(credit: NYSF)

Last week we reported about food trucks returning to the old Tavern on the Green site.  We really enjoyed going there last summer, but the city’s Parks Department said it would not allow the trucks to return this season because of upcoming renovations at the site

Pera Turkish Tacos and Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream were reportedly serving towards the end of last week, so we stopped by the site yesterday, pieced some information together, and now we think we know what’s going on.

We asked one of Pera’s employees whether the truck would be there all summer, and they said Pera would be there through June 10th, but weren’t sure whether the contract would be renewed.

Our guess is the Tavern food trucks had 1 year contracts, and the city couldn’t keep them from serving at the site without buying back a portion of the contracts.  Since construction on a new restaurant hasn’t begun yet, they might as well let the trucks serve another month.

We’ll see if the contracts are renewed in another month, but would be surprised if they are.

VLAIC wasn’t there yesterday because of the weather, but they will be at the site when the weather cooperates – at least until June 10th.

As for our question last week whether Pera will have booze, that can be answered by the menu below.

The four food trucks located on the old Tavern On The Green spot (Central Park West & 67th St) will be opening Saturday for the season.  As reported by Zagat Trucks, they will be giving away free food from 2-4pm on Saturday (4/16), and a live band will also be playing.

You probably know Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream and Rickshaw Dumplings, but the other two vendors were unfamiliar to us until we tried them last year…and they were both excellent.

We tried two items from Pera Turkish Tacos last year – lavender & honey roasted chicken on lavash bread ($3.50) and smoked lamb on a zucchini pancake ($3.75).

Both were delicious, but the standout was the zucchini pancake used as a Turkish taco wrapper.  It was eggy with dill, chives and small pieces of zucchini in the batter – and that doesn’t even address the bbq lamb and feta inside!

We are also really looking forward to the grilled spicy shrimp taco from Pera, which we didn’t get a chance to try last year.  Full menu here.

chicken taco in lavash bread (top) & smoked lamb in a zucchini pancake (bottom)

The 4th vendor, Ladle of Love, was very good too.  They serve soups, stews and sandwiches, and I had their beef bourguignon.  You could taste the red wine, beef broth and herbs like bay leaf and thyme in the sauce.

The chef also gave me tastes of two sandwiches to try: a BLT chicken sandwich on ciabatta with chipotle aioli mayo and a serrano ham and manchego cheese with watercress, also on ciabatta bread.  Both were very tasty.  Full menu here.

The Fine Print: The deal lasts from 2–4 PM, and diners can get one menu item from each truck for free.

After Saturday, the trucks will be open every day from 11 AM to dusk throughout the summer.

Mexicue, our current NYSF Featured Vendor, tipped us off to a really cool event next month.

The Brooklyn Brewery and Edible are presenting a 5-course dinner featuring their beer and food from the following Vendy Award nominated food trucks – Mexicue, Souvlaki GR, Rickshaw Dumplings and Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.

The event costs $40 per ticket and is being held on Wed, March 23rd from 6-9pm at the Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th St, Brooklyn).

Tickets are not on sale yet, but we will be sure to let you know when they are.  Sounds like an awesome event!

Souvlaki GR

]]> http://newyorkstreetfood.com/14516/food-trucks-and-beer-and-ice-cream/feed/ 0 http://newyorkstreetfood.com/9150/free-van-leeuwen-ice-cream-thurs-25th/ http://newyorkstreetfood.com/9150/free-van-leeuwen-ice-cream-thurs-25th/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:16:59 +0000 admin http://newyorkstreetfood.com/?p=9150

Thursday, August 26th is Van Leeuwen Free Ice Cream Day, presented by Gilt City New York.  To find out where the free ice cream will be, click here.

Gilt City is a website with the latest deals.  They comb through hundreds of neighborhoods and countless things to do, and boiled it all down for you.

Savor food whipped up by top chefs, score tickets to that sold out show you’ve been dying to see, and if you need dry-cleaning delivered to your door, yes, Gilt City can help with that, too.  They capture the best of your city and gives it to you for less — much less.

]]> http://newyorkstreetfood.com/9150/free-van-leeuwen-ice-cream-thurs-25th/feed/ 0 http://newyorkstreetfood.com/6892/dessert-alert-vlaic-tops-10-best-cold-treats-in-nyc/ http://newyorkstreetfood.com/6892/dessert-alert-vlaic-tops-10-best-cold-treats-in-nyc/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:01:32 +0000 admin http://newyorkstreetfood.com/?p=6892

With temperatures approaching the 90′s today, the Huffington Post had a feature on the 10 Best Cold Treats In NYC.  Their favorite – and the favorite of many New Yorkers – is Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream (VLAIC).  We’re delighted that a food truck received the top honor.  Quite appropriate for ice cream.

With 2 trucks – Panda and Roo – and a fairly new storefront in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, VLAIC has captured the taste buds of New Yorkers and in-the-know visitors alike.  It’s hard to disagree with their findings.  Earl Grey Tea flavored ice cream is a particular favorite of ours.  Unfortunately, Huff Po didn’t offer them birthday greetings, as they just turned 2 years old yesterday.

Click the following link for the rest of the cold treat list. [Huffington Post]

Calexico Carne Asada cart

One of the best-known street vendors to open a restaurant is Calexico Carne Asada, the 2008 Vendy Award winner who opened a restaurant in Brooklyn and recently won the Best New Mexican category in Time Out’s Eat Out Awards 2010.  They still have 2 carts operating in Soho.  Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream recently opened a store in Greenpoint, and their 2 trucks are still going strong.

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream trucks

There are some other food trucks in varying stages of opening retail establishments.  Lev Ekster from Cupcake Stop told me they are taking space in the upcoming Limelight Marketplace.  Le Gamin also opened a restaurant in Greenpoint, and have now sent their truck on a cross-country trip.  And the latest to take the plunge is the NYC Cravings truck, who have reportedly signed a lease for a new food court scheduled to open in Koreatown later this year.

Go Burger truck

A few restaurants have taken the reverse route (pun intended).  Go Burger, the new food truck hitting different street festivals each weekend, was created by the people behind the BLT restaurants.  And just yesterday, Cafe Habana confirmed they will have a food truck, Habana Outpost, opening soon on the Upper West Side near the American Museum of Natural History, one of our all-time favorite places in New York.

Habana Outpost

Both of these types of expansions make sense.  A retail restaurant or store can provide some financial cushion for a truck vendor during the winter or bad weather, when significantly fewer people want to get their food outside.  Operating a food truck is also a fairly difficult proposition, with truck repairs, finding good spots to sell, permits and licenses, and police/other vendor harassment being some of the fun things food trucks deal with regularly.

For restaurants, a food truck can provide a second source of income, as well as expand a  restaurant’s “brand” in the marketplace.  When times are tough, people want cheaper alternatives, which a food truck can provide.

All this snow is making me think of ice cream.  Good thing Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream is opening a storefront in Greenpoint tomorrow (Sat Feb 27th).  The menu is the same as in the trucks, which means if you’re not in the mood for Earl Grey ice cream in February, you can get pastries such as Sicilian fig cookies, cheddar-dill scones and a number of different coffee and espresso drinks.

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, 632 Manhattan Avenue (Bedford Avenue), Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (718) 701-1630. Ice cream, $3.95, $5.75 and $7 for cups and cones; toppings $1 to $1.25; sundaes $7.25 and $8; hand-packed pints $8. [NY Times]

Reached for comment, Benjamin Van Leeuwen tells us that his driver, Travis, was being followed by three Mister Softee trucks as he tried to find a place to park near Lexington and 55th Street. When he pulled over, they surrounded him and “threatened to kill him” if he didn’t leave midtown. Van Leeuwen tells us, “They do that all the time,” but so far this is his company’s first brush with the Mister Softee mafia in midtown. He tells us that Travis considered calling police, but in the past they’ve been “really unhelpful” and reluctant to file a police report, and Travis wanted to get back to work.

Van Leeuwen adds, “It’s too bad that in this densely populated part of Manhattan, where so many people are stuck in boring jobs, they can’t get good ice cream and have to eat that stuff.” “Stuff” is certainly a polite way to describe Mister Softee’s frozen dessert product line. [Via Grub Street]