New York Street Food

(credit: NBC 7 San Diego)

Dreams For Change is a new food truck in San Diego with a different mission – to feed the homeless with hot, healthy, affordable meals.

Dreams for Change’s CEO Teresa Smith is a non-profit student at the University of California San Diego. She received the $10,000 grand prize in the Dell Social Innovation Challenge to help start the food truck.

“We are able to pick what we want, what we need and they cook it right off the truck. It’s really good,” shared customer Jackie Ojeda.

One can get a full meal under $4 with drinks costing as low as 25 cents.

Not only is the food affordable, but customers have the option to pay with their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.

“You know it was like a blessing to me because I got to use my EBT card,” added Ojeda.

The EBT cards, previously known as food stamps, are not the only perk of this venture.

She encourages them to volunteer at the food truck and get hands-on experience so that they can become their own entrepreneurs someday.

The food truck travels in Downtown with its main location across the Neil Good Day Center on 16th Street and Imperial Avenue. (NBC 7 San Diego)

Lots of people talk about the great street food scene in L.A. and S.F., but you don’t hear as much about food trucks in San Diego – and there are some good ones.

Truffle tots from Devilicious (photo by Darlene A. on Flickr)

My Burning Kitchen has a nice roundup of San Diego food trucks, including their twitter handles so you can find them easily.  There’s also some good food porn in the article, and descriptions of the tasty-looking dishes being served up by Chop Soo-ey, Kalbi Q, Joe’s On The Nose and Devilicious. [My Burning Kitchen]

Enjoy!

Juan Miron & Kevin Ho. (Courtesy Michael Savacool)

With food culture in the Bay Area providing their main point of inspiration, the idea for MIHO – a combination of both partners’ names – took shape on the road during weekly sourcing trips for The Linkery to independent farms in central California. Ho and Miron share a passion for entertaining, community and the belief that memorable experiences often happen around food.

Nine months later, their brainstorming sessions paid off with the launch of a gourmet truck.

“We wanted the freedom to put out a menu, hit the street and bring it to the people,” Ho says about the decision to go mobile. “To take dinner out of the house and put it on the street is a great concept. The coolest aspect of being in the truck is being at community events and giving people sustainable foods they can enjoy.”

The farm-to-table concept has gained momentum in San Diego. Restaurants like Starlight and Tender Greens have found success in stressing the importance of locally sourced, ethically produced ingredients.

“People should expect more from every dining experience,” Ho says about how he defines quality in food. “People should know where their food comes from. You don’t have to sacrifice quality and convenience for good food.”

MIHO breaks the perception of street food as the kind of dreadful, last resort meal you consume in a late-night boozy stupor.

“People have a bad perception of street food. We sell this as a new-wave food truck movement. Going back to the essence of what street food represents – culture,” Ho says.

Miron and Ho agree that the MIHO concept is about embracing local neighborhoods and creating homemade food for the street from thoughtfully-sourced ingredients without a jaw-dropping price tag. Keeping their meals affordable is one of their biggest goals. [SD Uptown News]

Poutine & Burger

This Saturday, July 17th starting at 7pm, MIHO Gastrotruck will hold a summer kick-off party at its newest stop behind the colorful Mexican gifts and home store Casa Artelexia (2419 Kettner Blvd), just south of the Casbah.

At Saturday’s event called “Summertime and the Living Is Easy” (props to the Gershwins), MIHO will provide music, decor and seating while you purchase their tasty, handmade, locally-sourced street food – from bacon-wrapped grass-fed beef hot dogs to seasonal items like watermelon salad and fried green tomato sandwiches. mihogastrotruck.com