Items tagged with 'food trucks'

Food Truck Festival of NY at Saratoga County Fairgrounds

food truck festival troy 2013 slidin dirty crowdThe Food Truck Festival of NY is returning this year with an event at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds this Saturday, June 11 from 11 am to 7 pm. Admission is free. Be sure to check out the rules.

Here's the lineup of vendors -- the published list includes more than 20 trucks.

The organizer of this event -- Townsquare Media Group -- is the same group that was behind the food truck festival in Troy a few years back. (The pic on the right is from the Troy event.) That event ended up being very popular, and we're guessing this one will be, too.

The big crowds at that earlier event prompted Daniel to write up some suggestions for food festival strategy suggestions.

Fork in the Road
Speaking of food trucks... The Fork in the Road food truck series is back in Tricentennial Park in downtown Albany this Friday from 5-8 pm.

photo: Daniel B

Fork in the Road returns this Friday

Fork in the Road Tricentennial Park

Tricentennial Park is the park on Broadway across from Kiernan Plaza/the old train station.

The Fork in the Road food truck series returns to Tricentennial Park in Albany this Friday, May 13 from 5-8 pm.

The truck lineup for this month:
+ The Hungry Traveler
+ Sweet Mama Mia
+ Emack & Bolio's
+ The Chuck Wagon
+ The Hollow will be serving beverages

There will also be music from Morris Code.

This is the second year for Fork in the Road. The Downtown Albany BID has said it averaged 600 people for each event last summer. And the spot seemed to work well, with the trucks lined up along Broadway and people sitting around the park. Here are pics from the first one last May.

The dates for this summer are: June 10, July 8, August 12, September 9, October 14.

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

Fork in the Road #1

Fork in the Road food truck event albany

Here are a few quick pics from the Fork in the Road food truck event in downtown Albany's Tricentennial Park Friday evening.

Six trucks assembled along the edge of the park. And around 6 pm and there was a solid crowd, especially considering this was the first event in the series. Tricentennial Park seemed to work well for the event, with its small herd of cafe tables and the its steps for sitting.

If anything, it's just great to see people enjoying a public space downtown in the evening.

Fork in the Road is set to return on the first Friday of each month through October (it skips July). So the next one is scheduled for June 5 from 4-8 pm.

On to the pics...

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Fork in the Road lineup

food truckThe first Fork in the Road food truck event in Albany's Tricentennial Park is this Friday from 4-8 pm (as mentioned). Here's the lineup of confirmed trucks for Friday, via the Downtown Albany BID:

Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream
The Chuck Wagon
The Hungry Traveler
Sweet Mama Mia
Wandering Dago

And confirmed vendors for the park:

72 Pearls Thrift Store
Kernal Cravings
Irish American Heritage Museum
Denise Poutre (artist)
Mary Elise Rees Event Design
Meghan Ruch (artist)

Earlier on AOA: Albany food truck pilot program for summer 2015 to include up to 25 trucks

Albany food truck pilot program for summer 2015 to include up to 25 trucks

Washington Park
The section of Washington Park at which up to five trucks will be allowed to operate.

Albany's next food truck pilot program starts May 1 and will include slots for up to 25 food trucks.

The city announced the rules for the program, a follow up to last year's short pilot program at the end of the summer, on Tuesday. (Quick recap of a public meeting earlier this spring to get feedback ahead of the plan's release.) It's set to run May 1 through October 31.

A few of the highlights:

+ Up to 25 trucks will be included in the pilot program. (Last year's program included just five slots, three of which were claimed.) The city will be issuing the permits on a first-come, first-serve basis.

+ The number of possible permits for Washington Park have been increased from three to five. (The designated spot for food trucks in the park is on Washington Park Road at Hudson Ave, near the Knox Street Mall. Trucks will be allowed Saturday and Sunday 11 am-5 pm and Monday 3-9 pm.)

+ Potential operating hours have been expanded to 11 am to 10 pm.

+ The areas open to food trucks will include those zoned industrial, in addition to commercial. (zoning map)

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"Fork in the Road" food truck event in downtown Albany

Tricentennial Park on Broadway in downtown Albany. (It's the park across from building formerly known as Kiernan Plaza/the train station.)

Coming up this summer: A monthly food truck event in Tricentennial Park in downtown Albany called "Fork in the Road." It's set to coincide with 1st Friday, so the dates are: May 1, June 5, August 7, September 4, and October 2.

The Downtown Albany BID currently has an open call for vendors for the event.

Event blurbage from the info sheet:

As an enhancement to the popular 1st Friday Albany event, organized by the Upstate Artists Guild since 2006 showcasing art throughout different venues in Capital City, Fork in the Road will transform TriCentennial Park into a temporary oasis of food options (specifically with food trucks) to tempt hungry office workers at the end of the day as well as the residents and visitors coming out for the Art event.
Tables and chairs will be placed in the park for the public to relax. The park also has a few benches and steps were individuals can sit. Trash containers and lighting are in ample supply for the public at that location.

The info for potential vendors notes vendors will be required to be open from 4-8 pm. The streets by the park won't be closed, but space along Broadway will be set aside for the trucks.

It looks like the city of Albany is aiming to ride the food truck trend. In addition to this monthly event, the Sheehan admin is scheduled to release rules this week for a second pilot program this summer for food trucks to vend in multiple zones around the city.

Earlier on AOA: Albany to start second food truck pilot program in May

Albany to start second food truck pilot program in May

Slidin Dirty food truckQuick update on the city of Albany's plans for food trucks: The city's aiming to release the rules for this year's season on April 15, with permits starting May 1.

City officials collected some feedback on last year's pilot program at a public meeting Monday evening at city hall. Kate Lawrence, a planner with the city, described the upcoming season as a continuation of last year's trial program. She projected that the new rules wouldn't include any drastic changes from last year.

Among the issues that surfaced during public comments at Monday's meeting: The possibility of expanding the zones where food trucks would be allowed, increasing the hours the trucks could operate (there was interest being open later), and concerns about the size of permit fees.

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Meeting about food trucks in Albany

food trucks at the capitol 2013 summerThe city of Albany has a public meeting about food trucks lined up for this coming Monday (March 30) at 5 pm at city hall. Press release blurbage:

What are your thoughts on food trucks in Albany? If you'd like to see more of them, where should they go and when should they operate? What did you like about last year's Mobile Food Vendor Pilot Program, and what would you like to see changed?
This Monday, March 30th, at 5 p.m. in the rotunda of City Hall, a meeting will be held to discuss these questions and explore what worked and what can be improved on last year's Mobile Food Vendor Pilot Program, which ran from August to October 2014. The City is looking to launch a revised food vendor pilot program this spring.

The meeting is open to the public, and the city says it welcomes attendance from business owners, including food truck operators and owners of fixed-location restaurants.

Here's the city's information about the food truck pilot program it ran last year.

Checking out Slidin' Dirty's new restaurant space

slidin dirty troy exterior

By Lauren Hittinger

I'm a big fan of food trucks, and particularly fond of Slidin' Dirty. So I was over the moon when I heard they were opening a permanent brick-and-mortar location in Troy.

This week I stopped by to check out the new space on First Street, which maintains the no-nonsense Slidin' Dirty vibe.

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Eat Good Food

Eat Good Food truck exterior

By Lauren Hittinger

John and Jean Travis had run two successful restaurants, including the former Jonesville Store in Clifton Park, before getting into the food truck business three years ago with the Eat Good Food truck. The transition hasn't always been easy -- a sign on their truck reads: "The only thing more overrated than natural childbirth is the joy of owning your own business."

Even so, the experience has the Travises sticking to their core principles of serving fresh food made to order -- while having fun doing so. And along the way they've found success teaming up with other food trucks.

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Planning a Capital Region wedding: catering

slidin dirty food truck

Considering a range of options... including food trucks.

By Lauren Hittinger

Lauren & George are planning a wedding in the Capital Region, and they're chronicling the planning process here on AOA. Last time we heard from them they were checking out venues. Now they're trying to select a local caterer.

It is now less than six months until my wedding and I'm freaking out a little bit. My fiancé George and I wanted to have a fun and casual wedding, so we didn't rush planning and have been slow to make decisions. Now that a master list of over 50 wedding to-dos has been constructed and time is ticking, I'm quite anxious. Luckily we've already decided on one of the most important parts: the food!

Food is crucial to a wedding. Not only is a delicious meal one of the best ways to thank your guests for attending, the food and beverage is typically the biggest wedding expense. For those of you who tuned in last month, you know that my fiancé and I have booked our wedding venue: Indian Ladder Farms. We are lucky that our venue does not require certain vendors, but it also means that we have to do a lot of searching ourselves. After we secured Indian Ladder, I went on a mad search for caterers.

How much does it cost to feed a wedding of 75 people, anyway? The answer: It depends.

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Wandering Dago's request for injunction against the state denied

Thumbnail image for food truck festival troy 2013 wandering dago crowdA federal judge has denied the Wandering Dago food truck's request for a preliminary injunction against the state Office of General Services and NYRA over being kept from the food vendor program at the Empire State Plaza and Saratoga Race Course this past summer.

The decision from US District Court judge Mae A. D'Agostino is after the jump. The judge's decision largely boiled down to a determination that WD waited too long to file for the injunction after originally being denied a spot at the ESP (there was a gap of about three months). JCE has more on the decision over at Capitol Confidential.

The vending season at the Track has ended for the year (of course), as has the season at the ESP.

The request for an injunction was just one part of original WD's complaint in the case. The food truck is also seeking damages and a judgement that the state's actions -- specifically, keeping the truck out of vendor programs because of the name -- is unconstitutional.

The owners of the Wandering Dago -- Andrea Loguidice and Brandon Snooks -- started the food truck last year in Schenectady. The term "dago" has been used as a slur against people of Italian descent, and sometimes people from Spain and Portugal as well. But Loguidice and Snooks have said they picked the name as a nod to their Italian heritage and an effort to reclaim the word.

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Wandering Dago food truck sues over not being allowed to vend at the ESP and Saratoga Race Course

food truck festival troy 2013 crowd outside wandering dago food truck

Wandering Dago at the food truck festival in Troy earlier this summer.

The Wandering Dago food truck has filed a lawsuit in federal court over the truck being denied the opportunity to vend at the Empire State Plaza and Saratoga Race Course this summer. In the suit, it contends the truck was bounced because of its name, an action it argues violated the owners' 1st Amendment rights.

The complaint is embedded after the jump. It lays out Wandering Dago's arguments and its view of the events that led up to its denial to vend at the ESP and Saratoga Race Course.

Here's the situation, as depicted in the lawsuit, in short:

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Wandering Dago food truck keeping its name

food truck festival troy 2013 wandering dago crowdThe Wandering Dago will continue to call itself the Wandering Dago. From a post on the food truck's FB page:

The name of our truck is not changing. Go take down Cracker Barrel or Guido's Desserts perhaps. They have no problem with people hassling them. I was the Little Dago growing up and if people don't like the name, they don't have to do business with us. Make no mistake, we are not calling anyone a "Dago" - that is a self reference. If you are curious about a self reference, listen to a rap song. We are Italian and Proud.

As you probably remember, the food truck -- started in Schenectady last year by Andrea Loguidice and Brandon Snooks -- was bounced from a spot at the Saratoga Race Course over a complaint about its name. And it was also turned away from vending at the Empire State Plaza this summer -- the name was cited by OGS as one of the reasons.

The term "dago" has been used as a slur against people of Italian descent, and sometimes people from Spain and Portugal as well. But as Snooks explained to AOA last year, the couple had embraced an alternative definition of the word in an effort to reclaim it.

The whole episode has prompted a lot of discussion -- both in the traditional media, and on Twitter and Facebook -- and a whole range of opinions. The discussion thread on the FB announcing the decision is a good example: comments there range from strong support for keeping the name, to concern about the name's effect on business, to outright disagreement with use of the name.

We have a call in with Loguidice and Snooks, and we're hoping to talk with them today not only about their decision making process in keeping the truck's name -- but also efforts they've started to "pave some concrete rules and regulations" for food trucks in the Capital Region.

[via Daily Gazette]

Earlier on AOA:
+ Wandering Dago food truck bounced from The Track because of name
+ Where the food trucks are. And aren't. And why.

Wandering Dago food truck bounced from The Track because of name

food truck festival troy 2013 wandering dago truck crowd

The Wandering Dago food truck at the Food Truck Festival of NY in Troy earlier this summer.

The owners of the Wandering Dago food truck -- Andrea Loguidice and Brandon Snooks -- said Saturday in a statement that the truck was bounced from the Saratoga Race Course after an "unidentified state official" complained that the truck's name is offensive. (full press release post jump)

NYRA spokesman Eric Wing told the TU it had received "several complaints" on Friday. And to the Daily Gazette: "This should have been handled before Friday, but once we received complaints, we took immediate action on behalf of our customers." And to the Saratogian: "Saratoga's a very welcoming family place. If patrons are telling us they are offended, that's important to us." [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

The term "dago" has been used as a slur against people of Italian descent, and sometimes people from Spain and Portugal as well. But as Snooks explained to AOA last year, the couple says they had embraced an alternative definition of the word in an effort to reclaim it:

Brandon, who's Italian, explains that he knew the term as a word used for Italian immigrant workers back in the day who wanted to "be paid as the day goes." "Day-goes" became "dago." And in parts of Italian culture, he says the word has been reclaimed as a term of endearment.
Brandon and Andrea say they chose Wandering Dago "because we wander as the day goes."

It appears others aren't ready to get on board with reclaiming the word, though. Snooks and Loguidice also say in the press release that they were "banned by the Empire State Plaza Vendor Program" this year because of the truck's name. Update: From Heather Groll, a spokeswoman for the Office of General Services, which oversees the ESP:

The food vendor in question was not banned from selling food at the Empire State Plaza. OGS has the authority and latitude to determine whether it is appropriate for any particular vendor to be issued a permit. This food truck applied for a vendor permit for the 2013 season and was not issued one. Among other reasons, it was determined that their application was not appropriate because the name of the business was found to be an offensive ethnic slur by any standard.

The food truck open last year, working primarily in Schenectady. It's since expanded its coverage area to also include other parts of the Capital Region (such as Rockin' on the River in Troy, and the Riverview Center in Menands). Snooks and Loguidice moved to the area from Colorado to open the truck.

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Food festival strategy

food truck festival troy 2013 wandering dago crowd

At the festival this in Troy.

By Daniel B.

Saturday was the first Food Truck Festival of NY in Troy, but it was not the first food truck festival ever.

These things happen all over the place all the time, and they come in many shapes and forms. Occasionally, like Tulip Fest, they aren't exclusively food events, but simply have a food component. Other times the festivals may not be focused on trucks but rather a specific ingredient... like bacon.

Events like these can be amazing or they can be agonizing. Sometimes the difference between the two is as simple as having a strategy.

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Where the food trucks are. And aren't. And why.

Wandering Dago in Schenectady

The Wandering Dago in Schenectady last fall.

Last week's announcement that the Food Trucks of NY Festival -- originally planned for Albany's Washington Park -- was instead headed for Troy, prompted people to ask: What happened?

So we looked into it. And as we found out along the way, part of the challenge of operating a food truck in the Capital Region is the area's many municipalities -- and their many different rules.

Here's a look at where you're more likely to find -- and not find -- food trucks around the area, and why.

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For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.

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