SEASON 2- Premiere Aired on August 14, 2011 -THE FOOD TRUCK TEAMS
Café Con Leche (Van Nuys, CA), serves up late-night authentic Cuban food on wheels with boisterous personalities and a go-getter attitude. Gabriel Martinez, Maria Felipe and Frankie Tosta bring the fun with passion for their Cuban heritage and inventive mindsets to intimidate the competition. This truck got its start when the trio found themselves in Los Angeles without a late-night spot for café con leche or Cuban sandwiches and took matters into their own hands. With founder Gabriel's café con leche recipe, Maria's salsa dancing and Chef Frankie's experience, this truck has been a party ever since wheels started rolling.
Devilicious
Devilicious (San Diego, CA), serves up insanely evil comfort food and irresistible combinations with dishes so good, they're bad. Best friends Dyann Huffman and Kristina Repp quit their jobs and opened the truck with their culinary expertise, while Dyann's fiancé Mark Manning is the duct tape for not only the truck but the ladies themselves. The team cooks their way across the country with dishes like fried mac & cheese balls with bacon—and they are determined to take their truck to the top.
Hodge Podge
Hodge Podge (Cleveland, OH), Owner Chris Hodgson opened his first food truck (Dim and Den Sum) on a dare, and Hodge Podge ("Great Food Truck Race") is his latest creation. Chris started his food trucks before there were laws or permits in Cleveland for them, but his magnetic personality and chef skills made his food an overnight sensation. Working with his sister Catie Hodgson and long-term girlfriend Jacquelyn Romanin, the team brings "the best in the Midwest" to the competition.
Korilla BBQ
Korilla BBQ (New York, NY), which stands for Korean + Grill, is the brainchild of Columbia University graduate Edward Song. After graduating during the country's economic downturn, he found himself thinking outside the box—unexpectedly enrolling in cooking school and taking his passion for Korean food to the streets of New York City. His high school friends Stephan Park and Paul Lee have been with the truck since day one, and together they have made Korean food accessible to the masses in a fast and convenient way.
The Lime Truck
The Lime Truck (Orange County, CA), run by a trio of young, passionate foodies from Orange County, has a unique concept with no set menu, other than a few staple dishes. Owner Daniel Shemtob, along with Jason Quinn and Jesse Brockman, has gained a big following in Southern California with this exclusive, gourmet restaurant on wheels. Fiercely competitive, these confident 20-somethings want every diner to leave the truck with a smile and a full stomach—but they also want to win.
Roxy's Grilled Cheese
Roxy's Grilled Cheese (Boston, MA), run by brothers/band-mates James and Mike DiSabatino, along with trained chef Marc Melanson, serves gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and makes each dish an experience. While touring with their band, James and Mike sometimes lived off five dollars a day, so simple sandwiches became their dietary mainstays. These Boston hooligans have fun serving up their twist to the childhood classic, adding ingredients like guacamole and foie gras. Marc joins in with his ingenious grilled cheese creations, as the competitive trio vies to put Boston on the map in the food truck business.
Seabirds
Seabirds (Orange County, CA), created by Stephanie Morgan, brings healthy vegan options to the streets with their fresh and innovative creations. Along with Nicole Daddona and Chef Raya Belna, these ladies are proving just how delicious vegan cuisine can be. The Seabirds are dedicated to using local organic ingredients to make their top-sellers, like Beer Battered Avocado Tacos and BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches. This all-girl team is competitive by nature—and ready to bring amazing vegan food to the masses.
Sky's Gourmet Tacos
Sky's Gourmet Tacos (Los Angeles, CA), known for its "Mexican food with a splash of soul," is the creation of Barbara Burrell, a former corporate executive who literally followed her dreams into the food world. Joined by Barbara's son Victor Burrell and business partner Kevin Minor, "the sky is the limit" for this truck as they serve their signature shrimp tacos and other delicious creations to their Los Angeles customers. Ready to bring their cooking cross-country, the team pushes their business ahead with determination and excitement.
SEASON SUMMARIES
EPISODE.1 "What Happens in Vegas"
Eight of the country's most skilled food trucks meet at the Malibu Pier to kick off a coast-to-coast culinary competition. In the season premiere, host Tyler Florence greets the teams and explains their gastronomic journey that ends in a life-altering prize of $100,000 for the winning truck. For their first Truck Stop challenge: they must create an inventive dish with one lobster and farmer's table ingredients. The dish that most impresses guest judge and acclaimed chef Susan Feniger receives $500 towards their final tally. Next, the trucks drive to Las Vegas, where they hit a Speed Bump: Tyler summons the teams to the Venetian Casino and spins a wheel filled with food truck disasters.
EPISODE.2 "A Pinch of Salt Lake City"
The seven remaining teams roll into Salt Lake City, and Tyler immediately explains the Truck Stop challenge: the teams must create an original sausage dish with the ingredients on the farmer's table, but the sausage is missing. The trucks head to world renowned Creminelli Fine Meats and create three customized links of sausage in hopes to impress guest judge chef Ryan Lowder and add $200 towards their final tally. The Speed Bump adds another game-changing twist as Tyler calls the teams and tells them to move the trucks to a new location, no matter how many patrons are on line.
EPISODE.3 "Rocky Mountain Highs and Lows"Tyler and "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts meet the six remaining trucks at a ranch outside of Denver. The stakes of the Truck Stop challenge are high as the winning truck scores a story on the Denver affiliate morning show that's sure to give them a serious marketing advantage. The teams have 50 minutes to harvest morel mushrooms and create an original dish to impress Truck Stop challenge judge, chef Frank Bonnano. Next, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway throws the teams a Speed Bump: each team must choose only one teammate to run the entire truck on his or her own.
EPISODE.4 "Big Bites, Little Apple"The five remaining teams roll into Manhattan, Kan., the home of Kansas State University, and meet Tyler at the county courthouse. Tyler gives the teams a college-themed Truck Stop challenge to stay on student budget and spend only five dollars at the local market to create an original tasty dish. With only a short time to prepare, the teams hope to impress guest judge Charles Fezzura and win exclusive rights to sell their food on the bustling campus during commencement weekend. The Speed Bump hits the teams hard: every item they sell for the entire weekend can only cost one dollar.
EPISODE.5 "Hog Wild in Memphis"
The final four trucks land in Memphis, Tenn., the barbeque capitol of the world, at Court Square Park. For the most grueling Truck Stop challenge yet, the teams have four hours to retrieve a 100 lb. hog from legendary BBQ joint The Rendezvous, carry it back their truck, butcher it and create a barbeque sauce and dish on the master pit. Stakes are high as the dishes are judged by Jim Neely, the godfather of Memphis barbeque. The teams begin to sell in the city, when Tyler calls with the Speed Bump: for the remainder of the weekend, the teams may not sell any dishes with meat. On the second day of selling, Tyler adds another game changer when informs the teams a local food blogger is presenting immunity from elimination to the truck with the best vegetarian dining experience.
EPISODE.6 "Midnight Truck to Georgia"The three remaining teams roll into Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, and learn that when it comes to food, Georgia is famous for two things: peaches and peanuts. Tyler announces the Truck Stop Challenge to create an original dish incorporating both items, but instead of providing these Georgia specialties, they must beg and borrow from the locals downtown. Chef Kevin Rathbun determines the winner and hands out a game changing reward - a guaranteed spot in the finals. All bets are off as Tyler reveals the game-changing Speed Bump: each team will lose their lead chef for the day.
EPISODE.7 "Miami Heat"
gets the $100,000 grand prize. Of course, the finale is filled with twists and turns that no team can anticipate and the first Speed Bump creates chaos as Tyler has both trucks towed away in the middle of the night. Then, the teams are rocked with a second Speed Bump - their current locations are shut down and they must head to the Cuban enclave of Little Havana. On day three, the finalists meet Tyler at the Miami River for the long awaited Truck Stop challenge: the teams will create a delicious seafood dish for local chef Michael Schwartz, but they must head out on fishing boats in the Atlantic Ocean to catch the fish on their own. As the trucks close in on the grand prize, it's time for the final Speed Bump - the teams must shut down and become a dessert truck for two hours on the final day.
