Seabirds. Hodge Podge. Devilicious. Korilla. What do these mumbo-jumbo names have in common? They are all food trucks competing in the second season of Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race.”
Along with Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Café con Leche, the Lime Truck, and Sky’s Gourmet Tacos, these eight trucks take to the road to serve up some delicious food to cities all over the United States, and to earn a $100,000 prize and the title of Best Food Truck in America.
“The Great Food Truck Race” is hosted by Tyler Florence, a chef and host of several Food Network shows including “Tyler’s Ultimate,” where he combines recipes to make the ultimate version of something — such as the ultimate Mac n’ Cheese. On “The Great Food Truck Race” Florence is out to find the ultimate food truck. Each week, whoever earns the least amount of money from that week’s sales goes home.
And as some of the teams find out, in order to win, it’s not all about the food — the teams earn money by thinking smart: Location, networking, marketing and time management are all key parts to earning the most money each week. Especially when Florence throws a wrench in the teams’ plans and calls them up with a so-called “Speed Bump,” such as not letting them cook with propane or requiring one member (out of a 3-person team) to handle all the work. It spices up the competition and provides make-or-break challenges.
There are also “Truck Stops,” where teams are given a challenge that could give them a potential advantage if they win it. Last week, for instance, the trucks took to Colorado, and were given a challenge where they needed to forage for wild mushrooms and create a dish ‘on the fly’ for a local chef to taste test. Whoever’s dish the chef liked best was rewarded with an interview on a local radio station, where they could get the word out about where their truck would be and what food they had to offer. In a city where no one knows that any of the trucks are even there, that is a big advantage.
I’ve been hooked on Food Network for most of the summer — watching plenty of cake challenges and cupcake wars to give me a whole mouthful of sweet teeth — and it was just a few weeks ago that I saw a promo for “The Great Food Truck’s” second season. As it turns out (if you have Comcast), my On Demand service was airing all six episodes of season one, and on a rainy Sunday I had myself a bit of a marathon and watched the entire season. We’re now in the fourth week of season two, but it’s a show that’s easy to catch up on and well worth your time.
What’s great about this show is the fast-paced feel of it all. It’s amazing how these on-the-go cooks (some professionally trained, others not-so-much) can create something so uniquely delicious and serve it in a fast-food manner. In the first season there was a food truck that specialized in French Cuisine. They served frog legs and escargot. I didn’t think they’d make it past the first week, but people bought it, even at $20 a pop. It’s all about coming up with something original and seeing how far you can take it, whatever setting you’re in.
And that’s the key — adapting a menu you can sell in any part of the country. Most of these food trucks usually sell in big cities like New York or Los Angeles, but as we’ll see with tomorrow night’s episode, Florence takes the gang on a trip to a tiny town in Kansas. How will the Seabirds — an all-vegan food truck — do? Will Korilla — which specializes in Korean BBQ food — win out in a place where lines may not be forming around the corner? Can Boston’s own Roxy’s Grilled Cheese bring it home?
They’ll just have to get rollin’ to find out. And you should get rollin’ to watch this delightful little show on Food Network — if not for the high-energy of the competition, then at least to salivate over the delicious dishes these food trucks have to offer.
The fourth episode of season two of “The Great Food Truck Race” airs tomorrow at 9 p.m. on Food Network.
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