IE Food Truck & Brew Fest 2011

IE Food Truck & Brew Fest 2011 – Review / Photos / Pics – Dated Oct. 9, 2011.

Offering a tasty twist to meals-on-wheels, 50 gourmet food trucks danced into the parking lot at Citizen’s Bank Arena on October 8 to the delight of foodies and their families. The IE Food Truck and Brew Fest 2011 lived up to its name and far surpassed the expectations of this self-proclaimed food truck connoisseur and recent LA transplant, with plenty of tables to cure the suggestions of those at the first IE Food Truck & Brew Fest.

Although the festival was chalk full of fan favorites, such as the Meat and Potatoes Truck and the Grilled Cheese Truck, lesser known trucks also triumphantly exhibited their wares.  Proud owner, Lawrence Tai, of Waffles de Liege tickled taste buds with freshly concocted ice cream-topped waffles made from a special Belgian dough.  When questioned about possible waffle house alternatives, Steve from Rancho Cucamonga boasted, “There are no other waffles.”  I have to agree.

Having sprung into existence approximately two years ago, the Bool Truck delighted festival denizens with spectacular Korean-Latin-Brazilian morsels.  Serving Korean favorites such as Bi-Bim-Bap along with unique tacos made with Bul-go-gi (beef), chicken, and pork, the Bool truck added a spicy kick to the festival.

Mighty Boba was a crowd pleaser with delicious popcorn chicken, while Rolling Sushi put a unique spin on Japanese cuisine with its tasty Rolling Balls.

Finally, the only Brazilian truck at the festival, Ta Bom, was welcomed on the food truck scene at the festival.  Ta Bom’s Banana Pastels and Coxinha, a spicy chicken and cream cheese croquet, were not to be missed!

In addition to the food truck fun, local breweries and wine mechants were on hand to sample and sell their merchandise.  Moreover, fun for the whole family could be found in the children’s zone, which featured a bounce house, rock climbing wall, street hockey rink, and mobile ropes course.  Also contributing to the festive ambiance were face painters, snow cone makers, and a video game merchant (4 Gamerz of Rancho Cucamonga) offering discounts to students with good grades. Musical acts, including Dose of Adolescence, graced the main stage.

All in all, the festival was a tremendous hit.  In fact, VIP tickets were sold out.  Hopefully the success of this event portends a lifting of the food truck ban, which currently prevents mobile merchants from roaming the streets of the IE on a regular basis.

Preview dated July 20. Updated September 21, 2011.

IE Food Truck & Brew Fest kicks off on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. As the promoters announced on Twitter, this second installment of food trucks by the same promoters as the I.E. Food Truck Fest 2011 this past June promises to fix all the kinks of the last event and add a microbrew festival as well!

While the food truck movement has exploded over the past year, local regulations have not, which still prohibit these rolling kitchens from roaming the streets in the Inland Empire. The promoters hope to change theses laws by showcasing this delectable cuisine.

The event will include:

• 50 Gourmet Food Trucks
• Local Breweries
• Live Music
• Local Businesses
• Kid’s Area
• Giveaways
• Roller Derby Demo

The Reign and the Los Angeles Kings will be playing in conjunction with the festival.

Tickets went on sale August 13 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster, or at the Citizens Business Bank Arena Box Office with no convenience charges. VIP tickets were $25 (now sold out), with general admission at $8.

Trucks confirmed:

• Babys Badass Burgers
• BaconMania Truck
• Bool BBQ
• California Grill Truck
• Cheeseball Wagon
• Chunk-n-Chip
• Crepe’n Around
• Curbside Cravings
• Don Chow Tacos
• Frysmith
• Global Soul Truck
• Go Country Chuckwagon
• Great Balls on Tires
• Greenz on Wheelz
• Jogasaki Sushi Burrito
• Kabob Express
• Ludo Truck
• Macho Nacho Truck
• Me So Hungry
• Meet N’ Potatoes
• Miski Gourmet
• My Delight Cupcakery
• Naan Stop
• No Jodas
• No Tomatoes
• Nom Nom
• OC Food Truck
• OG Tempura
• Paradise Cookies
• Piaggio on Wheels
• Pogi Boy Truck
• Rockin’ Roll Truck
• Rolling Sushi Van
• Short Rib BBQ
• Shrimp Pimp Truck
• Slammin’ Sliders
• Stella Pierre’s Gourmet
• Suite 106 Cupcakery
• Ta Bom
• Tango Mango Ice
• Tapa Boy
• The Greasy Wiener
• The Grilled Cheese Truck
• The Hungry Nomad Truck
• Temaki Truck
• Tornado Potato
• Tropical Shave Ice
• Truck Norris
• Valentino’s Pizza Truck
• Vchos Truck
• Waffles de Liege
• White Rabbit
• Yummy One Truck

Breweries confirmed:

• Hangar 24
• Dale Bros
• Stone
• BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
• Omaha Jacks Grillhouse and Brewery
• Bootleggers Brewery
• I.E. Brew Co.

Keep an eye on this page for more updates. Official updates are also available via iefoodtruckfest.com as well as the Facebook Page, Facebook Event and Twitter.