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THESE WHEELS BELONG TO:
Grill ‘Em All!
On this MOBiLE MEnu: UNUSUAL MONSTER BURGERS piCniC With this: BLUE CHEER BURGER Hailing all hard core metal heads and food truck fanatics, Season 1 winners of the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race, the Grill ‘Em All truck, command you to “take it to the face.” And after you devour one of their dangerously good seven-ounce burgers, you will gladly accept anything else these band matesfor-life grill up for you. Executive Chef and Co-owner Ryan Harkins who has worked in fine dining for 13 years and partner Matthew Chernus who was once a pro wrestler are feeding burger lovers from LA to the OC and beyond. During their tour around the country, they picked up a national following after being featured on the Cooking Channel’s Eat Street and MTV’s Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory. The culture they created on their road trips started with a truck which dons that definitive font from Metallica’s debut album Kill ‘Em All. And I have to be honest, Grill ‘Em All’s menu made me want to seek and destroy every last burger on the list (with a side of h-100’s, which are their cheddar jack filled, hand-rolled tater tots)! Anything goes with these burger trailblazers. From toppers like beer-soaked onions and mosh pit BBQ sauce to a burger dedicated to Dee Snider, spread with peanut butter, jelly, bacon and Sriracha, Grill ‘Em All is making meat and metal work. We preferred the sweet and tangy flavor fusion in Grill ‘Em All’s Blue Cheer Burger, topped with a cranberry gastrique and a basting of blue cheese sauce. Stay tuned, because these burgers will also be rockin’ the menu at their new LA restaurant this fall. So get your devil horns out, and pay them a visit. Rock on! www.grillemalltruck.com
THESE WHEELS BELONG TO:
Crepes Bonaparte
On this MOBiLE MEnu: CRE ATIVE CREPES piCniC With this: SPICY APPLE BOT TOMS Gaston, the Crepes Bonaparte truck, has a clear focus. It serves only crepes – for breakfast, lunch and dessert. Gaston is a traveling creperie, which has been flipping French-style crepes for its customers for the past three years. After participating in Season 1 of the Food Network’s The Great food Truck Race with its fellow truckers, Fullerton-native Crepes Bonaparte drew patrons from all over the country. It started out as a catering company after owner Christian Murcia vacationed in Paris and tasted his first French crepe. He knew that Orange County would be a better place with the experience of a truly European crepe, so he crafted the first mobile creperie. Gaston’s occupants are confident crepe artists, uniformed in quintessentially French garments. They craft each crepe to-order, so expect a little wait, but we promise it’s worth it. Their most popular crepe is the traditional Italian-style Caprese with a home-made garlic pesto. The breakfast crepes are just as comforting as you might imagine, and they always offer a crepe of the month. But if you truly want to experience why the crepe is one of the most sought-after foods in France, then we recommend one of their dessert crepes. Any one will do and you certainly can’t go wrong with Nutella as a spread on anything, but we loved the Spicy Apple Bottoms with cinnamon and caramel, and the topper of vanilla ice cream for an extra $1 is a must. Crepes Bonaparte will also come to you. Their celebrated catering service is reasonably priced and offers a high level of classical French service. It’s also fun to watch them prepare those delightful crepes right in front of your eyes! Bon Appétit. www.CrepesBonaparte.com
THESE WHEELS BELONG TO:
Chomp Chomp Nation
On this MOBiLE MEnu: SINGAPORE AN CUISINE piCniC With this: KOBE BEEF AND BL ACK TIGER PR AWN SATAY As we make our way through the twenty or so food trucks congregated for this week’s Truck Squad in Fullerton’s Best Buy parking lot, sampling fare representing countries and cultures across the globe, I’m reminded of a TV show I saw about the gastronomic-focused culture of Singapore. Singapore, established by the Brits in the 19th century, has been a cultural “melding” pot, conjoining food staples from China, Malay, India and even Western cultures. Singaporeans, most likely because of this diversity, have become food enthusiasts. The majority of food consumed away from the home is done so at “hawker” markets, which are actually very similar to our food truck rallies. They feature food from multiple cultures, served on paper plates, in areas where foodies congregate. So when I spotted the Chomp Chomp Nation truck serving Singaporean food, I knew I had to make this one of my stops. We were greeted warmly at the truck and after perusing a menu that included a soft shell crab sandwich and coconut stuffed French toast, we decided on the Singapore Satay Skewers. The meal came with Wagyu Kobe beef, chicken and Tiger Prawns, Tiger slaw, cubed rice and peanut sauce. The peanut sauce was sweet, savory and contained chunks of peanuts, and if they sold this sauce by the bottle, I would have bought a gallon. Traditional rice in Singapore is cooked inside leaves forming a cake that is served whole. Chomp Chomp Nation attempted this preparation, but found for casual diners, a giant cake of rice proved too daunting, so they now cube the cake. All three of the proteins were grilled to perfection, and we all found that consuming the components together made for the perfect bite, combining the slaw, sauce, rice cube and steak in one mouthful. Singapore would be proud of this truck. www.chompchompnation.com | Holiday 2012 Issue | 49