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Food trucks are putting a twist on finer dining. No longer limited to hot dogs, greasy fried foods, and simple snacks, these mobile kitchens are serving up a variety of unique dishes, drinks, and a bit of entertainment, to crowds of hungry fans all over the region – even in the “off-season”.
Classic Crust
Mobile Catering
518.265.6724 | ClassicCrust.com
Delightful surprises are a big part of what makes Classic Crust Mobile Catering so special. They first started three years ago when Julie Carioto was just thinking of how to put her culinary arts training to use after spending 17 years as a stay-at-home mom – and have continued ever since.
“When we saw it, something just clicked. We absolutely fell in love with it and we just went for it,” she said. Julie and her husband, Greg, found the shell of their mobile kitchen in Charleston, S.C. and the front of the 1946 Chevrolet Classic truck that supports it in Alabama.
The rustic, down-home aspects of this vintage vehicle’s design are balanced out with upper-crust accents to create its unique style. Outfitted with a Mugnani wood-fired oven, three beer taps made from railroad ties, reclaimed wood siding, custom-made tin tables, and a brightly lit pizza sign on top, when this truck pulls up, you know you’re about to get a taste of the good life.
“Every single new party we go to, people are blown away. From the colors of the truck, to the beer taps, to the wood-fired oven, that’s always the reaction right away when we get there,” said Julie.
Then there’s the wondrous variety of pizzas to enjoy. The barbeque pulled pork pizza topped with coleslaw and Sriracha Aioli, and the pear pizza made with a combination of brie and mozzarella cheeses, fresh thyme and a drizzle of honey, are just a couple of the sensational selections on their fully-customizable menu.
“They sound different, look different, and people go crazy for them,” she said.
Appetizers such as goat cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in maple-smoked bacon and cucumbers filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese, salads, and desserts ensure each event, from backyard parties to gorgeous barn weddings, will be one-of-a-kind.
“Nothing on the menu has to be set in stone. Everyone has a different vision and that makes it more special and fun,” said Julie.
What she loves the most however, are the people, she said. They have surprised her in some spectacular ways.
“The best part is the people I’ve met. They are really amazing. Before, my world was a little bit smaller,” she said.
There was the Emmy award-winning producer who experienced her food locally and offered to ship both her family and her truck all the way out to the West Coast for a special event. Then there was the unexpected gift commercial from Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor Africa, and his beautiful bride Lisa Heywood, owner of Lisa Heywood Interiors NY. Now, what has been a family adventure from the beginning gets to include more people than she ever imagined.
“I’m really in a happy spot right now,” she said.
Classic Crust Mobile Catering operates from April to October.
BarStream Events
518.350.7227 | BarstreamEvents.com
Hitting the streets is one of the most appealing aspects of operating BarStream Events said co-owner Adam Lombard. Working with childhood friend Ben Diedrick, the mobile bar business launched in May.
“We get to experience new places, new people, and get to see how different people live,” said Lombard.
He has been working in the food service business for nearly two decades at Saratoga staples including PJ’s Bar-B-QSA, Longfellows Restaurant and Lily & the Rose.
Diedrich joined the Peace Corps after college, indulging his travel bug with eight weeks of backpacking through Europe. Their combined experiences led to the creation of a memorable
bar and lounge in their completely re-invented 1966 Airstream Safari trailer.
“When I think of traveling through the U.S., Airstream is the first thing that comes to mind,” said Lombard.
It took the duo a year and a half to completely renovate the previously gutted trailer. They learned how to set-up the water, electricity, and even which polishes to use mostly with the help of online videos and forums, he said.
An eye-catching marketing tool, the nostalgic trailer now has a glistening exterior ideally suited as a brand ambassador for magnetic vinyl signage, while the sleek polished aluminum interior provides a sophisticated VIP lounge and photo booth.
“People are shocked when we tell them it’s a 1966; they can’t believe how we got it to look. Seeing the before and after, it is amazing,” said Lombard.
Featuring innovative multi-zone refrigeration and ten taps, they have the capability to serve kegged beer and wine, cocktails, customized frozen drinks, as well as hot beverages.
By researching local breweries, distributors, and what’s popular in each area, (after the busy fall wedding season) they hope to spend their first winter season in the warm climate of the American Southwest.
Deliciously Different Specialty Items, Inc.
518.681.1926 DeliciouslyDifferentSpecialtyItems.com
As an extension of their full-service catering, last year Robin Smith and her husband Mark launched “The Bar Car”, a quaint renovated vintage towable trailer.
“We wanted to add that kind of feel – something that is trendy and different but is still in keeping with our style. This elevates our business. It doesn’t change our business,” said Robin.
From tasty appetizers such as French toast roll-ups, and chicken wrapped with pancetta served with honey mustard, to fortifying salads including their popular spinach salad with goat cheese, strawberries, pecans and homemade croutons, to entrees such as
their chicken with artichokes and plum tomatoes, Deliciously Different is redefining our expectations.
“We serve things that are going to get people excited. Food that is just yummy and delicious,” said Robin.
By combining the simple home cooking she learned from her mother, with the techniques she adapted from years of experience with a “wildly successful” catering company, Robin keeps her hands in the menu selections while also managing the rapid growth of her business.
Delivering good, farm-fresh food made with local ingredients to all kinds of events year-round, it’s often the corporate and charity events that can be the most rewarding, she said.
On the coldest day of December last year, they served hot chocolate and collected Toys for Tots while providing a photo booth for guests to bring home a Christmas card-worthy souvenir.
At the 3rd Annual Aim Services Croquet on the Green tournament and garden party that helps fund services for people with disabilities; her team worked in the spirit of fundraising by striving to create delightful and memorable dishes.
“One thing we love about this business is putting in that extra flare to bring more people to fundraisers next time. We enjoy that - and the compliments are heaped upon us at the end of the day. There were a lot of hugs at the end of the night. We were so thankful. We both stood there in awe. It was really great,” she said.
Airstream Catering Co.
716.397.8338 | AirstreamCateringCo.com
No matter how you roll, the retro-cool Airstream Catering Co. can serve up crowd-pleasing classic foods with a contemporary flair.
A collaboration between Saratoga’s Cantina Restaurant owners Jeff and Heath Ames, restaurant manager Ashley Freeman, and chef Nick Cook, they can create unforgettable farm-
to-table dishes for your next party or event.
“We love building custom menus and
putting a modern, upscale spin on the
classics,” said Freeman.
Popular menu items include everything from prosciutto wrapped blue cheese pear bites, devil eggs, and BLT biscuits, to miniature meatloaves served with truffle mashed potatoes, and spicy ahi tuna tacos served with avocado and habanero salsa.
“We love working with clients, designing menus and being there the day of; everyone’s just so happy, and it’s just great,” said Freeman.
Serving from a refurbished Airstream trailer that had many lives before its current one (including as a pop-up lingerie shop in Manhattan) is an added attraction for event guests.
“People remember their dad driving the family around in their Airstream from the ‘60s and ‘70s, so it’s a cool talking point,” said Freeman.
For the team, creating and serving the food from an Airstream has been easier than learning how to drive it. Towing the 23-foot trailer filled with 3,000 tons of restaurant equipment and figuring out how to pull into small spaces proved quite the challenge, at first, said Freeman. Now, when they encounter steep hills or tiny driveways, often they can park nearby, and make it work.
“Every event you learn how to go with the flow, but it’s fun,” she said.
Weekday meal drop-offs is a unique service that Airstream Catering Co. offers in the off-season to residents living within five miles of downtown Saratoga Springs. There is no minimum order required for deliveries.
Fitzy’s Fork in the Road
518.879.1407
facebook.com/FitzysForkInTheRoad
After 30 years spent working in fine dining restaurants such as Siro’s and Saratoga’s Hall of Springs, Scott Fitzgerald wanted to relax a bit.
“There are all kinds of really good foods that normally you wouldn’t get off a food truck but served with the casualness of a food truck. There’s kind-of a sense of people’s laid-backness when you pull up and plug into their garage,” he said.
Serving staple menu items such as spinach artichoke dip, pulled pork, and quesadillas, Fitzgerald said he changes the menu up on a regular basis and also prepares some “off-the-wall” dishes including duck sliders or turkey with brie and chutney.
“We do all kinds of different things or I would go stir crazy. It’s all made from scratch and on the healthier side,” he said.
Sensitive to those with special dietary considerations, includes offering gluten-free and vegan dishes when requested, has earned him many of his repeat customers and word-of-mouth recommendations, he said.
“I’m never going to make it,” Fitzgerald recalls saying when trying to maneuver the brutal Devil’s Kitchen Hill Climb to Hunter Mountain for a 4th of July celebration. With a 600-foot drop on one side of him and a 45-degree angle ahead, he persevered and was rewarded with extremely happy party-goers and a fireworks show.
“When they see what you do – it’s fun. They get really excited and we feed off that too,” said Fitzgerald.
Running the food truck has also allowed Fitzgerald to spend more time with his family. His grandchildren selected the company name and his wife Kathy is the business manager. They sell their own line of hot sauces and humorous t-shirts, as well.
In the summer months, at lunchtime Fitzy’s can often be found at the Saratoga Technology Energy Park, 107 Hermes Road in Malta, and other large professional establishments, but the bulk of their business comes from catering clientele.
Pies on Wheels
518.798.0000 | PiesOnWheels.com
When David and Cristina Britton
developed the plans for their first mobile wood-fired pizza truck, they were met
with some skepticism.
The first hurdle was driving and transforming the dilapidated International truck up from South Carolina. Outfitting it with the largest available commercial open-air oven in 2009, they were so successful that in 2014, Pies on Wheels added a second smaller truck and a Wing Wagon equipped with a 10’ Churrasco grill.
“It’s a special piece of equipment so we can make anything under the sun. It can get very exotic in addition to pizza,” said David.
While their selection of artisan wood-fired pizzas served up with locally-sourced fresh toppings are the stars of the show, a large menu of antipasti, salads, and entrées is also available. These include a flavorful paella, David’s personal favorite, and salmon roasted on a cedar plank and rubbed with grainy mustard that is also beautiful, he said.
“Our biggest challenge is also the most rewarding - which is keeping up with demand,” said David.
With a resume that includes the Saratoga Polo and Catering Company and appearances on Food Network’s Dinner: Impossible, David continues to try out innovative ways to keep the food business exciting. One of the selected chefs at the 100th Anniversary of Perona Farms in Andover, N.J., he built another trailer covered with sod and herbs especially for the July event.
“It was really, really interesting and different. It’s a really neat addition to our fleet,” he said.
In addition to being under contract at Saratoga Race Course, other festivals, and private parties have kept Pies on Wheels so busy they haven’t had the time to park as a street vendor, which is what people typically think of food trucks doing, said David.
Operating under a franchise discipline allows this family-owned business to interact with large crowds of customers while maximizing their season, which runs from April to October.
“It’s a passion opportunity. We’re considering selling with it, along with everything that makes this truck what it is, so that customers can find the same things in the next one,” said David.
In his “kitchen laboratory” located within The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, David is cooking up a new line of Agro-Dulce bottled sauces in flavors such as rosemary garlic and mango coconut.
“Pies on Wheels is a blast and this is an exciting chapter for our company. It’s a creative visual process that gets intensified in the brewing. I wanna get in and push the pedal to get it all bundled into one really cool product,” he said.
