San Diego Food Trucks: Part 3

      So let me start off by saying that as I type this I am flying overseas for my vacation to Rome, followed by Madrid, then San Francisco, San Fernando, Los Angeles, then finally home to sunny San Diego!! Sorry had to brag a bit because I am so freaking excited about the next 3 weeks. Also, it might take a while before this gets out (hopefully my hotels have free wifi or I’m screwed). One thing that I will miss dearly while my wife and I are on this trip are my friends from the food truck industry! They have been keeping us fed pretty much for the last couple of months or so and now we have to fend for ourselves in all these places. They have become as much a part of our lives as “most” of our family has (the “most” comment will be explained on a later date). 

      Three of our newest friends come in the forms of cupcakes, the opera, and a little green frog on a surf board made out of a sandwich. Let me explain, the three trucks I will be mentioning (and making your mouth and stomach hate me with) are Corner Cupcakes, Opera Café, and Groggy’s!!! Each completely different, and each assured to leave you satisfied from start to finish! So without any further adieu….LET’S GET ROLLIN’!!!!

      First up we have Opera Caffé, they specialized in fine Tuscan cuisine. They come from a long background of chefs and are definitely no strangers to the restaurant game. The first time I had the privilege of having some of their delicious food was during the City Heights Lantern Festival earlier this year. In fact it was the same night that I met Asian Persuasion! Now when I tell you what I had you are going to flip your lid…are you ready…well even though I don’t think that you are I will tell you anyway. I had a wild boar (yup you heard me) osso bucco. This was AMAZING, STUPENDOUS, AN ORGY OF FLAVORS SO INTENSE AND WONDERFUL, TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN LET YOU KNOW HOW GOOD IT WAS!! The pieces of wild boar (I can’t stop saying that) were so tender and the bones still had the marrow inside (so scrumptious it was like soul butter). This is going to be the first and last time I ever say some stuff like this but I couldn’t stop myself from sucking the bones clean (every one of you can stop laughing because I bet once you try it you’ll be doing the same thing). It came served on top of a creamy risotto that was some of the best that I’ve EVER had and can’t wait to have again and again. When I say it was the best, I feel as though it is almost an understatement. It melted in my mouth and in combination with the WILD BOAR (ha ha) it is truly a masterpiece.

      They also have many other Items that are sure to make your mouth water, like their vodka tortellini, white lasagna, and their fried ravioli. Each dish has very authentic flavors that took a lot of time to master, and even more love to bring to all of us. If you like your food with a kick then I recommend the fried ravioli. You get roughly six of these little teeth kickers and with every bite you can see why I call them that. The spices they use to kick these little guys up can almost bring you to the boiling point. Your mouths saving grace comes in the bell pepper sauce. This creamy sauce cools the tongue just long enough for you to take another bite and start the process all over again. While they are REALLY good these little guys are not for the faint of heart.  So if you think you can handle them, give them a try and see if you have the balls or the ovaries (ladies I’m not leaving you out) to finish.

I sent them a questionnaire to get to know them a little better and here it is. Get to know Kika and the rest of the crew at Opera Café.

1.       What are the names of everyone on the truck?
Tony Gutierrez sous chef, and me Kika Orofino-Penn

2. Who started the truck and who's the owner?

 My parents (Patrizia Branchi & Roberto Bernardoni) own the truck
But I run full operation

3. What made you start the truck?
My family is always been in the restaurant business so the food truck is a way to branch out and bring fine Tuscany cuisine to you

4. How long have you been making your AMAZING creations?
(refer to question 3)

5. What are some of your signature dishes and the inspiration behimd them?

 Definitively our homemade beef tenderloin meatballs and the Wild Boar Ossobuchini yum-yum

6. Where do you see your business in the next few years?
Hopefully having few more trucks with the same reputation as the restaurant :)

7. Since starting your food truck have you made any changes in the way you guys operate, and have you gotten any recognition for your creations?

We are still new to this industry and still learning but our recognitions is everyone that has following us and coming out to try our food, this is the recognition we are AIMING for.

8. If you had to describe your company in 10 words what would they be?
Our motto "FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD"

      Now here is a truck just right for all my late night partying, too much drinkin’, and way too hung over for life people. I bring to you Groggy’s (my froggy friends)! These guys have the cure for the “morning after” and they will have you back to 100% in no time flat. They make sandwiches for the “groggy” (hence the name) along with some other “head healers”.  The sandwiches are stuffed full of everything from fries and cheese steak too chicken fingers and bacon, and to top off these beauties you can add a fried egg. Now you guys know that I am as Anthony Bourdain puts it an “egg slut”, and these sandwiches make a whore out of me (again…shut up). One of these sandwiches is the Manzanita. This bad boy has the all the good stuff.  Cheese steak, mozzarella sticks, French fries, bacon, a fried egg and CHORIZO!!! They also put ketchup and the all mighty GROGGY SAUCE! I can’t really explain the sauce because to explain something that needs no explanation is unexplainable….let me explain. The sauce is the glue that holds the sandwich together. It’s got a brightness to it that lifts the heavy (but delightful) fried foods to amazing heights! Sweet with a bit of savory, you can’t go wrong with this sauce. If I knew the secrets of this sauce, I would make it and put it on myself! That is how good it is!

      They also made this chorizo Mac and cheese that is TO DIE FOR!!! They start off with fries, add some very delicious Mac and cheese, top it off with their amazing chorizo, and then add my girlfriend…the fried egg!!! This is definitely the perfect fixer upper for all your hangovers. The pasta and fries will get all that alcohol right out of you and make you right as rain (whatever the hell that saying means). I really wish they had these guys back when I was drinking because I can assure you they would have gotten me through MANY an early morning workday, especially after the late night party hours I used to keep! I guess I’ll just have to settle with knowing them now and letting them give me that wonderfully girlish figure (you know… the PREGNANT one with the big belly but happy face). All the flavors there meld so great together and there is really no sog to the fries at all. The time I had them I waited almost a half hour before I could get into them and the fries still had their crispy! If you don’t try at least this little dream once, I am going to need you to make a fist….and punch yourself right in the face with it. Before you do that, check out some info on the two mad men behind Groggy’s.

1. What are the names of everyone on the truck?

    Dave Danushevsky, Chris O'Neill...with some occasional help from Leslie, Lexi, Dustin and Summer.

2. Who started the truck and who's the owner?

    We both started the truck, and are co-owners.

3. What made you start the truck?

    It was an idea we kicked around for awhile.  We both worked at Trattoria Fantastica and Cafe Zucchero in Little Italy for the past five years. When we were bored or annoyed at our customers we would daydream about owning our own place.  I went to school at Rutgers University in New Jersey and frequented the "Grease Trucks", along with the rest of the student body.  These were similar to the sandwiches we now serve on the truck, except we added some California flair to them.  We also increased their size significantly.  Dave went to culinary school at The Art Institute, so he has some creative ideas that we are trying to incorporate, like the Chorizo Mac and Cheese...

4. How long have you been making your AMAZING creations?
    We have been on the streets since mid-September of this year, though the process of starting up our business took much longer.  After finally finding a truck, it took us another few months to get it up to code and in decent working order.  In total, it took us about a year and a half to finally get financing, the truck, all the permits and paperwork, and finally hit the streets.


5. What are some of your signature dishes and the inspiration behimd them?

    Our most popular sandwich is the Fat Ron Burgandy, named after the "Anchorman" movie's main character.  That sandwich is stuffed with cheesesteak, mozzarella sticks, french fries, tomato, lettuce, onions and Groggy Sauce.  Surprisingly, one of our customers described it as "refreshing", though that was after they had tried the Lord Groggy. The Lord Groggy has cheesesteak, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, french fries, bacon, ketchup, Groggy Sauce, and a fried egg.  All of our sandwiches are made with two things in mind. One of them is to taste good and fill you up, the second is to either prevent a hangover or cure one.  In my experience, a Fat Sandwich after a long night of drinking significantly improves your prospects for a pain free morning.  However, a Fat Sandwich the next day has been known to reduce the effects of the past evenings indulges, as well.  The fact that our huge sandwiches make you feel "groggy" after eating them, as well as the "groggy" state some of our customers are usually in, is what inspired our name. One of our most popular non-sandwich items is our Chorizo Mac and Cheese, created by Chef Dave.  He blends his special mix of Chorizo, onions, garlic and spices into macaroni and cheese, puts that over french fries and a fried egg over the top of the whole thing.  That was made after a long day on the truck, when Dave was tired of making his famous Chorizo Wontons.  He created this dish and it took off since then.

6. Where do you see your business in the next few years?

    In a few years, we envision big things for Groggy's.  We anticipate getting a second truck before the end of 2012, and possibly a storefront location as well.  After that, we would love to branch out to other cities, particularly college campuses and towns.  We would love to become a franchise and share our food with as many people as possible.


7. Since starting your food truck have you made any changes in the way you guys operate, and have you gotten any recognition for your creations?

  Our operation has changed dramatically since our first days in business.  We quickly realized the food truck business involved a lot more time and work than we thought.  We split the work up between the two of us so we are accountable for different areas of the business.  Dave works on the menu, inventory, food costs, and all the preparation of the food.  My job involves searching out new locations to park, marketing, customer relations, bookkeeping and LOTS of dishes.  Dave's motto is "the chef never does the disthes", so I got stuck with that job.  As far as recognition, we have some avid food truck followers who have helped us with recomendations about where to park and menu items they would like to see.  We were featured on KUSI a week before we opened our doors, and recently had an article written about us by the guys at Thrillest.com.  However, we are most thankful for the recognition we receive from our Twitter and Facebook followers, as well as our repeat customers who always let us know we are doing a good job.

8. If you had to describe your company in 10 words what would they be?

  Two guys, a food truck, and some big ass sandwiches.

   
Groggy's, LLC
619-302-7394
followgroggys.com

      Now for some dessert!!! You may have seen these ladies of the Food Network show “Cupcake WARS”, (or maybe I just watch too many cooking shows), if you haven’t, then allow me to introduce you to Corner Cupcakes. Better yet, I’ll let them tell you about themselves…I’ll just talk about their delicious creations. I know a lot of you are probably thinking to yourselves “What is so special about a cupcake truck?” To be honest I thought the same thing at first…but wow did they show me! Their soft, fluffy and flavorful cakes are like little clouds and each bite is a sweet taste of heaven (probably the closest some of my readers will ever get to heaven lol). They come in a variety of flavors (my personal favorites are the eggnog and the lemon cakes. They are mixed to perfection and would probably make some the best cake makers out there fear for their jobs (yeah they are that good), and that is just the cake! Let me tell you about the frostings.

      The frostings come in a variety of different flavors from cinnamon (perfect with the above mentioned eggnog, which I believe is seasonal so get it while it’s there) to a sinful carmel that you can add some sea salt to for that sweet/savory taste that is all the rage (see what I did there? I mentioned that the cakes are heavenly but the frosting brings that little bit of sin that everybody loves…even if they don’t admit it!) The cinnamon frosting has both that “catch and release” sense about it. What I mean is the spice of the cinnamon will take hold of your taste buds and keep their attention for just a bit and then let go ever so slightly so you can ready your mouth for that next wonderful bite. It doesn’t keep your mouth on fire like some cinnamon candies do but it will let you know that it is there! The carmel on the other hand is very reminiscent of those little cubes of candy grandma used to keep in the bottom of her purse. It is very tasty without being too sweet and if you combine it with some sea salt your mouth won’t know what hit it. Each cake combo comes with a healthy (lol) amount of the frosting, which is awesome for me but if a good sugar rush isn’t your thing let them know and they will gladly do half of the frosting for you lesser sugar freaks out there.

Well that’s enough of me let’s let the women of Corner Cupcakes tell you a bit about themselves…

1. What are the names of everyone on the truck?  Amanda, Tina, Cali, and Nina

2. Who started the truck and who's the owner?  The truck was started by the two-woman team of owners Amanda Schnitzius and Tina McClelland.

3. What made you start the truck?  We started as a wedding cake business (Happy Tiers Bakery...still in operation) that we operated nights and weekends when we were working our corporate jobs.  We wanted to quit and bake full time.  We looked into getting a brick-and-mortar store, but the banks were not in the mood to lend to two girls with big dreams and no collateral.  We thought outside of the box and decided to open a cupcake truck instead.  We used our personal credit to buy a used truck off Craigslist, and then we quit our jobs and opened the truck!  We still want a store one day.  ;)


4. How long have you been making your AMAZING cupcakes?  Thank you!  We came up with the recipes when we started the business...so, February 2010.  They were unknowingly a work-in-progress, and we tweaked our recipes for a couple of months before we came up with what you have now. 

5. What are some of your signature cakes and the imspiration behimd them?  Our most popular has become the Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel frosting.  This was inspired exactly a year ago when Amanda went to Starbucks and her boyfriend's mom ordered a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate.  Amanda ordered one too (totally out of character for her) and fell in love with it.  She told Tina she wanted to turn it into a cupcake, expecting to only carry it for a week or two last winter.  It was a hit off the bat.  We also have a Buttermilk Bacon cupcake with Maple frosting that gets a lot of buzz.  Tina had always wanted to make that cupcake, so one day we did.  People don't usually order it if they haven't been to the truck before, but once we gain their trust that our cupcakes are good, they'll take a chance on it.  They're usually hooked on it at that point.  It's tastes like breakfast, and is a great balance of salty and sweet.

6. Where do you see your business in the next few years?  We never want to stop growing!  We see ourselves developing an awesome website making it easy to place orders, then getting a brick-and-mortar store, then opening a million brick-and-mortar stores, then retiring early and moving somewhere beautiful.  =)

7. Since being on cupcake wars have you made any changes in the way you guys operate, and have you gotten any recognition for your creations?  Cupcake Wars has changed our business in so many ways.  We were a two-person operation before the show, and now we've doubled in size.  The couple of weeks after the show first aired, we brought the same cupcakes on the truck that helped us win the competition.  These cupcakes have fillings and toppings.  We liked having this option of a premium cupcake, with a filling and a topping built the way we like it, so now we almost always have some sort of premium cupcake for sale on the truck.  It's unbelievable how much recognition we've received since the show.  From World Series of Poker coverage, to ESPN journalists, to local media, and fanbase across the country...it's been unreal.

8. If you had to describe your company in 10 words what would they be?  This is a fun question!  We've never been asked this one before. 

Quality.  Innovative.  Not pretentious.  Delicious.  Friendly.  Sincere.  Fun.  Addictive.  That's 9...you can choose the 10th.  =) (I’ll say “HEAVINFUL” that heavenly and sinful for those of you trying to figure it out)

www.facebook.com/cornercupcakes.  

Well there you go everyone, another delicious edition of The Penguin Gazette. Funny, I hadn’t intended this to be a food blog but when the material is in front of you, you just kind of go for it! See you guys soon (Wifi permitting…keep your fingers crossed!)

Editor & Chief of The Penguin Gazette,

Rudy

P.S. I'm not favoring any one truck, I just found more pics of the cupcakes...