Vote to Bring East Coast Street-Food Fest to San Francisco


We observed the work of New York-based Street Vendor Project firsthand late last year, when director Sean Basinski kindly let SFoodie sit in on a workshop designed to educate prospective entrepreneurs on the difficult and complicated legalities of setting up a street-based business in New York City. Basinski, a lawyer, is a passionate advocate for the more than 10,000, largely immigrant street vendors in the Big Apple; for six months he was even one himself, hawking burritos on the streets of Manhattan. For the past six years, he has further honored the hard work of these people through a street-food festival, the Vendy Awards, which Basinski now hopes to host in other cities across the country.    

Watch Basinski's short video explanation of the goal and then vote for the Vendy Awards (via the Pepsi Refresh Project's "Refresh Everything" contest) to hit the road and head west. The top 10 ideas selected receive $25,000 towards reaching the creative goal.
Tags: street food

Hapa Ramen Hoping for April Launch at Ferry Plaza

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Jesse Friedman/Beer & Nosh
Nakano (right) with homemade noodles.
The next addition to the Thursday street-food market at Ferry Plaza is likely to come in a bowl. With chopsticks. Nopa sous chef (and Linecook blogger) Richie Nakano is hoping for an April launch for Hapa Ramen, a project that's operated as a sort of a semi-open secret for followers of Nakano. Today, Nakano told us his ramen noodles will be strictly scratch, his broth from 100-percent organic bones. Beer & Nosh blogger Jesse Friedman was on hand for a recent Hapa tasting and filed some amazing pics ― Nakano's test bowls were packed with braised greens, crispy pork, fried chicken nuggets, eggs cooked sous vide, and pork shoulder. Forget April being the cruelest month; waiting for Hapa's April launch'll be crueler.

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What Would Brian Boitano Do? He'd Have a Weekend Street-Food Adventure!

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adobohobo.blogspot.com
Boitano chats with Adobo Hobo.
As we hinted last week, Brian Boitano brought a Food Network crew to Precita Park on Sunday to sample the local street-food scene for an upcoming episode of What Would Brian Boitano Make? He snacked and chatted on camera with PizzaHacker, Magic Curry Kart, Smitten Ice Cream, and Crème Brûlée Cart, and apparently dug the Filipino eats of Adobo Hobo.

Tags: street food

Secrecy-Shrouded Street-Food Cart Might Belong to Brian Boitano

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Food Network
Can we get some cheese with that?
Word of a mysterious cheese cart setting up in Union Square this Saturday afternoon has been circulating through the Twitterverse for the past 24 hours. We think we've unmasked the proprietor/perpetrator. An anonymous insider confirmed to SFoodie that it's none other than Olympic figure skating champion Brian Boitano, taping an upcoming episode of his Food Network series, What Would Brian Boitano Make?

It's unclear whether Boitano will be selling or giving away the various cheese-laden dishes he'll be making, and since the Union Square ice has melted for the year, he won't be able to serve them with a 'Tano triple lutz. He'll also reportedly hit Precita Park the next day to sample street food from local vendors. We advise checking the SF Cart Project street food locator that morning for details.

Tags: Union Square

Could a Minivan Be the Next Blue Bottle Coffee Kiosk?

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bobfehan/Flickr
The Ford Transit Connect: Toy-car cute.
Though he admitted to getting a call from Rec and Park earlier this week, Blue Bottle's James Freeman said any talk of pushcart sales at S.F. parks was preliminary. Other reports suggested that Rec and Park's selection committee had pegged Blue Bottle (along with La Cocina) for cart sales in Dolores Park. Despite declining to talk about specific locales, Freeman did tell us that, if Blue Bottle can work out the details, he'd like to turn a Euro minivan into a mobile coffee kiosk for park sales. Specifically, Freeman has a big old crush on the Ford Transit Connect. "It's so cute you want to put it in your pocket," he said. Freeman meets with Rec and Park next week to hash out details. Why not just set up a farmers' market style stall in, say, Dolores? "I don't like doing stuff over again," Freeman said.

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La Cocina Tapped to Operate Food Carts in Dolores Park, Justin Herman Plaza

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Phillie Casablanca/Flickr
La Cocina would be able to operate one cart on weekdays, two on weekends.
La Cocina has gotten the initial nod for a contract to do pushcart food sales in both Dolores Park and Justin Herman Plaza, said director Caleb Zigas. Pending final approval by the seven-member Rec and Park Commission, the nonprofit food business incubator would be able to operate one cart space in Dolores on weekdays, and two on weekends.

Zigas said he was delighted, and is already looking into purchasing food carts for La Cocina vendors to use in Dolores on some kind of rotating basis. Zigas has yet to meet with vendors about which ones might be interested in selling at the Park, though both Cristina Besher of Kika's Treats and bacon-wrapped hot dog vendor Lucero Muñoz have expressed interest.

Let's Be Frank Disappointed It Won't Be Selling in Dolores Park

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Justin Y./Yelp
Justin Herman Plaza
Rec and Park informed street-food applicants about which city parks they'd be offered contracts for yesterday. Let's Be Frank's Larry Bain expressed disappointment that the sustainable hot dog company wouldn't be awarded the contract for Dolores Park, but instead was being asked to consider Justin Herman Plaza and the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Bain said Dolores Park had been offered to both small-business incubator La Cocina and Blue Bottle Coffee. La Cocina and client business Onigilly have both been picked for contracts at Justin Herman, too.

Despite his disappointment, Bain congratulated Rec and Park on choosing La Cocina for the prime Mission contract. "I think La Cocina is a great choice, " Bain said. "They are doing some wonderful food, and have access to so many entrepreneurs. It really aligns with the city's commitment to helping small businesses. It's fantastic to give a nonprofit a premier spot."

Gobba Gobba Hey Vendor to Write Book about S.F. Street-Food Scene

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Steven Gdula
Gobba Gobba Hey's chocolate glacage gobs.
Steven Gdula of Gobba Gobba Hey shared some exclusive news with SFoodie this morning: He'll pen a book for Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury USA for a spring 2011 release.

"It'll be part cookbook, part food memoir, and part recession recovery story," Gdula said of the yet-to-be-titled tome, set to include 52 recipes for gobs as well as a narrative on the local street-food scene that inspired Gobba Gobba Hey's 2009 inception.

Tomorrow: Street-Food Carts Gathering for Fabric8's (1)4-Year Anniversary

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T. Palmer
Come for the art, stay for the gobs.
Fabric8 will commemorate its unique (1)4th anniversary tomorrow ― that's 4 years as a brick-and-mortar gallery and 14 years as an online shop ― with a new exhibit of local artists and a host of food-cart friends, the ones who rotate through Fabric8's Street Food Fridays.

Enjoy mixed media works by Ursula X. Young, Romanowski, Erik Otto, and Reuben Reude while snacking on a nice variety of edibles. Toasty Melts, Smitten Ice Cream, and Lumpia Cart will sell from 4-6 p.m., Adobo Hobo, Soul Cocina, and Gobba Gobba Hey will take over from 6-8 p.m., and Créme Brulée Cart, Magic Curry Kart, Evil Jerk Cart, and Gumbo Cart will roll in at 7:30 p.m. and dish their deliciousness until they run out. 

International Street-Food Podcast Highlights Mission Vendors

Filmed last summer, when he also featured Blue Bottle Coffee, VendrTV's Daniel Delaney has finally released his episode dedicated to modern Mission street food. Check out his brief but sweet time with Creme Brulee Cart, Sexy Soup Cart, and Magic Curry Kart, the latter two back in their halcyon days selling at Dolores Park.
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Tags: street food

Curry Up Later: Indian Taco Truck's Brisbane Debut Rained Out

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MarkyYo/Flickr
Maybe next week?
Yesterday, we mentioned that Indian taco truck Curry Up Now had announced plans to roll up for lunch Wednesdays in the Brisbane parking lot of Walmart.com, starting today. But it looks like that's going to have to wait at least another week, weather permitting. Curry has just tweeted that the intermittent rain has squelched its plans.

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Tags: street food

Street-Food Vendors Rallying for Haiti

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The carts converge Saturday at Milk Bar.
Even vendors several solar systems away from Jardinière's tax bracket are raising funds to benefit relief efforts for the hundreds of thousands of earthquake victims in Haiti. This Saturday, Jan. 23, Milk Bar (1840 Haight at Shrader) is throwing a bash featuring a number of respected local DJs (including Mr. E of salsa-slinging Papalote) and a succulent array of food carts: Evil Jerk Cart, Lumpia Cart, Shanghai Guy, Bike Basket Pies, Toasty Melts, Wholesome Bakery, and Adobo Hobo. Proceeds will go to UNICEF.

Indian Taco Truck Curry Up Now Inching Closer to San Francisco

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dabuda/Flickr
Oh, like you don't know where Brisbane is.
We've been tracking the movements of Curry Up Now, the mobile Indian food vendor that launched on the Peninsula in September with plans to serve in San Francisco. Though proprietors had hoped to be doing business in the city by now, they're still tangled in some very S.F.-style red tape that's caused delays.

But Curry Up Now is inching ever closer to us. Starting tomorrow, they'll be open for business every Wednesday in the parking lot of Walmart.com (7000 Marina Blvd.) in Brisbane from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. -- just a quick ride down 101 from the eastern side of the city.
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SFMOMA's Turning 75 -- Celebrate With Street Food and Free Museum Admission This Weekend

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T. Palmer
Seoul on Wheels will serve Korean tacos near SFMOMA this weekend.
SFMOMA turns 75 this year, but instead of having a birthday akin to something that someone of a similar age might plan, the museum has planned a three-day, practically non-stop blowout for Jan. 16-18 that could tire someone a third of its age. Admission is free all weekend and operating hours have been extended.

For our particular purposes, it'll be a great weekend to check out some street food in the name of culture, as vendors including Spencer on the Go, Roli Roti, Seoul on Wheels, Liba, Creperie St. Germain, WaffleMania, and El Norteno will be parked at various times on the Minna Street side of the building. Admission to SFMOMA isn't free tonight, but the street food does begin this evening and will be available from 7-11 p.m., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday.

Korean Taco Truck MoGo BBQ Readying San Francisco Debut

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MoGo BBQ
MoGo's Korean short rib test taco.
Looks like Curry Up Now (currently strung up in DMV red tape) isn't the only mobile food truck poised to roll onto San Francisco streets in coming months. Korean-style food truck MoGo BBQ is hoping to start selling in the city just as soon as the owners can wrap up licensing and overhaul their taco truck. MoGo's Amafel Andaya told us the truck is catering private events for now, as it readies a public launch. "Our food is influenced by Korean food handed down in family recipes," Andaya said. Influenced sounds like the key word: Andaya cited short rib tacos, spicy pork quesadillas, and some permutation of hot dogs as offerings Sam Pak and Chef JoJo -- MoGo's pair of 29-year-old chef-owners -- are beta testing. Chef JoJo trained at CCA.

L.A's Kogi is definitely the model here, but Andaya promised that JoJo (she called California Cuisine one of his big influences) wants to give it some Bay Area flavor. Oh, and the name MoGo? It sounds like the word for "eat" in Korean, and is also a condensing of the words "mobile gourmet." Here's MoGo BBQ's Twitter page.

We get the feeling that, what with normal startup delays and the partners' virgin status as business owners, it'll be months -- not weeks -- before you'll be tasting those spicy pork quesadillas.

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Soul Cocina Family Meal Kicks Off Sunday in the Mission, but Chances Are You Won't Be There

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slowpoke sf/Flickr
Feely's street-food mise en place.
Educator and Soul Cocina street-food chef Roger Feely is launching the first of what he's calling Family Meal this Sunday at Little Baobab (3388 19th St. at Mission). Feely told us the weekly dinners would feature global cooking styles, reflecting the food he loves ― check the Soul Cocina blog Fridays for menus. The Jan. 17 promises birria, chiles en nogada, panuchos de pollo pibil, almond horchata, mole, and enchiladas with greens from Little City Gardens.

Pricing is still being finalized. For the first Family Meal, entrees are around $12, salads and appetizers approximately $8, and family-style entrée platters serving three to four for around $30 (drinks extra). How reservations will or won't be accepted is also TBD. Feely says, "For now reservations will only be accepted by people who know how to contact me," Feely told us via e-mail ― meaning that, if you're not acquainted with Feely, it's unlikely you'll be chowing on Sunday's birria. A public contact for reservations should be posted in coming weeks.


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Farmers' Market Vendor Fava Yields Groove-Worthy Mashups

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anna c./Yelp
A one-tent testament to vicia faba.
We go to the farmers' market to snack as well as buy groceries. Divvied between two famished and marginally hungover adults, a three-course flight of cross-continental delights ― a samosa, a pupusa, and half of a wood oven-fired pizza ― is not an uncommon start to a Saturday. Two days ago, however, something new caught our eye as we staggered past the row of vendors at Alemany: Fava, a one-tent testament to vicia faba, Egypt's national food frequently pounded into spicy dips best sopped up with fresh bread and crackers.

We said hi to Hattem Nigma, the fledgling company's partner-in-residence, and he started handing over samples faster than we could inhale them. We forgot all about pupusas, samosas, Malaysian crêpes, hot links, pizza, and tamales, and grooved hard on Fava's offerings. We savored the pale, fluffy roasted garlic hummus (made with favas, not chickpeas) on hunks of olive bread from nearby Panorama, and, with Lecterian delight, plundered the coriander-onion dip ― a salty, almost meaty concoction of half-mashed favas, spices, and olive oil, its texture oddly reminiscent of refried beans ― in a very good way. We're talking a major cut above the average farmers' market hummus experience.

We brought home two containers ($5 apiece) and they were empty by Sunday afternoon. Fava will be at this winter's stupidly named Fancy Food Show from Jan. 17 to 19 at Moscone Center, but you can find Nigma ― and his favas ― at Alemany every Saturday, from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m.


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Alemany's Malaysian Lacy Crepes a Tasty Way to Keep Warm

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L. Chong
Chill chaser: Mint chicken curry spooned over green onion crêpes.
While crêpes and curry might sound like an odd combination, the one we tried at the Alemany Farmers' Market recently was delicious, not to mention a nice way to cope with the current cold weather.

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L. Chong
The booth appears Saturdays at Alemany.
Operated by a very friendly woman named Azalina, the Malaysian Lacy Crêpes food stand lets you customize your curry plate. Pick your choice of curry: mint chicken or a vegetarian option (kabocha squash and lentil), and your choice of lacy crêpe, either green onion or curcuma (a.k.a turmeric).

Our favorite combination was the mint chicken over green onion crêpe ($5.50). The crepe was made in a random lace pattern (hence the name), and the flavorful curry was loaded with ground meat, which was just fine with us. If you feel the need for some healthy veggies, perhaps ask for a half and half with the veggie curry. Also on the menu: samosas ($3.50 for two) and chai banana fritters ($3.50).

Malaysian Lacy Crêpes Alemany Farmers' Market, 100 Alemany (at Peralta); Sat., 8 a.m.-3p.m.


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Phantom Street-Food Vendors Slated for Tomorrow's Street Utopia Event in North Beach

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Luis C./Yelp
The Sexy Soup Cart: Will the Sensuous Salad Lady show up with a similar rig?
A couple of mysterious food carts are billed for tomorrow's Street Utopia fest in North Beach. Joining The Girl from Empanada and Bike Basket Pies are two vendors SFoodie has never heard of: The Hot Dog Man and Sensuous Salad Lady. Granted, The Hot Dog Man could be just about anyone. But Sensuous Salad Lady? The name bears a striking similarity to local pavement cuisine pioneer Sexy Soup Lady. The curious or the merely hungry can find out tomorrow starting at 5:30 p.m. at 1 Columbus (at Washington), site of the Street Utopia fest. And in case you've never heard of Street Utopia, it's a grassroots org trying to, as it explains, democratize the public space in the North Beach 'hood. Between bites, you'll be able to scope out films from "livable cities" and public speakers chatting about urban sustainability.


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After This Weekend, Shirohige Ramen-Ya Taking Time Off to Retool

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Luis C./Yelp
Owner Jackson Scarlett plans to spend the next month avoiding Yelp.
This weekend might be your last chance for a while to sample noodles from Shirohige, the taco truck that's been slinging ramen from a Hayes Valley parking lot most weekends. Owner Jackson Scarlett said the truck will be in its usual spot at Hayes and Laguna again this weekend,11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m.. Sat.-Sun., with Friday's hours TBD. After that, Scarlett will be scouting his own truck (he's been borrowing one from a friend who caters) and searching for a permanent location. The current lot is reportedly being turned over to Hayes & Kebab, which has purchased the vacant building next door.

In response to the not-so-subtle jab by 7x7's Bits + Bites, Jackson said his recipes are constantly improving. He's changed the pork from a leaner loin cut to a nicely marbled shoulder from his favorite butcher shop near his home in the Richmond. He's also made the miso flavor a little stronger and has adjusted the amount of salt in the broth to allow its nuances to come through.

Look out for a new side, tsukemono, which Shirohige will offer in addition to kimchi. New Japanese beverages will also be on offer: Kona iced coffee and green tea from Ucc and Ramune. The latter tastes sort of like Sprite, and comes in a rad little bottle you need to open by pushing a marble through the cap.

In the meantime, Scarlett said he'll be tooling around town, compulsively eating ramen and trying to avoid reading Shirohige's Yelp reviews.


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Yup, Carte415 is Gone, and Isn't Coming Back

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LookWhatIMade/Flickr
Stick a fork in it.
Carte415's Joshua Skenes told SFoodie his downtown lunch cart is, in fact, dead, and won't be returning to its space in the Atrium Lobby of 101 Second St. (at Mission). "I've been busy focusing on Saison," Skenes explained, "doing three nights a week, plus a lot of great changes to come." For weeks now, rumors have been swirling that Saison would start a wine bar and small-plates program at Stable Cafe, in addition to its formal prix-fixe dinners.

Just as we speculated earlier today, Saison's expansion in September took the chef's attention away from Carte415. Skenes said he'd consider doing some entirely different street-food concept down the line, but not in the foreseeable future. He said the downtown location wasn't great, and while he's glad he went through the process of establishing Carte145 as a licensed business, he doesn't necessarily think a cart is particularly cost-effective in San Francisco.

"There's definitely a significant amount of costs up front," Skenes said. "It's not the best option, especially if you're one person and you're going to run the business day in and day out ― you might as well stick to a brick and mortar, and not deal with the logistics of moving food back and forth."

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Did Carte415 Close Up Shop for Good?

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J. Birdsall
The cart brought street food with a chef's touch to lunch patrons downtown.
UPDATE: Owner Joshua Skenes has confirmed that Carte415 is gone for good. Full story here.

Has downtown street-food vendor Carte415 quietly folded? SFoodie paid its last visit to the mobile kiosk in the Atrium Lobby of 101 Second St. (at Mission) a week before Thanksgiving (when we tasted the mushroom-Madeira soup we blogged about in yesterday's Morning Buzz). But, tipped off by a commenter, we checked out Yelp: Looks like Carte415 rolled it up for the Thanksgiving weekend, and never returned (its last tweet was Nov. 24). Even more ominous, Carte415's phone seems to have been disconnected, and e-mail bounced back. Chef-proprietor Joshua Skenes didn't return SFoodie's call yesterday.

If Carte415 has folded, it wouldn't exactly be a surprise. In September, Skenes' prix-fixe fine dining pop-up Saison expanded from one night per week to three, and it no doubt started to take up more and more of the chef's attention. Or if it has failed, is it a comment on the viability of legal street-food carts, which incur huge up-front expenses?

If Skenes ever calls us back, we'll let you know.

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Despite Health Dept. Threat, Underground Farmers' Market Plans to Do It Again

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SF Public Press/Flickr
Last month's market was in a private home in the Outer Mission.
A buzz-chilling visit by the Health Department to last month's Underground Farmers' Market isn't deterring organizer Iso Rabins from trying it again. Rabins told SFoodie he's scoping locations for another UFM event on Jan. 28. The forageSF founder said there's a chance the event ― a mix of mostly unlicensed food and body products makers, with live music ― could happen at CELLspace (2050 Bryant at 18th St.). He's still putting together the vendor list, and is hoping to offer at least one interactive workshop (like pickle- or soap-making) this time.

What's to keep authorities from swooping down Jan. 28? "This time it's technically not open to the public," Rabins explained. "When you come to the door you'll have to sign up for a membership with the S.F. Underground Farmers' Market." Admission is free.

Rabins said he got the decision to go private from one of the Health Department officers who showed up last time. "She said you can't have an event like this that's open to the public," he said, and that attendees would have to be informed that they'll be consuming food prepared in home kitchens. Rabins isn't taking any chances. He said he left a message with the Health Department describing his plans.

Read more details at forageSF's Facebook page.

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New Vegan Food Truck Sunny Vibrations Brightens Dolores Park Corner

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T. Palmer
Sunny Vibrations, a new licensed vegan food truck, made its street debut last week. Look for the big yellow vehicle parked near the corner of 20th Street and Dolores; owner Craig Gold told SFoodie to expect it there most days from around 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nothing is priced over $6 on the opening menu, which features sandwiches, salads, fresh squeezed juices, smoothies, and sweets from Wholesome Bakery.

It was downright nippy outside yesterday, but a comforting bowl of Gold's slightly spicy chili and a basket of heavenly sweet plantains fried in garlic with toasted almonds, which we washed down with the water of a fresh coconut, soon neutralized the sting.

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Next Month: Sorting Out the Economics of Street Food

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Steve Rhodes/Flickr
Scene from the S.F. Street Food Festival last August.
Street food broke hard in 2009. While carts and stands have been around since convenience became a commodity, this year saw cupcakes, curries, and fancy-pants pizzas join tamales and hot dogs on San Francisco streets, and a serious phenomenon take shape. Fittingly, in the first month of 2010, some area folks with strong opinions on street food -- including Caleb Zigas, director of La Cocina, and Department of Public Health officials -- will gather at SPUR (San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association, 654 Mission at New Montgomery) to scrutinize the state of the trend.

On Jan. 26, From Tamales to Crème Brûlée: The Economics of Street Food will hash out a few big questions, including one many of us pondered throughout 2009: Is the surge in street food a reflection of the struggling economy, or part of a larger trend in food culture? Furthermore, what will happen to the industry? Will it legitimize? Which sorts of vendors will be most impacted by efforts to go mainstream? If you're a SPUR member, you may digest this talk (along with drinks and light snacks -- bacon-swathed cocktail wieners, we're hoping) for free. Non-members will have to fork over $20. Call 781-8726.

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Indian Taco Truck Now Hoping to Launch in San Francisco Early Next Month

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Luis Chong
Curry Up Now's S.F. debut has been pushed back slightly.
Peninsula-based Indian taco truck biz Curry Up Now had hoped to roll into San Francisco this week, but owner Akash Kapoor is now hoping to debut here during the first week of January. "We're about a week, 10 days delayed," Kapoor said. Curry Up Now has police clearance, a permit to sell in metered parking spaces, everything but a last document from the DMV and a final Health Department sign-off. Kapoor has plans to park the truck in the Financial District weekdays, and on Valencia Street in the Mission at night.

Meanwhile, Kapoor pointed to a survey published last week that appeared to show support for Curry Up Now's presence in downtown Burlingame. In a Survey Monkey questionnaire of 117 people, 56.5 percent of respondents agreed that mobile food trucks benefited the Peninsula suburb; 81.9 percent felt they increased the diversity of food options in the area. A report last month in the San Mateo County Times pointed to alleged hostility in downtown Burlingame for the truck, which some residents and merchants accused of taking business away from brick-and-mortar restaurants.

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Nombe's Street-Food Ramen Expands the Mission's Late-Night Offerings

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Luis Chong
Saturday's street-food serving of chashu kimchi ramen: Better than homemade.
If you find yourself hungry in the Mission after midnight on a Saturday ― just like we were last weekend ― your options are no longer limited to a few taquerias. Now you can add ramen to your short list of late-night eateries.

Nombe, the izakaya restaurant that opened late last month on Mission at 21st Street, offers a street food window Fridays and Saturdays only, from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sometimes Nombe uses the window located to the right of the entrance door, but most of the time you can wait inside the restaurant, especially now that the weather is chilly. The menu changes every week, though Nombe has been offering different kinds of ramen all month. In November, there was yakisoba (stir-fried noodles), a Kobe beef slider, onigiri (rice balls), and okonomiyaki (savory pancake).

Service is friendly and quick. Just a few minutes after we ordered Saturday, the piping hot cup of delicious ramen was ready to go. This week it was a mini chashu kimchi ramen ($4, $8 for a bigger portion if you sit down inside). The sliced chasu pork was tender and delicious, the tasty broth accented by not-too-spicy cabbage kimchi.

Better than any homemade version of Cup Noodles we've tried, without the hassle of gathering ingredients, cooking, or washing dishes, and in less time. In our opinion, well worth the money.

Nombe Street-Food Window 2491 Mission (at 21st St), 681-7150

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This Weekend: Magic Curry Kart and Banh Mai Debut Magik Chao

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Tatyana Balte
Magic Curry Man
In a move we hinted at back in October, Brian Kimball of Magic Curry Kart and Mai Le of Banh Mai have joined forces to create Magik Chao. Kimball told SFoodie that they'll sell homemade Vietnamese rice porridge ― or chao ― topped with chicken, fried shallots, green onions, mung beans, and possibly duck.

Follow Magik Chao on Twitter for the specific time and location of its evening debut tomorrow.

Follow us on Twitter: @SFoodie
Tags: street food

Vendor Announces Sequel to Last Month's 'Outside In' Indoor Street-Food Party

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T. Palmer
Organizer Roger Feely of Soul Cocina in action.
Chef Roger Feely of Soul Cocina has teamed up with Little Skillet to organize the sequel to last month's Outside In event, an indoor party featuring street-food carts and live DJs.

The roster of mixmasters for the evening features popular hip-hop jocks like KMEL's Mind Motion and Chuy Gomez, Doc Fu, and Mr. E. Some 21 different food carts are planned right now for a balanced meal, including Good Foods Catering, Evil Jerk Cart, Smitten Ice Cream, Gobba Gobba Hey, Adobo Hobo, Barcelona La Bona, and Crème Brûlée Cart.  

A portion of the proceeds will go to St. Anthony Foundation and Casa De Las Madres. Outside In takes place next Tuesday, Dec. 22, from 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at 330 Ritch (at Townsend). It's free and open to those 18 and over.

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Tags: street food

Holiday Gift Idea: Handheld Pie Delivery from Bike Basket Pies

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Natalie HG/Flickr
Strippergrams are so old school; instead, consider a holiday gift of handheld pies from Bike Basket Pies on your favorite person's doorstep. BBP makes sweet, savory, and vegan items.

Gift certificates are available in $5 increments, or you can follow some suggestions from owner Natalie Galatzer: Two pies on one lunch day ($10), two pies a week for a month (eight pies for $40), or two pies each month for one year (24 pies for $120).

Deliveries will start in 2010 and will occur on Tuesdays and occasional Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. in the following areas: SOMA, Downtown, Financial District, Mission, Dogpatch, South Park, and South Beach. Holiday-specific orders are due by Wednesday, Dec. 16, but BBP offers a gift certificate option throughout the year. Alternatively, hand-held and full-size pies from the current menu are available to order for holiday gatherings; reserve by Friday, Dec. 18 for pick-up in the Mission from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24.

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