"food truck" news and stories

Natasha Case has worked in some of L.A.'s most prestigious architecture and design offices. She's also been a Walt Disney Imagineer. Fortunately for SoCal foodies, Natasha has traded in her drafting boards and graphing paper for baking sheets and ice-cream makers. She and her business partner, Freya Estreller, are the two "Principal Farchitects" for Coolhaus -- a pimped-out, find-us-on-Twitter truck that offers a variety of architecturally-inspired ice-cream sandwiches. Their menu is full of treats with names that are puns on terms from the world of design -- you can order the Frank Behry, strawberry ice cream pressed between two sugar cookies, for example.

We caught up with Natasha to get the lowdown on Coolhaus and the future of Farchitecture.

More from Natasha Case, Principal Farchitect of Coolhaus, after the jump.

Flickr, Infrogmation.

The legendary New Orleans produce vendor at the center of a documentary short set to be screened this week at Sundance needs a new truck.

For nearly 40 years, Arthur Robinson -- better known to residents of the French Quarter, the Ninth Ward and Marigny as "Mr. Okra" -- has tooled around town in a hand-painted pick-up, emblazoned with slogans such as "All is fresh" and "Be nice or leave."

"His truck is not running anymore," confirms Mr. Okra's executive producer, André A. Jones. "We're trying to raise money to buy him a new one."

While most mobile food trucks have dealt with the animosity of less than enthusiastic local eateries, few are subjected to veritable street-meat turf wars. Yet the revered Los Angeles street vendor, Taco Zone, was set fire to one Friday night this past June, reported the Los Angeles Times. The subject of much debate, the fire's origin was never ascertained -- but motives are surmised to include hate crime, envious competitors, vandals or gang activity.

Regardless, in a city brimming with taco trucks on nearly every corner, Taco Zone reigns supreme in Los Angeles. The no-frills Echo Park truck -- outfitted in a plain metal exterior and typically parked just outside a Von's parking lot -- may be as visually unremarkable as the rest of the fleet of local food trucks, but has garnered a cult following for its zesty authentic Mexican tacos.

More on Taco Zone -- and a photo of their fare -- after the jump.

Devoted Kogi fans. Photo: Alexa Weibel.

As street cart fare becomes increasingly sophisticated, heralded Los Angeles street cart Kogi BBQ is being commended across the nation for its brilliant adaptation of local cuisine and its reinvention of advertising concepts. Serving succulent Korean BBQ wrapped in freshly made tacos, the truck's empire has successfully spawned a proper fleet of three carts, spanning the vast Los Angeles vicinity in just one year.

The idea dawned upon founder Mark Manguera, 30, in the midst of a boozy, late-night taco snack: Why not transform the Mexican staple by filling it with a distinctly Korean stuffing? It made sense, Kogi creative director Alice Chin told Slashfood: "For some reason, Korean and Mexican chiles play well together with sesame oil, lime and cilantro." So Manguera partnered with RockSugar chef Roy Choi, procured a truck and took to Twitter – and the streets, in November 2008.

Armed with three trucks, sans fancy PR company or organized advertising, Chin humbly notes, "We are but your local L.A. taco truck... times three!" But it works: The trucks thrive strictly on their masterful Internet usage and -- most importantly -- word of mouth. With a Web site promoting the specials and Twitter updates indicating the weekly locations, the Kogi trucks inevitably attract more people than they can even serve, and specials are usually sold out well before the end of each shift, which serves anywhere from 300 to 800 people in a matter of hours.

More on Kogi -- and a photo of their fare -- after the jump.

Photo: Nate Steiner, Flickr.

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• A Good Appetite mixes up ingredients on-hand to make Coconut Pilaf with Chicken.
• Has Le Fooding's rapid growth caused its classic gathering to stray from its ideals?
• The new management at Tavern on the Green may be staring down one nasty labor fight after insulting workers with their recent work proposal.
• British TV chef Keith Floyd passes away at the age of 65.
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