Food Trucks | Visit Twin Cities

6 Food Trucks Turned Brick-and-Mortar

Taylor Weeks — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 20:49:43 +0000

6 FOOD TRUCKS TURNED BRICK-AND-MORTAR

Popular demand has inspired these six food trucks to establish permanent locations

By Taylor Weeks

Food Truck season is a coveted time of year for many Minnesotans. These mobile kitchens generally disappear when cooler weather comes calling, but some have invested in permanent spaces of their own for customers to enjoy year-round. We have highlighted some of our favorites.

O’Cheeze

Do you love grilled cheese? Haley and Tony Fritz turned their passion for grilled cheese into a business on wheels: O’Cheeze food truck. Together, they roam the streets of downtown Minneapolis serving gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Try their decadent s’mores sandwich, grilled to a golden perfection with marscapone, chocolate, marshmello and graham cracker crumble. Visit O’Cheeze’s brand-new brick-and-mortar location in the downtown Minneapolis skyway system.

Dough Dough

Also from Haley and Tony Fritz is Dough Dough, a dessert truck serving—yes—cookie dough. The couple has turned a taboo, raw dessert into an eggless, safe-to-eat wonder. Dish up with any number of eggless cookie dough flavors at their food truck or up-and-coming permanent Mall of America location, which is predicted to open before the 2017 holiday season.

Smack Shack

Devour some fresh lobster at Smack Shack, a seafood-serving food truck restaurant sure to satisfy your coastal cravings. Be sure to try some of their Lobster Mac & Cheese, a dish highlighted on “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives” with Guy Fieri. You can find Smack Shack commandeering The 1029 Bar’s kitchen, traveling in its food truck, at its very own permanent location in Minneapolis’ North Loop district or inside the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

Chef Shack Ranch

Known as the “godmothers of food trucking,” Lisa Carlson and Carrie Summer bring fine dining to the street with their mobile kitchen Chef Shack Ranch. They serve a variety of items that are both expertly made and street-accessible, including pulled pork, beef tongue and roast chicken. Don’t forget to save room for one of their most popular items: organic Indian-spiced mini doughnuts. You can also visit their permanent location, a charming, self-described “modern urban truck stop” in Minneapolis.

Vellee Deli

Formed from the fusion of Asian and Mexican cuisines, Vellee Deli serves baguettes, tacos, quesadillas and burritos, all with their own cultural twist. Sample their Chicken Currito, made with spicy Thai curry, chicken, romaine lettuce, potatoes, seasoned rice and creamy zing sauce. You can find these fresh flavors at their food truck or permanent restaurant in the downtown Minneapolis skyway system.

World Street Kitchen

Explore your adventurous side in a single bite at World Street Kitchen. Created and owned by the brothers Sameh and Saed Wadi, this mobile kitchen is inspired by street foods from the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Asia and everywhere in between. You can travel across the globe with a Bangkok Burrito or Turk Hummus. Check out World Street Kitchen by finding their food truck or, to access their expanded menu, visiting their brick-and-mortar location in Minneapolis. There is even an online ordering system for take-out and delivery if you’re unable to make it to one of their physical locations.

VTC experts would love to see brick-and-mortar locations for The Moral Omnivore, Sasquatch Sandwiches and Butcher Salt. These mouth-watering food trucks are taking over the street: The Moral Omnivore offers local, organic and sustainable “ethical eats”; Sasquatch Sandwiches specializes in Minnesota-inspired street sandwiches; and the Butcher Salt’s menu ranges from sliders to hash browns, all inspired by their special blend of herb-infused sea salt. Which food trucks are your favorites?

ASK A LOCAL

The post 6 Food Trucks Turned Brick-and-Mortar appeared first on Visit Twin Cities.

Seventh Street Truck Park Preview

Claire Noack — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 22:01:42 +0000

SEVENTH STREET TRUCK PARK OPENS IN ST. PAUL

The latest food hall has rolled into St. Paul with a 70s feel and local eats

All photos by Claire Noack

By Claire Noack

Trendy food halls have been popping up around the Twin Cities, and the latest just rolled into downtown St. Paul in a 1970 VW bus. The team behind New Bohemia Wurst + Bierhaus’ most recent project, Seventh Street Truck Park, brings you food trucks with a 70s RV park spin for a combination that is delightfully tacky and contemporary cool.

Vintage vehicles found on abandoned farms around Minnesota have been given new life as fully-operational food-and-beverage trucks and new digs one block from Xcel Energy Center. Two vans operate as bars, slinging nostalgic Kool-Aid cocktails and beers on tap (including a specially made s’mores beer from Third Street Brewhouse) both inside and over a street-side countertop. A main bar decked out with license plates and kitschy 70s memorabilia sits front and center with multiple TVs to play the big game.

Three more trucks dish out road trip inspired eats, using local ingredients when possible. The current lineup includes buttermilk fried chicken, barbecue ribs, authentic street tacos with house-pressed tortillas, and customizable pizzas with far-out toppings like wild boar and alligator sausages, but you can expect the menu to change periodically. Don’t forget to make a pitstop at the dessert truck to construct the ultimate ice cream sandwich with your choice of Sebastian Joe’s ice cream, giant T-Rex cookies and/or Mojo Monkey Donuts. While these massive treats are intended to share, patrons can also join the challenge of devouring “the largest ice cream sandwich on the planet” with five pounds of ice cream stuffed between two 5-pound cookies.

An additional truck was gutted to create the backdrop of an artificial grass-covered stage for live music and comedy acts. While the communal dining space in Seventh Street Truck Park creates an approachable and lively atmosphere, what truly stands out is the attention to detail. Explore the site and you will find everything from 70s band posters to awkward family photos to a wall of Frisbees, among other knick knacks. This place doesn’t take itself too seriously which only adds to its welcoming vibes. Test drive it yourself on West Seventh Street from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

ASK A LOCAL

The post Seventh Street Truck Park Preview appeared first on Visit Twin Cities.

Summer in the Twin Cities Events Roundup

Claire Noack — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 20:36:07 +0000

SUMMER IN THE TWIN CITIES EVENTS ROUNDUP

See what’s happening this summer around Minneapolis and St. Paul

Photo by Visit Saint Paul/flickr

By Claire Noack

During the summer months, the Twin Cities is buzzing with events from live music to festivals and block parties. Take a look at what activities are lined up through the end of the summer. And if you want even more fun, find out about the art festivals, music and movies in the parks, theater, date night ideas and other events happening this summer around Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Food Truck Festivals

June 25, July 22 and August 19
Who doesn’t like trying unique delicacies whipped up by some of the best chefs in town? With three food truck festivals this summer, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to sample wild and delicious grub. And with drinks and free live music, nothing can beat this food-tactic festival. The food trucks take to the streets in Uptown (Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue) on June 25 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., downtown Anoka on July 22 from noon to 10 p.m. and Mears Park in downtown St. Paul on August 19 from noon to 10 p.m.

Groovin in the Garden

Wednesdays through July 26
Get your groove on in the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. These free concerts feature some of the best local bands in a variety of genres. Free kids entertainment is also available with a climbing wall, bouncy house and lawn games. Concerts are Wednesday nights from 6-8 p.m. in the Enchanted Garden. The lineup for the rest of the summer includes Dan Israel & the Cultivators (June 28), Ghost Wagon (July 5), Trailer Trash (July 12), Wild Colonial Bhoys (July 19) and The Jillian Rae Band (July 26).

The Science Behind Pixar

Through September 4
Imagine learning about the magic behind your favorite Pixar animated films and characters like Buzz Lightyear, WALL-E and Dory. The Science Museum of Minnesota allows visitors to explore the technology that brings these characters to life and creates some of our favorite movie moments. Don’t miss your chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at Pixar’s filmmaking process. Museum admission and entrance into the Pixar exhibit cost $28.95 for adults, $22.95 for children (4 to 12) and seniors, and $9.95 for all museum members.

Twin Cities Jazz Festival

June 22-24
For the best jazz music in the Twin Cities, join the masses at Mears Park in downtown St. Paul’s historic Lowertown neighborhood. This free three-day festival showcases dozens of jazz bands and attracts more than 40,000 annually. Headliners for this summer include McCoy Tyner, Joshua Redman, Terence Blanchard, Anat Cohen, Bobby Lyle, Emmet Cohen, Eric Kamau Gravatt and Oskar Stenmark. Check the Twin Cities Jazz Festival website for a full schedule and list of performers.

Twin Cities Pride

June 24 & 25
Show your support for our thriving LGBT community at Twin Cities Pride. The celebrations include a festival, parade, Rainbow Run 5K, family picnic, beer dabbler and more at Loring Park in downtown Minneapolis. For more information, check out our post about all things happening at Pride.

Basilica Block Party

July 7 & 8
Make sure that the largest outdoor music festival in the Twin Cities is on your bucket list this summer. The Basilica Block Party features 20 bands playing on 3 stages over a two day period at the Basilica in Minneapolis. The music blasts into the night and all the proceeds go to restoration of the historic landmark and to St. Vincent de Paul’s outreach program which provides services to those in need. For a full list of scheduled acts, visit the Basilica Block Party website.

Aquatennial

July 19-22
The best days of summer return in July with the Aquatennial, held in locations around downtown Minneapolis. Gear up for this free, four-day festival chock-full of events, including a tennis classic, torchlight parade and 5K, River Rats water ski shows, Minnesota Twins games and much more. And, of course, the fun always ends with a grand finale fireworks show (one of the top five fireworks displays in the nation) over the Mississippi River. You won’t want to miss out on all of these family-friendly events that celebrate our city of Minneapolis.

Rock the Garden

July 22
The Walker Art Center rocks out at the annual Rock the Garden summer concert. Headlining this year is Grammy-Award winning Bon Iver, along with seven other performances featuring several Minneapolis artists. While you listen to the live music, make sure to take a look around the newly renovated Minneapolis Sculpture Garden with 17 new installations, including Katharina Fritsch’s “Hahn/Cock,” an ultramarine blue rooster that stands 24 feet tall. General admission tickets for the concert cost $69.

Open Streets Minneapolis

July 23, August 6 & 27, September 9 & 24
Main thoroughfares are temporarily close down to open the streets to walking and biking at these block parties. Supporting local businesses and sustainable transportation, vendors line the streets at Open Streets with locally made products, food, art, performances, free giveaways and more. There’s still time to catch the fun on July 23 on Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue, August 6 in Northeast Minneapolis, August 27 in Franklin, September 9 on West Broadway Avenue) and September 24 on Nicollet Avenue.

Minnesota State Capitol Grand Re-Opening

August 11-13
After four years of major restoration, the Minnesota State Capitol is reopening in August with a huge celebration. Live music, dance performances, yoga classes, fireworks and kids zone are only a handful of the fun events planned. Get a glimpse inside the newly renovated Capitol by going on a tour, beginning every 30 minutes from the Information Desk. The celebration goes from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Minnesota State Fair

August 24-September 4
The 12-day extravaganza that is the Minnesota State Fair is the best way to end the summer. With demonstrations, live animals, art, music, rides and every food you could imagine on a stick, this event is an absolute must-see. Grandstand performances this year include Nickleback, Stevie Nicks, Jim Gaffigan, Toby Keith, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, John Mellencamp, Pentatonix, Usher, Garrison Keillor and Sam Hunt. There’s nothing better than the great Minnesota get-together.

Summer Concerts

ASK A LOCAL

The post Summer in the Twin Cities Events Roundup appeared first on Visit Twin Cities.

Valleyfair’s Food Truck Festival

Aubrey Schield — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 17:14:47 +0000

FOOD ON WHEELS AT VALLEYFAIR

Visit Valleyfair this Saturday and Sunday for the amusement park’s annual Food Truck Festival

Image courtesy of Valleyfair

By Aubrey Schield

Spicy street tacos, melt-in-your-mouth burgers, refreshing scoops of fresh ice cream. Is your mouth watering yet? You can expect all this and more and this weekend’s Food Truck Festival at Valleyfair in the southern suburb of Shakopee. This Saturday and Sunday, a fleet of nearly two dozen food trucks will roll into Valleyfair and set up shop during park hours, which are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Whether you crave some delicious fro yo to cool off or want to try something a little different (I recommend trying the Pho French Dip from Russell’s Traveling Kitchen), there’s a little bit of something for everyone. And the best part of this food truck extravaganza? The event places you within walking distance of the more than 75 rides and attractions of Valleyfair.

Check out some of the food trucks that will be slinging delectable bites at Valleyfair’s Food Truck Festival.

Fro Yo Soul
Self-serve frozen yogurt doesn’t get much better than this. Plus, everything here is organic.

Minnesnowii
Who doesn’t love a cool, sweet treat like a snow cone? Minnesnowii serves authentic, Hawaiin-style shave ice in several flavors.

Russell’s Traveling Kitchen
Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on the Pho French Dip, which features traditional Pho flavors in a sandwich with tender prime rib, fresh veggies and au jus.

Smashed
Gluten free? No problem. Enjoy the entirely potato-based menu at this truck.

Chopstix
As the truck says, it’s an “Asian invasion.”

Pharaohs Gyros
Some of the best Mediterranean cuisine you’ll find in the Twin Cities is served on wheels.

Sasquatch Sandwiches
These are some serious sammies inspired by all things Minnesota.

If you go…
In order to get into the Food Truck Festival, you have to pay regular Valleyfair admission.

Food trucks will be parked near Snoopy Plaza, in the center of the park.

The post Valleyfair’s Food Truck Festival appeared first on Visit Twin Cities.

Behind the Scenes at the North Loop’s Inbound BrewCo

Aubrey Schield — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 18:35:49 +0000

INBOUND IN DEPTH

Check out the North Loop brewery releasing a new beer every week

Images by Stuart Wainstock

By Aubrey Schield

Minneapolis’ North Loop is quickly becoming a new brewery central for Twin Citians. Throw in a few more taprooms and the hip dining, shopping and entertainment district might even rival its neighbor to the east, Northeast Minneapolis. While craft beer veteran Fulton Brewery has been a tenant of the area for nearly a decade, newcomer Inbound BrewCo has made a name for itself on the brewery scene.

Located just a hop, skip and a jump from Target Field (it’s the perfect spot for pre- or post-baseball game libations), Inbound BrewCo prides itself on a constant rotation of new releases, along with a handful of tried and true beers, such as the best-selling Apricot Pale Ale and delightfully drinkable Stoned Wheat Polish-style beer.

Inbound’s taproom is spacious and airy, with an industrial-chic vibe that echoes the overall feel of North Loop itself. Along with its arsenal of tap lines that are constantly featuring new brews, they have an intimate stage for live music on weekends and an upstairs mezzanine for private parties and the occasional table tennis tournament.

Where It All Began
Inbound is the revamped, rebranded version of Minnetonka‘s Lucid Brewing, which continues to brew under the moniker North Loop BrewCo. Inbound owner and co-founder Jon Messier explains that Lucid was open back in the pre-Surly Bill days, when breweries weren’t allowed to sell their products in onsite taprooms, so they were missing out on the big brewery boom that hit the Twin Cities. Their solution? Open a taproom and start fresh. After finding space in the North Loop that was previously owned by a garbage sorting company (Jon laughs about the two-foot-thick layer of dirt on the floor of the building when they bought), work got underway on Inbound BrewCo, the neighborhood’s third craft brewery and taproom.

Behind the Brewing Scenes
The brewers at Inbound BrewCo are constantly coming up with new ideas for recipes, beer styles and unique flavors so you can expect a new beer every week. In order to facilitate this high-quantity operation, they have a large brewing area; several pallets hold 50-pound bags of malt varieties, pipes run in every direction and fermentation tanks in varying sizes tower high above.

Inbound’s brewers are currently working with The Fish Guys of St. Louis Park on an oyster-infused stout soon to be released. I don’t claim to be a seafood fan, so I can’t give a preemptive stamp of approval, but if it’s anything like their other brews, there will definitely be some happy customers.

Additionally, Inbound just released their Hibiscus Saison, which marries a tart, fruity bite with the alcohol notes of a wine. Specially bottled in 750 ml bottles featuring a minimalistic label and wax-dipped seal that would color the distillers at Maker’s Mark proud. I’m usually not a big saison fan, but this beer just might have turned the tables, with it’s touch of sweetness and refreshing aroma. Plus, the color is nothing short of mesmerizing.

Visit the Taproom
With rotating food trucks featuring everything from street tacos to saucy barbecue, along with outdoor seating and giant garage doors that bring the outdoors in, Inbound BrewCo is a great place to gather with friends and family during a brewery crawl (don’t miss nearby Fulton Brewery and Modist Brewing Co.!), before or after a Twins game, or simply a relaxing evening with good company and good beer.

Coming up in July, Inbound is hosting the 5th annual Nershfest free music festival. Head to the brewery July 15 from 3 to 10 p.m. for an outdoor party featuring live music by Black River Revue, Come Together, Hustle Rose and General B & The Wiz.

The post Behind the Scenes at the North Loop’s Inbound BrewCo appeared first on Visit Twin Cities.

Chef Shack Ranch

Kelly Benson — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 17:58:15 +0000

CHEF SHACK RANCH

Fine dining on four wheels

CHEF SHACK RANCH

chefshackranch.com

Run by duo Carrie Summer and Lisa Carlson, Chef Shack Ranch is an excellent choice for affordable food with fine-dining quality—yes, even out of a food truck. With an emphasis on local and organic ingredients, you can get your fill every Saturday morning at three different farmers markets. Head to Mill City, Fulton or Kingsfield farmers markets between May and October, or head to their restaurant in Minneapolis year-round.

The post Chef Shack Ranch appeared first on Visit Twin Cities.