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2020 Themed Food Truck Rallies

by Chaya@tbftr.com 15. January 2020 08:18

Did you know that we have Food Truck Rallies in 4 different locations? Every month we host a Rally in Riverview, Lakeland and Plant City. We also offer a Rally in Fishhawk once every quarter!

2020 is even more exciting because all of our Food Truck Rallies are themed! Here’s the list of our themes for the first half of the year:

  • January – Break Your Resolution
  • February – Celebrate your true love… CHOCOLATE!
  • March – Suicide & Mental Health Awareness/Prevention - Portion of our sales will be donated back to a local nonprofit
  • April – Wing Fest
  • May – Cheese Fest
  • June – Summer Cookout (BBQ/Summer Grilling)

As always, be sure that you’re following us on social media where we will be hosting fun giveaways and sharing all the latest news. Cheers!

Top 10 Food Trucks to Start or Rebrand in 2020!

by Chaya@tbftr.com 3. October 2019 10:14

What draws people to rallies and different food truck events? It’s the food of course! Most importantly, it’s the variety. As the food truck industry continues to grow, there is a need to expand into different culinary genres in order to offer an even more diverse and original variety of dishes!

We are constantly researching and monitoring what cuisine options are working and what is not. We wanted to share our findings to help your truck become a contributing partner in the growth of the food truck scene here in Tampa!

Here are the top 10 Food Trucks that the Tampa Bay Area needs to see more of:

  • Middle Eastern
  • Wings
  • Indian
  • Chinese
  • Thai
  • Mexican
  • Seafood
  • Churros
  • Empanadas
  • Poke Bowl

Here are the top 3 that are already saturated in the market:

  • BBQ
  • Shaved/Italian ice
  • Cheesesteaks

You can go anywhere to get average food, and that’s why we suggest branching out of your comfort zone and trying something new. Tampa is exploding with diversity and flavor, and that’s what is performing best right now! The trucks we work with are a collection of different local eateries that reflect their favorite family recipes as well as new, fun trends that are happening in the foodie world.

If you ever need help or consulting starting your brand, you can check out our seminar on how to start a food truck or even engage us to develop your branding down to truck name and menu items. Our Chief Eating Officer, Michael Blasco has been in the food truck scene since 2011. For a full list of our services, click here.

From Butcher to Food Truck - The Story Behind Open Fire Grilled Brazillian

by 1potato2llc@gmail.com 18. October 2018 09:43

Open Fire Grilled Brazilian is headed by Chef Cesar, a world renown meat consultant for Brazilian style foods. Chef Cesar was born and raised in South Brazil. As a young boy Cesar would help his family on the farm butchering cattle and preparing the meat to be cooked. Soon he found himself working at the largest Brazilian Steakhouse Porcao at the young age of 19 and deemed the title "Master Meat Chef" where he was given the responsibility of consulting. With this position he went on to consult and start several Brazilian steakhouses in places like Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany.

Chef Cesar Cutting Meat from Open Fire Grilled Brazilian

Fast forward to 10 years later Cesar was offered to come to the United States by Porcao and open the first Brazilian steakhouse in Miami, Florida. Chef Cesar soon went on to expand the business into places such as New York, Arizona, Missouri, and up into Canada. Chef Cesar has over 30 years of experience and runs Open Fire Grilled Brazilian as a means to share his talented gifts with the communities of the Tampa Bay area and beyond. Chef Cesar's success inspired him to open his own business - Open Fire Grilled Brazilian. This talented food truck has been roaming the streets since 2013, and its mission is to bring authentic Brazilian style food to you to create an unforgettable experience of flavors. Chef Cesar works with his partner and wife Christina to bring grilled meats to the streets of Tampa. Christina has a strong marketing and sales background making the two’s partnership a strong and powerful one. You can often times find her working the truck as a cashier or creating relationships with the truck's clients and customers.

When it comes to the menu of Open Fire Grilled Brazilian they bring the meat to the table. This Brazilian truck boasts tender meats such as chicken breast, sirloin steak, filet mignon, pork, alongside vegetarian options. Meals are served with traditional white rice, black beans, farofa (yucca flour, bacon, and herbs), and a vinaigrette (onion, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, oil, herbs, and a dash of tabasco). The meats and veggies are skewered and grilled to perfection dependent on how you would like your meat cooked. Open Fire Grilled Brazilian also offers grilled sweet plantains, and Brazilian sodas. Steak is Chef Caesars's specialty. Something that makes this food truck stand out amongst the others is how the food is prepared. Open Fire Grilled Brazilian doesn't fry a single thing on their truck and every dish is grilled and made to order. Christina and Chef Cesar decided to call Tampa home because of its up and coming business feel, and strong food truck fans and foodies in the area. Open Fire Grilled Brazillian operates out of Clearwater, but frequents the Tampa Bay area.

Grillied Filet Mignon Skewer with SidesOpen Fire Grilled Brazilian Chicken Skewer

Looking to try out Open Fire Grilled Brazilian? Check our Daily Locations page to see if they are serving in an area near you. Whether you're interested in reception service for a wedding or to feed employees after a company wide meeting, we do all the work from booking the truck to booking music with our mobile DJ truck! Contact us here. Interested in following Cesar and Christina? Follow them on Facebook!

The Kitchen by Devin Davis in Plant City Florida

by 1potato2llc@gmail.com 10. September 2018 06:01

The Kitchen By Devin Davis is family run food truck started by Devin Davis, a native of Plant City Florida. The Davis family serves the Plant City and Tampa Bay area with a passionate southern spirit. Devin started his food career in culinary school where he obtained his Bachelors in Culinary Management. After completing an internship Devin sought out a way to bring his food to the people of Plant City. In the beginning stages of his culinary career he sought out positions in the area but never really found a position that fit him to the T, he had to start thinking outside of the box. And what's better then owning your own portable kitchen to drive around the city? Nothing! The Kitchen by Devin Davis was born. The food truck idea was inspired by his parents introducing Devin to the food truck industry and Tampa Bay Food Trucks.  While Devin was and still is young with only a little bit of restaurant experience, he makes up for it with entrepreneur faith in his abilities. After doing their due diligence, Devin opened The Kitchen with the help of his family. 

So why "The Kitchen by Devin Davis"? When looking for a name, they started with a concept. Devin wanted to serve southern food done by his own interpretation. His food would come in a quality with a higher standard then typical street food fare. "Food Truck" was synonymous with "Kitchen" and Devin's passion for food and the basis of his career began and was cultivated in the kitchen. The Kitchen fit his concept perfectly. Devin is the master chef behind all of the food and works that come from his truck, so he included his name in the title. The Kitchen is based simply on cooking good food. Their slogan is "Good Food....Southern Roots". Whether The Kitchen is serving up fried chicken of foie gras, Devin makes it properly and delicious. Besides, good food makes people happy. 

Everyone that works on The Kitchen by Devin Davis is family. Whether it's by blood or close friendship, The Kitchen brings them all together. Some very important people on the truck include Devin Davis - the chef and mastermind himself, his Grandma (better known as Nanny) who plays an integral role in the cooking process, his sister, and parents. Devin found inspiration through his parents who own their own local small irrigation business in Plant City. They helped him begin and grow his business, and all together have helped The Kitchen succeed to what it is today.  

Wondering what's the best thing on the menu? The Kitchen by Devin Davis changes up their menu periodically to keep the menu fresh and allows The Kitchen to experiment and try new things. If there's one thing that stays on the menu - it's the fried chicken. This fried chicken isn't like any other fried chicken you've had it before. The Kitchen by Devin Davis goes through a two step process before even making it to the fryer. After getting crispy and juicy, it's served on a toasted bun with a bright red cabbage slaw and a remoulade sauce. A few of Devin's personal menu favorites include Shrimp and Grits, Bacon and Onion Jam Sliders, and Pulled Pork Tacos. The Shrimp and Grits combines tradition with unexpected flavors. Smoky tomato and chorizo cream sauce, creamy grits, and parmesan are just a few elements to the shrimp and grits served up by The Kitchen. The bacon and onion jam sliders is a juicy burger topped with a salty and sweet bacon jam, caramelized red onions, red wine, white cheddar, and a dijon mustard mayonnaise. Last but not least, the pulled pork tacos are simple but delicious by combining juicy smoked pork with a sweet and savory rub on a toasted flour tortilla with a lime, cilantro slaw and spicy chipotle sour cream. 

 Bacon and Onion Jam Sliders from The Kitchen by Devin Davis Food Truck

The Kitchen by Devin Davis sets themselves apart from the competition by simply cooking great food. The menu is constantly fresh and exciting by introducing new items and changing the menu a bit every few weeks. They strive to use the highest quality ingredients possible by shopping at local farmers markets and utilizing things such as locally made sourdough. The Kitchen also loves a great challenge by working catered and private events where they can stray from the menu and offer unique foods that you can't find on the truck on a regular basis. When we asked Devin what's one piece of advice he'd give someone trying out food trucks for the first time he replied with "Just think of food trucks as you would restaurants. Each truck is different and really tries to put out great food. We all have different concepts and types of food. Additionally, I would encourage you try lots of different trucks to see what's out there. You can easily go out to a restaurant and try something new, but many people don't realize that you can go out and have just as much fun trying out a food truck, and the food will often be just as good, if not better, and you don't have to dress up!" Some food trucks Devin is close with include Sawadee Thai Food (Devin suggests the crab rangoon), Pineapple Shack, Chief's Chill Out, and the Rolling Gourmet.  

                                  Pulled Pork Tacos from The Kitchen by Devin Davis Food Truck Shrimp and Grits from The Kitchen by Devin Davis Food Truck

At the end of the day Devin's goal is to keeping doing what he does by sharing his passion for cooking and serving his customers delicious food. Interested in booking The Kitchen by Devin Davis for your next event? Call Tampa Bay Food Trucks! Whether you're interested in reception service for a wedding or to feed employees after a company wide meeting, we do all the work from booking the truck to booking music with our mobile DJ truck! Contact us here. Interested in following Devin Davis and the crew? Follow them on Facebook, and Instagram @thekitchenbydevindavis. 

The Kitchen by Devin Davis Food Truck in Plant City FloridaThe Kitchen by Devin Davis Food Truck in Plant City Florida

7 Essential Food Truck Treats To Add to your Dessert Bar

by grace@tbftr.com 8. August 2018 08:26
Looking to wow your guests at your upcoming party or event? Look no further. We've compiled some of the Tampa Bay Area's best dessert food truck desserts for you to sink your teeth into. Here's 7 must-have essential desserts from food trucks you need to add to your dessert bar.

1. A bucketful of Cinnamon Sugar Donuts from Jenny’s Mini Donuts. Mmmmm. Donuts. For an easy snack for the on the go dancer - a mini donut is a must. If your guests are on the move and need a quick pick me up a warm donut made from love is the way to go. 2 bites and you’re ready to get back on the dance floor, or go right back into the fray to network. All of the donuts from Jenny's Mini Donut truck are fried and made right in the food truck so it’s gauranteed fresh. A cinnamon sugar donut is simple, yet they stand out from the crowd of the usual dessert table fare. 
2. Mini Key Lime Pies from Got Candy & More. Wanna know how to wow your party guests? Mini pies. Step outside of the norm and offer pies instead of cupcakes! Your guests will never forget such a unique dessert. Just like a mini cupcake, a mini pie is just a couple of bites. If you’re not a key lime pie person, you can choose to do another flavor like Buckeye or go the savory route instead! 
3. Mini Cupcake Assortment from Mmmm-Delicious. Why limit yourself? You can order 15 or 100, and pick up to four flavors to sport at your event's dessert table. Some of our personal favorites include Lemon Blueberry, Mimosa, Strawberry & Champegne, Chocolate Bacon, and Coconut. But that’s just a few flavors that you can choose out of the 90+ flavors on the Mmmm-Delicious food truck's menu. Just like a mini donut, this is the perfect treat for your guests on the go. 
4. Eddie Bull’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough from YoYo Juice. Sprinkles, chocolate chip, salted caramel, oh my! Yo Yo Juice knows how to serve up the perfect scoopa-bull cookie dough. While you can either bake or eat it - we suggest eating it. Did we mention they offer a gluten free option in both sprinkle and chocolate chip? Edible cookie dough is a great option not only for kids, but adults of all sizes. Have you ever met someone that hasn’t admitted to licking the bowl as a kid when baking cookies with mom? Nope. Make your party guests’ wildest dreams come true and serve up some dough! Set up your dessert table so that you have individual portions for guests to grab and go, or a bowl for guests to serve themselves. Cookie dough can be a bit of a more intimate dessert since there's some scooping involved, so it's perfect for the family get together or even an alternative to cake at a birthday party.
5. Chocolate Sout Cupcake from The Naked Cupcake. While The Naked Cupcake offers a ton of flavors and options, the chocolate stout cupcake has won our hearts. While beer may sound a bit weird in a cupcake - but its darn right delicious. The chocolate stout flavors the body of the cupcake, and its topped with a peanut butter frosting topped with a butter snap pretzel. Yum. Not a chocolate person? A stout person? Not an adult? Don’t worry, The Naked Cupcake offers a ton of flavors.
6. Sweet Tart Crepe from The Crepe Company. Shhhh. So technically the sweet tart crepe is a breakfast crepe made by The Crepe Company, but your guests won’t know. We never knew something so sweet and simple could be so delicious, but the sweet tart proved us wrong. Crepe + Raspberry Preserves + Cream Cheese = the best sweet tart crepe known to man. Crepes are the perfect treat for a breakfast party or even a sweet breakfast bar for work.
7. French Toast donut from Craving Donuts. So we already put donuts on the dessert list but this is a full sized donut. And a donut you absolutely can’t pass up. We’ve had all types of donuts from all different places but Craving Donuts is one of the donut stops you can’t pass up. The French Toast donut tops it off. Craving donuts makes their doughnuts from a sour dough type dough that makes your taste buds simmer. It’s light and fluffy a bit like a cloud.  
Did we make you hungry? Did we get you excited for the possibilities of where you can take your dessert bar? Let us help you make your dreams come true and put your party into action. Tampa Bay Food Trucks can help you book the trucks, and set up the menu for your party/event. Whether you want to have a dessert bar, or have people pass the desserts at a party we've got it! Contact us here.
Mini Cupcake Assortment from Mmmmm-Delicious with Tampa Bay Food TrucksMini Pie from Got Candy and More with Tampa Bay Food TrucksEddie Bull's Cookie Dough from YoYo Juice with Tampa Bay Food TrucksCupcake Assortment from Mmmm-Delicious with Tampa Bay Food TrucksCraving Donuts with Tampa Bay Food TrucksSweet Crepe from The Crepe Company at Tampa Bay Food TrucksJenny's Mini Donuts with Tampa Bay Food Trucks

A Tampa Bay Farm to Table Food Truck : Williamsburg Cucina

by 1potato2llc@gmail.com 31. July 2018 05:44

Williamsburg Cucina has arrived in Tampa, Florida! This authentic Italian Gourmet food truck started its journey as an idea in a NYC apartment and has now landed itself in the streets of Tampa to bring the fine dining Italian restaurant experience to those who haven’t experienced it before. 

Owners Niky and Sophia met at a Pizzeria under the Brooklyn bridge in New York City and quickly found love not only in one another but in their shared passion for food. The two crossed paths while Sophia was on vacation from Texas and Niky was visiting on a visa from Italy for boxing and training at the world famous Gleasons gym in Dumbo Brooklyn. Sophia quit her job and moved to New York and the two were to be married three months later. Niky put boxing on a hold and pursued his other passion for the food industry (his family owned the most popular gourmet deli and groceries shop in the beautifull town of Rimini, Italy). He started working and managing in some of finest Italian restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn including Trattoria Il Passatore, Piadina NYC, and more. While Sophia was successfully working as a published make up artist, she had deep roots in cooking from her grandfathers: one was a baker and the other served in the army as a chef. It was a few years before Niky and Sophia actually decided to pursue running their own business.

This is how Williamsburg Cucina Caffe' e Bottega was born; born out of an idea of doing something that could both display their love for good food created from amazing local ingredients while remaining true to their roots of New York and Italy. Since a regular restaurant wouldn’t allow Sophia and Niky to travel the country like they wanted and showcasing authentic Italian cooking to people who couldn’t access it they decided to be mobile by opening a food truck.

Williamsburg Cucina offers a different food experience from what you’d expect from the average truck. The truck’s menu ranges from meat and cheese plates to artisanal open faced sandwiches such as the Caprese (toasted open faced sourdough bread with creamy burrata cheese, local roma tomatoes, wild arugula, and Modena balsamic glaze) and the Crostone Classico (with imported prosciutto, marinated artichokes, sicilian sea salt, mayo & EV olive oil). The truck also offers daily specials such as salad bowl with local greens and seasonal vegetables, pastas and sweets such as Nutella croissants and daily baked goods. Williamsburg Cucina goes beyond the typical drink fare with the additional options of imported San Pellegrino sodas, glass bottled Coke products, and local Buddy Brew Cold Brews. 

The concept of this particular truck is farm to table. Because the truck serves local produce the menu changes about three to four times a year depending on their seasonal ingredients' availability. Williamsburg Cucina gets their produce from local Farms, where Sophia and Niky handpick their produce when the farmers aren’t able to. The sourdough bread they utilize in their open faced sandwhiches and other dishes is another local item and is baked fresh before every food shift Williamsburg Cucina attends. See Williamsburg Cucina's current menu

Williamsburg Cucina at Cigar City Brewing with Tampa Bay Food Trucks

What does Williamsburg Cucina Caffe' e Bottega stand for? 

Williamsburg comes from the Brooklyn's  neighborhood that gave Niky and Sophia a home far from their own hometowns that influenced them with it’s artistic vibe and historic surroundings.

Cucina stands for Kitchen in Italian and symbolizes the origin of their concept.

Caffe’ stands for coffee and they decided to serve that because in Italy coffee symbolizes relaxation and chilling out..a moment to appreciate the small things in life. 

Bottega stands for shop as they feature imported goods and handcrafted products from small family owned businesses from all over Italy. 

What does Williamsburg Cucina suggest to those who’ve never tried food from a food truck before? Clear your mind from everything you know or expect from  food truck and let the food take you for a ride. That’s the only way you can truly appreciate the experience! 

Interested in booking Williamsburg Cucina for your next event or wedding? Contact us today to book one of Tampa Bay Food Trucks' resident farm to table food trucks. 

Caprese Sandwhich at Williamsburg CucinaClassico Sandwhich at Williamsburg CucinaCharcuterie Platter at Williamsburg Cucina