Community Corner
Gourmet Food Trucks: Please Come Back!
Do you think mobile eateries like Grill 'Em All, the Munchie Machine and Komodo should make more pit stops in Calabasas?
Do you adore different noshes, unusual foodie items and hard-to-find gourmet goodies?
The food truck phenomenon is the bane of many bricks and mortar restaurants, and the delight of bored, cash-strapped people who love to eat out but can't afford a proper sit-down meal.
Many of the trucks have tip jars, but no one gives you the stink eye or does the math making sure you left the proper percent of the check in the communal jar.
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Even the Food Network has a reality TV show that celebrates the best of the foodie trucks with Los Angeles' own Grill 'Em All coming out the winner. In the race, local trucks Crepes Bonaparte, Nana Queens and Nom Nom competed in daunting challenges.
When Calabasas courtesy of the the entire town and many others from neighboring cities showed up and waited for hours in the unrelenting sun like they were giving away free money in lines for items like grilled cheeses, blazing hot shrimp tacos and pizza slices.
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What does this tell us?
Calabasas residents have discretionary income and will use it to avoid getting on a freeway, especially if you tart up the local dining-out offerings with exotic tasty new treats.
That the lure of the transient trucks is irresistible for many of our residents, who are tired of the "been there ate that" menus of our sit-down restaurants and are looking for options beyond Menchies and Pick Up Stix.
I bring this delicious subject up because I ran into the awesome managing partner of the colorful Munchie Machine, Rob Grier, who is a local himself, at the recent Hero Yard Sale.
He told me the Munchie Machine will be at Round Meadow Elementary School for its movie night Friday and will be donating 20 percent of the truck's sales back to the school.
The bummer part was that I found out that this was a private deal, and not open to the rest of us.
Parmesan Pesto fries, I weep at how the Munchie Machine will be so close, but yet so unattainable.
Yes, many of you who work in town and most Angelenos are pretty blasé about this subject, but if you work close to home as I do, and hate traffic as much as me, the visiting trucks are like a mini Christmas of sorts.
So if you adore Komodo, the Grilled Cheese Truck, Crepe'n Around, the Dumpling Station, the Slice Truck, the World Fare Bustaurant, the Sweets Truck and The Munchie Machine, make some noise Calabasas!