My Food Truck Summer

 This was my first summer working in Minneapolis and I am lucky enough to work right on Nicollet Mall where most of the Food Trucks in the Twin Cities spend their lunch.  Thanks to Twitter it is easy to follow and find trucks when you need to get outside for lunch.  I tried a variety of trucks and all were amazing and unique.

Turkey to Go

Twitter: TurkeyToGo

Find them at: Nicollet Mall and 6th or 8th

Favorite Food: Turkey Sandwich (plain)



Turkey to Go was the first food truck I tried out since they are actually open all year long, spending the winter in the NorthStar building food court.  The turkey sandwich is absolutely amazing and jucier than anything you will ever try anywhere else!  In the winter they also have Turkey Wild Rice Soup which is so creamy and delicious.  The food here is simple and straightforward.  You won't find weird names or food that you can only guess what on earth it is.  It is true Minnesota comfort food - proof of which comes from the fact that they are the turkey guys from the Minnesota State Fair.

Dandelion Kitchen
Twitter: dandelionktchn
Find them at: Nicollet Mall between 8th and 7th in front of the IDS Center
Favorite Food: Grilled Ham & Brie

I call their food "fancy comfort food."  They take something like a ham and cheese sandwich and substitute brie for the cheddar, add a plum spread and homemade dijon mustard and that is about the time I start drooling.  All their food is a great combination of new and old flavors.  Every day they have a soda which takes a old flavor like lime and add a new flavor like mint and BOOM you have an amazing soda.  The truck usually has a long line so make sure you get out there early!

Chef Shack
Twitter: chefshack1 and shackattacks
Find them at: always moving, check twitter
Favorite Food: Mini Donuts

The Chef Shack has two trucks, Big Red (chefshack1) and the Donut Truck (shackattacks) which is usually the one close to me.  I am going to go ahead and just say it, their donuts are better than State Fair donuts.  No lie.  These mini donuts have indian spices and must be made from whole wheat flour because they are dark and delicious!  While you're there you have to try the Arnie Palmer (in a cup!) because they make that from scratch and it is fantastic.  I must admit though that I have never tried any of their other food.  The other food is stuff like "beef tongue tacos."  They do have a Bison burgers but it always seems to be sold out when I get there.  I have heard all their menu items are amazing, I just need to get the courage to try it.

Smack Shack
Twitter: Smack_Shack
Find them at: moving along Marquette
Favorite: Classic French Fries

The Smack Shack is the biggest truck I've seen!  They have 5 people working in the truck and two taking money out front.  They specialize in seafood - mostly lobster - which is why I haven't treid any of their main dishes.  I have heard though that the lobster rolls there are the best.  Someday when I bring Patrick there I can give you more info on the food.

Cupcake
Twitter: CupcakeOnTheGo
Find them at: Nicollet Mall and 10th
Favorite: Everything!

This truck is the greatest thing to happen to Nicollet Mall since Target.  Seriously, every cupcake they serve is amazing!  The flavors are always changing and the combinations are wonderful.  The people working are always super nice.  They also serve shots of frosting - which is awesomesauce.  If you follow Twitter closely you'll know when they are giving out free shots if you mention twitter.





Food Trucks on a Thursday when they are displaced by the Nicollet Mall Farmer's Market



Coffee Cocktail Party

Now that Thanksgiving is over it is time to start thinking about the Christmas Cocktail Party.  One might think, why on earth is the barista talking about cocktail parties!?  Well I'll tell you why.  There are a lot of great cocktails and desserts out there that have the key ingredient of coffee!  Here are my favorites:

Espresso Martini
The Espresso Martini is a contemporary alternative to a classic drink.  The basic recipe for this drink is 1 shot of espresso, 1 shot of liqueur and 2 shots of vodka.  My favorite liqueurs to use are; Godiva liqueur, Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Crème, or Frangelico.  You can use any vodka plain or flavored.  I know that martinis are sometimes made with gin instead, but this is a bad idea - it will not taste good with espresso.  These can be shaken or stirred and taste best in a chilled glass.  It is greatest when topped off with a couple of chocolate covered espresso beans. 

Caribbean Coffee
For those of you who prefer a little more rum in your life, there is always the Caribbean Coffee.  You start with 5 ounces of coffee and add 1 tsp sugar, 1 ounce of rum and top it off with whipped cream.  This will be a little lighter on the alcohol but it is a perfect addition to a nice and rich dessert.  If you don't have a dessert planned, just add a little ice cream and voila - instant dessert.

Cloud 9
This one will send you straight to - you guessed it - Cloud 9!  First you must gather ingredients.  1 ounce Frangelico, 3 ounce Vodka, 1 ounce chocolate syrup, 4 cups coffee, 1 cup milk, 10 ice cubes and 2 tbsp sugar.  Mix it all together in a blender and when serving add some whipped cream on top.  This will put any future blended coffee drinks to shame.


Cafe Affogato
This little beauty is a dessert I first tasted at Macaroni Grill.  It is a scoop of vanilla gelato with fresh espresso and a shot of Frangelico liqueur poured over it.  It may just be the best thing I have ever tasted in my life!  Of course the gelato starts melting once you pour the hot espresso over it.  Once you eat what little gelato is left, you can then drink the melted gelato with the left over espresso and liqueur.  I did a home version where I used gelato, an espresso shot that I got from a local coffee shop and added some Crème de Cacao (since I ran out of Frangelico) and it was still amazing.

Tiramisu
When making a list of coffee desserts, one cannot leave out Tiramisu.  The key ingredients in Tiramisu are coffee, alcohol, cocoa, cream cheese and ladyfingers.  As Alan Jackson once said, "Too much of a good thing… is a good thing."  There are so many variations of this dessert and I suggest you try them all!  Here is a great recipe to get you started.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tiramisu-IV/Detail.aspx

Espresso Bark
If you're a simple person, you're going to love this simple dessert.  Espresso Bark is basically chocolate with coffee beans.  It's a great dessert that you can make any time and whip out when a party erupts.  It is also a great addition to hot coffee and It's a Wonderful Life.  Here is a recipe to start with but I suggest you try adding little things that you enjoy like nuts, sprinkles, etc.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Espresso-Bark/Detail.aspx 

There you are.  Now you know how to feed the coffee addicts at a Christmas party.