October 31, 2011

Busy week in trailer land

This week we have a fun schedule - join us for any or all of it:

  • Monday: 10/31: KTBC news spot 
  • Tuesday: 11/1: KEYE news spot
  • ***Wednesday: 11/2: Torchy's Guac and Talk - join us for a book signing, cake ball giveaway, guacamole eating night at Torchy's trailer park location: 1311 South 1st St. at 7pm - RSVP on facebook
  • Thursday: 11/3: We have a booth at First Thursdays - come snag some holiday gifts ATX style
  • Friday 11/4: I'll be selling the cookbook at the Holiday Collectibles Show 9:30a-6p
  • Saturday 11/5: Again at Holiday Collectibles: 9:30a-3p and at noon filming with Eat Street
Normal trailer reviews will resume shortly thereafter.  
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Trick or Trailer - Happy Halloween!

The Austin food trailers are doing their part to make sure you play up Halloween today.  Here is an article I wrote about some of Austin's SWEETEST TRAILERS (via CultureMap.com).  Additionally, here are some fun options for hallowinners at the trailer parks:
  • Way South Philly - CANDY for kids in costumes
  • Chi'Lantro - Participate in our costume contest downtown tonight and tomorrow for a chance to win a $20 ChiLantro giftcard
  • Blenders & Bowls - The Pumpkin Bowl: açaí topped with pumpkin granola, bananas, dried cranberries, cacao nibs, and cinnamon pumpkin spice.
  • Rockin Rolls - $5.00 rolls with costume.. Best female costume wins free RR t-shirt
  • Hill Country Pierogi Truck - Bring your kid or pet to the truck in costume for $2 off an order of sweet pierogi
  • Spartan Pizza - All day Fri & Sat, $3 off 14" / $2 off 10" pizzas when you're in costume! We <3 Halloween
  • Mambo Berry - Bring us a pumpkin for a free frozen yogurt. Carve it first to be a part of our pumpkin carving contest. The berry best pumpkin wins a MamboBerry gift certificate.  Also make sure to stop by while trick or treating.
  • Kat's Ice Cream - Free ice cream if you bring a pumpkin
  • Hey Cupcake - has BooCakes!






















 
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October 24, 2011

Gypsy Picnic Cook-off Winners

East Side King
 The 2nd annual Gypsy Picnic held a unique trailer food cook-off prior to gates opening. 

After a few hours of sampling the top trailer entries the judges' concluded the following trailers will have bragging rights, at least until the next Gypsy Picnic:
Trailer food fans also had the opportunity to text their votes in for their personal favorites.  The winners receive an extensive media marketing package courtesy of KGSR.  This year's fan favorite?

Tiffany Harelik & Bryan Beck post-judging
 Thank you to our judges, who included:

  • Stephanie Keller – Food and Music writer at the Huffington Post 
  • Bryan Beck – Radio personality at KGSR
  • Paula Forbes - Food editor and writer at eater.com
  • Mick Vann - Food writer, blogger, and critic, cookbook author, chef, restaurant consultant
  • Todd Boatwright – Morning Anchor at YNN
  • Courtney Bond - Food editor and writer at Texas Monthly
  • Cathy Cochran-Lewis - Senior Global Program Leader, Whole Foods Market/President of Austin Food & Wine Alliance
  • Chef Ethan Holmes, Chef de Cuisine – Second Bar + Kitchen
  • Chef Philip Speer - Executive Pastry Chef at Uchiko
  • and one uest judge/Winner/Blogger via a Culturemap contest


Follow the festival:
@gypsypicnic
@trailerfood
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October 16, 2011

GYPSY PICNIC - this weekend! October 22nd

Bring yourself down to the best trailer food festival in the nation taking place in Austin, Texas this weekend.

Date: October 22nd

Time: 11a-8p

Location: Auditorium Shores, Austin

What: 2nd annual Trailer Food Festival

Web: www.gypsypicnic.com
Benefitting the Sustainable Food Center

FREE ADMISSION! Come on down!

I met with C3 Presents in May of 2010 about an idea to turn this very blog into a festival for Austinites.  By November of that year, we had attracted nearly 20,000 people and 30 trailers down to the first annual Gypsy Picnic trailer food festival.  We are serving up another helping at the second annual Gypsy Picnic held this coming weekend. We have made a few changes to expand the park (but hopefully not your girlish figure), which entails more space, more trailers, more stages and more fun.  Auditorium Shores is a dog park by nature, and that won't change for the festival.  Bring you dogs, just please be courteous of other festival goers and have something on hand to clean up.  Here are some of the details: 

TRANSPORTATION: 
  • Carless:  Walk/Jog on the hike and bike trail, take your bike (Mellow Johnny's will be there), take a cab or pedi-cab, or ride the Capitol Metro.
  • Parking a car: C3 has put together a list of five area parking garages.  They aren't free, but the festival is! 
MUSIC SCHEDULE:
  • 11:50-12:30: BOY
  • 1:15-2:15: Alabama Shakes
  • 3:00-4:00: Dale Watson
  • 4:45-5:45: Hacienda
  • 6:30-8:00: Delta Spirit
 
FOLLOW THE FESTIVAL on TWITTER:
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK:


LIST OF TRAILERS:  Over thirty trailers will be offering both full size and sample size portions from a limited menu for festival attendees.  Subject for last minute changes, but here is who made the cut:
86 This!
Bananarchy
Be More Pacific
Blenders and Bowls
Chi'Lantro BBQ
Colibrí Cuisine
Conscious Cravings
Coolhaus
East Side King
FireFly Pies
Fresh Off the Truck
Gourdough's Big. Fat. Donuts.
Hey Cupcake!
Holy Cacao
Hog Wild BBQ
Irie Bean
JuJu's Kaboose
kebabalicious
La Fantabulous
Lee's Hurricane Party
MamboBerry
Man Bites Dog
mmmpanadas
Rockin Rolls
Sabor Colombiano On Wheels
Short Bus Subs
Snarkys Moo Bawk Oink
Spartan Pizza
Tenderland
The Jalopy
the peached tortilla
The Zubikhouse
Torchy's Tacos
Trey's cuisine
VERTS
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October 11, 2011

Book Signing at Book People - Wednesday 10/12: 7pm

The cookbooks are here!  Please join me for a fun evening at Book People in Austin, Texas:

What: Book Signing at Book People
When: Wednesday 10/12: 7pm-9pm
Food: the Peached Tortilla & Holy Cacao
Drinks: Thank you to the Onion for providing complimentary St. Arnold's brew

Come get the first copies off the press for your holiday gifts.
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October 10, 2011

Bubba's BBQ in Cross Plains, TX

It isn’t uncommon for me to find myself lost, even in my hometown.  Even in very small towns.  So it wasn’t that big of a surprise that I missed my turn to my parent’s ranch and found myself approaching Cross Plains.  I usually can scoot through the country avoiding many of the main roads, so it had been awhile since I had been through ‘town’.  Just as I picked up my phone to let Mom know I was going to be a little late, I noticed a trailer off the side of the highway and hung up. 
Bubba’s BBQ was situated in a red trailer just off highway 36.  I left Levi in the car (with the windows down) and got out my camera to snap a few pics.  Since they were open and it wasn’t high feeding time, they welcomed the opportunity to chat.  Turns out, Bubba is a 22-year old entrepreneur who started his trailer food business when he was 18.  His grand-dad Sam had just gotten done plowing and was there to do most of the answering.

Bubba’s best seller at this location is his pork ribs.  He has a second location in San Angelo that does pretty well by their standards.  The family worked together to build the trailer in about 90 days and are fully certified through the Abilene health department.  Sam mentioned they use Oak to smoke their meats instead of Mesquite, which has been a source of food allergies for some.  When I asked what the difference in taste was, Bubba told me the Oak-smoked had a deeper, heavier flavor. 

Their rubs have no preservatives and they are proud of the quality and freshness of their foods.    While they raise Limousin cattle for auction, they do not slaughter their own beef.  They are building a little brick and mortar spot next door to the trailer and hope to move in soon.

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October 3, 2011

Art's BBQ in Port O'Connor


Recently I took a trip to the South Texas coast with my dog not looking for anything other than waves.  So when I drove into Port O'Connor and found trailer food (of all things) I was pleasantly surprised.  I'll be honest.  I drove past it and straight to the real estate office to get the scoop.  They vouched for the brisket, which they said was hard to beat.  Since I have dual citizenship in BBQ country, I know brisket.  From Franklin's in Austin, to the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Perini's in Buffalo Gap to Joe Allen's in Abilene, I've had good brisket.

I raised a suspicious eyebrow and drove back down the street to give it a go.  Afterall, when you're at the coast, you tend to find yourself in the mood for shrimp, crab, snapper or anything edible under the sea.  But not BBQ.  Anyhow, Levi stayed in the backseat with the windows rolled down as I approached the impressive BBQ trailer.

 Art himself wasn't there, but his lovely wife and the daughter "they wished they'd never had" rolled down the window and handed me a slice of brisket.  Like any good South Texas hostess would, they lit a cigarette, poured some coffee and came out to sit down with me for a spell.  I learned the stuffed baked potato (weighing in at 2.5-3 lbs/tater) was their best seller, and that people drive from miles around for their mouth-watering chicken they cook on Sunday's only.
With over 17 years in the restaurant business, Art retired his brick and mortar only to put his culinary expertise to the test in a new version of restaurants in Port O'Connor.  Getting back to the brisket, Levi and I both approve.  It was tender, smoky and lean - everything a good brisket should be.  I hope to put them in my next chapter of adventures in a series I'm writing called "Coastal Dives".  Meanwhile, I hope to squeeze a recipe or two out of Art the next time I'm down there fishing.
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