GoGo - Thursday, Sept 16

"Behemoth" from Grill 'Em All

Thursday night DinDin-A-GoGo heads back to South Bay.  This is the original event started by Eric of Lomo Arigato.  Like the OC gathering, this event has a friendly family atmosphere.  One of the reasons we started going to the OC event, from the very beginning, was because of our positive experience in South Bay.  It is great feeling the sense of community as family and friends gather at K1 Speed in Torrance to have a spectacular meal from some of the best trucks around.  Don't be surprised to see tailgaters, foldable chairs and tables.

Chicken Tallarin Saltado from Lomo Arigato

There is no entrance fee and parking is free.  

Here is the line up for SBDinDin-A-GoGo, Thursday, Sept 16:

Grill 'Em All - Gourmet Burgers (@GrillEmAllTruck)
FrySmith - Fries that eat like a meal (@FrySmith)
Lomo Arigato - Peruvian and Japanese Fusion (@LomoArigato)
Mambo Juice Truck - Fresh Squeezed Juices (@MamboJuiceTruck)
Mandoline Grill -nGourmet Vietnamese (@MandolineGrill)
The Sweets Truck - Mobile Bakeshop and Coffeehouse (@TheSweetsTruck)
Tropical Shave Ice - Hawaiian Style Shave Ice Truck (@TropShaveIce)
White Rabbit Truck - Filipino Fusion (@WhiteRabbitTruk)

Goodies from The Sweets Truck

Make sure you get there early as these are very popular trucks.  We may even see you there!

K1 Speed Torrance
19038 S Vermont Ave
Gardena, CA 90248


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Power Pavement Lunch - Thursday Sept 16th

September 16 - 11:30am to 2:30pm At Central Park West Grab your business colleagues, appetite and sense of adventure and join us for a Power Pavement Lunch at Central Park West. Cluster Truck Events is making street food fun by wrangling up some of the finest gourmet food trucks every third Thursday and gathering them at fun locations around Orange County. All you need is a few spare bucks and a way to get here! This is the second event to be put on by Cluster Truck Events in the OC.  The first event was in August and featured, Lee's Philly, Vesuvio, The Taco Dawg, Longboard's Ice Cream and Louks to Go.  There was a great turn out so be sure to get to Central Park West early on Thursday.  There will be limited seating and shade provided.   Here are the trucks planned for this Thursday: Barcelona on the Go - Spanish Cuisine Truck (@Brcelonaonthego) Great Balls on Tires - Meatballs & Other Savory Balls (@GreatBallsOT) King Kone - Mobile Ice Cream Parlor (@KingKoneLA) Lee's Philly - Gogi Style Cheesesteaks and Burritos (@LeesPhilly) Central Park West (Michelson & Teller) 21 Gramercy Irvine, CA 92612

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