Just a reminder that the DCRA food truck lottery results are being implemented for the first time today (Dec 2). More info is here. According to my analysis, there should be a slight reduction in food trucks serving in the highest demand areas. Let me know via the comments or via email what your experience is this week!

Food Truck enthusiasts are encouraged to brighten their Monday (Nov 25) by visiting their favorite food truck to help kick off next year’s popular Taste of the Nation culinary event. On Monday, November 25 diners can enjoy lunchtime offerings throughout the metropolitan area from select gourmet food trucks, who will donate 10 percent or more of the day’s proceeds to Share Our Strength, a national non-profit whose mission is to end childhood hunger in America.

Trucks participating in “Taste of the Trucks” include Bada Bing, Basil Thyme, BBQ Bus, Borinquen Lunch Box, DC Empanadas, DC Slices, Kimchi BBQ Miyagi, Neat Meat, Pho Wheels, Rolling FIcelle, Seoul Food, and Takorean. They will be parked at various locations in DC and Arlington including Farragut Square, L’Enfant Plaza, and Union Station.

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® is the nation’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to making sure no kid grows up hungry. Each spring and summer, the nation’s hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent and passion at nearly 40 events across the United States and Canada, with one goal in mind: to raise the critical funds needed to support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® campaign to end childhood hunger.

December 1st, as you may know, is the first day that DC’s new lottery system goes into effect.  The lottery system determines which food trucks may serve at any of the more popular locations in DC (Farragut Square, Franklin, L’Enfant, etc).  If a truck did not participate in the fee-driven lottery, they are disallowed from serving at any of the reserved lottery locations.  DCRA posted the lottery results here, with each participant anonymized, so we don’t know which trucks represent each line item.

My quick analysis shows that 111 food trucks were given assignments.  I quickly tallied up the number of trucks to be present at #FarragutFriday, and found that 20 spots were allocated, so at least that DC tradition seems to be preserved for the time being.

Though, with over 200 trucks serving in DC, the 111 lottery spots represent a 50% haircut to available lunch options.  We won’t know the true effect of the lottery until December 1st.

One of DC’s most highly rated gourmet ice cream trucks, Street Cream, wants to let fans know that they will be taking a break from the cold weather until next Spring.  Their last day of service in 2013 will be Nov 27th.

Cirque Cuisine, arguably one of the best food trucks In DC, just announced that they will be retiring at the end of this week. Cirque cuisine cites the new regulations as the reason on their Facebook page:

Ladies & gentleman!! I hope you are sitting down because Lo and Behold, this will be Cirques last week out. We are moving on and upward…much thanks to this government and its new regulations and inability to support its small businesses… It is with a heavy heart that I announce this…

Washington DC’s beloved gourmet mac-and-cheese truck will serve its last day on Friday (Nov 15). 🙁 DCist has some info and there is a craigslist posting for the truck as well. Be sure to stop by to satisfy your cravings and send your wishes!

I’ll update you with more info on future plans as I get it! As we all know, no chef actually retires, they just move on to other things. 🙂

This just in from the food truck association:

Dec. 8 Basketball Tournament Helps to Provide Winter Coats to 4,000 Children in DMV Area.

Food truck fans can save 20 percent when they use the discount code DMVTRUCKEE to purchase tickets to the BB&T Classic college basketball tournament, which raises money to help buy winter coats to more than 4,000 children in the DMV area.

The BB&T Classic is Dec. 8 at the Verizon Center and features the University of Maryland, George Washington University, George Mason University, and University of Oklahoma. Tickets can be purchased at www.bbandtclassic.com.

In addition to the DMVTRUCKEE ticket discount, DMV Food Truck Association members are promoting the charity basketball tournament over social media, by passing out stickers and with curbside ticket giveaway contests.

“We have received such great support from the DMV Food Truck Association,” said Michelle Mobley, marketing director of the Children’s Charities Foundation, which distributes the winter coats. “Every ticket purchase really does help a child in our area.”

“We’re proud to support the BB&T Classic and Children’s Charities this holiday season,” said Doug Povich, chairman of the DMV Food Truck Association. “Over the years they have raised more than 9 million dollars for area kids in need.”

The DMV Food Truck Association regularly supports area charities. Past beneficiaries include DC Central Kitchen, Bread for the City, Emily’s Kitchen and Mid-County United Ministries.

The Wagon has launched its Greek & American cuisine truck in Fairfax, VA, with plans to serve in DC and Arlington very soon!  Check out their menu and truck photos here.

TaKorean announced this morning that they are planning to open a retail spot at The Yards in 2014! More info:

Just a little over three years after TaKorean took the DC food truck scene by storm, the company is proud to announce a new, full-scale fast- casual restaurant at the new Twelve12 complex at the Yards.

TaKorean at Twelve12 expects to be open by early to mid-Summer 2014. TaKorean’s Union Market location will continue to operate six-days per week and the Food Truck will continue to operate daily for lunch service downtown and for special events and private catering requests.

Congrats! 🙂

A director from the DMVFTA relayed this info on today’s events at the Hilton in Alexandria:

The Hilton Alexandria Marc Center has been hosting Food Truck Thursdays since the end of July. These events raise money for the Give Kids the World Village charity. During this Thursday lunch service the City of Alexandria Health Department came on site to fine and shut down the Food Trucks. The HD wants the Trucks to have a yearly License that would only allow trucks to vend on private property and construction site. The shutdown left many Food Truck customers, that had been waiting in line hungry. When requested that the trucks finish their service with a warning and obtain the license prior to serving again they were told No and issued a $50.00 fine.

It is to be noted that when food trucks serve on private property, they operate under a catering capacity for the venue. The food trucks are reported to have insurance and agreements with the Hilton, so the city of Alexandria seems to be overreaching in their authority in this situation. Of course, these actions are usually sparked by someone complaining, and I don’t think we have to speculate too much to figure that one out.