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    Eat & Swig

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    Winter is quickly coming within reach of the Ville.  Soon our city will shed its autumn shades of amber, gold, burgundy and green and become covered with blankets of white snow.  And as winter approaches, some of the food trucks that we all have come to love and indulge will retreat from the streets we're used to seeing them on. 

    Just two years ago, WDRB News reported that there were about 35 licensed food trucks in the Louisville area.  Now, according to an official list of food truck and mobile vendors by the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government, there are over 50 licensed vendors with permits that do not expire until the spring of 2017.  As a result of the multitude of festivals, concerts and outdoor events that take place in Louisville (check out our Calendar) and all of the local business people that want a variety of quick eats for lunch, it's very clear that the food truck industry is striving to increase its presence in the city.  However, the reality of living in the central region of the U.S. is that the winter cold hits us without a doubt, and sometimes hits us hard.  This means that we will see a lot less of our favorite trucks over the next few months.

    In spite of this, there are still ways we can enjoy the fast and appetizing food we have all become accustomed to.  For one, some of the trucks that flee the cold still have brick-and-mortar restaurants with the same delicious cuisine that we can sit and enjoy within their comfy (and warm!) confines.  Restaurants like 502 Café Smokehouse & Sports Bar, Mark’s Feed Store and Ramiro's Cantina Mexican Restaurant (Ramiro's on Wheels), to name a few, have their doors open year-round.

    So what about the food trucks that don’t have restaurants to supplement business?  How do they survive the late fall and winter months when foot traffic will inevitably decline, and the weather could potentially coerce the usual lunch crowd to pack their lunches for work instead of walking to a nearby food truck?  How can we still enjoy their savory dishes when we’d rather not venture outside too long in the cold? I was able to catch up with two popular Louisville food trucks, Louisville Sushi Truck and Smok’N Cantina, to help answer those questions.

     
    Image: Louisville Sushi Truck - Facebook

    Otgonbayar Purevjav and Syren Bolderdene of the Louisville Sushi Truck and Heather of the Smok’n Cantina emphasize that catering is key to keeping the business active and cash flowing when the days get colder.  Heather and her husband, Noah, are hoping to use their food truck as a stepping-stone to eventually have their own restaurant.  Heather shared that part of their strategy to accomplish this goal will be “to hone in on catering private and holiday parties this winter.”  Because the Louisville Sushi Truck and the Smok’n Cantina are often parked in front of the National City Tower and in areas of downtown that are home to business offices, they have gained exposure from many business men and women.  As a result, they both have great potential for numerous professional and recreational catering events.  Both food trucks have a variety of items on their menus to appeal to different tastes.  If you’re planning your own event, you can contact the Smok’n Cantina on their website and the Louisville Sushi Truck on their Facebook page.


    Image: Otgonbayar Purevjav of Louisville Sushi Truck - Chris Gray

    Thankfully, we still have a little more time to go out and enjoy the Louisville Sushi Truck, the Smok’n Cantina and the other great food trucks that serve our city.  Before the chill hits, you can catch the Louisville Sushi Truck throughout the week on Fifth and Main Street and at other locations in the Louisville metro area by checking their Facebook updates.  And if you’re really craving some “NachOrdinary Tacos,” you can regularly find the Smok’n Cantina at various locations downtown three times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  The Smok’n Cantina also frequents festivals and other outdoor events that are held in the downtown area.

     
    Image: Smok'n Cantina - Chris Gray

    To track down other food trucks in our city, you can visit Roaming Hunger or the Louisville Food Truck Association's Facebook page.

    Cover Image: Chris Gray

    Christopher Gray's picture

    About Christopher Gray

    I'm a young scribe with a lot to say. And I'm happy to share.

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