1575 replies to this topic

[Holliday]

I can't wait to see this show. I like the food truck challenges on other cooking shows so I'm hoping this is going to be good. We'll see...

ETA:
Okay, not the best show but since pickens are slim on Sundays, I'm sure I'll keep watching.

Figures that the two trucks I want to try were in the bottom. Yes, I eat junk. Don't judge. :)

I initially wanted Nana Queens to stay but seeing as how they were a little whiny it's probably best they left since they would have got on my nerves.

I do wish they would have announced the amount of customers each truck had and not just the total made.

Tyler Florence...meh...but again, It's Sunday night.

Edited by Holliday, Aug 15, 2010 @ 10:05 PM.

[LissaLee]

I was really happy with the top two, as they were my top two choices. Nom Nom's sandwiches looked awesome, as did the crepes.

Ragin' Cajun can't get off my screen fast enough. He seriously BUGS.

[orchidgal]

Who goes into a competition without first checking that all the equipment (including having propane) is in working order? I thought they deserved to go home just for that huge mistake. Their whining was already getting on my nerves.

I really wanted to try Nom Nom's food.

[Holliday]

Who goes into a competition without first checking that all the equipment (including having propane) is in working order? I thought they deserved to go home just for that huge mistake. Their whining was already getting on my nerves.

OMG, Right? How could I have forgotten this? And the guy? "They are taking our dollars!" Dude, if your food is that good, you don't have to worry about it.

I call Ragin Cajun (or whatever their name is) as the winner. Nothing behind it ... just my hunch because, yes, the man is irritating, and Blondie bats her eyes.

[txconnie]

I am really looking forward to this. They came to our town this season.

[lillybee]

It looks like Tyler is looking a bit less paunchy.

[Fuzubanu]

I live in San Diego, so I was pretty thrilled that they started off the competition here and not in LA. LA isn't the only place in SoCal that likes to eat!

Glad the Nom Nom ladies came in first this week. Smart move to target one of the many farmers markets, and to partner up with another food truck to get even more business. I wanted to be offended when she tried to explain how gays would appreciate their sandwiches, but I was totally thinking the same thing when they said they were hitting up the one in Hillcrest.

Next stop, Santa Fe! Looking forward to seeing how different areas respond to some pretty diverse food.

[Quoll]

Decent show so far though i'm getting annoyed by all the closeups during confessionals. Very happy to see Nana go. They had the least appetizing food and the entire group annoyed me. Especially the guy. Only good moment w/ them was seeing them piss a customer off so much by making her wait that she looked like she was thinking about yanking one of them through the window. Sad part is that they would have been 1 or 2 if them were prepared on day 1.

Right now i'm rooting for Nom and the crepe team, but i'm curious about how well the fine dining-ish team will fare

[superboy]

You know what, I'm kind of IN love with the Nom Nom Truck and I already have plans to go there on Tuesday (thank God they are in LA).

I wanted to be offended when she tried to explain how gays would appreciate their sandwiches, but I was totally thinking the same thing when they said they were hitting up the one in Hillcrest.

At first I was like "whaaaa?" and then I thought about it: I'm gay, I freaking LOVE food trucks and more importantly I love love love trying out new food. Her business reasoning is sound cause she sure knows her market strategy.

[Major Misfit]

I missed the beginning of the show and maybe it was explained there, but how did these trucks just randomly roll up on a city street, easily find parking on a crowded night (like Nana's truck), and start selling food? Don't they need licenses/permits not only for the selling of food but also for filming?

You know what, I'm kind of IN love with the Nom Nom Truck and I already have plans to go there on Tuesday (thank God they are in LA).

Jealous! Their food looked delicious—I just love, love, love Vietnamese food.

Edited by Major Misfit, Aug 16, 2010 @ 4:56 AM.

[Quoll]

Pretty sure FN can file permits for all the filming stuff in advance since they've established the schedule for towns and dates, I feel fairly safe in assuming they can do the same for the trucks but thats pure guesswork.

Early in the show(after Tyler told them to drive to SD) a number of teams were shown jumping on their cells and laptops doing research and locating stores, in Nana's case they called the Event manager at the festival and got the only free space available for day 1 and Nom called and located the gay friendliest market. The others were shown locating the nearest vacant lot or street w/o posted parking limits after they stocked up. The Austin group was shown asking the owners of the dry cleaners they parked at for permission to use their lot.

Edited by Quoll, Aug 16, 2010 @ 8:30 AM.

[dagny]

I'm really confused at how the French guys managed to make as much money as they did with people pretty much running way from them.

Cajun guy needs to drop the crack pipe.

It looks like the food truck that has non culinary trained people may have trouble as they go forward.

[Holliday]

I'm really confused at how the French guys managed to make as much money as they did with people pretty much running way from them.

Methinks it's the editing monkeys

[RollingThunder]

I went to school with Amy and I do hope that her truck wins. I would love to have one of those grilled cheese burgers.

Edited by RollingThunder, Aug 16, 2010 @ 11:15 AM.

[Nutjob]

I missed the first part, but I'm rooting for Grill 'Em All based on their name alone. Metalheads unite!

[sammiekay]

.

Edited by sammiekay, Jan 11, 2011 @ 4:16 PM.

[dagny]

I can't get past the ridiculous business name.

As a person who has eaten at more than one "Good Friends" Chinese restaurants, I typically just go to places based on word of mouth or hunger. I still haven't been able to make myself go to the Sushi King place.

[polarbeet]

I don't really understand how the premise is fair.

I thought the same thing- I didn't understand how giving each team the same amount is putting everyone on "equal footing" when the costs to buy food will vary so much. Also, the grand prize of $50,000 doesn't seem like that much. (Of course, this is coming from someone who doesn't know anything about how much money a food truck makes.) How many days/weeks are they out of their regular locations (with, presumably, an established clientele in their area) while competing on this race? Is it going to be worth it to them? Maybe worth it just for the exposure?

I did enjoy the show, though. Good variety of foods and personalities so far.

[dagny]

How many days/weeks are they out of their regular locations (with, presumably, an established clientele in their area) while competing on this race? Is it going to be worth it to them? Maybe worth it just for the exposure?

I have a feeling this may be the case. If you try to go to any of the "Diner, Drive-in and Dives" places they are all pretty busy.

I suppose that the equal money is also a way to force the people to price their food so they get the most bang for the buck.

[Puds38]

Who goes into a competition without first checking that all the equipment (including having propane) is in working order? I thought they deserved to go home just for that huge mistake.

THIS. I liked Nana Queens and was really hoping they'd go far, but they really didn't seem very business oriented. Between forgetting the propane, not negotiating the concert fee and Ricky oversleeping and costing them 3 hours, they were kind of doomed.

As it stands now I'm rooting for Nom, Nom.

[CoyoteBlue]

Ragin' Cajun Guy can so go DIAF. Most annoying guy I've seen on the Food Network in ages. He would actually drive me away from the truck.

I wonder how Nana Queens decided on a menu of hot wings and banana pudding. It seems so random, like what you might whip up for dinner on a Sunday night when you realize you're out of food and don't feel like grocery shopping.

Dear Food Network editors, what is with the semi truck horns that blare out every time you show the trucks on the road?

[redfin4]

I'm really confused at how the French guys managed to make as much money as they did with people pretty much running way from them.

They didn't show everyone's prices, but quite a few of the trucks were quoting items at around $5 (banh mi, hot wings, pressed sandwich) while the French truck said they were able to charge more. I think their gazpacho was $5 while a lot of items on their menu were closer to $10 and some over.

I guess that's the trick - what will make more money: selling a lot at a lower price or selling not as much at a higher price.

How many days/weeks are they out of their regular locations (with, presumably, an established clientele in their area) while competing on this race? Is it going to be worth it to them? Maybe worth it just for the exposure?

I think Tyler said they would be on the road for 6 weeks. 2 days to sell and I guess the other 5 to drive to the next city. Besides the Austin Daily Press, the rest of the trucks look the same. So I wonder if maybe FN gave them these trucks and their original trucks are "at home" working. 6 weeks seems like a long time to put a Food Truck on hold.

[Quoll]

Wouldn't be too surprising if FN did sponsor the vehicles. A few teams don't really strike me as successful enough to afford the trucks and matching paintjobs for their cars.

Am I the only one who got the impression that the festival manager was talked down off camera by FN? Going from $1k for 2 days to $675 for 1 day to $300 for each day just seems a bit odd otherwise.

Edited by Quoll, Aug 16, 2010 @ 6:16 PM.

[biakbiak]

They didn't show everyone's prices, but quite a few of the trucks were quoting items at around $5 (banh mi, hot wings, pressed sandwich) while the French truck said they were able to charge more. I think their gazpacho was $5 while a lot of items on their menu were closer to $10 and some over.

Most of Spencer on the Go's main dishes are around $9 with sides being about 4-5. At least that is their regular pricing when they are home.

[hindymom]

When it came down to Nana Queens and Grill 'em All, I figured it would be Nana that were the ones that were out because we saw so much of them on the show. Didn't see Grill 'em hardly at all. If they were going to be the ones to go home, they would have shown a little more of them. Hollering nom nom out the truck window was funny the first time, not so much after that ..their food sure looked good though. Cajun guy can leave now, haven't seen anyone that annoying in a long time.

[HeavenLy]

I think Nana Queens lost because who wants to eat wings on the street? They're messy, they're not easily portable, and they were the "wrong" color (DH is from Buffalo and insisted the wings were too red.)

[Cinder63]

Taped it and just started watching -- was looking forward to this but the screeching and screaming in the first 10 minutes is quite a turnoff.

Agree that $50,000 isn't that much of a prize. Figure $35K or less after taxes -- so $12K per contestant for six weeks work. Hardly life-changing.

Those vehicle wraps with the team names are probably $3K to $5K apiece; oddly I just researched the price for a commercial vehicle -- maybe FN should've put the $$ into the prize!

[polarbeet]

I think Nana Queens lost because who wants to eat wings on the street? They're messy, they're not easily portable...

I wondered how they would have fared without their missteps because of this very reason. Wings are best, IMO, in the privacy of my own home, with grubby clothes on, and about 400 napkins or a dish towel. Messy indeed! The banana pudding looked great, though.

I was surprised at how well the Austin Press team did. They always showed them struggling for customers, except at the end, and they couldn't be charging that much for grilled sandwiches. When they got to the "name your price" idea, it seemed that for everyone that was overpaying, there would have been more people underpaying. Maybe they didn't want to look cheap on camera.

[Puds38]

Nana Queens menu sounds like an idea sprung from neighborhood favorites. I can see it working at concerts and as after hours bar food, even the messy wings. You get the right crowd of wing lovers and that's your business right there. It seems the running out of propane really hurt them since they had people waiting on the first day and had to give money back. I wonder how they would have made out if they hadn't run out. Anyway I hope they get to keep the truck.

[scarlett03]

I've eaten at the NomNom truck in L.A. and their food is GOOD. As soon as I saw they were on this show I thought, "They're going to win."

These food trucks are such a huge deal in L.A. I once stood in a 1-hour line to get food at the Koji taco truck, and I know people who've waited a lot longer. The popular trucks send out info on Twitter as to where they're going to be and people come from all over to get their food. It was funny to see them have to operate outside of their fan base.

I think the crepe truck could give NomNom a run for its money. Who doesn't like crepes?