Suzanne Calling

Last week, I had time to kill between work and picking up my sister at the airport, as she had a pretty late flight in from New Jersey. I asked on FB if any friends were going to be around, and was happy to get a response from L, who was one of my cast members at Disney too many years ago. We needed to pick something toddler friendly, and between where she was and the airport. Urban Spoon came to the rescue and I asked if she wanted to try Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. It sounded good, so off we both went to a new location. We arrived around 6:30 and there were only a couple of tables occupied, but the staff was moving about, active in the operations. We were quickly seated, then greeted by three different servers. L quite liked this, commenting on the nice view of cute servers. They also were rather polite, because we were yakking instead of looking at our menus. Finally, we both selected pizzas and continued our yakking. I debated between a 12" traditional and th...

30 trucks, three hours. Three hungry people meeting up with family. Will we see it all? Once again, we failed in seeing every option before the clock ran out, but we got to try some new goodies and I got to introduce family to several favorites from the USF Health lunch trucks.

The lunch truck today was one I hadn't seen before, PaniniRiffic. I like paninis, they're good. In fact, if I suggest making my family paninis (using a cast iron pan as my press), they're all over it. In fact, we had roast beef with horseradish mayo and cheddar last Saturday. So, the idea of someone else making them definitely appealed. They came prepared, truck at the ready with a staff of three. Smart move, as they'd be the only truck and it was a gorgeous winter day around here. The menu had something for all tastes: roast beef, mojo chicken, a cuban, and a vegetarian option. Plus, they had fried yucca, plantains, and guava balls for dessert. This was my mojo chicken panini. I asked for grilled onions along with the mojo, because it seemed like it'd be a little better with them. Each panini comes on a bed of seasoned french fries, similar to the kind you get at Checkers. That was kind a surprise, because I saw one or two peeking out from ...

Some days, a new food truck is paired with one that has food that smells so good and you KNOW it's good that the temptation is to forgo the exploration for the sake of blogging and just get the tried and true. Such was the case Thursday, as Just Smokin' BBQ was there, some 'que would have been good right about then. Instead, I forged ahead with trying the new guy. I'm glad I did. Street Surfer is an apt name for a food truck, surfing the streets of Tampa on a quest to bring funky flavors to the masses. The truck has a great retro vibe. The menu, oh the menu. I was like the couples on house hunters, forced to rule choices out in order to make a decision. Italian beef was scratched off merely because I make a respectable version at home. I didn't want hot dogs, and I was down to the Mojo Nachos or the Shrimp Po Boy. In situations like these, I ask the person on the truck which to get. The gentleman told me the nachos were good, but the PoBoy was b...

Yesterday's new food truck appealed right off the bad, for it is Asian inspired. Kind Grinds is relatively new to the food truck business, and was a first timer at USF's lunch trucks, but if what I had is any indication, they're going to be around for a long time. Smart business practice: start small. It's easier to build your business when you are already out there serving your food, so they've got a pull along trailer, instead of one of those Grumman delivery trucks. It's small, with an eye catching exterior. Personally, I think the windows on both sides idea is good, especially as they build a clientele, they may need to serve out of both someday soon! The menus boast a variety of tastes and it was really hard to decide what to get, because there wasn't a single thing that didn't sound good. Ultimately, the idea of trying something I'd never had before (daikon) tipped me from a bowl to the Banh Mi, but which meat was going...

We seem to be getting one new contender into the rotation of lunch time selections at USF, and the addition this past week was A Dude and His Food. The offerings were all sorts of 'cheesesteaks' with beef or chicken, then various fries, and the day we saw them, cheese fries or onion rings. They also run a lunch special with fries and a soda for $10. In looking over the menu, I liked the idea of a gyro-inspired philly sub, though I fully expect it to be a huge mess to eat. The staff running this truck were very friendly and fast-an important skill on this blustery day. None of us wanted to be out there waiting for food, so they were speedy. I opted for the special with the drink and fries. I started off with the fries and they were closer to the crispy side and perfectly salted, which makes me happy. Didn't need anything added to them, a bonus. Started off eating that sandwich with a fork, and was afraid to pick it up, due to the quantity of fillings. ...

Since the daily food truck placement at work began, we have seen about a dozen regular participants with a new option here and there. Kudos to Tampa Bay Food Trucks, who coordinates all of this with USF, for starting to mix things up. This week and next, it seems that we're starting to see a 'veteran' truck paired with a new to USF option. It's smart marketing, giving us a familiar name to get us out there if the new guy's offerings aren't appealing that day. Another thing that has changed is that the original schedule was one truck Monday through Thursday, then things got so busy that they quickly realized two would be better. The most recent modification has been to add one truck on Friday. As two of the four colleges of the medical school either offer morning classes or no classes, it makes sense to plan for less traffic. And so it was that a new contender arrived today, AmericanWiener. They're old school, simple looking van, big graphic that r...

Today's food truck offerings were two that I hadn't tried before, Yukon Mike's Fry Bread and LizzieCakes. I wasn't sure if fry bread was going to end up being lunch (I was in the mood for veggies), but I assumed that LizzieCakes was desserts. Thankfully, I was wrong. I wanted fresh, I wanted veggies, and they had several options that sounded good. I went for the Chicken salad croissant with a side salad. Why not, it's croissant day. I debated the Greek salad, but also had a trip to Wawa for their chicken salad hoagie on my to do list for the coming week. (Yeah, Wawa. Good sandwiches, with my current fave being the chicken salad on whole wheat, pressed with cheddar. Yum.) The menu did have some tempting dessert offerings, but I just went for the lunch. Maybe next time I'll get one, like the coworker who got the bacon caramel brownie. The ladies were super friendly and quick. I had my food in under three minutes, though the weather really ...