We seem to be catching up to the rest of the country with our food trucks here in Tampa Bay, but there have been a few bumps in the road along the way. Competition is supposed to be a good thing, but not every restaurant is all that thrilled when a food truck is in their neighborhood. But as I said, we’re getting there. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has established “The Mayor’s Food Truck Fiesta” in Lykes Gaslight Square Park the first Wednesday of every month (next rally coming up June 2^nd from 11 am – 2 pm) with a growing number of trucks each month that include Jimmy Meatballs, American Weiner and MNM Barbeque. And this Saturday, The Grand Central Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival takes over in St Pete from 1-6 pm. That’s the one I want to check out for myself! I’m a fan of the Grand Central area for all the cool and funky shops, but add good food and brew and I may just move in. It’s an impressive 40 craft breweries on site, along with our beloved food trucks.  Buy your tickets in advance for $35, $40 day of the event, and you’ll receive $9 in tickets to use for food. Call (727) 828-7706. See you there!

   Wonder what the food truck revolution is like across the country? We really are just catching up! John T. Edge (just call him John T) took a few minutes with me to talk about his new book “The Food Truck Cookbook.” Interesting road for him as well; he’s traveled the country to find the best cuisine on wheels, and yes, found that there is a little friction in other parts of the country when it comes to food trucks versus established restaurants.  John’s book is a tasty read that gives you a good idea of what’s happening in other cities, and the diverse recipes are proof we’ve gone well beyond the old hot dog carts. Now it’s unique dishes using waffles, the deviled crab of Ybor City, and even an entire chapter devoted to tacos. But unfortunately…our Taco Bus is not in there. John, you need to come back. 

   But the book does give a good idea of what it takes to compete. The startup cost for a new truck can run $100,000. John T. does make a good point.; who needs new when there are plenty of used ones out there? You also have to take in to account the additional costs of permits ,etc, etc, etc. So yes the investment can be substantial, but creativity can go a long way toward easing the pain. It’s a fun read and a good history of the industry so far. Hear the complete interview here, and don’t forget to support your local food trucks, restaurants and rallies. There is room for everyone. See you Saturday, and let me know what you thought about the day - ann.kelly@coxmg.com.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

“In a lot of ways I think food is starting to take the place in culture that rock and roll took 30 years ago, in that eating has become incredibly political. And just as the street has always dictated fashions on music and other things, it's starting to happen that way in food." —Jonathan Gold, L.A. Weekly food critic