Gourmet Food Trucks Are The Hip New Restaurants In Southern California

In Southern California, the old-fashioned sandwich trucks are being upgraded to mobile restaurants with menus as varied as the culture. In the face of chain restaurants and high operating costs, many small locally owned food businesses have disappeared and the catering truck industry is stepping into the gap.




The speed of the growth of this new development in the restaurant industry has, at times, created conflicts within some communities. The Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association was formed to attempt to create a set of "best practices" for operating within the changing industry. While the rules and regulations are still developing, the popularity of the movement with the general public is unquestioned.




One of the many ways the industry is changing is in the use of Web sites and Twitter to let customers know the schedules and locations of their favorite gourmet traveling restaurant. The various truck owners post schedules and menus so their "followers" can easily make plans to meet for their favorite meal. The possibilities are seemingly endless. From a simple grilled cheese to Japanese noodles, there's something for almost every taste.




The Grilled Cheese Truck - Whether you are looking for that simple grilled cheese or something more exotic, this menu has an answer to the search. The cheese offerings start with the routine American and extend to a creamy Brie (on Cranberry Walnut bread) or Gruyere with lots of savory additions and interesting sides.




Barbie's Q - If your preference is St. Louis style ribs or pulled pork sandwiches, Barbie's can supply it along with the traditional sides. They even have a Veggie Burger for those who love barbecue but don't eat meat. Like many other gourmet food trucks, they also cater.




Skewers on Wheels - A non-traditional meal choice for many Americans, food on skewers lends itself to a wide variety of textures and flavors. From Shiitake mushrooms or tofu to Hawaiian spam pineapple the skewers can be paired with a salad and create a full meal for any taste preference.




TastyMeat - Meat lovers can choose from beef, lamb, or chicken in a savory sauce; add lettuce, tomato, and onions, then wrap it in a fresh flatbread for a delicious quick meal.




Kogi - Combine Korean barbecue with Mexican style and you get Spicy Pork Tacos or Short Rib Burritos and they haven't forgotten the vegetarians either, Tofu comes in either a taco or a burrito.




Asian Soul Kitchen - For a more traditional Asian meal, try Japanese soul food. Sample Yakisoba, a combination of noodles, veggies, and a flavorful sauce or for a more filling meal order Nijukaga a hearty stew of beef, potatoes, and noodles in a Bonita broth.




Even the old-fashioned ice cream trucks are leaping onto the gourmet, twittering bandwagon.




Coolhaus - Make an ice cream sandwich to order with your favorite cookie and ice cream. Choose from six cookie flavors and fill them with your choice of more than twenty ice creams. From the traditional vanilla bean to white chocolate macadamia, they make an ice cream sandwich new.




Get Shaved - Shaved ice may sound like another version of a "snow-cone", but the resemblance ends with the basic ingredient. These low-calorie (60-70 calories per 8 ounce serving) come in a myriad of flavors from Banana to Watermelon.




There are trucks that serve at most any hour of the day, from breakfast to dinner time. Whether you are looking for a Southwest Omelet or a slice of Pizza, there's a truck out there looking for your business. Twitter is the easiest way to keep track, but many are also on Facebook or have their own Web sites.

Gourmet Food Gift Baskets From the Wine Country of the California Central Coast - Santa Maria Valley

In the Central Coast region of California, gourmet foods and world-class wines abound. You will find a tremendous variety of uniquely delicious foods that are ideal for gift baskets. Anyone who enjoys wine would be delighted to receive one of the many exceptional wines from this area.

On the northern end of Santa Barbara County are the Santa Maria Valley and the city of Santa Maria. This valley has a long history of ranching and agriculture, a part of the economy that now flourishes alongside the burgeoning wine industry. With the ranchers came the Santa Maria Style Barbeque that has become a regional culinary tradition. All along the central coast there is a lively entrepreneurial spirit that has led to the creation of many small artisanal food companies and boutique wineries. The foods are wonderfully varied, and there are many exceptional wines now being produced.

In early California cattle ranching days, America's first cowboys, the colorful vaqueros, held large beef barbecues following every cattle roundup. This was the beginning of the barbequing tradition in the Santa Maria Valley, and it has continued to the present day.

The Hitching Post Restaurant has been a local favorite for many years. It is known for its California-style barbequing, as well as their superior Pinot Noir Wines. Since the movie 'Sideways' their notoriety has expanded worldwide. Many of their foods are available for purchase including their tasty Hitching Post BBQ sauce and their own Hitching Post Pinot Noir wines.

Another outstanding sauce is the Buckshot BBQ Sauce from Cowboy Flavors. They began as a catering business out of Los Alamos, a small town down the road from Santa Maria, and now have their own TV series! They also sell among other items, the excellent Cowboy Flavors all-purpose BBQ seasoning.

Susan Righetti, whose parents own the renowned Far Western Tavern restaurant in nearby Guadalupe, started a Santa Maria company called Susie Q's Brand. Celebrating their family recipes and Santa Maria style BBQ, they offer recipes, sauces, salsa, the delicious local pinquito beans, and their signature Susie Q's Brand seasoning.

Any of these items could be combined to make a terrific gift basket for the BBQ cook in the family. Add a superior bottle of Pinot Noir wine, to make it a perfect gift from the Santa Maria Valley on the California Central Coast.

Snow Cones From California Carnivals to Cuba

Carnivals, fairs and festivals all sell America's favorite icy summer treat. Crushed ice in a paper cone topped with a variety of sugar water flavors have become a international phenomenon known as snow cones. Americans everywhere crowd the concession stands to get a taste of the icy cone. What does the rest of the world call the American shaved cold candy called a snow cone?

Mexico has a popular ice treat called raspa or raspado. This finely shaved ice concoction is heavily covered with a thick syrup. Raspar is spanish for scrape, so raspado means roughly scraped ice. This Mexican version comes in a variety of Mexican flavors like cucumber, guava and pistachio. Raspa also comes in more traditional Mexican staples like picocito, lemon and chile powder, and leche, sweetened milk and cinnamon.

Cuba has its own frozen dessert called a granizados, Spanish for hailstorms. This Cuban creation has been taken on by a large American city. In Miami, Florida the granizados are now sold in typical Cuban flavors like anise, made from extracts of star anise spice.

Puerto Rico's delights in a pyramid-shaped frozen food flavored with fruit syrup. The Puerto Rican food is called a piragua, found not only in Puerto Rican, sold at a wooden pushcart, but can also be found in some parts of New York.

Japan also has its own cold creation called a kakigori. The kakigori is almost completely identical to an American snow cone as possible. There are only two minor differences between the kakigori and the snow cone. Kakigori has a rougher consistency than the American version and is often sweetened with condensed milk. Kakigori is often mixed with several different flavors like sweet plum, green tea, melon and colorless syrup.

Patbingsu is a shaved snack or dessert in South Korea that is topped with sweetened red beans, canned fruit and soybean powder. Patbingsu is available in green tea and coffee flavors. Patbingsu is featured at many fast-food restaurants in the summer in South Korea.

Malaysia and Singapore have a treat similar to the American frozen specialty called ais kacang. the Ais kacang is a literal translation from red bean ice. This snack is a crushed ice base covered in a mixture of red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly and coconut milk. Snow cones are a treat that can be found in a convenience store, at the carnival the next town over, and all over the world. They can also be made at home with a snow cone machine.

Gourmet Food Truck Fad Takes Over Southern California Restaurant Scene

In Southern California, the old-fashioned sandwich trucks are being upgraded to mobile restaurants with menus as varied as the culture. In the face of chain restaurants and high operating costs, many small locally owned food businesses have disappeared and the catering truck industry is stepping into the gap.

The speed of the growth of this new development in the restaurant industry has, at times, created conflicts within some communities. The Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association was formed to attempt to create a set of "best practices" for operating within the changing industry. While the rules and regulations are still developing, the popularity of the movement with the general public is unquestioned.

One of the many ways the industry is changing is in the use of Web sites and Twitter to let customers know the schedules and locations of their favorite gourmet traveling restaurant. The various truck owners post schedules and menus so their "followers" can easily make plans to meet for their favorite meal. The possibilities are seemingly endless. From a simple grilled cheese to Japanese noodles, there's something for almost every taste.

The Grilled Cheese Truck - Whether you are looking for that simple grilled cheese or something more exotic, this menu has an answer to the search. The cheese offerings start with the routine American and extend to a creamy Brie (on Cranberry Walnut bread) or Gruyere with lots of savory additions and interesting sides.

Barbie's Q - If your preference is St. Louis style ribs or pulled pork sandwiches, Barbie's can supply it along with the traditional sides. They even have a Veggie Burger for those who love barbecue but don't eat meat. Like many other gourmet food trucks, they also cater.

Skewers on Wheels - A non-traditional meal choice for many Americans, food on skewers lends itself to a wide variety of textures and flavors. From Shiitake mushrooms or tofu to Hawaiian spam pineapple the skewers can be paired with a salad and create a full meal for any taste preference.

TastyMeat - Meat lovers can choose from beef, lamb, or chicken in a savory sauce; add lettuce, tomato, and onions, then wrap it in a fresh flatbread for a delicious quick meal.

Kogi - Combine Korean barbecue with Mexican style and you get Spicy Pork Tacos or Short Rib Burritos and they haven't forgotten the vegetarians either, Tofu comes in either a taco or a burrito.

Asian Soul Kitchen - For a more traditional Asian meal, try Japanese soul food. Sample Yakisoba, a combination of noodles, veggies, and a flavorful sauce or for a more filling meal order Nijukaga a hearty stew of beef, potatoes, and noodles in a Bonita broth.

Even the old-fashioned ice cream trucks are leaping onto the gourmet, twittering bandwagon.

Coolhaus - Make an ice cream sandwich to order with your favorite cookie and ice cream. Choose from six cookie flavors and fill them with your choice of more than twenty ice creams. From the traditional vanilla bean to white chocolate macadamia, they make an ice cream sandwich new.

Get Shaved - Shaved ice may sound like another version of a "snow-cone", but the resemblance ends with the basic ingredient. These low-calorie (60-70 calories per 8 ounce serving) come in a myriad of flavors from Banana to Watermelon.

There are trucks that serve at most any hour of the day, from breakfast to dinner time. Whether you are looking for a Southwest Omelet or a slice of Pizza, there's a truck out there looking for your business. Twitter is the easiest way to keep track, but many are also on Facebook or have their own Web sites.