The morning Joe, and Mark

This morning, I got up a little early to meet local realtor Mark Strub for a cup of coffee.  Facebook friends with similar enterprising efforts, we sat to chat in the brisk morning under the vogue awnings at la Boite where Victoria herself was there brewing and brainstorming about cycling routes.  He, with his small black coffee and me with my super-big-fancy-favorite chocolate-vanilla latte took some morning moments to discuss our mutual interests in philanthropic endeavors to see if we could brainstorm up something wonderful.  (I'd order that coffee with sprinkles and glitter if possible.)

Mark asked me about involving some of the trailer vendors in the New Wave Ball fund raiser for the Austin Children's Shelter for next year.  The Austin Children's Shelter, like me, was born here in a small house in the 80's.... and to remain congruent in eras, the 'ball' is an 80's theme party complete with dance and costume contests judged by local celebrity judges.  "Mark" your calendars for Friday, February 25th at the Parish from 8p-midnight - $20 for the kiddies and a fun party is a no brainer.

We also talked about his first sawnky trailer that he wanted to convert into a mobile food vending business....I *think our conversation may have inspired him to find the old treasure and see what might be in store for his entrepreneurial spirit.  I had some good news to report within Trailer Food Diaries (TM) as well.  TFD is in the process of pricing out the cookbook (coming to you this Fall!), as well as finishing filming the trailer for our TV show (hopefully this Fall as well!).  We are sponsoring a trailer food crawl for Lucky J's during SXSW, among other fund raising efforts scheduled throughout 2011 for good people doing good things here in Austin. 

My cup of Joe with Mark was a great start to this weeks worth of eating and talking at the trailers.  If you need some ideas on where to go for your next lunch meeting, check out some trailer parks.  For example, Torchy's Tacos is now offering their event barn for meeting space or parties (what what).  If you need some one-off ideas, please search my blog or make comments for suggestions.  I love hearing from you and knowing that you're voting with your dollars by supporting local businesses while simultaneously supporting the slow food movement. 

Grab Some Lunch at The Gypsy Picnic

As we prepare for the first annual Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival, we are featuring the unique tastes you will have the pleasure of enjoying on Saturday, November 6th. Here is a look at the mid-day offerings from Gypsy Picnic trailers.
Continuing the exploration of one of the most popular questions I get asked, here is a question I personally ponder daily: What’s for lunch? Whether you have a friend in town that you want to share the trailer food scene with, or are just up for trying something new, I have you covered.

If you’re on South Congress, check out The Flying Carpet for some fresh and healthy Moroccan cuisine made with local love from the Souktouri family. While you’re in the area you might try the popular Mighty Cone, one of the landmark trailer businesses in Austin that offers a unique take of fried chicken with ancho sauce in a tortilla wrapped to go. Turf n Surf Po'Boys is another popular downtown trailer vendor who has a killer shrimp po’boy. You can enjoy eating it outside the trailer Ralph Gilmore green-built himself at their 2nd and Congress Av. location. Nick Patrizi, owner of The Jalopy, will slide you a gourmet rotisserie chicken sandwich from the top of his big rig that is as much a mural as it is an eatery over on 15th and San Antonio. For something south of the border, Kronic Krave Arepas is serving traditional Colombian arepas on 5th and Colorado.

Skipping over to South First, if you dine with 4th generation Austinite, John Galindo, at Izzoz, he’ll be sure to remember your name and order the next time you stop by for his tacos. Down the street from John stands the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery: home to Torchy’s Tacos, Holy Cacao and Man Bites Dog. There you can sample tacos, cake balls, and hot dogs  - all in one spot! Further down South 1st stands Pick Up Stixx, home to chef, Cowden Ward, who is developing multiple sauces for his unique fare. Down on Barton Springs, you can catch some Louisiana fried pies at Kate’s Southern Comfort, where even folks from New Orleans come crawling back for more. Last but not least, if you are up in Pflugerville, be sure to check out the Multi-tasker sandwich from 86 This, which has slow roasted brisket with cheesy mashed potatoes.


Lunch on the fly? Austin is also home to many roving units that will post their locations and hours online or via social media. Try finding Chi’Lantro for a Korean/Mexican fusion experience or Mmmpanadas for, you guessed it, empanadas. Short Bus Subs offers hot, toasted sub sandwiches on freshly baked bread out of a short yellow school bus.

Can’t get out of the office? Most of these vendors will cater upon request, but ALL of them will be at the Gypsy Picnic, showcasing up to three of their favorite menu items. If you’re still wondering "what’s for lunch?" post-picnic, you can keep a Trailer Food Diaries magazine, featuring a guide to all the vendors in Austin, in your car. We are giving away 5,000 sample copies at the picnic and will distribute a full size version in time for SXSW. Happy eating!

Juan Pelota Coffee Truck

- Location & Hours:
   Coffee Truck: Roves to sporting events - location & hours vary accordingly
   Cafe at Mellow Johnny’s: Downtown @4th St. & Nueces
- Telephone: 512-473-0222
- Website: www.mellowjohnnys.com/juan-pelota-cafe  / Facebook: Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop / Twitter: juanpelotacafe
- Cuisine: Coffee

Affiliated with hometown hero Lance Armstrong, the Juan Pelota coffee truck made its debut in April of 2010 to fill a void in providing snacks and drinks at bike races.  The truck drove out to the Tour of Gila in New Mexico where it served contestants, staff and volunteers under a variety of weather conditions.  Post Gila, the truck went on to the AMGEN tour in California before making it’s way back to local triathlons and  bike race events such as the Mellow Classic at Lance’s ranch.  

The Juan Pelota coffee truck is an off-shoot of the Juan Pelota Café, which is located in Mellow Johnny’s bike shop by la zona rosa downtown.  The rustic yet modern building used to the be the old Pearl distributing center before blooming into a community bike shop and café where commuters can even bike in and shower before heading out for the work day.  In addition to races and special events, the coffee truck goes out to ‘the driveway’ every Thursday night just off 183.

Elixer Coffee

- Location: Eastside - 4209 Airport Blvd. @Mueller Park 
- Hours: Monday - Friday: 7 AM - 11 AM
              Saturday & Sunday: 8 AM - 11 AM
- Telephone: 512-689-1448
- Website: www.elixercoffee.com /  Facebook: elixercoffee /  Twitter: elixercoffee
- Cuisine: Coffee & Breakfast Pastries

Keturah Somerville was a pediatric nurse before she started her family and decided to create a neighborhood coffee shop where she could stay at home with the kids.  She found a ‘52 Studebaker with a converted flatbed that was already outfitted with the espresso machine in Tuscon, Arizona via craigslist.  Keturah loves talking with her customers and getting to know them.  She gets to hear lots of Studebaker-related stories that bring the older customers back to memories of their youth.  The atmosphere of the coffee-car sparks a childlike behavior in one retired couple who come to hula hoop with Keturah.

About her children growing up in the coffee business, Keturah shares: “I have three children and two of them have been avid coffee drinkers since they were very little.  I’m sure they’ll be able to grow up and tell stories about the disk that comes out of the espresso maker.  When you pull a shot, you have a little 2 inch by 1 inch puck – my babies love to break them into crumbles in the yard – they get covered in grounds and wreak of coffee for days.”

Patika Coffee

- Location: 2nd St. & Congress Ave.
- Hours: Monday - Friday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
              Saturday: 8 AM - 1PM
- Telephone: 512-535-3955
- Website: www.patikacoffee.com / Facebook: Patika Coffee / Twitter: patikacoffee
- Cuisine: Coffee.  Pastries.


Andy Wigginton and Nick Krupa kicked their software careers to pursue happiness via coffee.  Their inspiration for Patika came five years prior to opening when they were on vacation in San Francisco.  “We came across a coffee cart (Blue Bottle) at the farmers market that had a huge swarm of people around it.  We had the best lattes we’d ever had.  Their original location was a tucked away garage door in Hays Valley.  We make it a ritual to go there every time we go back and have a quest to find really great coffee in great cities.”  

Patika is a Turkish word that means ‘foot path’ but also implies a hidden pathway.  Back in the 1500’s, some of the first coffee houses in the world were in Istanbul and they were outlawed for their popularity, so many of them would set up in back alleys and foot paths.  These coffee houses were the original speakeasies.  Since Andy and Nick were inspired by a coffee house that was off the beaten path, and since they are on a well-traveled beat downtown, the name Patika was a perfect fit for their other worldly coffee and refreshing teas.

The partners say that Austin is a great city to start high end coffee.  In their words, “The community is really supportive of small businesses, everyone is very laid back and has a very open and accepting attitude where if you want to try something different in a different way they like that and embrace it.  We have a great lifestyle – anyone that comes here feels it.  We meet a lot of tourists being down town and they talk about how Austin feels like a nice place where people are appreciative of outdoors and nice people.  Having lived in California, New York, and Europe, Austin feels like the right combination of big enough stuff to do but small enough with community – although we could turn the temperature down about 15 degrees.”

Trolley Cafe

CLOSED - 9/2010 - goodbye, Trolley Cafe

Cuisine: Coffee and Sandwiches

The concept of the Trolley Café began as an animal conservation project when Dustin Butler was volunteering in the Philippines for the Peace Corps.  There, he started working with locals to protect the Civet cat, a fruit-eating, tree-dwelling threatened species that is part of the mongoose family.  Fruit from the coffee plant is part of this rare wild mammal’s diet; they climb up to the top of the coffee trees and eat the sweetest fruits, leaving the beans on the jungle floor for people to harvest.  So Dustin worked with farmers in the area to develop a rare strain of coffee known as “Civet Coffee” using the beans the Civet’s leave behind.  And the money goes directly back to the conservation efforts he established with the same people he befriended while living in a tool shed in southeast Asia. 

The coffee is shipped from the Philippines through Adam Valenzuela’s shipping company in San Antonio.  Adam, a Pilipino himself, met Dustin through his shipping company and quickly realized Dustin spoke two of the native languages from his area.  The two went into business together and the Trolley café is a result of their friendship and business relationship.  Additionally, the pair have partnered with Sesa teas, which is a local company that imports Indian teas.   In addition to serving wellness teas and iced coffee, the Trolley Cafe offers breakfast, lunch and frozen deserts with an Asian flare.  From waffle stix, to grilled breakfast and lunch sandwiches, to real fruit smoothies, your taste buds are in for a real treat.

Their trolley is a nostalgic image.  It happens to be the same make, color and model as the old dillo trolleys that used to run here in Austin.  Dustin says, “We bought it out of a shopping center in Colorado.  We had it towed down and I converted it myself to a mobile kitchen, added a bunch of brewing and blending equipment… it still drives, it even has a bell on it.  In fact, people have tried to get inside and ask where we are going because they think it’s the old Dillo.”  Before setting up shop in the South Lamar / Barton Springs area of Austin, Dustin was driving the Trolley to various rodeos and events.  He anticipates utilizing the seating and rest area behind the trailer for live music, artists and other creative endeavors.

La Boite Cafe

location: 1700 South Lamar Blvd 
hours: seven days a week, 7:30am - 4:30pm(ish) weekdaydays, 9am - 5pm(ish) weekends 
web: www.laboitecafe.com
cuisine: coffee, croissants, french-style sandwiches, tarts and baked goods (organic, local)



La Boite Cafe is nestled on the grassy hillside of the 1700 South Lamar shopping area.  I spoke with the charming and witty Victoria with her New Zealand accent as she was taking out a simmering tray of bacon from the oven.  She and her partner Dan met in Austin and started working on the La Boite concept in the beginning of 09 as an escape from the corporate life.  Their repurposed container is a walk-in, rather than walk-up trailer that earns high credibility with the environmentally concerned.  Their rainwater collection/purification system is quite unique as well.  Their menu has a bistro feel with multiple items from our local Austin farmers' markets including Pederson, Richardson, and Full Quiver Farms.  We suggest a croissant or macaroon for breakfast or a fresh, locally-made sandwich for lunch.

When I asked Victoria what inspires her, she said 'good food and travel.'  Her favorite part about the business is meeting people and staying involved in the foodie community.  For new vendors, she encourages you to work with the city through all of the intricate processes.  Her customers include poodles, kitties, and other regulars whom she is flattered to have eat at her establishment.  A true lover of fine cuisine, she suggests Odd Duck or G'Raj Mahal for other trailers outside of her own.  If you want her macaroon or bacon/egg tart recipe you're going to have to read our book.  Go visit Victoria at La Boite and tell her the Trailer Food Diaries sent you.