Nov 27, 2012

Kim Rivers

Food truck review: Three Lions dispels the “bland” British food myth

by

Terry Eddington of Food Truck Connection

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The Bonfield brothers started out with South African tacos, but as they added more traditional British fare, Three Lions has garnered a cult following.

Photo by Terry Eddington

The fat, savory sausage resting atop a bed of seasoned creamy mashed potatoes, smothered in spicy gravy will instantly change any misconceptions about “bland” British food.

Starting a food truck is hard. Transforming a food truck into something totally different is harder. And making the transition successfully is really, really hard. But for brothers Cameron and Scott Bonfield, it’s really about being true to their heritage. So that makes it all a labor of love and worth it all.

The transition from taco truck to English cuisine began when they started offering more traditional English fare along with the South African spiced tacos and the response was positive. So about eight months ago, they decided to start over completely. A few months later, the Three Men and a Taco truck has fully morphed into Three Lions. A big part of the mission is educating the colonies on what constitutes proper English fare.

The cuisine confusion from early menus wasn’t really helped by the Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders, but people loved them and bought them like crazy. I mean, an American BBQ slider held over from the taco truck — how is that English? I may have been confused by their spot on the menu, but I’m really happy they made it possible for the rest of the menu to develop and mature. Scott Bonfield explains that they were very popular and their sales kept Three Lions afloat long enough to develop the rest of the menu. The Carolina Sliders have now taken their place in the past.

During the sweltering Dallas summer, they introduced gazpacho, a chilled vegetable soup. Bursting with flavor and tantalizing with a variety of textures, I wasn’t fully convinced this was English fare, but it went down really, really nice on a hot summer day. Besides, Spain is a lot closer to England than the Carolinas!

Photo by Terry Eddington

Think British food may be too heavy for a hot Texas summer? Try the tiny brine shrimp mixed with sliced cucumbers and spicy cream sauce on a toasted bun for a light-and-chilled option.

Another cool option during the hot summer months is the shrimp salad roll: chilled tiny brine shrimp in abundance mixed with sliced cucumbers in a spicy cream sauce resting on a toasted bun.

But if you’ve visited Three Lions more recently, the menu continues to evolve and mature into the vision pursued by the Bonfield brothers. The first truly English item on the menu is the meat pie. Meat Ppies are a British basic, pretty much the equivalent of the burger in America. They’re made of sandwich ground beef and a really savory gravy between a shortcake pastry crust (a little thicker and denser) and a puff pastry “lid” (light and fluffy). They’re a perfect no utensils required dish.

If you’re looking for a way to dip your toe in the water, then the Bacon Butty is the perfect little morsel to try. Bacon and ham with all kinds of deliciousness is sandwiched between a flour roll. It looks like a breakfast sandwich, but it’s a great little treat anytime!

Photo by Terry Eddington

You might have to wait a little longer for the Fish Chips — hey, they’re making it in a truck, after all — but the gigantic wild Atlantic Cod filet battered in a Heineken batter served with tartar sauce and chips (aka fries) is well worth it. Bring a newspaper to read and/or to wrap it.

Everybody knows that fish chips is English, and this traditional dish landed on the menu as soon as they could figure out how to get the prep time for the gigantic wild Atlantic Cod filet battered in Heineken Beer batter down to an acceptable ticket time. The fish is served with tartar sauce and paired up with chips (that’s fries to us Americans). It still takes longer than other choices but is worth the wait.

Three Lions keeps raising the bar and introducing new English options. If you haven’t tried the chicken bacon pie, you have no idea what you are missing. Kissin’ cousin to the meat pie, but even more stuffed, you get the same shortcake pastry crust that’s a full 2-1/2 inches deep filled with roasted chicken, peas, carrots, and BACON all in a cream sauce. Apparently, even the British know that everything is better with BACON!

Photo by Terry Eddington

Like its traditional Meat Pie cousins, the Chicken Bacon Pie has a shortcake pastry crust, brimming with roasted chicken, peas, carrots, and bacon in cream sauce. Even the British have “discovered” the wonders of bacon.

At the opening of Klyde Warren Park, Three Lions introduced their bangers mash. A fat, savory sausage rests atop a bed of seasoned creamy mashed potatoes smothered in spicy gravy. If your idea of British food is all hearty but bland, you’re gonna want to sink your teeth into this bangers mash. It’s royal!

In a food culture where global food is the norm, Three Lions brings yet another cultural cuisine experience to food truck dining. Scott says there’s a surprisingly large group of British ex-pats living in Dallas and they’ve embraced Three Lions as a bit of home. But don’t be fooled, there’s a bit of Texas in the hearts of Cameron and Scott Bonfield, and we should all embrace the British cuisine experience of Three Lions.

If you want to give some British food a go, then look up Three Lions on Facebook or Twitter to see where they’re setting up today.

Pegasus News Content partner – Food Truck Connection

Food truck review: Three Lions educates the colonies by dispelling the “bland …

by

Terry Eddington of Food Truck Connection

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The Bonfield brothers started out with South African tacos, but as they added more traditional British fare, Three Lions has garnered a cult following.

Photo by Terry Eddington

The fat, savory sausage resting atop a bed of seasoned creamy mashed potatoes, smothered in spicy gravy will instantly change any misconceptions about “bland” British food.

Starting a food truck is hard. Transforming a food truck into something totally different is harder. And making the transition successfully is really, really hard. But for brothers Cameron and Scott Bonfield, it’s really about being true to their heritage. So that makes it all a labor of love and worth it all.

The transition from Taco Truck to English cuisine began when they started offering more traditional English fare along with the South African spiced tacos and the response was positive. So about eight months ago, they decided to start over completely. A few months later the Three Men and a Taco truck has fully morphed into Three Lions. A big part of the mission is educating the colonies on what constitutes proper English fare.

The cuisine confusion from early menus wasn’t really helped by the Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders, but people loved them and bought them like crazy. I mean, an American BBQ slider held over from the taco truck — how is that English? I may have been confused by their spot on the menu but I’m really happy they made it possible for the rest of the menu to develop and mature. Scott Bonfield explains that they were very popular and their sales kept Three Lions afloat long enough to develop the rest of the menu. The Carolina Sliders have now taken their place in the past.

During the sweltering Dallas summer, they introduced Gazpacho, a chilled vegetable soup. Bursting with flavor and tantalizing with a variety of textures, I wasn’t fully convinced this was English fare but it went down really, really nice on a hot summer day. Besides, Spain is a lot closer to England than the Carolinas!

Photo by Terry Eddington

Think British food may be too heavy for a hot Texas summer? Try the tiny brine shrimp mixed with sliced cucumbers and spicy cream sauce on a toasted bun for a light-and-chilled option.

Another cool option during the hot summer months is the Shrimp Salad Roll. Chilled tiny brine shrimp in abundance mixed with sliced cucumbers in a spicy cream sauce resting on a toasted bun.

But if you’ve visited Three Lions more recently, the menu continues to evolve and mature into the vision pursued by the Bonfield brothers. The first truly English item on the menu is the Meat Pie. Meat Pies are a British basic, pretty much the equivalent of the burger in America. Sandwich ground beef and a really savory gravy between a shortcake pastry crust (a little thicker and denser) and a puff pastry ‘lid’ (light and fluffy), and you have a perfect no utensils required dish.

If you’re looking for a way to dip your toe in the water, then the Bacon Butty is the perfect little morsel to try. Bacon and ham with all kinds of deliciousness is sandwiched between a flour roll. It looks like a breakfast sandwich but it’s a great little treat anytime!

Photo by Terry Eddington

You might have to wait a little longer for the Fish Chips — hey, they’re making it in a truck, after all — but the gigantic wild Atlantic Cod filet battered in a Heineken batter served with tartar sauce and chips (aka fries) is well worth it. Bring a newspaper to read and/or to wrap it.

Everybody knows that Fish Chips is English and this traditional dish landed on the menu as soon as they could figure out how to get the prep time for the gigantic wild Atlantic Cod filet battered in Heineken Beer batter down to an acceptable ticket time. The fish is served with tartar sauce and paired up with Chips (that’s fries to us Americans). It still takes longer than other choices but it’s worth the wait.

Three Lions keeps raising the bar and introducing new English options. If you haven’t tried the Chicken Bacon Pie, you have no idea what you are missing. Kissin’ cousin to the Meat Pie, but even more stuffed, you get the same shortcake pastry crust that’s a full 2-1/2 inches deep filled with roasted chicken, peas, carrots, and BACON all in a cream sauce. Apparently, even the British know that everything is better with BACON!

Photo by Terry Eddington

Like its traditional Meat Pie cousins, the Chicken Bacon Pie has a shortcake pastry crust, brimming with roasted chicken, peas, carrots, and bacon in cream sauce. Even the British have “discovered” the wonders of bacon.

At the opening of Klyde Warren Park, Three Lions introduced their Bangers Mash. A fat, savory sausage rests atop a bed of seasoned creamy mashed potatoes smothered in spicy gravy. If your idea of British food is all hearty but bland, you’re gonna want to sink your teeth into this Bangers Mash. It’s royal!

In a food culture where global food is the norm, Three Lions brings yet another cultural cuisine experience to food truck dining. Scott says there’s a surprisingly large group of British ex-pats living in Dallas and they’ve embraced Three Lions as a bit of home. But don’t be fooled, there’s a bit of Texas in the hearts of Cameron and Scott Bonfield and we should all embrace the British cuisine experience of Three Lions.

If you want to give some British food a go, then look up Three Lions on Facebook or Twitter to see where they’re setting up today.

Pegasus News Content partner – Food Truck Connection

Nov. 21 Food Truck Dinner Lineup at Cerritos Babies R Us

Give your appetite a litle teaser of the great Thanksgiving food you’re going to scarf down this holiday weekend with a visit to the food truck dinner gathering in Cerritos-Artesia this Wednesday night.

Join locals at the Atomic Eats food truck dinner rally outside of Babies R Us in Cerritos at 11540 South St. every Wednesday night and splurge on a variety of food truck favorites. The weekly feast takes place in the store’s parking lot every Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Motorists in the lot are reminded to always be cautious of pedestrians.

Attendees Can Receive Dodge Bucks to Purchase Food Truck Goodies

Representatives from Dodge will also be in attedance on Nov. 21 to showcase the new Dodge Dart. Attendees who take Dodge’s simple survey on site will also receive Dodge bucks, which can be used to purchase food from the food truck vendors on site.

The Nov. 21 dinner lineup includes:

Waffles De Liege
Cousins Maine Lobster
White Rabbit
Rancho A Go Go
Belly BombZ
Bobo Tacos
Eat em Up
Gringos Tacos
Currywurst Truck
Rajun Cajun

* Editor’s Note: Patch will be posting the local food truck dinner list every week. For a look at menus, prices, and payment options, visit each truck’s website through the links provided. Participating trucks and schedules are subject to change without notice.

Thanksgiving Wishes and Gratitude to the Food Truck Community

by

Terry Eddington of Food Truck Connection

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We live in a community where people who can make their dreams come true.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and recognize the things for which we are thankful. I’m thankful for the same things that many of you are – family and friends, good health, a (good) job and the freedoms allowed by living in the United States. At the risk of sounding superficial, I’m also thankful that food trucks became a part of my life this year. Read on and I think you’ll agree that there are many reasons it’s not superficial at all.

I’m thankful for the new friends I’ve made, both near and far. I never go to a food truck and not come away feeling better than when I arrived. The long, grueling hours required of anyone working on a food truck doesn’t stop them from greeting me with a smile, a friendly greeting and always a ‘Thank You for coming!” These entrepreneurs share a common characteristic with all small business owners – it is a labor of love and the enthusiasm is infectious. And that enthusiasm and friendliness is mirrored by the patrons who reach out to people they’ve never met before to ask questions and share opinions.

I’m thankful for the exposure to new foods and the chance to enjoy old favorites re-imagined and reinvented by the creative chefs. The options cross cultural lines that circle the globe and creatively re-imagine American classics closer to home. I’ve learned that Vegan/Vegetarian can be so good you don’t miss the meat, that tacos come in as many varieties as there are countries, that gourmet is not restricted to fancy restaurants and that even hot dogs and burgers can go really upscale with creative toppings. And speaking of upscale, who would ever believe you could get sushi, escargot and steamed dumplings or pizza cooked fresh, in creative and classic styles, from a truck. Desserts range from Whoopie Pies to classic cream fruit pies (sometimes with a surprising hot pepper kick) to fried pies (including an unbelievable Guacamole pie!), shaved ice (even in an adult versions), cupcakes galore and more flavors of Cool Haus ice cream than I can name. But it’s true, I had all this and more! Who wouldn’t be thankful?

Photo by Terry Eddington

I’m thankful for the generosity and community support demonstrated by the food truck community. It reminds me of the importance of giving and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. I’ve seen food trucks become the featured attraction at fundraisers for charities and churches, schools and youth sports leagues. In addition to contributing time and a generous percentage of their sales (not profits), truck owners often donate 100% of their tips (and sometimes 100% of their sales!) to the sponsoring organization. Some local trucks always donate their tips to a cause near and dear to them. And when sales are not as good as anticipated, the excess food is taken to local food banks to share with those less fortunate.

Reaching out beyond local communities, DFW food trucks generously donated tips and/or a percentage of sales to support aid for the victims of Superstorm Sandy. Local governments in the Northeast embraced the offer to help extended by food trucks in the hard hit areas that resulted in thousands of meals being delivered to victims of Sandy. Many of our own food trucks filled the need for meals and bottled drinks following the 2012 tornadoes in the DFW metroplex. And sadly, some trucks who tried to help were prohibited by local government who hid behind archaic regulations and would not make an exception, even in such an exceptional situation. I pray these cities will see the bigger picture should (or given Texas weather, when) catastrophe strikes our community again.

I’m thankful for all of the new trucks that came to Dallas/Fort Worth. At the same time, I’m saddened by the retiring of other trucks. I’m thankful for the trucks I found before they were gone. They’ll be missed but I wish them all success and happiness wherever life takes them.

I’m thankful for the regulations faced by food truck owners, but not all of them. I’m confused by regulations that give preferential protection to brick and mortar restaurants and relegate food trucks to second-class status. I wonder how this can be considering the history of America, and the American Dream, that reveres the entrepreneur who sees a niche and fills it. At the same time, I embrace the regulations that recognize a gourmet food truck is truly a restaurant on wheels. I want food trucks to be inspected for health and safety like any other restaurant. These regulations not only put everyone on a level playing field, it gives credibility to the truck and removes any fear about safety in their product. I’m constantly amazed at how obstacles are met with creative solutions by food truck operators who fight traffic, bias, regulation, breakdown and the weather to bring their food to the people.

Photo by Terry Eddington

I’m thankful for living in a country where people who have a dream can actually make that dream come true. This country was built by the blood, sweat and tears of people willing to take risks to achieve their dreams. These food truck entrepreneurs remind me of how we became a great country and, despite the interference of politics and politicians, how we can once again return to the prosperity we enjoyed when small, local business was the core strength on which this country was built.

Finally, I’m thankful for the chance to give something back to the food truck community. This website is a labor of love for me. I’m thankful for the opportunity to share my experience and to spread the word. I’m thankful for each and every person who visits Food Truck Connection and even more thankful when they pass the articles on to their friends and followers. I’m thankful for the opportunity to encourage my readers to try the food truck experience. I’m thankful when I convince someone that’s staring at a menu, a little hesitant to try something new, and my encouragement gives them the courage to give it a go.

I’m thankful that I can be a part of the food truck community. It’s a really nice place to live.

Pegasus News Content partner – Food Truck Connection

‘Eat Street’ food truck festival gets cooking on Saturday in downtown Tulsa

Ordinarily, you’d have to drive all over Tulsa to sample them all.

But for one day only, there will be 15 different food truck vendors in one spot in downtown Tulsa’s Blue Dome District as part of the first-ever “Eat Street” Food Truck Festival.

Kris Boyne runs the Pink Tamale food truck with a blend of different Mexican dishes and is helping organize the event.

“The Dog House is planning to be there, which is gourmet hot dogs,” Boyne said. “The Grub Truck, a professionally-trained chef and has his own eclectic mix of stuff so yeah, there’s going to be a range of different folks out there.”

Brownie’s Hamburgers, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, and Mr. Nice Guy’s Tacos are some of the others, to name only a few.

Boyne says food trucks are gaining in popularity nationwide.

“There’s a lot of really great chefs in the Tulsa area that just aren’t really looking for the expense and overhead that comes with a storefront restaurant, and so the food truck phenomenon is really something that’s been taking hold across the country.”

Hours for the festival are from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. this Saturday, November 10th, in the Blue Dome District in downtown Tulsa.

San Lorenzo: Gourmet food trucks coming Thursday

SAN LORENZO — Seven gourmet food trucks will roll into the San Lorenzo Village Shopping Center parking lot Thursday evening.

Food Truck Mafia will have the trucks in the lot at Hesperian Boulevard and Paseo Grande from 5 to 9 p.m.

The lineup for this week’s San Lorenzo Street Eats is Pizza Pimps, Truckin Sweet, Tacos de los Altos, Yummi BBQ, Blast Off, My Shrimp Shack and Conklin.

The Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League will receive 10 percent of Thursday’s proceeds to support its crime prevention programs. Food Truck Mafia partners with nonprofit groups at its markets.

“We feel there’s a lot of school and youth programs that are hurting,” said April Bibbins, Food Truck Mafia event coordinator. “We donate a portion of the sales back to whatever group we’re working with.”

The trucks will be in San Lorenzo every Thursday evening until probably Dec. 13. The trucks will return in the spring, Bibbins said.

Food-truck court to cater to Downtown El Paso crowds

Reporter
Vic Kolenc

The food trucks are coming to Downtown El Paso.

Lane Gaddy, 29, an El Paso businessman who is part of an investors group that in recent months purchased three large Downtown buildings, is turning a small parking lot behind one of those new purchases into a court for mobile food vendors.

“We’re not making money on this, but it’s a good way to get foot traffic in the area” and help push further redevelopment Downtown, Gaddy said this week as he sat in his office at W Silver Recycling, an El Paso metal recycling company where he’s president.

“This is a good use of empty land, it’s aesthetically pleasing, and it will help the (food truck) entrepreneurs,” he said.

The food court, named Foodville, is scheduled to open Nov. 19 inside a recently fenced parking lot in the 200 block of Mills Avenue, near Stanton Street. It’s behind the Martin Building, which Gaddy and his partners bought in late 2011, and across from the Downtown post office. It initially will operate from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

The food court will feature Crave Kitchen Bar’s trailer, dubbed “Crave to Go,” which will serve salads, sandwiches and other fare for prices ranging from $4 to $10; and food trucks Create Gourmet Eats, which serves $8 gourmet burgers, and Tacoholics, which makes gourmet tacos selling from $2.50 to $7 per order.

Another one or two food vendors may be added later.

“I think El Paso is ready for this,” said Octavio Gomez, 32, Crave co-owner

and an entrepreneur instrumental in helping to develop Downtown’s Union Plaza District into an entertainment area.

“This is one of the small things that make a big city. I think it will help keep people from leaving Downtown for lunch,” Gomez said.

Steven Hernandez, 27, who’s operated Create Gourmet Eats for about two years, said he’s ready to get back Downtown after a policeman kicked him out of a parking space along San Jacinto Plaza in late 2011.

Other cities have places for food trucks to operate Downtown, Hernandez said.

Hernandez has been operating his truck mostly on the East Side.

Gaddy said he’s heard some Downtown restaurant operators are concerned about the food trucks taking away sales. But, he said, there’s enough business Downtown at lunchtime for everyone.

Joseph Odeh, who owns the 50 year-old Big Bun Hamburgers, which in August relocated to 209 E. Mills, across from the food court, said he isn’t happy about the incoming competition.

“I think it stinks. There are only a limited number of people (who eat) Downtown,” Odeh said. “I hope it brings in new people Downtown, but I don’t see it.”

Another Downtown restaurant owner is organizing restaurant owners to complain to City Hall, he said.

Virginia Howell, who with her son and husband owns Pike Street Market, has a different view. Her restaurant offers sandwiches and other food and is next to Big Bun.

“I like the idea of being part of a restaurant corridor,” Howell said. “I think it will bring more people to this area. But come and ask me in six months,” she added with a smile.

Frank Mares Jr., owner of Leo’s Mexican Food Restaurant and Luigi’s Homestyle Pizza in the 300 block of Mills, a block from the food court, agreed the food trucks could pull in more people Downtown. He said he doesn’t see the competition hurting his long-established restaurants.

Gaddy said wall murals and other public art will be added to the food court. Gomez said plants also will be installed. El Paso artist and photographer Peter Svarzbein will open a temporary art gallery, called a “pop-up gallery,” in about a month inside a vacant storefront next to the food court in another building owned by Gaddy and his investors group, Gaddy said.

If the food court succeeds, Gaddy said, he’d like to put another one in another part of town.

Jessie Peña, Tacoholics owner, said the Downtown food court will offer people a variety of foods in a central location.

“I think this will expand the audience for all the trucks in the food park,” Peña said.

Vic Kolenc may be reached at vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; 546-6421.

Food Truck Profile: Nammi

The Nammi formula that began serving the major DFW metroplex area in 2011 was based on a simple equation:

(2 starving architects with passions for good food x empty wallets) + 1 beat down truck = great idea! Their Mission, to make banh mi for everyone to enjoy!

The Nammi Truck is a Vietnamese Fusion Truck serving up banh mi, Vietnamese tacos and much more to the DFW metroplex. They are not trying to re-invent banh mi or Vietnamese Cuisine but want to share their take on this Vietnamese classic.

Teena Nguyen recalled the story of how the truck started where her brother, who runs a construction catering company, had an extra truck – but it was old, nearly rusted through, and needed a huge amount of work. “I told him I was thinking of a little side project I wanted to do with it,” she said. “But you can’t do something like this just as a side project.”

It would seem it wasn’t really something that could be run on the side. Nguyen and Nammi Food Truck co-owner Gary Torres have spent four months on their now-renovated food truck, routinely logging 18-hour days in the 100-degree heat while traveling through the city serving up their hot, fresh and filling sandwich – the Banh Mi (Bánh Mì).

The banh mi, whose history Ngyuen and Torres have summarized on the side of their truck is a sandwich whose heritage could accurately be described as half Vietnamese and half French. The sandwich fits a culture accustomed to hot weather, be it Vietnam or Dallas. There are plenty of different kinds of banh mi, and even more opinions on how they should taste. What’s important to Nammi, though, is that they make them all taste good.

“Really, it’s supposed to taste different to everyone. A lot of people focus on the bread, so their first reaction is ‘how’s the bread?’ They could care less about what’s inside. Then some other people are like ‘No, it’s all about the meat, and the bread is just what holds it,’” says Nguyen. “It tastes different to everyone, and that’s what I love about banh mi – that it’s so different, unique and versatile.”

Nguyen and Torres got the right idea by rolling with an easy menu of Vietnamese classics. You are able to choose from bánh mì, rice bowls or tacos. Torres, who has been making sandwiches since he was little, said the truck will customize every order to a customer’s liking.

To do this they offer customized sandwiches with grilled pork, barbecue pork, lemongrass beef, lemongrass chicken or tofu. Once your protein is selected they also offer fresh toppings, like cilantro, sweet pickled carrots, daikon radish, crunchy cucumbers and jalapeños.

Regardless of your choice, portions are quite substantial. And finally, don’t forget to wash everything down with their cool mint lemonade.

The Nammi team ran into a few potholes when they first began, “When we first came out, there would be days where it seemed like no one would come, and we’d just be wondering ‘are we doing the right thing?’ We’d pull up to a location, and it would just be crickets,” says Nguyen. “But it gets better and better every week. The word of mouth has really, more than anything else, been the biggest thing for us. It’s really been amazing.”

The Nammi food truck can be found in Dallas/Fort Worth and their surrounding neighborhoods throughout the week.

Updates are posted on http://nammitruck.com/, Twitter, and Facebook. The food truck is also available for private events, weddings and delivery lunch orders, which means one way or another; you’ll get your Nammi.

Our recommendation:

The bánh mì is the best Nammi has to offer. It’s a little pricier than other bánh mì you may have seen at restaurants, but if you want the good stuff, you have to shell out some cash.

What their fans have said:

One delightful treat is their basil mint lemonade. SO refreshing! Don’t let the ingredients scare you… especially in the heat of summer, it is great to have one of these while you’re waiting for them to make your sandwich. It is worth a couple extra bucks and goes really well with the banh mi. Krystle S. – Dallas, TX

Tacos de la Noche’s Lex Petras Brings Sin and Street Food to Belltown

Photo by Tiffany RanLex Petras spent 20 years behind the bar and working front of the house at local restaurants before crossing the line to attend culinary school at the Cordon Bleu and entering the kitchens of the erstwhile Artisinal, Picnic, and Bar del Corso. Today, Petras is the owner and purveyor of sin at Tacos de la Noche, a cozy taco stand next to Belltown Billards. More often considered the stop for late night street food, Petras recently started lunch service at Tacos de la Noche, but for Petras, staying out late has kept things interesting.

How did you come to set up shop in this little space?

I know the guy that has Belltown Billards. I go way back. I worked at the Queen City Grill and he owns part of the Queen City Grill, so I knew it existed. I talked with him and he was opened to the idea. I went in and we came up with some drawings. He was cool with what I did. I built him a storage space to make up for what he was using it for, and there it was. That was it.

I was looking to do something in the neighborhood there. It’s got too many hot dog stands over there. The location made sense, and I love street food. I talked to Oscar [Montejano], who runs the Queen City Grill kitchen and we came up with a few menu items that seem to work.

What would be your ideal street food meal?

Wow, there’s a lot. I’d actually like to have the taco shop to [offer] even more authentic Mexican street food. I don’t know if I have the space in the place I have now, but I’m looking at that. I’m going to try and add some soups to the menu.

Ideal street food though, I always love a doner kabob. I had that in Germany. There’s just so much. It’s always meat on a stick with some bread. I’m happy with just a good sausage and some mustard.

Do you see a lot of interesting things during those late night hours?

Some people imbibe a bit, maybe they shouldn’t. I’ve been asked by several people to get a little camera and do a live feed, post some Youtube videos. There’s some funny stuff that happens out there. Women have a hard time with high heels in the rain on the slope. There are some damaged knees.

I do get to see Phoenix Jones quite a bit. He’s the guy that dresses up like the superhero and actually fights real crime. So he runs by often with his band of merry men. The really late night stuff, when it gets to be 3am, it’s doormen, security guards, and bartenders after they’ve finally wrapped up their shop. I get a collection of the restaurant scene, and a bunch of big guys who’ll protect me if things go bad, so that’s always nice. There’s some wild stuff.

I do some hot sauces. There’s the seven that I have and they’re named after the seven deadly sins. Wrath is the hottest. It’s made with ghost chilies. A lot of people come and ask for the hottest and I have to warn them, and they say things like, “Oh, I’m Mexican,” or “I’m Indian. It’s not a problem,” and then they end up crying on their knees in the street. It’s really, really hot.

The seven deadly sins at Tacos de la NocheHow did you land on having seven hot sauces?

It started as 14, 15, or 16 and I wittled it down to the ones that I wanted. It’s also quite a bit of sauce making. It’s a once a week process. Some people told me just to have two, but I like to have a bit of variety. I got down to seven and I was trying to figure out how to name them. The deadly sins just seemed right because it was a late night operation. There’s a lot of sin happening in the wee hours there.

You worked front of the house for some time, but what led you to want to start cooking?

I’ve always been in between. I’ve always hung out with both sides. I’m interested in food. I like to cook. I’ve always been that type of guy where if the night is slow, I’d go back there and knock out some shallots. I’ve always been hands on that way.

Since you’ve worked as both a bartender and a cook, do you prefer one over the other?

I like ‘em both. I really live and breathe the restaurant idea. It’s really more than a job. I enjoy it. I like the lifestyle. I like getting there early before it opens and knocking out a little egg dish if you’re in a restaurant that doesn’t serve an egg dish, and winding down afterwards. I like the back of the house, the production side, and I like the service end.

So when you’re sitting at the bar, what’s your drink of choice?

I’m a wine drinker. I like [wine from] the Loire River Valley from Northern France, either the red cab franc or the white sauvignon blanc, and I like to drink those at Bar Ferd’nand at the Melrose Market.

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Find more from Tiffany Ran on her blog, PalateB2W, or on Twitter.

Location Info

Venue

Map

Belltown Billiards Lounge

90 Blanchard St., Seattle, WA

Category: Music

Top Places perks: Vistaprint’s food truck visits

Two trucks come to Vistaprint in Lexington every other Wednesday, and the online marketing services provider springs for all the tacos, hot dogs, and Korean barbecue noodle bowls the employees can eat.

Food truck review: Three Lions dispels the “bland” British food myth

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Food truck review: Three Lions educates the colonies by dispelling the “bland …

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Nov. 21 Food Truck Dinner Lineup at Cerritos Babies R Us

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Thanksgiving Wishes and Gratitude to the Food Truck Community

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‘Eat Street’ food truck festival gets cooking on Saturday in downtown Tulsa

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San Lorenzo: Gourmet food trucks coming Thursday

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Food-truck court to cater to Downtown El Paso crowds

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Food Truck Profile: Nammi

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What their fans have said:

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Tacos de la Noche’s Lex Petras Brings Sin and Street Food to Belltown

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Belltown Billiards Lounge

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Top Places perks: Vistaprint’s food truck visits

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