New York Street Food

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Parked! (photo: Village Voice)

From the unscientific survey we took, it appears the Parked! food truck festival held Saturday at the South Street Seaport was a success.

Yesterday we spoke with ten vendors who attended Parked!, and responses ranged from”awesome” to “lots of hard work, but I’d do it again in a second” to “it was a record-setting day” and “almost everyone sold out”.

A few of the vendors weren’t too happy about their placement with complaints ranging from “being on a side street, which was less desirable” to “being one truck away from _______”, who had the same cuisine.  Even these vendors said “we did alright by the end of the day”, and that was the worst response received.

As for people who attended the event, the ones we spoke with said although the lines were long, they moved fast, and they were able to try several different vendors without spending hours in lines.  In fact, @Almost Karadise told us she didn’t wait in line for more than 6 minutes at any truck (she timed it).

Some of this could be due to the procedures the event organizers and some of the trucks put into effect this year.  This included reducing menus sizes and taking orders outside the truck to have an extra person in the truck filling orders.  Kudos to Mean Red Productions for putting on a great event.

Does this mean food truck festivals in the New York City area are over the hump, and it’s now possible to try food from several vendors and have a good time without waiting on lines all day?  (more…)

As most people into food trucks know, this Saturday, August 20th, there will be at least 30 mobile food vendors at the South Street Seaport for Parked!.   In addition to a great assemblage of food vendors, there will be a beer garden, live bands and DJs, activities for kids and live cooking demos.

This is the 4th year for Parked!, which has grown from 5 vendors to over 30. It was originally in BKLYN Yard, then last year Parked! was on Governor’s Island (which we attended), and the lines were crazy long.

This year Parked! has some strategies that will hopefully keep the lines to a manageable level for people attending the event.

Click through for a list of this year’s vendors, as well as how Parked! hopes to keep down the lines.

(more…)

On Saturday, August 20th, at least 30 mobile food vendors will be at the South Street Seaport for Parked!.  In addition to a great assemblage of food vendors, there will be a beer garden, live bands and DJs, activities for kids and live cooking demos.  Let’s hope the lines are a lot shorter than last year!

This is the 4th year for Parked!, which has grown from 5 vendors to over 30.  It was originally in BKLYN Yard, then last year Parked! was on Governor’s Island, which we attended.

Click through for a partial list of this year’s vendors, as well as our thoughts on Parked!.

(more…)

Leaving the ferry terminal for Gov. Island

We don’t usually go to the huge food trucks events because the lines can get ridiculous.  Who wants to wait on long lines for food, drinks and dessert all day, especially on a holiday weekend with sunny weather in the mid-70′s?  Not us.

Because I enjoy all these great street food vendors during the week, it’s not that big a deal to get them all in one place on a Sunday – but if you can’t visit these vendors during the week, I guess this might make sense.

Which line should we get in first?

(more…)

The Parked! food truck festival was held on May 31st at the Yard in Brooklyn, on the banks of the lovely Gowanus Canal.  It featured Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, NYC Cravings, Dessert Truck, Rickshaw Dumplings, Hallo Berlin, Pizza Moto, Green Pirate Juice Truck, Steve’s Key Lime Pie, Robicelli Cupcakes and Greenpoint Food Market vendors.

The inaugural event attracted around 3,000 people, leading to some very long lines both inside and outside the venue.

Needing a little more space, Parked! 2.0 will be held on Governor’s Island on Sept 5th from noon-5pm.  Vendors haven’t been announced yet, but you can get a taste of who to expect from the previous incarnation.

As with all these food truck events, we suggest getting there early to avoid the longest lines.  Entry is free, so expect a ginormous turnout. [Parked!]