8 Years

Now we are eight. We first rolled the Truck out to sell some coffee early on Saturday morning on May 26th, 2007. It was an eye opening first day, as a first day of any new business might be. My first customer bought a cup of drip coffee and gave me a copy of the Watchtower and a very small Bible. That Bible is still in the Truck today – in the rear of one of the drawers below the register (every new Barista is surprised when they find it). (New fabric shown here by our friend Tiki Tony).

Maybe running a mobile coffee business for eight years isn’t as big an accomplishment of, let’s say, having a successful talk show for over 30 years and 6,000+ shows like Letterman, but it’s been a fun ride. To put things in perspective, things were different in 2007:

• There were NO other “gourmet” food trucks in San Diego. There were only one or two in LA, and have since closed. (We’re officially the longest running one of them “fancy food trucks” in California.
• The Specialty Coffee world was much smaller. Stumptown had just expanded to Seattle from Portland, Intelligentsia only in Chicago, and San Diego really had only two cafes pushing the envelope of “better” coffee- Bird Rock Coffee Roasters & Caffe Calabria.
• There was no Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Our Truck did have a Myspace page, though. For kicks you can click over and scroll through photos HERE. Building a personality for a Myspace page for a Truck shaped the voice for all social media to follow. Unfortunately the profile for the Truck has since been deleted (“I love long walks on the beach…”).
• The local food scene was different. There were just a few craft breweries in business. Ballast Point opened just a year before, and all those great restaurants you love now may not have been around. (Urban Solace opened up in 2007, which marked the beginning of all them changes on 30th Street- and North Park as a whole).
• While you can now pick and choose from a variety of farmers’ markets in San Diego County throughout the week, there were a lot less options to choose from. Many had to leave their neighborhoods to find local produce. A number of other markets that we’ve loved have since closed- though dozens have jumped in to take their place. We’ve worked at a bunch through the years, and are happy to continue vending at the Little Italy Mercato every Saturday & at the Hillcrest Market each Sunday.
• Comic Con didn’t sell out in a matter of minutes- and the Truck used to hang out in the Gaslamp back then. This was perfectly legal and accepted then- there were no other mobile food vendors, so the Orange Truck was a bit of an oddity. We served actors, fans, police officers, and hundreds of others. (A few years later we helped run a great big promotional & food truck lot in the Gaslamp with our friends at the Sweet Treats Truck). We still cater events during Comic Con with our smaller catering stations with our partners all over San Diego.
• “Cold Brew” wasn’t a noun, it was an adjective, and it was simply how we made our iced coffee, because those other ways didn’t make particularly good iced coffee. (Check out our blog post from 2011 about that HERE).
• Convoy Street restaurants were on Convoy Street, not in the “Convoy District.”

Photo by Studio Carre.

The “Joes on the Nose” staff has grown- from a solo owner/ operator, to a small staff of under ten employees (plus one baby). We continue to expand our catering division, working with hotels, caterers, the San Diego Convention Center, and countless local and national businesses to bring specialty drinks and service to their special events. It’s a blast, and it’s only getting better.

We continue to study coffee and learn how to make better drinks. We try to offer a drink for everyone at the Big Orange Truck- from a well extracted espresso to a Horchata Latte made with our own Trucker-made Horchata Mix to our latest approach making dairy-free coffee drinks, using bitters, club soda, our cold brew coffee concentrate and other ingredients.

Thanks for taking the time to read all of those weird signs we hang on the Truck at the markets, listening to our  playlists (hearing Martin Denny makes ordering a latte so much better, right?),  booking us for your catered events, making friends with strangers while in line, and for not being a schmuck.

You rule.

Hugs,

David & the JOTN Barista Crew

Seven. Years. Old.

We can’t believe. It was somewhat of a gamble when I found this white ice cream truck in Clairemont back at the tail end of 2006. I was familiar with the idea of food trucks, having eaten off of them for years while working in the film business- enjoying great meals that made working fun, despite the twelve to fourteen hour days. However, the proliferation of “gourmet” food trucks hadn’t yet begun in Southern California and it was risky to say I was going to open up a coffee truck to serve surfers and beachgoers- and make a business out of it.

We’re proud that we were able to (dare we say?) kickstart the Food Truck movement in Southern California. There were only one or two “gourmet” (I hate that word, but we’ll use it anyway) Trucks operating in Los Angeles at the time (neither of them still open), so I wasn’t quite sure how people would react to it. We opened up (well, I did, as the sole operator/ employee), and first rolled the Big Orange Machine out into Pacific Beach on May 26th, 2007. People were genuinely surprised, and a bit confused, to see an Orange Truck parked next to Crystal Pier selling drinks (plus  surf wax and Zinka sunscreen, thanks to Rich (now owner of Mission Surf, a cool shop that you should definitely check out).

What a long, strange trip it’s been. Now on our second generator, third onboard refrigerator, and our umpteenth airpot (they like to jump off of the carts we use to bring them into our commissary to clean them), it’s been a pleasure serving all in San Diego- and serving almost 100,000 customers to date. We’re also proud to be a coffee pioneer here in town. To explain further…

While now we may find a number of higher end cafes and roasters in San Diego (and across the country), there weren’t half as many back in 2007 .I knew Stumptown Coffee up in Portland (not yet in Seattle, NY, and LA) because my barber grew up with Duane, the (then) owner, and I got some info during haircuts via text. My education in coffee was learned by meeting with roasters (local SD roasters, including Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, who I continue to work with today), but also companies like La Mill (who then had not even begun to think about retail spaces), Groundworks, and others that were working towards “better” coffee. Intelligentsia, now a fairly common name in coffee, was founded just two years before, and was strictly Chicago based. Latte art was something fairly new (here in the US) to the coffee world, and we worked our way, learning about espresso extraction, proper coffee brewing, and more- and continue to do so today. While many think, “oh, it’s just that coffee truck,” we’ve quietly been ahead of the game for a while (not to brag, but we taught a few local shops about cold brewing, since we first started with that back in 2008.

While many know our Truck for our sweeter drinks, our regular espresso and drip coffee drinkers know that our heart lies in the beauty of a cup of unsweetened, undiluted, unmarked coffee- whether extracted via an espresso machine or any number of drip methods (I’ll save the subject of “pour-over” coffee for another post, and why we choose to batch brew (except at home). I made the decision a while ago to continue to sell sweeter options, since San Diego wasn’t quite ready to approach “third wave” coffee (something no other company in town, at that time, talked about). I had been reading about, and was quite inspired by Wrecking Ball, murky coffee, and other places (even places where Nicholas Cho was not involved, it’s true) that were pushing the coffee envelope. Always looking (and researching) better coffee, it’s been an adventure, trying Square Mile’s Coffee at Prufrock Coffee in London, and other great cups around the country.

Every month we revisit the idea of pulling the sweeter drinks off of our menu, and every month my staff reminds me that our fan base is split between our “box standard” coffee & espresso/ latte drinks, and those with “sweeter” taste buds. It’s for that reason, and in order support another seven years in business, that we’ll continue with a wide menu of drinks on our Truck. The coffee business, if you didn’t know, is about selling LOTS of drinks, and it’s the only way we’ve been able to hire staff, pay our rent, and continue to make our business, and drinks, strong since 2007.

 While we’ve had ups and downs (dying generators that we were convinced we could fix before giving up on them, old Truck issues, and low sales on rainy days here in America’s Finest City, strained negotiations after executed agreement with brick & mortar landlords for new retail storefronts (yes, it’s true)), we’re happy to be able to continue to serve everyone as best we can, for as long as we can. We’ll continue to work to do our coffee best, and continue to strive for a service level that will keep you coming back- since we can’t do it without you.

Huge thanks to all those in the Catering & Events industry, who have embraced our Catering Department and allow us to serve those at conventions, weddings, corporate events, and more. Equal thanks go to those who clean up after themselves at the Truck- you know who you are.

Hugs, David & the JOTN Barista Crew.

Photo by Studio Carre

Early Press:

Reuters, 2007

Specialty Coffee Retailer, 2008.

Serious Eats, 2010

Fresh Cup Magazine, Cold Brewed Coffee Article

 

 

 

 

5th Birthday Poll

The planning has begun. If you didn’t know, “Joes on the Nose” is turning 5 years old this May. I know, you’re as excited as we are.

If you (also) didn’t know, for the past three years we’ve rented out Skateworld in Linda Vista for a radical evening of skating. This year, we’re batting around some new ideas to celebrate our Truck leaving toddler-hood. And we’re looking for your input.

Please take the poll (below), and feel free to make your own suggestions. Please remember to make them awesome, k?

Banned Words (at the Truck) for 2012

Sure, the media (and social media) & everyone else is abuzz about Lake Superior’s State University List of Proposed Banned Words for this year. While it’s somewhat amusing to look them over, and perhaps even more amusing to look up to see who/where Lake Superior State University actually is, we’re taking it one step further and giving our own input of a few words we’d like to ban from the Truck. Yes, this might be directed at you- please, if yer sensitive, please click away.

Caramel macchiato Um, no. A macchiato includes espresso “marked” with milk. (Wiki). Around the world this would include a dab of foam, but we prefer a very short free pour of steamed milk. We serve ours in a demitasse cup- only, and  without any other flavoring. We can make you an (off the menu) caramel latte if you’d like- but we prefer to use the appropriate names for drinks (macchiato), as well as make them in a ‘proper’ way (sans caramel).

“Extra Hot” Cappuccino. We hope you trust our staff of professional baristi to know how to make you a drink that will taste better than you can make- if not a whole lot better than other places. We can customize drinks for you, in almost any way. Though we can’t pour  overly hot steamed milk in a cappuccino. Trust us. A cappuccino should be able to be enjoyed right away- the temperature (cooler than a latte) improves the flavor and experience. Please understand that we will smile and do our best to make you the best drink  possible- we’re also happy to explain why we make drinks a certain way. Thankfully, lots of customers have thanked us for these tips- and drinks.

Grande. Since 2007, our Orange Truck has been rolling around San Diego, offering drinks in two sizes: Lil’ and Big (or, if you will, “Small” & “Large”). While we appreciate you trying to order sizes in other languages, a “grande” (to us) is a larger (16 oz (hot) cup), not a 12 oz (lil’) one. Please understand that we will confirm your size with our “creatively” branded sizes (“um, would you like a little or big cup?”)- not to make you look silly, but just in case you have made a mistake (it’s possible) with your spanish as a second language skills. For us, a “tall” cup would be a larger one. The only passable usage at the Truck would be, “Man, the Naranja Grande is the bee’s knees.”

Iced Cappuccino. There’s no way in hell (or even Little Italy) we can make an iced capp, including putting warm foam atop an iced drink. An iced latte? Sure, but once you start asking to layer warm milk on a cold drink (b/c you’ve seen someone else order it somewhere else perhaps?), we encourage you to listen to our explanation of why we think it’s a really bad idea.

Regular. We prefer to divide the world into two kinds of people- those who divide the world into two kinds of people- and those who don’t. We find those who order a “regular” drink are, for sure, world dividers. What’s “regular” for you may not be “regular” than someone else. We’re also made a little uncomfortable by claiming your preferred drink a “regular” separates you from “the other” (think  Sartre over Hegel here), whose “irregular” drink is ‘off,’ and thus not as good as yours. Please keep this in mind when we ask if you’d like a “regular 12 oz” or “regular 16 oz” drink the next time you order your regular nonfat sugar-free soy vanilla latte with a little coconut whipped cream. 🙂

As for more words, oh well, there’s no room for ALL of ’em. Try just to look out for other people, listen to what people are saying, and to not drive all crazy like the majority of drivers here in San Diego. Be nice to others. Recycle. And please clean up after yourselves. Or at least put your trash in a proper waste receptacle.

Thanks for listening. Ciao for now,

David & the JOTN Barista Crew

This Was The Year That Was

2011 rolled by about as fast as our Truck on the way back to the shop after a long day of coffee-makin’. As the year draws to a close, it’s time to think about where we’ve been, and where we’re heading. We’d also like to thank all of you- for your continued business and support, your patience, your friendship- and most of all, for putting up with our stream of social media ridiculousness. As we enter into our (soon to be) 5th year of rolling around SD, we know couldn’t have done all of this without you- muchos mahalos, you rock.

Our abridged roundup of 2011, in a bright Orange nutshell:

– Truck Improvements.  Nonstop fixes, changes, improvements to the Truck. From emergency repairs (see: new Rhino-lined roof), aesthetic improvements (Orange drivers’ seat, flashy cabinet doors, stainless condiment table for the markets & special events), to interior Truck upgrades (new custom cabinets for storage) to help out our crew, and all the new stickers on the back of the Truck, there was never a dull moment. Not to mention finally tracking down moons to make our wheels the most bad ass in the Food Truck World (in the most friendly way possible, that is).

– Catering. Our Catering Division continued to grow- booked for trade shows, retail stores, corporate events, weddings, and more. Our Truck went along with one of our indoor Espresso Bars for a few events, too. We’re lucky to work with the best of the best in San Diego- beautiful venues, fantastic catering companies, and awesome clients. New services for Catering included Affogato Bars (Espresso w/ fresh scooped gelato) & our Frozen Lemonade Bar. More coming in 2012.

– More Trucks. While we never expected the growth of Food Trucks around the country when we first rolled out in 2007 (prior to all them fancy LA ones, thank you very much), we waited patiently to see what would happen to the Truck scene at home.

A year and a half ago we could count all on one hand, a year ago two hands, now we need a legal sheet of paper- or two. We do miss some of our faves that have closed (Dave De Jour & India on Wheels (James still talks about IOW’s Naanwich). We love teaming up for special events or street sales. Truck owners have even been organizing their own events to foster sales. I’m proud to say that Truckers have had been able to continually help each other out, working together to grow all of our businesses. From larger events (at Del Mar Racetrack) to regularly occurring ones (Mira Mesa, 57 Degrees, Eastlake, La Mesa, and more), team-ups help foster our local community of Food Trucks. We’re working on some fun events as well- stay tuned. We wish all the best to the new Truckers- and encourage new arrivals to learn from the veterans. Working together makes things better.

-Continued Absurdity. If nothing else, we try to maintain our sense of unseriousness at all times. While we pay attention to our espresso extraction and milk steaming, we like to have a good time- and for you to have a good time along with us- well, as long as you’re behaving (I’m talking to you, you messy Mercato customers). Whether it’s our (growing) sign collection, our endless hours of drink attempts in our Test Kitchen, or making sure Space Unicorn plays on a regular basis, we like to make the experience of coming to visit our Truck play a bright shiny part of your day.

– Stuff for Sale. From Orange Travel Cups to Reusable Plastic Tumblers to Unicorn Emblazoned Diner Mugs (from local artist (& pal) Eric Swesey), we try to keep things functional- and awesome. Hoodies, JOTN Unicorn Skateboard Decks & new Tees are coming. Action figures are still in the works, so please stand by.

Thank you. From the bottom of our wheels, thanks for your continued support of our Orange Truck (and Catering Division), and for playing along with us. While Maya tells me blog posts should be short (and to the point), that’s not quite how we roll. We believe in a roundabout existence- in the shape of a cup. Filled with love. And coffee. Thanks for reading.

Enjoy the (very important) video below, and make sure to take part in our poll (below that).

Hugs, David & the JOTN Barista Crew.

 

Thanks to Tom Lehrer, one of the greats, for allowing me to co-opt one of your album titles for the name of this blog post. Please don’t get mad.

Menu Glossary

We’ve got a lotta drinks on our menu- we admit it. We hear our drink names pronounced every which way (which we admit can be pretty funny). We hope explanations of the names will help peeps get the names right. If it gets at least one of you to order a “Shack Attack” rather than a “Shark Attack” it’s well worth it.

Let’s start with our name: “Joes on the Nose.” It’s a play on the phrase putting your ‘toes’ on the ‘nose’ of a surfboard- also known as noseriding, or ‘hanging ten.’ “Joe” refers to a cup of coffee,or cups of joe (we were pushing for bigger sales, even then). “Joes” is neither possessive or conjunctive, so please leave out the apostrophe on your site, blog, emails, & reviews. Thanks.

Americano: Espresso poured over hot water. The origin derives from Americans in Europe looking for their approximation of a ‘cup of joe.’ It tastes like a rich cup of coffee- albeit with more of a kick-and the crema from the espresso on top. We recommend ordering them “short” (with less water) for more flava.

Cheater Five:  One of our (many) surf themed drinks. Someimes a longboarder can’t hang ten, or even five toes over their board on a wave, and keep his/her weight toward the tail (rear) of the board. This might be due to experience level or due to the quality of the wave. The surfer stretches one leg forward to barely touch the nose of the board with his/her toes, making it look like they’re right up there from the beach (“cheating” a five).  I was a big fan of pulling these in the water. The above picture is local shaper Kevin Connelly hanging five all proper-like- he’s comfortable up there, no need for a Cheater Five (photo by Ben Fassbaugh).

Green Room: Spending time in the Green Room can be even better than hanging out at an Orange Truck. Crouch down on your board, let the wave cover you up for a second. Your heart beats a little faster as you pump your way out of that barrel, shooting out as a smile climbs up all over your face. That’s what spending time in the Green Room is all about. Our version has a matcha-sencha green tea combined with soy milk and a little vanilla, rather than the green hue of the Pacific surrounding you.

Green Flash: Named after a famous magical moment in San Diego (no, not our Truck). It’s an optical phenomena that can happen right as the sun sets- a brief green flash (or spot) is visible for a split second. Keep watching them sunsets, especially in the summer, and you can definitely catch one here- I’ve seen it.

Gromlet: While we couldn’t necessarily serve young surfers or skaters (Grommets or Groms) caffeine, we wanted a kid’s version of one of our popular drinks. We switched one of the m’s to an “l” and found out that adults dug these as much as kids. It’s our intro to the Aloha Latte: chocolate, macadamia nut, & coconut, sans espresso- topped with our Truck-made Coconut Whipped Cream.

(the) Jorge: Our blended Horchata frappe is named after our friend Jorge, who loves horchata more than you do. He’s currently living in NYC , where it’s hard to find a real taco shop, let alone horchata. He was just out for a visit, and bought a lot of people “his” drink. True story.

“Regular?” We still don’t know what you mean when you order something that’s ‘regular.’ Really. We think our stuff is just a little bit better than a lotta other coffee spots, and we believe that people are both inherently good- and different from one another. Meaning, what’s ‘regular’ for one may not be ‘regular’ for another. We will further address this question in an upcoming “Answers to Frequent Questions” sign and/or video. (Please see our first answer HERE).

Shack Attack: Our version of a hammerhead or “red eye.”  Espresso dropped into a cup of drip coffee. Getting “shacked” = getting “barreled” in surfing, or getting covered up by a wave. Getting covered, coming out of the barrel, then going into another, then coming out clean, is definitely a “Shack Attack”- and gets you going even more than a big cup of our Shack Attack. There are (hopefully) no sharks in/around a Shack Attack, though for some reason y’all think that “c” is an “r.” I’m not sure why, but it ain’t.

 Ten Over Acheeno: As you know, “Joes on the Nose” is a play on the surfer’s term of putting (ten) toes on the nose of a longboard- also known as hanging “ten over” the nose. It’s always fun to talk to friends after a surf session, and how it just wasn’t fair that Ben hung ten over on every damn wave (see: above).

What else at our Truck might need further explanation?

Cold Coffee.

It’s summer again, and lots of our sales have shifted to the “colder side” of the Truck. While our menu offers a lot of chilled out options, our iced coffee gets more popular every year, as customers learn about the quality of our Cold Brewed Iced Coffee.

Cold Brewing coffee has been around since the 1800s, starting with Dutch settlers in Indonesia. This brew method is so simple and avoids the “trouble” inherent with making iced coffee in different ways, including:

A. The Brew-Then-Store Method. This usually involves brewing dark roasted coffee (stronger), then letting it cool and put into fridge. There’s problems: #1. It forces you to use darker coffee than you might normally use. #2 (a bigger deal-breaker), Coffee’s flavor deteriorates/ changes as it sits. #3: Putting hot coffee in the fridge will raise the temperature, potentially putting your other stored foods (dairy, meat) at risk (re: food-safe temperature).

B. Pouring hot (drip) coffee over ice. Yes, it’s easy, yes, it’s what your folks may do (again, using darker roasted coffee), but it’s also wrong. The coffee is diluted by the melted ice, destroying any flavor in even one’s darkest roast (we avoid those coffees, anyway). We refuse to offer this as option to any of our customers- we just think you’re worth more than watered down coffee.

What’s a Cold Brew?

Cold Brewing coffee is a great (& easy) method of brewing a coffee concentrate, which is then diluted (purposefully) with hot or cold water to create an individual cup of good tasting joe. It’s also a “greener” method, using no electricity (save for grinding the beans).

While we sell small home cold-brew kits (see: box to the right, and phone/email to reserve one), you can easily make one of your own using a large enough jug and filtering device. The process is a basic one:

1- Grind Yer Beans. (Most places tell you to use a coarser, french press style grind, but we’ve been using a cone filter grind for years. It’s up to you to find what works/ tastes the best).

2- Saturate ground beans with (filtered/spring/good) water.

3- Brew (by letting it sit- no need to refrigerate). Minimum twelve hours of brewing, though more time = more strong. We suggest a 1/2 Gallon water used with 1 Lb. of ground coffee. This should yield approximately 32 oz. of concentrate.

4- Strain. Be careful to remove any sediment/ grounds when draining your coffee concentrate.

5- Dilute with water and serve. Cold Brew, or Toddy, Coffee Concentrate should be diluted before drinking- this stuff is strong. You can either dilute with hot water for your morning cup of joe, or dilute with cold water and ice for a glass of iced coffee- we recommend one part concentrate to three parts water/ice. We recommend experimenting with the ratio to find your ideal flavor.

Your brewed concentrate will last two-three weeks in the fridge with no loss of quality/flavor, too. Enjoy.

Want more info? Click HERE to read an article in “Fresh Cup Magazine” (yes, we’re quoted in it), or email us with any Cold-Brewing Questions (send to david@joesonthenose.com).

Ciao for now,

David & the JOTN Barista Crew

Orange-Approved Independence Day Tunes

As per usual, this year’s Truck Independence Day playlist includes a few standards, though we strive to include music that’ll not only make you smile, but will invoke a feeling of what July 4th is “about.” For us, this means spending time with friends and family, celebrating individuality and standing up for oneself. This year, we’re stoked to celebrate marriage equality in New York, and look forward to similar social change around the country- not to mention a working version of universal health care for ALL Americans.

We hope this  (shortened) list will help you smile through your holiday & BBQ even more.

All of us here at “Joes on the Nose” wish you a safe, happy, and fun filled Fourth of July. Here are a few of our faves from our 3+ hour mix on the Truck.

Recommended 7/4 BBQ Selections:

“America,” Neil Diamond (Please note: the live versions are pretty amazing). LINK

“Lost in America,” Pepper

“Young Americans,” David Bowie LINK

“Little Miss America,” Beach Boys LINK

“Corazon Americano,” Soledad LINK

“Born in the USA,” ‘Pickin’ On Springsteen’ (Album)

“America, Fuck Yeah,” Team America LINK

“Breakfast in America,” Supertramp LINK

“American Woman,” Guess Who

“American Idiot,” Green Day LINK

“American Girl,” Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers LINK

“America,” K’Naan (Featuring Mos Def and Chali 2NA) LINK

“America,” Simon & Garfunkel LINK

“I’m So Bored With The USA,” The Clash LINK

“Surfin’ USA,” Pennywise LINK

“Streets of Freedom,” Gladiators LINK

“Ruffneck Jazz,” Greyboy All Stars LINK

“Set Yourself Free,” Morgan Heritage LINK

“Freeman,” Burning Spear LINK

“Pink Houses,” John Cougar Mellencamp LINK

“California Sun,” The Ramones LINK

“U.S.A.,” The Breakaways

“Ventura Highway,” America LINK

“Party in the USA,” Acoustic Karaoke Version, Bridezilla’s Guide to Classical Wedding Music LINK

“America,” Spinal Tap LINK

“America,” Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass Band LINK (Amazing video).

“American Dream,” Down By Law LINK

“I Want To Know What Love Is,” Foreigner LINK

What kind of music will you play for the 4th? 

I Love My Trucks.

Yes, the heart shaped time of year is upon us, and while everyone scrambled to make special plans to showcase their love to their special someone, we realized how just much we loved our own Truck- and other local Food Trucks. While we never thought of our Orange Truck as a “pioneer,” all of the new rolling businesses coming to town are in fact changing the Food map of San Diego. And more are coming. The following SD Truck List is sequential, from when (approximately) each opened up. I’m hoping you visit all of our local Trucks to help support the movement. And get some good food.

The Holy Rollers:

Food Junkies. Website. Twitter. Facebook. Brett Doogan, the head Food Junkie, has been in the catering business for years, working for high end catering companies as well as using his flamed, meticulously polished Truck to feed film and television crews. Their “Street Food” menu includes a range of California “Soul Food,” including their BBQ Brisket in a Biscuit, a veggie Triple Cheese Samich, TJ Dogs, and the ever popular Tater Tots.

Joes on the Nose. Website. Twitter. Facebook. Yes, we had to list our Truck. The Orange Organic Coffee Mobile first rolled out in San Diego in May, 2007, and has been waking everyone up ever since. While not officially a “Food Truck,” this Drink Truck can be found at area farmers’ markets on the weekend, teaming up with other Food Trucks for lunch service during the week, and is available for catering. Viva La Naranja!

Sweet Treats Truck. Website. Twitter. Facebook. How can you not dig a company owned by Saints? Literally. Chris & Jennifer Saint got their first hot rod Ice Cream Truck out in 2008, but now have three different Trucks, including their recently launched Dessert Truck, which offers a variety of freshly baked Sweet Treats out of a pretty pimped out ride. Chris was at the forefront of the current Truck trend ensuring that the “look” of his Trucks matched the mood and quality.

Tabe BBQ. Website. Twitter. Facebook. Tabe BBQ was early to arrive on the SD Truck scene, bringing Asian Fusion cuisine to the streets. Their menu includes a range of spiced chicken/pork/beef/fish tacos, burritos, and bowls, as well as their popular Tabe fries. They carry a pretty groovy canned drink selection, too.

MIHO Gastrotruck. Website. Twitter. Facebook. Kevin Ho & Juan Miron came up with “Farm to Street” cuisine and launched their Gastrotruck in 2010. Word spread quickly, and their fresh cuisine (and fan base) took off- with good reason. Their menu includes locally sourced ingredients and changes weekly. The Truck recently had a little “makeover,” adding even more style to their already groovy looking ride.

Chop Sooey. Website. Twitter. Facebook. While it was pretty exciting to hear about the first Truck from one of San Diego’s favorite chefs, Deborah Scott, it was even more exciting to grab a bite of her food without having to make a reservation. As popular as their “El Pignini” is, their chilaquiles & carnitas tacos are pretty great. Chef Deborah’s second Truck, “Patty Melt” is coming soon. Thanks to the Cohn Restaurant Group for helping San Diego embrace the passion of the Food Truck movement.

KalbiQ. Website. Twitter. Facebook. KalbiQ, a Korean BBQ Truck arrived in San Diego, spending much of their time around UTC and UCSD (amongst other spots).  Their menu includes tacos, burritos, and bowls (fusion BBQ truck staples), including pork, short rib, & chicken options.

Devilicious Website. Twitter. Facebook. Our Truck was parked at the same festival in San Elijo Hills on the Devilicious Truck’s opening day. Immediately they were a hit, as people lined up to chow down (telling us how great their Lobster grilled cheese tasted, gobbling up their meal without ever offering us even one bite) . While some companies open quietly, Devilicious jumped right in it- and are continuing to rock it wherever they go. A great menu filled with good eats AND personality, they’re gaining fans all over town.

Corner Cupcakes. Website. Twitter. Facebook. The two corners of Corner Cupcakes quit their corporate jobs to spread the Cupcake Love around San Diego. Since they’re doing this on four wheels, we’re even more of a fan. Offering “personalized” cupcakes (letting customers choose the types of cake AND frosting, with different flavors each week), makes for an (almost) endless choice of cupcake flavors. Big customer favorites are the Red Velvet Cupcake, Salted Caramel Frosting- but the Horchata Cupcake (w/ Cinnamon Frosting) is my fave- though the Pink Champagne w/ Strawberry Frosting is pretty amazing, too.

Flippin’ Pizza. Website. Twitter. Facebook. A NYC Style Pizza Truck, owned by the owners of a number of North County Pizza Places (with the same name). A great looking Truck, they’ve come onto the scene and can be found slinging slices all over San Diego.  I just hope they don’t take the NY thing too far, and pray they’re not yankee fans.

Rolling Out Soon: More Food Trucks are a-coming. Yes, I’ve said this before- and I’ll probably say it again. There are a few other Trucks that are coming, though it’s premature to mention them. Here are a  few teasers of some Trucks rolling into San Diego soon (if you haven’t already heard):

Patty Melt. Chef Deborah Scott’s newest Truck. I’ve seen the graphics, it’s going to be great. And melty.

Green Truck. Launching in March, a San Diego of  this Los Angeles based biodiesel powered Food Truck is already looking for spots to set up. We look forward to welcoming more “green” centered Trucks to San Diego- including this one.

India On Wheels. San Diego’s second Indian Food Truck (the first one has moved into a permanent brick and mortar location, sans wheels) has announced their launch via Facebook. We look forward to finding out more- and eating some vindaloo deliciousness.

Please understand that customers come to a Food Truck for a very different experience than a sit down restaurant- even more so since I don’t know of any Food Trucks in the country with a liquor license. Restaurant owners, Trucks are not here to take away any of your business- the Food Truck experience uses disposable utensils, a mobile kitchen, and no seats (curb seating optional). I encourage you to come and meet the owners of the local Trucks. We’re all making food (and drinks) together.

If you could pick anywhere in San Diego for one of these Trucks to park, where would it be?

Dream Customers of 2011

Happy 2011. The fresh start of a new  year. I always sit back in the drivers’ seat and wonder about all the new faces we’re going to serve- it’s an exciting time. We love the visits from our regulars, of course- but it’s fun to wonder just who’s going to show up at the Truck for a drink. We’re visualizing that everyone on the following (incomplete) list will come visit us at the Truck in 2011.

If you’re one of the people on the list (and are reading this), come on down. You can have a free cup of joe- or anything else on our menu. Sorry, Biebs, you can have a Hot Chocolate. With coconut whipped cream.

1. Neil Diamond. I know, y’all think I’m kidding whenever I talk about Neil. I’m not. Whether it’s you singing about E.T., Sweet Caroline, or Rick Lyon singing your songs at the Imperial House, I’m with you. Extra points since we both grew up in Brooklyn? I admit, the (not so) hidden reason is that I’d love for you to cover “Shoop” more than anything- even better in person. @neildiamond, can I buy you a latte?

2. Biz Stone. Sure, you’re one of the founders of Twitter. Sure, I might use your visit for shameless self-promotion. Sure, I will give you a free latte- in exchange for a tweet (or two). A mocha? Done. Do you need directions or can you find us on your own? Find out where we are on Facebook. Ha ha, just kidding, Biz Stone. Please don’t hurt me.

3. Wayne Coyne. Not only are you the lead singer of one of the Truck’s favorite bands (“The Flaming Lips”), I think you’d get a real kick out of the Truck. Did you know one of our drinks (“The Flaming Chocolate”) is kinda sorta named after your band? Your  Twitter feed, hands down, is great (@Biz, you should really check it out- and please don’t hurt me). When you do come to SD the next time, your visit to the Truck’s on me. Bring Michelle, the band, your roadies- you’re all welcome. We’d love to be a part of the show (hint, hint). While I dig the big hands, the balloons, and the big globe, can I recommend a unicorn? Just a thought.

4. Irwin Jacobs, founder of Qualcomm. Thank you for all that you’ve done- including putting San Diego on the map as a place of innovation. Your humanitarian efforts, including donating to the Museum of Contemporary Art, UCSD- even investing in the Chargers (definitely a humanitarian mission this season), are amazeballs. It’s great to see you (and your company) continually invest back into their community. We’ve talked cappuccinos before at a catering event, and even discussed the Truck. Though you haven’t visited yet, I feel like 2011 is your year. Joan really seemed to get  a kick out of the idea of the Truck, too. I think your employees would like a weekly visit from us on campus, too. Can we talk?

5. Bruce Campbell. Just because you’re Bruce Campbell. I’m sorry for never offering you a coffee when I was on the set of Xena over ten years ago- the meeting just felt a little forced (true story). Granted, I didn’t know much about coffee then, but I’ve made up for it now. In fact, I’m pretty damn good at it. I’ll remember all I learned on that episode of “This American Life” with you. Your “Old Spice Commercial” predates the Old Spice Guy and doubles its awesomeness, btw.

6. The Biebs. Yes, Justin Bieber, I’d love for you to come to the Truck- for a few reasons. Since you’re just a “regular guy,” it’s innovation will surprise you. Since you’re not quite old enough to get a cup of coffee from our Truck (we still refuse service of caffeinated drinks to you kids, regardless of income level), we have lots of other drinks available for you- they even have an Orange star next to them on the menu. (!) I assume you might whine or get kind of upset and want an Aloha Latte or something- but I would (w/your permission) like to use you as an example. It’ll go something like: “Look, we won’t even serve Justin Bieber coffee, so why would we serve you a blended mocha?” Since many other corporate coffee shops will sell just about anything to anyone, we’re trying to promote fully grown human beings. It’ll really mean a lot to me. To all of us. In exchange, I’ll let you sit in the drivers’ seat of the Truck- and will take a photo for you to take home as a keepsake. Heck, I’ll even sell the Truck to you. Please just don’t sing the offer to me. Please.

Who would you like to be standing next to on line at the Orange Truck?