Food Trucks

    My daughter and I were downtown today for lunch…at a local place that is very tasty, of good value and quality, and which has excellent service, City Cafe.  Get the fried chicken breast and cauliflower with cheese (if available that day) and fried okra….to die for..just sayin'.  Afterwards, my daughter wanted to go window shopping so we did until it started to rain.  On the way we stopped in a local shop that sells lots of candles and things to put on top of your tables….like 75 dollar fake flowers.  Woah.  Lol.  That was a doozie to look at.  But I digress.
    One of the ladies who works there, maybe an owner, was talking with a customer about the city's festivities that happen in downtown and how the city is going to allow food trucks to come and park in the festivities.  She was opposed to the idea because she said they will not be paying city taxes.  She also said that the food trucks will take away from the downtown restaurants business.  She said that one near her is going out of business.  She did not say which restaurant.  There are two near her.  Back Alley Bistro and Jefferson's.  I could not disagree with her statement more.  Here is why.
    First, if you have a good product that people in that area like, they will buy it regardless.  But you do have to have good service.  Back Alley Bistro does not have any of those in my opinion.  I took my daughter there over a year ago, for a special night out, just the two of us.  It was alright.  Her food was as described.  But my chicken dish's green beans were dried out beyond belief!  As a waitress, I would never have served such poor quality food to someone…especially at those prices.  My daughter's sandwich came with a ton of these homemade chips.  Which for the price, you want something more than potato chips…there is nothing gourmet about chips.  My daughter and I both disliked the seasoning on the chips.  The waitress obviously had not bee taught how to handle issues, because she didn't offer to get us anything instead of the chips…nor did she offer to give me properly cooked green beans or a substitute.
    We gave Back Alley Bistro a third chance (second was for a snack for our son while we were out on the town…it was again poor service..the waitresses seem to be stoned and not fully aware of what's going on.)  when someone had given us a gift certificate to them.  But after having sat there with my husband for over five minutes and no one waited on us, we left and re-gifted the gift certificate.  A total joke.  When I have contacted the establishment about some of the original issues, they apologized but never made an effort to fix the issues.  So I totally understand if they are going out of business.  The food is not consistent.  The menu changes frequently (different every time we went), and not for the better…the prices are high and the service sucks.  You see the cooks with facial hair and nothing covering it while they are preparing your food…um no, that's gross.
    My second argument with the lady and food trucks is that she might be just jealous, because it is a lot less expensive to start a business up in a truck and who doesn't like to save money.  She invested way too much money in a brick and mortar store and wishes she'd had the option like these people do? I personally think it's a brave and really cool way to do business for food…and there are a lot of other people branching out and bringing things like fashion and jewelry to you via trucks now, too!  She claimed that the restaurants would have less pricey food if their rent wasn't so high.  Eh, I doubt that.  Mellow Mushroom a block over from her charges a ridiculous 20 dollars for a tiny medium pizza and morons in town flock to that place…getting raped by that chain store.  The pizzas are mediocre because they give you a 4 inch crust…and very few toppings.  I prefer to go to Earth Fare in Huntsville, ask for Corey to make you a pie…it's less expensive, all natural, 3 times the size and way better.  But I digress again.
    I think food trucks are ingenious.  I would love to run one myself.  The problem with our town is not that there is not enough people to shop…like this lady was proclaiming…quite the contrary.  It's that you have not done your research to see what the people of the town want to buy.  Same thing with restaurants.  People are not researching to see what people like.  That is why the City Cafe does so well…superb southern fare…meat and 2 veggies with cornbread or roll….and why our favorite chinese place, New China, does so well, also…they have freshly made chinese food and offer lunch specials all day long!  These both are family owned and do really well.  Why?  Because they know their customers and adapt.  If you don't adapt you will perish.  Bye bye over priced "gourmet" slop and hello good value quality tasty fare!
     I'm all for a food truck invasion this weekend at Ingalls Harbor.  But I advise you to stay clear of the Chris and Monte's if they are there.  We ate there one night in Huntsville. They charged my poor husband 5 dollars for beans and rice and it was in a small paper container that one would put a corn dog in!! Crazy!  Their dessert that I got was not good at all  Not good at all.  It was a total rip off.   I just found out they sold their trailer to Back Alley Bistro…OMGoodness!  That won't help the bistro.
   Do try On On Tacos!  They are very tasty and very flavorful!  We love them!  We have eaten from them many times.  I only wish they had more cold toppings to add to your food…like lettuce.