Polly Campbell:
Burgers on wheels
pcampbellJanuary 14th,
2010, 5:30 pm
Bad blogger! Bad, bad blogger. You’re supposed to take a picture of
everything you eat before you eat it, don’t you know that?
I have a hard
time with this basic tenet of food blogging, because when I see food, my first
thought is eating the food, not taking a picture of it. I will be
polishing off the last few crumbs of some delicious apple crisp, say, and think
to myself this would make a great blog post and realize that anything
photographable has already been consumed. .. .
I do have one photo for this post: (I realize that the fact
that it is overly large does not make up for it picturing no food) 
The Cafe de Wheels has been parking in a lot on Main St. between 8th and 9th, near
the Courthouse. and I got there today. I got :
- a
cheese burger
- a
Cincinnati Cuban
- sweet
potato fries
- apple
crisp
Which added up to $16. The burger
was great–the meat was juicy and thick, the onion marmalade was delicious, the
bun was big, soft enough to get your mouth around. It was all wrapped up
in foil, so by the time I got back to the office with the fragrant paper bag, it had steamed and softened a little. Definitely
up there. worthy of being added to the list people
throw around in burger debates. A friend (native Floridian)
ate the pressed Cuban on a Cuban bun, and she
especially noted that the pork roast was not dry, as it often is. The sweet
potato fries were cut very thin, so they were nice and crispy (those I ate on
the drive back to the cubicle.) The apple crisp was a really nice
surprise–baked in a little foil cup, it was mostly apples, with a crumbly sweet
topping. I could have asked for a spoonful of cream on the top, but I neglected
to do so. . . .
You can see on
their web site where they are at any moment. They’re at the 9th and Main spot
most days, and then move up to Clifton around dinner time, and then hit events
on the weekends. I think they’re doing a great job (It wasn’t super-speedy–I’m
glad I waited until the temperature got above zero.)
Restaurants
Food on the move
Tacos, burgers,
pizza - all kinds of tasty treats take to the streets
By Lori Kurtzman
Is
the growing number of food trucks and carts in Cincinnati a sign that we're
getting lazy? That we are so sedentary and tied to our offices that we need the
meals to come to us?
Who
knows. And when the food is this good, quite frankly,
who cares.
The
trucks and carts that began popping up on the streets of Cincinnati in late
2009 are bringing us some delicious stuff - juicy burgers and sweet potato
fries, tacos stuffed with melt-in-your-mouth pork and gelato that includes the
flavor Dark Chocolate with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Drool.
We
sampled the dishes at the most prominent trucks - Café de Wheels and Señor Roy's, which serve lunch Downtown nearly every day -
and will share our opinions below. As for the rest of the trucks and carts?
Well, you can check them out for yourself. Read on to see where to find them.
Trucks
Café
de Wheels
Owner: Tom
Acito
Operated since:
December 2009
Where to find it:
Weekdays at Court and Vine streets, Downtown. Other times
near Mica
12v, 1201 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine; by Fries
Café, 3247 Jefferson Ave., Clifton; or at various events
happening around town.
How to find it:
Twitter @burgerBgood; Café de
Wheels on Facebook; www.cafedewheels.com
The food:
Carnivores, do yourself a favor and order the juicy Wheels burger ($5), which
comes with cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayo and a balsamic onion marmalade. This
burger stands among the best in town - you'll dream about it afterward. The
sweet potato fries ($3) are a simple, crisp accompaniment. Vegetarians can opt
for a couple of sandwiches, among them the Mt. Healthy ($6.50), a rich,
earthy-tasting homemade veggie burger of rice, beats, beans, mushrooms, onion,
carrot and egg.
Not in the mood for a burger? Try the grilled cheese or crispy chicken sandwich,
or pick up the tasty Cincinnati Cuban, which comes loaded with pork, ham, Swiss
cheese, grilled onions, pickles and mustard.
Everything
is made fresh to order, which can mean you'll wait several minutes for your
food. But it'll be worth it.
Most
popular item: The Wheels burger. And
there's a reason. You'll see.
Review: Cafe de Wheels (Wine me, Dine Me)
by julie on May 19, 2010
Hello there! If you
are new here, you might want to subscribe
to the RSS feed for wine me, dine me
updates.
Cafe de Wheels is the granddaddy of food trucks here in
Cincinnati– it’s probably the best-known and certainly the most established.
They, like yesterday’s Senor Roy’s, use Twitter and Facebook to
communicate their locations. They have a few regular hang-outs: the
School for the Creative and Performing Arts, outside of Fries Cafe, outside of
Below Zero, and the corner of 12th and Vine, which is where I found them one
day after having a cocktail at Senate. That evening was originally going
to involve a trip over to ForkHeartKnife, but
considering every time I’ve walked past them on 12th I’d already eaten dinner,
I realized that ForkHeartKnife could wait (sorry,
ladies): there was a Cuban in my future.
You can’t miss the big, black truck,
nor their newly acquired yellow chairs and tables. You also can’t miss
the line– there is always a line, whether it’s 2 or 3 people, or halfway down
the street. They’re obviously doing something right– plus, it always
smells amazing. Terry and I each picked up a sandwich: for
me, a Cuban, which is easily a favorite, but hard to come by around here, and for
Terry, a burger. We split an order of sweet potato fries.
The burger is substantial– topped with American cheese, a
“special mayo”, mustard, lettuce, and grilled balsamic onions. It was
juicy, about a medium in doneness, and extremely flavorful. Now I know
why this truck always has a line. The burger really is something special,
and at $6, pretty affordable. The sweet potato fries were particularly
good– cut thin and flat, so they were extra crispy, with just a bit of softness
in the middle. Delicious– you don’t need to dip them in anything, they’re
that good.
The Cuban was equally as good– ham
and roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, more of those delicious balsamic onions,
all pressed in a crusty roll.
It’s about as close to an authentic Cuban as you’ll get in town (Liz agrees),
though the pork was just a bit on the dry side, but incredibly flavorful.
No matter, the combination of flavors– the balance of rich, sweet, sour
and savory is almost magical. I don’t know if I can bear to order
anything else. It’s that good.
They’re also adding items to their
menu constantly– they’ve just added barbecued pork, which they’re using as a
topper on a burger (my arteries harden at the thought, yet I want to try it…)
and on their fries. Top it with cheese sauce and you have Southern poutine (that idea’s free, Cafe de Wheels).
If you want to find them, it’s best
to follow them on Twitter.
City Beat, March 29 2010
Cincinnati’s New
car Smell
Café
de Wheels
Tom
Acito and Mike Katz picked a tough time to start an outdoor food truck concept:
the coldest winter in recent memory. Still, their Café de
Wheels has quickly warmed local hearts and filled local stomachs.
The
truck works mostly lunch-time hours downtown, usually in the parking lot at
Walnut and Court streets and then at the School for Creative and Performing
Arts construction site. They’ve booked a happy hour gig Fridays at 4:30 p.m. at
Fries Café in Clifton and can be found at Final Friday in Over-the-Rhine,
Bockfest and other special occasions.
“We’ve
served between 30 — ouch — to 180 — getting there — meals a week,” Acito says.
“Good weather makes a huge difference. We’re still not up to a full day, three
shifts, since we’re a staff of two. We’re working on increasing our hours to be
able to do breakfast through dinner and late nights Friday/Saturday.”
The
truck’s most popular dish is the Wheelsburger, with the Cuban sandwich, veggie
burger and Katz’s soups and Texas chili close behind. Acito says new menu items
are coming, including the Portabella Philly, “basically a Philly cheesesteak
made with portabella mushrooms and a secret twist served on a Shadeau hoagie.”
Find
out where Café de Wheels will be each day via their Web site (www.cafedewheels.com). You can also place an order there
for Acito and Katz to cater your next party.
Showing
newest 10 of 30 posts from May 2010. Show older posts
Showing
newest 10 of 30 posts from May 2010. Show older posts
Citybeat,
(…the
world according to 5chw4r7z)
The
best thing I ever Ate
Wheels Burger at Café de Wheels
Bob Schwartz
I
always say life is all about the story, so how about one of the best things
I’ve eaten along with a story?
It
was a cold January day, a day off. What to do for lunch? Something that’s not
open in the evenings for sure, Cafe de Wheels (www.cafedewheels.com)? Yes, the new food truck running
around Cincinnati that everyone had been talking about.
It
was cold, I mean real cold out, but Erin Marie and I walked up and ordered our
food, a couple burgers and sweet potato fries. About 10 minutes later, food
appeared out of the side of the truck like manna from heaven, and we dug in.
The
burger was made just as they should be, packed together just enough to keep it
from falling apart while cooked, a Niagara Falls of flavor just explodes in
your mouth. As I contemplated the taste and texture, I looked around and took
in Central Parkway and its surrounding buildings.
Then,
just like that we were done, cold, shivering and content, we walked back home.
Bob Schwartz has been blogging about and boostering
for city life in Cincinnati at 5chw4r7z.blogspot.com since 2007.
when in Rome, or OTR as it was
In
Italy they sit alfresco at little cafe tables, gabbing and nibbling on food,
neighbors walk by chatting and sometimes stop for a moment.
Wait, that’s not Italy, that’s OTR.
You don't need much to live like that. A cool neighborhood, a pleasant evening
and a good group of freinds, and you're pretty much
set.
And you know what, a good hamburger wouldn't hurt.
Welcome, welcome to OTR. (Pandaman
is like our own personal greeter you know.)
Does it get better than this? Can it get better than this?
Trick question, no, of course it can't.
I got the Tower of
Power two days ago for lunch.....it ruled!
a second look at The Queen City
Café de Wheels
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Cafe de Wheels revs up gourmet food truck operation
The trend of mobile
food is nothing new, but its one that is still
emerging in Cincinnati. That will change
with Cafe de Wheels, the region's first independent food truck.
The brainchild of Tom Acito, and Chef Michael Katz, Cafe de
Wheels will initially focus on
burgers, fries, and Cuban sandwiches. The two entrepreneurs are
looking forward to changing the way Cincinnatians enjoy their food. Asked about
the decision to do a mobile restaurant versus a more traditional stand alone storefront, owner Tom Acito said there
really was no choice at all.
From a cost perspective, Acito estimates that the start-up costs to open a
traditional spot would run about $300,000 whereas the Cafe de Wheels truck was
purchased and equipped for about $50,000. Another big benefit is mobility
which allows the restaurant to move with the crowd and pick and choose
when and how they invest their time.
"We're pretty much just held to the same rules and regulations as a
standard place without the associated costs of such an establishment,"
said Acito.
Cafe de Wheels benefits from minimal logistics involved with operating the food
truck. Outside of the required food vendor's license, a peddler’s license, and
tags for the truck, Acito and Katz say that not much ele
was needed.
Cincinnatians can expect to see them popping up around town wherever the local
police force will allow, including valid on-street parking spaces. According to
Acito, in the heart of Downtown they are required to stay off the
street and use private lots where they have reached agreements with owners.
The venture began when Acito put a help wanted ad on Craigslist and Katz
was one of many people to respond. Acito said that Katz just understood more
than most what he wanted to accomplish, and was really excited about the
concept. Katz went through culinary school at Cincinnati State (then
Cincinnati Technical College) and has worked in many kitchens around the city
at various restaurants.
While there are other mobile food trucks in the process of starting up around Cincinnati,
Café de Wheels is the first of its kind in that there is no restaurant backing
it. The plans are to use as many local suppliers as possible to outfit their
pantry and fill the fridge including Avril-Bleh
Meats, Shadeau
Breads, and
even Dojo Gelato to accompany a warm
fruit crisp dessert.
You can follow Cafe de Wheels on Twitter @burgerBgood to stay up-to-date
on their whereabouts, what they're serving and all the latest news surrounding
the mobile food craze in Cincinnati.
Writer: Dave Rolfes
Photography Provided
The Things We Get
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Cincinnati's Café de Wheels
Another important role in a food eco-system is the food consumer. Kahle, Resource Development Director of Findlay Market,
grew up in Northwestern Ohio and was the granddaughter of farmers. She pointed
out the food is more than just nutrition.
"We all eat and since it's something we all do, it brings people together
and it's something we can all enjoy," Kahle
said.
So how do we create that community in our urban neighborhoods? Drilling,
who trained with local celebrated chef Jean Robert de Cavel,
and previously helmed the kitchens at Lavomatic and Slims, is now
decidedly out in the country as the new executive chef at a popular Adams
County bed and breakfast, Murphin Ridge Inn.
However she said similar lessons about an urban food ecosystem can be learned
from the small Amish community where Murphin Ridge is
located.
"Murphin Ridge is in the middle of an Amish community called
Unity. Their lifestyle lends itself to a really close community. We get great
dairy products and eggs, every kind of vegetable and food imaginable. They're
reinvesting in their community," she said.
Once we recognized our community components, all agreed that education of where
our food comes from is an important part of understanding how we eat and what
we eat.
Ewer remarked that there's an old adage, "Heat doesn't come from the
furnace and food doesn't come from the grocery store," that exemplifies
how little we all know about where our food comes from today. All agreed that
getting your hands a little dirty or at least seeing a little dirt with your
produce is important.
Acito, who grew up in New York, came about his appreciation for fresh produce
somewhat organically.
"I was always used to bad food in the winter - it was hard to get produce.
So I got into gardening and got into greenhouses. I always enjoyed
growing things," Acito said. That 'homegrown' education lent itself to a
more simplified sense of food preparation for Acito. It didn't have to be
complex, just fresh.
Acito practices what he preaches, literally by bringing food back to urban
inner city streets. His popular Café de Wheels
food truck was inspired by his time in Los Angeles working in the
film industry.
"Food trucks were a large part of the culture I worked in. They were
originally designed to feed cast and crew on location. I wanted a restaurant
but it was out of my reach and a food truck wasn't. Now we do everything fresh,
everything local. We shop a lot and often."
Creating an
appreciation of food through education is one thing. Another part of the
discussion is about access. So how do we bring farm fresh produce to urban
communities? Greater Cincinnati hosts a handful of farmer's markets in addition
to Findlay Market's routine hours. Kahle noted that
five years ago Findlay had a farmers market one time a week with 17 growers.
Now the market routinely works with 60 growers five days a week. Kahle says farmer's markets might be the greatest conduit
for attracting better food consumers and the best way to improve the daily
lives of urban dwellers.
"It's an extraordinary time for public markets. They're catalysts for affecting
regional health and build community. They also create opportunities for
economic development."
