New York Street Food

(credit: NYSF)

One of the newer street vendors in NYC is The Squeeze. They started with a food truck last May, then added a cart in November. The truck has been parking in Tribeca, and the cart has been parked on Union Square West between 14-15 St.

The Squeeze sells “raw comfort food”, cold pressed juices, booster shots, cleanses, and a few other healthy goodies.

On our first visit to The Squeeze, we had a vegan hot dog with kimchi topping. That was not one of our more enjoyable lunches, but we seem to have found the sweet spot on our second visit.

We ordered a “moc ‘n cheese” for $7, and since it was a cold day (to say the least), also got an order of chunky veggie soup for $5.

(credit: NYSF)

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The Squeeze cart on Columbus Circle  (credit: NYSF)

While the streets seem less crowded with food trucks these days, there are several reasons for it. The biggest (and most important) reason is that over 20 food trucks have been feeding those devastated by Hurricane Sandy on a daily basis

Just as Sandy hit our shores, vendors with seasonal permits ended their seasons on Oct 31^st.  Bistro Truck, the Famous Dal Wagon and a number of other vendors won’t be back until April 1^st.

The most recent trend we’ve noticed is the downsizing of some street vendors.

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(credit: NYSF)

About 2 weeks ago, we heard about a new raw vegan food truck called The Squeeze.  They were around for a day or two, then disappeared.  On Friday, we ran across them on Union Square and asked where they had been.

It was the same story we’ve been hearing a lot lately – bureaucracy and permit issues.  NYC doesn’t make it easy for street vendors.  The person in the truck told me things were now resolved, and they would be in the Union Square area regularly going forward.

The Squeeze is New York’s first raw vegan truck.  It was founded by Karliin Brooks, who graduated from N.Y.U. with a degree in Nutrition and Broadcast Journalism and then attended the The Natural Gourmet Institute.

I wasn’t sure what to order, but they were giving out free samples, so I tried a couple of things: first a taste of coconut granola, then a sample of their soup of the day: red pepper, avocado, cilantro and cumin.  This was a tasty cold soup, perfect for a summer day.  I didn’t order the soup, but it would have been a good option.

(credit: NYSF)

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(credit: NYSF)

WE ARE ON THE ROAD TODAY AND CANNOT POST ALL DAY, but wanted to let you know about two new food trucks that will be on the street today –  and they couldn’t be more different from each other.

On Monday we gave you a NYSF First Look at Shorty’s, after their soft opening last weekend.  Cheesesteaks, Italian roast pork, and chicken sandwiches are how they made their name at their two brick-and-mortar locations.  We had a roast pork, broccoli rabe and sharp provolone hero on Saturday that was delicious.

Shorty’s told us they will be at 47th & Park today, you can see their menu here, but double-check their location on twitter here in case their plans changed.  To further entice you, anyone who orders a sandwich today can get a free beer at either Shorty’s location (as long as you are of legal drinking age).  Talk about an offer you can’t refuse.

(photo courtesy of The Squeeze)

We also told you about The Squeeze, a new bio-diesel, organic, living foods and beverage truck, which is also hitting the streets today.  CEO and Chef Karliin Brooks has created a healthy, tasty and fun alternative street food option to entice people in the city to give vegan fare a try.  They promise you will not be disappointed.

(credit: Emily J. Hara)

We heard about a new food truck at the Family Street Fair of the Tribeca Film Festival, and that they will be on the NYC streets starting May 17th.

Vanessa Yurkevich of the Local East Village blog that’s affiliated with the NY Times  got a sneak preview.

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