Fun Celebrating 5 Tasty Years with Food Trucks and Momocho!

This was the scene last evening in the parking lot of Ohio City's Momocho. Chef-Owner Eric Williams decided to celebrate his restaurant's five-year anniversary by giving his staff the night off, and throwing a big, old fashioned, play-with-your-food party in his restaurant parking lot with these behemoth guest chefs. The restaurant and patio were open, and staff from Chef Eric's other restaurant, The Happy Dog, tended bar, dispensing cold Tecate beer, zippy Margaritas, and wine, at celebratory prices.

Chef-Owner Rocco Whelan (Fahrenheit) Surveys the Scene From His Food Truck

Reading Facebook posts about the event earlier today inspired me to corral my husband and just go after I got home from work! And we were both glad that we did. The scene buzzed with positive energy, with total strangers enjoying one another's company as they played with their food.

Since we've both enjoyed Dim and Den Sum before, and I've sampled some of Umami Moto's food, we decided to start with the two trucks neither of us had yet tried. First up - Rocco Whelan's Fahrenheit - the name of both his brick-and-mortar Tremont restaurant and his food truck.


Fahrenheit's Menu


Leoncini Country Ham Fontina Sandwich and Pear Arugula Salad



I'm not always a big fan of ham - but this sandwich rocked! The gooey fontina cheese played nicely off of the salty ham, which had just the right amount of chew and a beautiful porkiness. With the buttery toast around the fillings, the sandwich melted in the mouth. The salad provided both crunch and astringency; a perfect counterpoint to the sandwich (and who doesn't love the combination of pear and fontina cheese?).


Crispy Potato Wedges Basil Parm EVOO

We loved this offering also - creamy, with a little bit of crispy texture, big potato flavor and just enough sharpness from the Basil.


Fruit Satay - Truffle Honey, Cashews, Captain Crunch

This inspired bit of fun playing with food combined warm fruit with both sweet and savory flavors, and a variety of textures. Yum.


Jibaro Menu

We shared a burrito.




Tangy Carrot Pickle and Jalapeno Slices


Caribbean Burrito - Barbacoa Braised Pork, Jibaro Yellow Rice, Jerk Spice, Kale, Black Beans, Mango Salsa

This burrito = simply delicious. It hit all of the right notes - savory, spicy without being too hot, intensely flavorful, cooling sweetness from the mango, and textural contrasts - heck, it even had green leafy vegetables in it that tasted good! This was our first taste of Jibaro, but it will not be our last.


Umami Moto Menu (or what was left of it by the time I photographed it)

The item at the bottom that is blocked is "Vietnamese Meatballs." Speaking of which:





We really enjoyed these flavorful, meaty bites together with the dipping sauce, which as advertised offered a tantalizing combination of sweet and hot.


Fish Taco - Marinated Tilapia, Romaine Lettuce, Cilantro, Mint, Red Onion, Cucumber and Lime Aioli on Handmade Corn Tortilla

I would normally not buy tilapia in a street food setting (I'm not a huge tilapia fan in any setting), but as you saw above, the choices were limited. As Bob had never tried Umami Moto's food, I really wanted us to get two dishes, but we felt that the Pad Thai would have been too much food. I loved everything about this taco (especially the handmade corn tortilla and the Lime Aioli), except for the fish, which tasted like, well, frozen tilapia to me. Ironically, Dim and Den Sum ran out of food moments after Bob placed his order there, so we probably could and should have tried the Umami Moto Pad Thai instead, but that is sometimes how the tomato bounces. (The Pad Thai looked and smelled delicious as two of our impromptu table-mates enjoyed some; our loss).

Speaking of Dim and Den Sum:



Bob tried to get a Beef Sandwich and a Veggie Taco, but moments after he ordered - the white board was wiped mostly clean (BLT sandwiches were the only savory left) and his money was returned to him. Missed it by that much.

He was offered the following consolation prize:


Chocolate Cupcake with Minty Frosting

We tend to fill up on savories and not have room for dessert - but as it all worked out, this last sweet, chocolaty, creamy bite ended our meal perfectly.

Cleveland has spent a lot of time and effort fussing over food trucks lately; it was wonderful for Eric Williams to open up his place and his parking lot to showcase four of Cleveland's best. The perfect weather and expertly mixed margaritas added to the fun, and the food was almost all sold out by 8pm. But more than food and fun, we enjoyed a fabulous sense of community tonight in Momocho's parking lot - and that made the evening all the more tasty.

Speaking of tasty - be sure to get your tickets for a very special Dinner in the Dark to be held at AMP 150 on Monday, May 23, 2011 at 6:30 PM. This event is a benefit for the Matthew Finkel Scholarship Fund, and will offer food from fifteen of Cleveland's premier chefs and beverages from premier micro-breweries as well as wine. The benefit will also offer some amazing prizes for raffle, including the opporutinity to join the audience for filming of Iron Chef America this summer! Please visit DITD's Eventbrite page for all of the details, and to purchase your tickets.

More Fun Playing with Dim and Den Sum

I have been fortunate enough to catch the Dim and Den Sum truck a few more times since my last post about Cleveland's first food truck. The food just keeps getting better and better, despite flat tires, short bread supplies, empty propane tanks, and any other number of things that just seem to happen when you are trying to feed a lot of people honest, freshly made food from a converted box truck. Dim and Den Sum rocks!

My second visit with Dim and Den Sum was again at the parking lot of 24865 Emery Road. This time, I took advantage of the picnic tables.

Tater Tots with Spicy Sauce and Truffle Pepper

I don't know how they get these basic tater tots to have such perfect crunch and taste, but they do! Perhaps it's the special sauce?

Chicken Nachos with Asparagus Slaw

Loved this lunch selection. I would have liked a little more of the exquisitely fresh  and celery-free chicken salad, but I did not leave hungry.

The asparagus slaw captured the essence of spring, in a way I'd have never expected. Fresh, crunchy, yet also a creamy texture when eaten with the beans. Worked for me.

By my next visit with DDS, the venue had moved to the main street outside of the Progressive Insurance campus, between the corporate office buildings and the lovely park (300 N. Commons Blvd Mayfield OH - hopefully to be the "regular" Thursday lunch spot). And the menu had improved from a xeroxed sheet taped to the truck to this cool "chalkboard paint." The only thing missing was a place to sit, but hey, this is street food after all!

Cheesesteak Steam Bun: Shaved beef, pickled red onions, cheese, & "horsey sauce", BBQ

This wasn't exactly the format I was expecting - I expected a char sui type item, fully encased in pastry. This version, an almost pancake-like fresh bread circle topped with savory beef, incredibly tasty pickled onion, horseradishy sauce and cheese whiz, was a little messy to eat, but fabulous in tastes and textures. 

Pulled Pork Taco

This creation featured succulent pulled pork, fiji apple creme fraiche, kimchi slaw, and hot sauce. Yum!

Jjang Dawg: Local dog, pulled pork, kimchi slaw, smashed tots, Bourbon soy bbq sauce

Wow. This may be the best thing I've had from DDS (though that Cheesesteak Bun is a darn close second) - an amazing locally-sourced hotdog, perfectly grilled, which went "snap" when I bit in and which  further rewarded me with juiciness in every bite. This dog was served on the "home-made" bun the DDS boys are sourcing from a pal at Fire Restaurant, topped with tender pulled pork, crunchy kimchi slaw, smashed tots, and Bourbon BBQ sauce - I almost wished I'd hadn't eaten anything else, so I  would have room to enjoy a second  one of these, it was that good. Almost wished, because the other items were truly delicious also. But this dog left me feeling happy for the rest of the day!

 

A lone tater tot that got away. How sad!

The next week at the same locale - here was the menu:

Both Chefs, Jeremy Esterly and Chris Hodgson, were "in the house," so to speak, this gorgeously sunny day.

Sarah's Jalapeno Tots

As described on the menu, except no bacon. The bacon was not missed at all - the flavors and textures were delicious, though a little messy for finger food.

Meatloaf Melt: Beef and Veal Meatloaf, Duck Confit, Sweet Soy Ketchup, Green Onion Cheese

 

Thought this sandwich "suffered" from not having the wonderful homemade bread (the supply had gotten stale, and the Chefs decided that packaged bread was the better choice) - the fillings more than made up for it! The duck confit tasted wonderfully ducky, and the meatloaf was moist and flavorful. The cheese was an interesting and different product - it all worked together beautifully.

I haven't mentioned the beverages because I've mostly stuck to water, but Dim and Den Sum offers a small variety of unusual libations to accompany the eats - so far, I've seen an Apple Soda from China, an Apple Soda from Mexico (all cane sugar and no high fructose corn syrup), and a Coconut Soda.

And so, another three Dim and Den Sum lunches delivered a pause from the workday that truly refreshed. Please check out their website, twitter (I understand that they are about to launch an IPhone app that makes them easier to find) and Facebook page, so that you can have some fun playing with Dim and Den Sum's made-from-scratch, tasty food. It is definitely worth the the sticky fingers!

Fun Playing with Dim and Den Sum

Dim Sum, as many of you know, is a Cantonese reference to "The Heart's Little Treasures." In practice, Dim Sum generally consists of small plates of dumplings, cakes, rolls and other dainty goodies, usually labor-intensive to make, and quick and easy to eat. Cleveland-area Chefs Christopher Hodgson and Jeremy Esterly have turned the concept inside-out with their historic (read: first legal in Cleveland) food truck: Dim and den Sum. Combining modern communications technology (ie Facebook and Twitter), cooking technology (a mobile kitchen) and eclectic crafting on Slow Food, Soul Food, and Asian themes, these two young Chefs have created a new food sensation, which appears at various venues around the Greater Cleveland Area. Where and when they will be serving is where the social network tech comes in.

Last Thursday, I had an 11:30am appointment in Willoughby, and was rushing to get caught up on my  morning info-overload when I saw a post on the Facebook Wall of fellow blogger Cleveland Foodie:  "Want to try Dim and den sum? Work on the east side? They are coming to my office parking lot tomorrow at 11:30 - stop by!" An inquiry or two later, I learned that they would be serving until 1:30pm, "or until the food runs out." Hopeful that I could make it after my appointment, I found myself flying into the parking lot of 24865 Emery Road just about 1pm. And imagine my distress to see that they were obviously gearing up to drive out! As my mind considered parking in front of them to stop them from leaving, I was rescued by yet another Cleveland food blogger, Heidi Robb (of Life in Recipes), and another gentleman, who emerged from their vehicles just as I was hitting the driveway apron. Thank goodness, and lucky for us!

Why so lucky, you ask? Because we all got an awesome lunch for a little money!

The Uniquely Decorated Dim and Den Sum Truck

Chef Chris informed us that everything on the menu was still available except tater tots (because he'd already shut and cooled the fryer). And he was out of tomatoes. And singles. And we said: "no worries!"

First up - a sandwich for the gentleman:

Brisk-wich: Slow roasted brisket, asian baked beans, spring onion relish, pickles

Heidi ordered two sets of sliders:

Chicken slider: chicken confit, watermelon slaw, homemade hot sauce 

Pork Slider: Pulled Pork, kimchi-onaise, seaweed salad 

I did not get to taste any of those, but they sure looked fabulous! I had briefly considered taking my lunch back to my office to eat, but the sight and smell of the other items sealed it. Back in my car, as Dim and Den Sum rolled past my rear window, I dug into my packages!

Shortrib slider: Braised local shortrib, corn salsa, teryiaki sauce 

What a lovely introduction to Dim and Den Sum! Melt-in-your-mouth tender shortrib, crunchy fresh onions and corn (not super sweet, but better than I would expect for May), and mild teriyaki adding salty bite against the sweet salsa.  A toothsome appetizer.

PBLT: Slow roasted pork shoulder, thick cut bacon, tomato relish, sriracha mayo, red leaf lettuce

PBLT = Pork, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato.

This DDS signature sandwich was a little sad to be missing it's tomato components - but pork fat definitely made up for it!

This last photo is included to show off the bacon more. It is a most worthy bacon - deeply tasty, not overly salty, and richly porky. Mine was just a tad undercooked, such that it was a bit too chewy, but I'm not holding that against it - conceptually, and in execution (but for the doneness of the bacon) it was a fabulous sandwich, which I anticipate happily eating again. The pulled pork was perfectly cooked and flavored, and the sriracha mayo made my lips tingle with pleasure. Though the menu described the greens as red leaf lettuce, my sandwich also had peppery micro greens, which added even more depth to the flavors, while the leaf lettuce added crunch. All in all, a lunch worthy of committing a parking violation to get!

Dim and Den Sum posts the info on where and when it will be serving to Facebook and Twitter, and provides menu and other information on its website. The website says that they are also available for catering or corporate events. I highly recommend playing with their food (I hear the tater tots with truffle are to die for!) if you have the opportunity to do so.