Anyone remember the movie “Chef”? Directed and starred by Jon Favreau and about the life of a chef who leaves a fancy restaurant to open a food truck… Ringing any bells?
Food trucks, which started as push-carts in New York around 1691, became iconic symbols of American culture. During the seventies, the United States officially became a “food truck nation” – to quote the popular Cooking Channel show – with thousands of vendors across the country selling hot dogs, kebabs, bagels, hamburgers, and knish. In the last years, some of the old-style trucks have turned into gourmet food stations, serving as spots for culinary and fusion experimentation of a multicultural cuisine that ranges from tacos and Cuban sandwiches to Korean barbecue.
In New York, one of the street food capitals alongside Los Angeles, Italian chefs and restaurateurs are slowly approaching the food truck market dominated so far by Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine.
For a quick panino sandwich, head to Diso’s - Italian Sandwich Society. If the style recalls the classic American sandwiches, the ingredients, like the cheese and salumi, are imported from Italy. “Growing up, Italian sandwiches were a staple in our neighborhoods, and where to find the best Italian sandwich was always a topic of conversation. It meant that being the “go-to” sandwich spot was like being crowned the king of NY. A classic Italian sandwich will never die, go out of style, or fade… It will forever be a lunch staple,” explains owner Adam Di Silvestro, a second-generation Italian-American who left a permanent position in a Manhattan office job to step into a restaurateur and chef career by opening his food truck.
Adam Di Silvestro - Diso's
Adam does not compromise on the bread, either, which has to be baked fresh from an authentic Italian bakery in Brooklyn. The Fonz sandwich with its chicken cutlet, provolone, parmesan, arugula, and spicy peppers, is definitely the most popular. Another popular menu item is Oh Marie, with Sicilian eggplant parmigiana, fresh mozzarella, homemade marinara, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil.
Diso's panini
But Italian food lovers need pizza, too. Neapolitan Express, built on the concept that “Fast Food Should Be Good Food,” is a fleet of thirty food trucks powered by alternative energy, with zero impact on the environment. It is the first mobile pizzeria to run on CNG, compressed natural gas, while serving high quality, authentic Neapolitan pizza. Tycoon T. Boone Pickens founded it with then-Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg in a massive investment in 2013. Each pizza is prepared with organic ingredients, free of additives, preservatives, and GMOs, such as the “00” Caputo flour and D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes imported directly from Italy. The menu is carefully crafted by world-renowned Master Pizzaiolo Giulio Adriani, a Naples native with over 30 years of experience working in the Neapolitan-style. It includes a classic Margherita pizza, a decadent tartufo, a spicy diavola, and the famous panozzo, a typical Neapolitan flatbread sandwich made with warm pizza dough.
Food trucks have the advantage of deciding to move neighborhoods or cities at any time. This was the case for Alessandro Capuano from Naples, who, after achieving a Master’s Degree in Economics and Finance, left his job in Milan to start a food truck in New York in 2013. And Ponti Rossi was officially the first Italian food truck overseas. His mobile kitchen focuses mostly on Italian pasta, sourcing ingredients both locally and from Italy – offering authentic pasta dishes like carbonara, pesto, and arrabbiata. After some years in New York, Alessandro decided to take Ponti Rossi to Las Vegas, where he moved last year. Besides the pasta, Alessandro offers his customers pizza and “pizza cupcakes” made with a special flour from Italy. In the fall, he hopes to finally open his brand-new Capuano’s food truck inside the Las Vegas Ahern Hotel to launch a new menu, including pizzas.
Alessandro Capuano in action