Food Truck Fridays @ Quench

I have not been a good blogger.

I think everyday about how I need to sit down and write about some food stuff, keep my culinary exploration growing, but I just can't seem to find the time!
Working at Quench these past three months has been such an amazing experience- an eye-opener for sure.

One thing that I'm in charge of, as the Special Events Planner, is something that the owner, Michael Holstein, has had in mind for the restaurant since he started out- Food Truck Fridays.

The idea is to bring the Food Trucks that frequent DC out to suburbia to serve their food to our customers. Most people who live and work in Montgomery County never even get the opportunity to check these trucks out. So we decided to give them that chance!

Every Friday, a different truck visits the restaurant from the hours of 4-6pm. They set up in our parking lot, private property so there is no license concern. They tweet, we tweet, we all try to get the word out there.

I know what you're thinking- Quench is a restaurant- why would you invite a Food Truck to try and make money on your property and time? The reasons are threefold:

1. We want to create and maintain relationships with these trucks. Most restaurants think of food trucks as competition- we want them to be our friends. Mutual promotion and support can only benefit all parties involved.

2. The restaurant usually opens at 5:00pm. Fridays, since we open an hour early for this event, the trucks get a full hour to be the only food service. We want them to serve their food and shuffle the guests inside to order drinks. It works for everyone!

3. We want to try the Food Trucks, too! There are so many different kinds of trucks, various cuisines, tasty treats- it's so nice to be able to taste and support them all.

Our first week we had the Cravin' Cookies and Sweets Truck. The owner, Valerie, is one of the sweeter women I've worked with. It makes sense that her cupcakes are moist, creamy, and delicious. She has been back a few times and plans on visiting again soon. 

A satisfied customer!

The Staff loves Food Truck Friday! 

The next week, we had Pino's Auto Grill, an Italian Food Truck run by two very nice men. The meatball marinara was amazing!

The week after Pino's we had a different cupcake truck, Cupcake Blvd. Different flavors, different "truck-feel," same Food Truck Fun! The owner, Angelette, figured out an amazing way to drive up onto the back of our patio, making it so easy for our customers to order from her! 

Angelette started a Food Truck Friday trend by driving up to our patio!

 The most recent truck was of royal status: The Bratwurst King! He drove all the way from Reston, VA to be with us for a few hours. Needless to say, he specializes in bratwurst, but his sides (red cabbage, potato salad, etc) were also a big hit! HIs truck was big too!

We've got tons more trucks coming out to Quench. I've booked trucks through September! Go the the Quench website for the schedule or check it out here:

Friday, August 3: Captain Cookie and the Milkman

    Twitter: @captaincookiedc

Friday, August 10: Kababji Grill
    Twitter: @KababjiUSA

Friday, August 17: The Corned Beef King
    Twitter: @CornedBeefKing

Friday, August 24: Hardy's BBQ

Friday, August 31: Mighty Dog & Acai
    Twitter: @MightyDogAcai

Friday, September 7: Red Hook Lobster Pound
    Twitter: @Redhooklobster

Friday, September 14: Bayou Bros
    Twitter: @BayouBros

Friday, September 21: Top Dog Truck
    Twitter: @TopDogTruck

Friday, September 28: Cap Mac DC
    Twitter: @CapMacDC

Friday, October 5: Fire & Rice
    Twitter: @eatFireNRice

I'll be sure to update with pics and descriptions as more trucks come visit us for Happy Hour!

   

A Study of José Andrés - Part Two: Oyamel

DATE OF VISIT: THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012

It was a wonderfully beautiful day. I hopped on the metro and headed over to Oyamel, where I was planning on meeting my friend Carolyn for dinner. She was arriving a little later than I, so I sat and enjoyed Feliz Hora en el bar. I'd never been to the restaurant before, so I looked around, enjoying the energetic atmosphere and the fun decor.






The butterfly theme is very tastefully done. Mobiles hang from the ceiling and a tapestry of orange flowers hung overhead, giving the restaurant a bright, sunny demeanor.  Marble counters and big open windows further the free, down-to-earth feeling. 

When Carolyn arrived, we fought our way to the bar, (Oyamel seems to attract quite a few young-professionals during this time of day, all contending for the same barstools), and managed to find two seats. We were both so hungry, we ordered as soon as possible, and we ordered a lot. It's easy to over order here due to the ample variety of tantalizing menu options. One thing I would say, however, is the menu over-sells the items with big, gourmet words and lacks a comprehensive description of the item in question. 

Here is a brief overview of the items we ordered:

Camarones al mojo de ajo negro

"Shrimp sauteed with shallots, arbol chile, poblano pepper, lime and sweet aged black garlic"

$10.00

Quesadilla Huitlacoche*

"Traditional folded corn tortilla with Chihuahua cheese and Roy Burns Farm Mexican corn truffle."

$9.00

Ceviche de peto
"Hawaiian ono served with fresh hearts of palm 
and baby cucumber salad, passion fruit, 
vanilla, and rose."
$12.00

Taco de tinga poblana
"Stew of shredded chicken with potatoes, 
chorizo, and chipotle topped with white 
onion in a house-made tortilla"
2 Tacos for $4.00 (Happy Hour Menu) 

Chapulines
"The legendary Oaxacan specialty of sauteed grasshoppers, shallots, tequila, and guacamole"
 1 Taco for $5.00

Huitlacoche close up

* Huitlacoche is a fungus that grows naturally on ears of corn.  According to gourmetsleuth.com, 
      "American farmers call it 'smut' and 'devil's corn' and consider it a disease to be irradiated. The peoples of Mexico as well as the American Hopi Indians consider the fungus a delightful delicacy... Today in Mexico the product is actually cultivated each season providing an ample supply to be eaten fresh, then frozen and canned."
Huitlacoche (pronounced "wee-tlah-KOH-chay") has quite a rich, earthy, and sometimes smokey taste. It is typically used in tamales, sopas (soups), and quesadillas. 




Some more interesting Oyamel facts:
Oyamel was named the Best Latin American Restaurant by Washingtonian Magazine in December, 2011

This restaurant is named after Abies religiosa, a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico and western Guatemala. The name in Nahuatl (a language spoken mostly in Central Mexico) is Oyamel.

Oyamel occasionally hosts events. Some previous events include:

• Day of the Dead (October 17-November 2, 2011): The menu for this celebration featured 2 new cocktails and a menu of dishes from Michoacan. Day of the Dead is one of the most important holidays in Mexican culture, usually celebrated with a visit to a cemetery and decorating graves with marigolds and candles. 
• A Week in Oaxaca by Oyamel and Diana Kennedy (September 12-18, 2011): This event was in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and Mexican Independence Day. The menu was created using recipes from Diana Kennedy's award-winning cookbook, Oaxaca al Gusto. 

To be continued....

**Please be aware, I am in no way an expert on anything that I write about. I'm just a young woman who loves food and wants to learn more about everything**

I encourage any and all comments, tips, and advice.