With Dan Gustafson’s long history of failed business ventures, including his spectacular $1.28 million bankruptcy and his hand in the closure of Applewood Rustic Grille while he should have been facing the music at a Burnsville City Council meeting, I was honestly a little surprised when word came down that he was opening a food truck. Color me even more surprised when he announced The Wicked Palate food truck would be located in Burnsville only–something which limits competition but also brings into question the quality of the food which will be served.
A preview article in Sun-Thisweek offered up a glimpse into the menu which Dan had planned for his latest venture:
They will serve American food writ large, with high regard for flavor and little for calorie or cholesterol count.
The still-developing menu will include the “Fat A$$ Burger,” the Palate’s thick double burger. The “OMG Burger” will be topped with pulled pork, deep-fried cracklin pork, caramelized onions and “MOJO” sauce.
Dan claimed to have scoured the Minneapolis/St. Paul food truck scene to build his own menu which would bring people in droves and speculation on this site was that based on the planned menu, Dan had appeared to have missed the boat regarding what people were interested in when they went out for a streetfood lunch.
I was out of town in smoggy Los Angeles the first week Dan hit the streets, almost a full month and a half after the fan favorite food trucks were out and about and nearly a month after the year’s newest hit the road, and found it hilarious that a man who sits on the City Council and claimed to have done his due diligence regarding his truck found himself in a dispute with a citizen over legal on-street parking for his truck. I was disappointed that in just a few short days he had an agenda item on a City Council meeting which would benefit his personal business. While he apparently abstained from the vote, the fact that he was able to leverage his power as a city councilperson above and well beyond what a regular citizen/businessperson would have been able to do was, to me, disgusting.
That said, I rounded up a few of my friends and we headed over to Dan’s food truck on Friday of last week. As I was on my way, one of those who joined me sent me a text message which said that we should really consider heading over to Pita Plus instead because the line was 100 people deep. Surprised, I drove on and arrived to find Dan’s truck pulled up in a parking lot and totally empty. While 1:00 PM is a little late for the general lunch rush, the downtown Minneapolis food scene would still see droves of people lined up and buying food.
We sauntered up to the truck and looked over the menu pasted on the window of the truck. While Dan claims to have researched the food truck scene extensively, he’s clearly not up to speed on their use of the web and social media in particular to promote his truck. His Facebook and Twitter postings do update you on the location of the truck but his, as of now, non-existent website (which he links to from his FB page) and social media pages do not list a current menu nor does he talk about his food at all. Big mistake Dan.
We looked over the menu and found it to be entirely made up of a variety of burgers I really had no big interest in eating. The most exciting was one that was topped with pulled pork. While the menu claims that it was an American menu with a Cuban feel, I really saw nothing on the menu as of yet that is Cuban at all. In fact, it was simply a large truck, pulled by a broken down Suburban, serving what is on nearly every restaurant menu within earshot of The Wicked Palate’s trailer. Aside from the burgers there were drinks, in a cooler nearby, which were boring and overpriced. While many of the downtown trucks serve interesting soft drinks (Jarritos, Spring Grove, Mexican Coke in glass bottles, etc), a couple of cans of Diet and regular Coke were sitting in water with some water bottles pulling down $2/ea. We were informed the fryer was not working that day and as such we couldn’t order fries with our meals. While I am not a big fry person anyway, the thought of eating a burger with only a water seemed wrong to me.
Three of the four of us chose different burgers. Everything ranging from a standard cheeseburger to one with pulled pork on top. The burgers were up fairly quickly and came as described on the menu. One of my buddies noted that what he ate was simply a cheeseburger on a pretzel bun. There was nothing at all interesting or great about it but it was fine. I think he was simply annoyed that he paid a lot of money for the pleasure to do so.
Another buddy ordered one with pulled pork on top and found the juice pouring out the bottom of the burger to be a huge annoyance for a food truck. The pulled pork had a nice flavor but, like the standard cheeseburger, there was nothing really great about the sandwich and the mess made it generally unappealing for street food.
Two of us ordered what was basically a bacon cheeseburger with sauteed onions. While they claimed they were beer braised, they were simply the same as any other sauteed onions I’ve ever had on a burger. The bacon wasn’t crispy enough for a burger and while I don’t mind mine that way at all, the vast majority of people want a little crunch when they bite into bacon and that was simply not available here. The cheese was melted and fine but carried no distinctive flavor. The burger itself was overcooked for my liking (no, it shouldn’t be grey all the way through) but since I wasn’t asked how I wanted it cooked I still would have expected a little pink inside. Even so there was no flavor for the meat either. The highlight of the burger was the pretzel bun which, as you know, are the latest rage. While the ones Dan has available at The Wicked Palate truck are about the same as those you can get at Cub in their bakery aisle with some added sea salt, these were decent enough. Two of us noted they were the best part of the burger, something which should never be said about a burger.
The Wicked Palate food truck serves up large burgers for too much money that you can get better at any number of South Metro restaurants nearby. That said, the burgers weren’t bad, they just weren’t as great as the items served at so many other food trucks out on the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul. For someone who claims to have checked out the scene and done his research, he really missed the boat in delivering something unique and outstanding. Overall the burgers were fine but I simply see no reason to return until the menu changes somewhat. It wasn’t that they were atrocious, it’s just that there wasn’t any real reason to get excited about what we had–especially when I normally find at least one or two items on every food truck which makes me say “wow, that’s really cool!” But it’s early yet, maybe The Wicked Palate will get to that point in the future but, as of right now, I’m not counting on it.
Have you ever eaten at Dan Gustafson’s Wicked Palate Food Truck? If so what did you think? If you enjoyed the burgers where do you normally eat them? Have you ever had food truck food items from those located in the downtowns? Do you find it hilarious that The Wicked Palate doesn’t have a website or a truly vibrant social media presence? Do you believe there is a large market for street food in Burnsville or in the suburbs as a whole? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Address:
Wicked Palate
12600 Nicollet Ave
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone:
952-201-3507
See all the pictures from The Wicked Palate food truck in Burnsville on Flickr here.
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March 30th, 2012 at 7:47 am
OMG. Two types of pork on a burger just might be enough to get me to cross the river.
March 30th, 2012 at 7:52 am
I’m trying to think what location in Burnsville where there is enough business to sustain this operation. HOC maybe?
And what about the winter months?
Slinging hash at age 59, yes Dan’s livin’ the dream!
March 30th, 2012 at 8:13 am
This has failure written all over it. Really, he is only going to be in Burnsville? I’d go on but I don’t have the time to list the reasons this is going to fail.
March 30th, 2012 at 8:27 am
There has to be a study somewhere about the viability of food trucks in a non-urban (non-downtown) location. Are there really that many businesses in that area of Burnsville, where people would actually walk outside to get their food?
March 30th, 2012 at 8:36 am
I hear the Fat Ass Burger is going to consist of Lean Finely Textured Beef, which is hard to get these days.
I think the way he talks about his in-laws dying contribution to this eventual failure comes off as smarmy at best. He seems almost giddy.
Worse than anything, it is clear this dipshit does not know enough about food or the food business to pull anything off. He explains the concept of putting slaw on the top of a sandwich as if he was the first one ever to bring that concept from the south to Minnesota.
Burgers? Sweet potato fries? Hot dogs? Seriously?
What an idiot.
March 30th, 2012 at 8:39 am
It’s April 1st already? Thought we had a couple days yet.
March 30th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Lame!
March 30th, 2012 at 9:03 am
If he only plans to keep it in Burnsville, he better hope he can park it somewhere like Burnsville Center or SuperTarget because those are about the only “high traffic” areas I can think of.
There was a story recently on RA Macsammy’s food truck, which I have seen at the Rosemount Cub foods (picking up supplies I assume) and driving on 42.. but at least he has the sense to go where the other food trucks are, The State Capitol, and the 2 downtowns…
March 30th, 2012 at 9:39 am
I think he is brilliant. He can probably make enough money to be a wicked success just by parking at the BPAC the two days a month they have a girls dance competition. You know that there is nothing those young dancers and their loving dance moms want more than to run out between recitals (or whatever its called) and grab a Fat Ass Burger. OMG!
The guy is a genius. I am surprised nobody else has thought of this.
March 30th, 2012 at 9:43 am
My dad passed away 3 1/2 months ago, so the tacky way he talked about the inheritance in the article really got to me. That alone is enough for me to drive (or walk) past his truck.
Perhaps he could have simply said, “We recently inherited some money and decided to start our own business.”
March 30th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Do you suppose the guy could succeed at making a profit? Odds, anyone? I’ll start the bidding at ~1 in 20…
March 30th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
C&V,
He could certainly make a profit but he’s going to have to get out of Burnsville and/or understand that a single, familiar, and very visible location helps build a regular customer base. In addition to foods you generally cannot find anywhere else downtown for the price, location and visibility are what the downtowns offer other food trucks and why they are so successful there.
Unfortunately I couldn’t tell you very many locations in Burnsville where he could park that vehicle that he’d be able to pull the same sort of business over the long run. While I understand and appreciate his desire to be a pioneer in Minnesota suburbian street food, I imagine he’s going to run into problems with the realities of many private parking lots with brick and mortar restaurants who will push him out to eliminate their competition.
There are a few large businesses in Burnsville who employ people who may appreciate eating at a food truck once in a while, the concentration of these businesses around public parking areas are limited especially when he’s basically delivering stuff that can be had at any number of other restaurants around town for what is likely to be a better value, more comfort, and probably about the same cost.
I enjoy street food as much as the next guy but a saucy, pork covered burger isn’t exactly something I think I’d like to eat in my business attire while standing out in the middle of some Burnsville parking lot. I have had this complaint with other food trucks (see Hola Arepa) but they were fit easily in my hand. I have visions of very large burgers when someone says “Fat Ass” and “OMG”.
This is simply a poorly executed concept in each and every way. The fact that he’s already talking about potentially hiring an employee or two shows you just how poor his business sense is. Dan, I have eaten at these food trucks–some being the most popular in town. While you claim to have done so yourself, you clearly don’t understand that most of these operations easily handle what is likely to be 100x your traffic with two people.
Keep the prices low and work for once in your damn life Dan. You’re going to have a better chance at winning the MegaMillions than succeeding with your plan the way it stands right now.
March 30th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
I think this venture will be just as successful as Dan’s next run for public office will be.
March 30th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Bill, well said. One only has to look at Dan’s track record as a council member and his questionable business history to arrive at a reasonable conclusion as to the success of his current business endeavor. This guy has cost the Burnsville taxpayer over 23 million dollars. He just loves to spend money for some “pie in the sky” idea without any sound business acumen.
March 31st, 2012 at 2:04 pm
If you paid cash for everything thus little to no operating expenses beyond the consumables and you don’t need any material income from the business, then I’m sure it could be fun. But since our society has pretty much standardized on everyone taking lunch at the same time. (I’m a 11:30am kinda guy) it seems like the best he is going to do is pickup up a small portion of the public. I don’t know what kinda nut most food trucks have to meet on a daily basis, but I can’t see any site in Burnsville allowing you to hit it on any type of regular basis.
If I had one the Mega Millions, and was looking for some way to just piss away some money, I wouldn’t choose a food truck in any suburban community as such an investment would be worse than just pissing away money.
March 31st, 2012 at 3:43 pm
I have to think he’s got some sort of “in” with some his (remaining) business buddies in Burnsville which would get him into places that others would not be able to access.
That, or he’s the most narcissistic individual in all of Burnsville.
I don’t see this as even remotely viable otherwise.
April 2nd, 2012 at 9:29 am
I can’t see that it would matter. There’s no place in Burnsville with the number of potential customers that even one office tower in either downtown would have. I’m going with narcissism; that’s clear anyway just in the way he talked about the inheritance.
I agree with Bill’s last post; his plan is to sell food that you can already get pretty much everywhere and in an area with not enough of a customer base. The whole point of a food truck is that they’re mobile. Choosing to ignore their main competitive advantage like this is just ridiculous.
If they change their business model (go where the other trucks are, modify the menu, keep the prices low, etc.) there’s a chance this could work. But certainly not if they stay on the path they’re on now.
April 10th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
According to his FB page they’re be opening very soon. He’s already over his two week estimate posted on 3/26.
April 11th, 2012 at 10:23 am
Bill, genius doesn’t happen overnight. Maybe he’s bogged down trying to decide if he’s a “Diner”, “Drive-in”, or “Dive” in preparation for Guy Fieri’s inevitable appearance.
May 9th, 2012 at 12:38 am
The truck passed their health inspection April 23rd according to the Facebook page. “Stay tuned” was the last message on the 23rd as well.
May 9th, 2012 at 8:13 am
Just looking at the timeline on the facebook page for them shows that this is doomed. With the amount of time he has had to get this thing going he should have been on the streets as soon as he passed the health inspection. Its been 2 weeks past the inspection.
May 9th, 2012 at 11:39 am
Come on dsw…give ‘em a break. The Gustafsons aren’t really “into” working. They can’t just jump right in and put in 2…3…4-hour days right off the bat! These things take time. Stop being so type-A people!
May 18th, 2012 at 2:00 pm
According to the Wicked Palate FB page, he’s opening up for business a full month and a half (slightly longer) after the rest of the Metro’s food trucks have been operational.
Where’s he starting? Judicial Rd and County Rd 42 in Burnsville. Awesome.
May 18th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
At least there are actually some businesses right there that may provide customers for him (Rosemount Aerospace/Goodrich, etc.).
May 18th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
My mouth is watering already.
May 21st, 2012 at 11:56 am
I tried to find their truck today at Cty Rd 42 & Judicial but I didn’t see it from either 42 or Judicial (unless he was buried in Goodrich’s parking lot).
This was at 11:00am today. Facebook had no updates either.
He’s off to a great start.
May 21st, 2012 at 4:24 pm
There’s a rumor floating around that the truck was destroyed by an angry mob after they ran out of Fat A$$ Burgers within minutes on the first day.
May 22nd, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Based on the amount of search traffic I’m getting right now from Goodrich and Northern Tool, I’m guessing his truck is out there today.
May 22nd, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Once he figures out that he has to personally do the dishes tonight, that will be all she wrote.
May 23rd, 2012 at 11:53 am
He is at 42 & Judicial right in front of Goodrich today.
I hope he knows that Goodrich and the MN WorkForce Center is right across the street at 2900 County Road 42 W. We would like to have a look at the menu too.
May 23rd, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Well on Facebook Shawn Carlson sez:
I just had lunch here and it was awesome! Anyone around Burnsville should stop by and try it.
So take that, all you Dan Gustafson haters!!!
.
May 24th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
I don’t know the guy other than what’s been reported here, so I wish him the best of luck.
I know I won’t be visiting him in Burnsville unless I have a day off or he operates on the weekends.
May 24th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Just noticed that Dan has officially filed for reelection to the Burnsville City Council. In light of some of the comments posted here, I hope he wears his heavy armor. He’ll need it!
May 26th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
According to their Facebook page, the Wicked Palate has suspended operations due to a parking dispute.
May 26th, 2012 at 7:53 pm
All right which one of you here called the Burnsville PD on Friday to turn him in about being parked on the wrong side of the street?
Well whoever it was…Good Job!
May 27th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Can someone explain this to me, please? Unless the truck is impounded, can’t you just drive it somewhere else? What am I missing here? Perhaps that grueling four day work week was too much.
May 27th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
This is a simple issue IMO. You ask the city (whatever units and he should know which to consult) if you can park there and if not you move on elsewhere. Otherwise you continue to setup shop there and you go about your business.
There either has to be more going on here or Dan Dan didn’t do the due diligence he claimed he did as part of his setup. I mean he only had an extra month and a half over when all the other food trucks opened.
May 29th, 2012 at 12:00 am
Odd twist. Cant wait to find out whats really going on.
May 29th, 2012 at 8:07 am
Oh but wait, according to the facebook page for The Wicked Palate, the truck will be parked at Buck Hill starting in July. Work 1 day, then take a day off. I’m really not sure how you can make money doing that. Maybe he is spending the time developing a website for his campaign for city council.
May 29th, 2012 at 8:08 am
I am telling you, don’t discount the fact that dumpy Dan doesn’t know how to wash dishes.
May 29th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Interesting that the truck will be at the just-approved Swap Market at Buck Hill. He is on the Council that JUST gave its approval for the market last week.
May 29th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
He was one of 5 council members to vote their approval for the project. Obviously from what you’re alluding to, he has enough sway to convince (or perhaps blackmail – create discussion) the mayor and other council members into approving the plan for the sole purpose of increasing his own net worth?
Maybe he should have reclused himself, but its politics, and everyone has an agenda, this is not news. If the vote had been 3-2 in favor of the flea market, then maybe you would have something, but seems to me people are finding yet another way to attack someone by piling on. Allow the guy a chance to right himself.
May 29th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
That’s possibly the best grammar mistake ever made.
May 29th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
“but seems to me people are finding yet another way to attack someone by piling on”
Sorry mjp but his fellow council members have recused themselves when voting on other projects that they may have even had a slight interest in (For example, Mary Sherry recused herself related to a cell phone tower being placed at her church). This has been a pattern for Dan this isn’t the 1st time he has voted on a project that he should have recused himself from.
May 29th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
I do think it seems a bit odd that less than a week of the project being approved he’s suddenly announced he will be there for every day they’re open (Saturdays & Sundays). There was discussion in the Council Meeting about food options for the Swap, and the possibility of having food trucks come in, but I didn’t hear Dan excuse himself from any of the discussions or mention that he may be one of them. There was no direct reference to him or his business, but it seems like he will be benefiting financially from the newly-approved Swap.
He “Liked” the Swap’s Facebook page from his page prior to the marketplace being approved by the City.
May 29th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Unbelievable. If this isn’t a reason the man shouldn’t be reelected I don’t know what is.
May 29th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Ok LL readers, who lives in Burnsville? How many of us will be voting for anyone but Dan during the next election?
May 29th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Has anyone actually tried the food?
May 29th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
lefty, I planned to this week but it’s pretty clear that I can’t yet. I have to admit that his truck is pretty lamely decorated. While I don’t much care about appearances, I am surprised that he didn’t go for something as simple as the other successful trucks out there. For someone who claimed to do his research, this looks more like the old-school roach coaches than a modern food truck.
May 29th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
I plan to try it and give it a fair shake.
dsw, I live in Burnsville and will not vote for Dan Gustafson. In my opinion, he lacks character, has demonstrated incredibly poor business acumen, has horrible decision making skills, and reeks of cronyism. I believe he cares little for the citizens of Burnsville; rather he represents his own interests and preferences when acting in a Council capacity.
I’m not sure we’ll have a good group of candidates for his seat, unfortunately.
May 29th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
MSPD for city council?
May 29th, 2012 at 7:59 pm
The burger I had with a pretzel bun was really good. The ketchup and ranch (?) sauce was very tasty. It wasn’t the monstrosity monster burger, but just a good sized cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato. I would have liked to try the sweet potato fries, but I don’t do well with deep fried foods.
May 29th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
mjp,
When you go out for a burger where do you usually go? What place locally serves your favorite?
May 29th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
I love me some tasty ketchup.
(Well, truth be told, I prefer catsup over ketchup.)
May 29th, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Here’s a reason not to vote for him: He doesn’t know which side of the street to park on. That is, without breaking the law of the city that he supposedly is helping to govern.
May 30th, 2012 at 6:48 am
Bill, I’m don’t usually eat ground beef, but whenever I’m out west, I make it a point to stop in at Tommy’s, In-N-Out & Fatburger. Ever try these? /Marjean
May 30th, 2012 at 7:15 am
Yup. Thanks for telling me everything I need to know about your review of Dan Dan’s burger.
May 30th, 2012 at 7:58 am
Marjean,
Thanks for stopping by to give us your review. Your context is quite helpful
Speaking of burgers that you would like, you should really try the Bacon Cheeseburger at Old Chicago in Apple Valley. I know what you are thinking, what kind of dumb shit goes to a horrible pizza place and orders a burger?
Well I am here to tell you that it takes a special kind of dumb shit to do just that. But you will be surprised to find that it is likely going to be the best burger you ever did eat! Prolly even better than Dandy Dan’s!
Let us know!
lefty
May 31st, 2012 at 8:07 am
“This is a simple issue IMO. You ask the city (whatever units and he should know which to consult) if you can park there and if not you move on elsewhere. Otherwise you continue to setup shop there and you go about your business.
There either has to be more going on here or Dan Dan didn’t do the due diligence he claimed he did as part of his setup”
While watching a rebroadcast of the 5/15/12 Burnsville city council worksession, I witnessed Dan G. mention the parking issue and his discussions with Joel (I believe the Burnville City attorney’s 1st name is Joel)…so he was definitely aware of where he could and could not park and he did research parking issues. Perhaps another citizen also watched this broadcast and called and complained about his truck being parked illegially.
It only gets better, now the council agreed to add the parking ordinance to one of the June worksessions for discussion.
June 1st, 2012 at 6:10 pm
https://twitter.com/WickedPalate/status/208695609677447168
June 2nd, 2012 at 1:20 am
OOh boy! He’ll be at the BPAC! One potential failure chasing another?
June 5th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Dan has some competition finally for City Council. As of 4pm today, there are NINE candidates who have filed for Council including incumbents Mary Sherry and Dan G. There are seven other candidates including former Council member Steve Cherney.
Mayor Kautz has some competition from perennial candidate Jerry Willenberg and newcomer Bill Ansari.
So it appears there will be a primary election for Council and Mayor seats after all. Fasten your seat belts, baby, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!
June 5th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
sjm,
Based on my experience interviewing candidates for mayor and council spots from South Metro cities, the incumbents (even if they’re terrible) have a much better handle on the issues and how to speak to their constituents than the newcomers.
In fact, all of those who had not held public office before were totally incapable of holding a seat on the council. I don’t think Gustafson or Kautz are worthy leaders but neither are random people who attach themselves to one specific issue and campaign on it without any knowledge at all of the process.
For example: when I interviewed BV candidates in 2010, the fact that I (an AV resident) knew far more than those I was interviewing was a sad state of affairs and one which does not bode well for replacing the incumbents.
What those running for office need to do is start watching archived council footage for the last year and familiarize themselves with every last detail available to them. They need to understand the dynamics of the issues and how they are interrelated. They need to understand the political dynamics and know how a meeting progresses. They really should know that the City Council and the School Board are not one in the same. There are plenty of other suggestions but they are too lengthy to lay out here.
Basically, if you know of any of these people or wish they would take the seats of those currently on the council, I suggest letting them know that they need to have a clue before they put their hat in the ring or they’re going to get chewed up and spit out.
June 5th, 2012 at 10:42 pm
http://sunthisweek.com/2012/06/05/gustafson-withdraws-from-council-race-third-candidate-enters-mayors-race/
Wow, I didn’t see that one coming.
June 5th, 2012 at 11:34 pm
I wonder if it had anything to do with Cherney running. It was Gustafson who ousted Cherney in 2004 and I wonder if Cherney was looking for a rematch and Gustafson didn’t want to go through it?
June 6th, 2012 at 8:32 am
This is great news for the City of Burnsville.
Thank you for making my day dsw!
June 6th, 2012 at 10:50 am
DG says he wants to go to Arizona this winter and spend two to three months working on some business concepts.
Dan, I think it would be better if you stayed put, save some money…. OR were you planning on camping along the way in the food truck?:)
June 6th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
I was more surprised when he said he was going to run again. I really didn’t think he would, all things considered. Of course, that assumes a rational thought process.
June 8th, 2012 at 8:45 am
“Last night the Burnsville city Council changed an ordinance that will allow food trucks and other vendors selling wares to park on private property to serve the employee’s and visitors to their properties. Burnsville once again is leading the way when it comes to changing times and helping small business to thrive.”
Above is from The Wicked Palate facebook page…anyone know if Dan G. recused himself?
June 8th, 2012 at 9:07 am
I just watched the video of it here. First, it’s supposed to be used only for the purpose of selling to the employees. Granted, I don’t imagine the general public would be prohibited from using them and it sounds like a bit of a technicality. In short, if a business owner wants to let someone park a food truck on their property, they can.
Kautz did ask to have it noted that one member was abstaining from the vote. She didn’t specify who, but the motion wasn’t put forward by or seconded by Gustafson and he didn’t speak to it, so I would assume he’s the one who abstained.
June 8th, 2012 at 9:13 am
Joey, thanks for the link!
June 8th, 2012 at 9:16 am
I don’t mind the idea in theory but I really think it’s a change that’s specifically intended to further Dan’s business model. I wonder if this is something that would have moved as quickly had he not been on the council and leveraging his position.
June 8th, 2012 at 9:23 am
Yes, it’s intended to further Dan’s business model (he’s the only food truck in Burnsville).
Yes, it moved quickly because of his position.
That said, it doesn’t make it wrong (if a business owner wants to let a licensed food truck operate on their property, I have no problem with that) and it’s a given that those who are politically connected get things done faster than those who aren’t. Most of us have a personal agenda along with our more general agenda and if we’re in the same position, we’d advocate for ordinances that would benefit us.
I really don’t have a problem with this.
June 8th, 2012 at 9:25 am
It’s unethical but not “wrong” I suppose but I agree with you entirely, the variance is an acceptable one. However, if a general business person could not get it done in a few days, neither should Dan.
June 8th, 2012 at 10:50 am
Joey, I watched it too. Two quotes caught my attention (both by the same person in supporting the ordinance)…not word for word, but: “So it’s a ‘business-to-business’ transaction” and “serving the employees of the business”.
I’ll find it interesting to see how this plays out. Besides being in violation of the spirit/intent of the ordinance change, a lot of companies would be opening themselves to risk. For example, you can be sure companies like Goodrich (a federal contractor working on military aerospace technologies) have very strict policies on visitors to their facilities. There is no way a food truck parked on their parking lot would be OK unless it was strictly a private event for employees.
I also wonder — just which “business” gave him “the invite” (from Twitter) to set up at the Minnesota Workforce Center yesterday? That’s a State service. Also seems like a very liberal/loose interpretation of the rules.
June 8th, 2012 at 10:56 am
MSPD, I’m going to guess this answers your question: https://www.facebook.com/TheWickedPalate/posts/399266520115221
June 8th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
I saw his FB post, and watched the video right away. I was happy to hear someone abstained, but I agree with others here, an item like that would never have ended up on the Consent Agenda if it were anyone else looking for the change.
It also appears to me to open up the City the the Schwan’s guys, and anyone else looking to set up & sell on private property, as long as they have “permission” from the property owner. That’s the kind of transient merchant the City has been trying to fend off for years.
June 8th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Ate at the truck today with a few others. I’ll have a review up on Monday.
June 8th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Sweet, something to look forward to for Monday!
June 8th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
To carry this further……..Is the “DG food truck” allowed in Burnsville parks???
June 9th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Unable to find anything regarding the “food truck” ordinance on the city of Burnsville website. Will call next week regarding use of Burnsville parks by food trucks.
June 11th, 2012 at 6:31 am
I have moved the comments from the preview post under this one for historical purposes.
June 11th, 2012 at 7:24 am
Does anyone else have a problem with the city having any sort of say as to whether someone can permit another person to park on their private property and sell? It is private property, not public property. I get zoning, etc., but these are not permanent fixtures, and if these are businesses, they are obviously in an area zoned for business. You would think the requirements to license the food truck would take care of any health concerns.
June 11th, 2012 at 9:26 am
Having spent a fair amount of time around what I would call the “food truck scene” in both St. Paul and Minneapolis the past few summers, I want to make a comment about that vs. what this food truck deal is.
When you go to either downtown, or even to a festival or market that has a few of the urban food trucks, it always has a feel of something more than just satiating your appetite.
You get in a long line, wait with a bunch of other people who know the deal, strike up conversation with a stranger maybe, then go wait in secondary line for your name to get called, get your food and then make your way through the multitudes of other food truck lines with your food before eating what often is a really great meal. In that experience you feel like you are part of something in some way, more than just a customer who shelled out 7 or 10 bucks for some food.
As an example of how this works, on Friday the brand new Foxy Falafel truck had their fryers go down, which is kind of a big deal if you sell falafel (which is the best in town imo). In most businesses, if your neighbor goes down, you get to take their business. All fair play. Nope, on this day the vegetarian diet friendly Foxy Falafel truck got help from their neighbor the BACON Trolley and they were able to keep the business going. I can’t make up the irony of that one. That is how things work, they are competitors, but they are all somehow in this together. So cool.
Contrast that with a lone truck sitting in a mostly empty parking lot taking $2 for a 14 cent bottle of water. None of the wonderful things that you get to experience as a part of the food truck “trend” right now is there for you. Not to mention, nothing screams douche more than anyone who walks around with one of those bluetooth earpieces in his ear like happy Dan was wearing on Friday. If you want to use that earpiece in your car when driving to be safe fine, but to keep it in when you are purportedly serving a customer and not even on the phone is about as dorky as you can get.
This is nothing more than another place to get some food that may or may not be good, but don’t for a second confuse the local food truck craze with what this idiot is doing in Burnsville.
June 11th, 2012 at 10:46 am
Was he wearing his phone on his belt, next to his pager? That would increase the dork factor quite a bit…
June 11th, 2012 at 11:56 am
Well, crap. Lefty stole a lot of the thunder.
Ignoring everything else for a second, I’ll start with the visceral reaction to the food. My memory may be off, but I think I had the “Wicked Burger” which is the version with pulled pork, cheddar, pickles, cole slaw, bacon, lettuce and tomato. The name may not be right, but those are the ingredients for the most part.
In its entirety, the burger wasn’t bad. Simply because of the sheer number of ingredients, it had a decent complexity of flavors. Overall, they didn’t combine to create any magic (see also: my post from World Street Kitchen tacos the other day). That said, it only suffered from minor clashes.
When I eat, I like to experience the “total package” but also pay attention to each of the components. So here was my reaction on that level, in order of what I consider most critical to a burger:
- The beef: This was a disappointment. The patty had the hallmark shape (sort of a uniform flower shape) of a frozen, store-grade patty. Not only does this ensure it will be cooked medium or beyond, it lacks any beefy flavor or subtle seasoning. I’m not sure a vendor whose cornerstone is burgers can get away with this — seems like a fatal flaw, in my opinion.
- The bun: To me, a burger is a good application of a pretzel bun. This was a good one. I liked the flecks of salt, largely because they made up for the lack of seasoning in the beef. More on the bun in a minute.
- The cheese: Probably the highest quality aspect of the burger. In the photo, you can see it was generously applied and it was a moderately sharp version. This is where the chinks in the armor of ingredients working together kind of happened. The pickles (which are the Cuban influence they are claiming, I guess) had a hefty one-note of vinegar which really didn’t work with cheddar cheese. In a “true” Cuban sandwich, you’re dealing with Swiss-style cheese which works much better.
- The bacon: Really an afterthought. Just standard store-bought quality. It was totally lost in the sandwich — with pulled pork and the heavy cheese, the bacon was unnecessary. (And I can’t believe I just said that….sorry bacon….I really do love you!)
With those ingredients alone, you had a very average burger. A firm 2.5 out of 5 stars. Easily better than fast food, nowhere near the offerings of Valley Tap. You could swap out Champps, Applebee’s, Chili’s burgers and never know the difference.
- Pulled pork: Again, not bad. It was in the mold of NC style — vinegar based and served with cole slaw. No smoke flavor or crispy bits at all. My guess is it’s a pork shoulder roasted in a crock pot or he buys the pork pre-shredded and has it simmering throughout the day in a steamer tray full of vinegar-based sauce.
- Cole slaw: Very mild. Just thin shredded cabbage in a runny cream sauce.
Now…the pulled pork/cole slaw combo can be transcendent. I travel to the southeast enough to have had some amazing stuff. In this case, they were both kind of light on the flavors so they didn’t add anything to the overall package. You’re seeing the pattern here — it was “fine”. The beauty of pulled pork is the contrast between the smooth meaty inside and the crispy, smoky outside. There are multiple flavors and textures. I very, very rarely order pulled pork (or brisket) in Minnesota because it’s a food I think nobody really understands. Usually, it’s served having sat in its juices and sauce — just a bunch of uniform, stringy meat.
- Lettuce and tomato: Who cares.
Like I said above, the flavor profile was interesting enough just because of the sheer number of different ingredients. There were a few mild conflicts — vinegary pickles and vinegary pork vs. sharp cheddar cheese. Bacon getting lost. I never took a bite and thought, “oh yeah!”
Now….as Bill mentioned, one or several of the ingredients wasn’t strained enough before being put on the burger. After a couple bites, the bottom of my tray was covered by about 1/4 inch of juice (and not the fatty, beefy drippings kind of juice). It was a watery run-off from the cole slaw, pulled pork, tomato and pickles.
Have you ever had a soft-pretzel get wet on the outside? It turns into this sticky, mushy goo. After 1/2 the burger, I was negotiating with pretzel gunge all over my hands. Plus, the inside of pretzel kind of decomposes into mush when it gets wet. By the last couple of bites, I was focused on how badly I wanted that stuff off my hand.
Having come from downtown Minneapolis, I was pretty disappointed by the surprise lack of fries, especially since they tout their sweet potato fries a la Applewood Rustic Grille. That said, after having paid $10 for a burger and can of Diet Coke (no chips even), I’m actually not too sad I didn’t pay another $3 or whatever for fries.
All in all, the food was alright.
Now….I gotta echo was lefty said about the food truck “scene” which I think is revolutionizing the Twin Cities dining environment. There are two things that absolutely stand out about the explosion of food trucks in MSP. 1) The sheer passion and creativity of the purveyors. Many of the trucks are backed by nationally-renowned chefs. Most are at least regionally recognized. 2) The synergy between the trucks/carts is not only fascinating to me, but surprising given the generally ultra-competitive landscape of restaurants/rood. As lefty mentioned, the trucks have gone out of their way to cross-promote, to build a buzz, and support each other. Look no further than Twitter. Nate Dogs (very highly recommended) retweets the locations of all of the other food trucks EVERY SINGLE DAY. He’s constantly posting praise for the other trucks and they work together to put up things like the “Mobile Food Court” in St. Paul where they all park together on certain days.
Food aside, this is where Wicked Palate has really, really missed the boat.
To begin with, Dan HAS TO get on top of social media. We were driving down from Minneapolis to Burnsville with about 30% certainty that he was even going to be open. We were going off a Twitter post from the day before saying we’ll see you tomorrow. He posts about once a week and I’m not even sure he is open on a daily basis.
It’s mid-June. The time for experimenting and getting sea legs was our wonderfully warm April.
Look around Minneapolis at lunchtime or any time there’s a crowd. Literally hundreds of people milling around with the “what’s this food truck thing all about” look. They’ve nailed it — buzz, persistent marketing/awareness, and incredible and unique food.
As for who’s inside, Bill and lefty both alluded to the fact that Dan was hanging out outside the truck. Contrast this with a quote from Carrie Summer and/or Lisa Carlson of the Chef Shack (the pioneers of the recent food truck revolution in Minneapolis) from their Twitter the other day:
“So very happy to be working for ourselves and being able to cook ALL day long. It’s a Dream come true!”
I think there’s a very important distinction there and one that you’ll notice at the best food trucks. “Being able to cook ALL day long”.
Visit the Gastrotruck. Not only will Stephen Trojean be in there cooking your food (and picking herbs from the pots attached to the truck), but check this out:
This is important, demonstrates INCREDIBLE care about every detail, and why I said the food trucks are revolutionizing our dining culture.
Food trucks have made amazing, world-class food approachable, affordable, and convenient like never before. It’s connecting the patron to people with a passion for doing just that — bringing their craft to the streets and doing something special.
This is where I can’t escape my bias for Dan — when I saw him hanging out outside the truck, I couldn’t help but think this guy just wants to gladhand local residents and make money without having to put in an 8-to-5.
Nothing about him, his quotes in the paper about the truck, or the food suggests a passion for the craft or being a part of the sociology of food — something that defines entire cultures and dates back thousands of years. I don’t think Dan views cooking like I do — as a way to give of ourselves, our time and talents to please others.
I’m sure if you look up the origin of the word “hospitality” you won’t see talk of going to Arizona for the winter to work on “business ventures” or selling enough burgers to make ends meet. This is another in a string of various “business ideas” for the Gustafsons, none of which seem to be doing anything else beyond serving their own desires/self-gratification.
My experience with Nate Dogs, Chef Shack, Smack Shack, World Street Kitchen, Vellee Deli, yumMi, the 128 Cafe food truck and Gastrotruck has been filled with joy, creative foods, and owners cooking and serving food with passion and hospitality in a SELFLESS manner.
Maybe it’s my biases or cynicism, but I just didn’t find that at Wicked Palate.
June 11th, 2012 at 11:57 am
Thanks for the review. The burger looks pretty good in the picture. I dont know that I will try the Wicked Palate, but hopefully Dan can make a go it. I guess.
June 11th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Holy crap MSPD, your response required a bookmark!
June 11th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
He sent another 1900 words in email too. Wordy bastard.
June 11th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Yeah, I know. Usually when I’m done typing, I go back and “refine”/edit. I started, but was bored to tears after the first couple paragraphs.
I should have just said “it wasn’t great and wasn’t horrible but Dan’s out of his league in the food truck scene” and left it at that.
What can I say…sometimes I suck.
Sorry.
June 11th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
MSPD,
If I stole your thunder, not sure how anyone would know. :)
Obviously to you, the conversation we had about the “food truck scene” was an impetus of my comment. I tried to do my best to make it my own but the Venn commonalities we both share about that community was one that I couldn’t keep out, and I was hoping to let my opinions be mine without too much to take away from yours.
I think your expansion of the point I started was excellent.
June 11th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
No worries. You pretty much nailed it.
June 11th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
You two seem to be sharing a moment. Should we leave you alone?
June 12th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Is one of them lighting up a cigarette yet?
June 12th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Sickos.
Frankly I’m shocked that we’re the only ones talking about the food at Wicked Palate. With all of that buzz, I figured people would be clamoring to be able to claim “I was one of the first” to experience it.
June 12th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Chad,
Just because you are rooting for mediocrity does not mean you need to slag on those of us that worked hard to share our thoughts for everyone.
lefty
June 12th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
I must say, lefty’s and MSPD’s posts are very articulate, informative and insightful. MSPD is a good wordsmith – so no surprises there, lefty – not so much – surprised me.
June 13th, 2012 at 8:30 am
C&V,
I guess I thought I missed you more than I really did. Feel free to go back into exile.
lefty
June 13th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Wow, already we have “food truck snobs”.
The concept is pretty hilarious.
June 13th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
I’m guessing john 1 has never eaten at a good truck. I wouldn’t call creative, delicious food at a good price “hilarious.” I’d call it inventive and desirable.
June 13th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
So john l, besides taking shots, what else do you have to add?
Having high standards for the value you get for your money, especially given a ton of alternatives that have set the bar pretty high in a very competitive marketplace isn’t snobbery in my book.
You browsed (in spectacularly pussy-like fashion) into a site that has a group of people that are passionate about food of all kinds to an extreme.
Please…enlighten us on how you’re not another “drive-by douchebag” that comes and lobs a weak-sauce insult into this community without offering anything.
June 13th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
He won’t respond. Idiots like john l never do because even idiots generally know deep down they can’t compete intellectually with people who is really smart like we is.
June 13th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
“Please…enlighten us on how you’re not another “drive-by douchebag” that comes and lobs a weak-sauce insult into this community without offering anything.”
I’m simply offering a perspective. No one else thinks its kind of humorous to be offended by a food truck?
Actually lefty I never really put much thought into how smart you is, just how funny you is.
June 13th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Am I the only one confused by that statement?
June 13th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
What exactly IS your “perspective”?
Have you tried the food at Wicked Palate? Did you like it? Is it better or worse than other south metro dining options? Did you think it was a good value? Do you think it’ll be a successful business? Have you tried the other food trucks in MSP? Have any favorites?
Let’s hear it.
June 13th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
john l,
First of all. Maybe I misjudged you.
That said, I don’t know that anyone was offended by a food truck. Most of us thought the food passable, if not memorable. You may not be able to appreciate the thoughts that a few of us have about the passion that exists in the local food truck community, and that is sort of too bad. What is going on down there is like nothing I have seen in the restaurant business at any level. You think the Pronto Pup guy at the fair is going to promote the Almost a Foot Long Hot dog guy? They probably don’t even know each other.
Last week I went downtown to pick up some food for myself and 5 co-workers waiting back at the office at a prominent truck downtown. They never showed up in spite of the fact we were calling them repeatedly and they were telling us they were “almost there”.
I complained about that in the afternoon and rather than ignore me or simply apologize with an excuse (apparently the truck broke down on the way in), they promptly offered to buy lunch for all six of us today (which they did, $84 worth of food for zero cents). Not only that, but every person on the staff was made aware of us by the owner, and to a person made a point to apologize and thank us for the business and ask us to please come back in spite of their mistake.
This level of customer relations is beyond what anyone should expect at any restaurant. It also par for the course I would offer for the majority of our wheeled friends right now.
The truck? Smack Shack. Arguably the most popular and prominent truck that we have here, if not one of the leaders in the country in this genre. This place has a line that is ALWAYS 25-100 people deep when they are out. They are not in need of our business, and could easily have just said, “sorry, we can’t help it if the truck broke.” and been done. We would have gone back again either way, and I suspect they are smart enough to know that (we were planning on going back today even before we were offered a thing).
Anyway, the Smack Shack is opening up a brand new place on Washington and 6th shortly. Guess who is getting my business before Twins games?
So John l, you may make light of our attention to what we happen to enjoy, but suspect if you spend a few afternoons in either downtown trying to get the feel of the experience we have been trying to describe (and is clearly being shared by 1000s of people every day), maybe it might change your perspective when you are standing in the middle of a vacant parking lot eating a burger that you will never remember or go buy again.
Myself and my 5 co-workers however have had the majority of our co-workers stop by my office today wondering where we picked up our take out today.
OK, so I just read what I am about to post. Maybe we are food truck snobs. Fuck it, we eat better than you. Deal.
June 13th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
I hadn’t heard of Wicked Palate before today, but after reading all the comments I will have to check it out. I used to eat at Minneapolis food trucks last year when they parked near my work but they all seemed to have congregated around Nicolette mall now. They are excellent as far as greasy junk food on wheels goes, but I certainly don’t hold them up to moral principles or dock them for not having a sappy vision statement ;P When it all boils down, it’s just stuff to stick in my mouth and not starve, tastes good to boot.
June 13th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
I started my post before I saw yours lefty.
Yeah I think you are a food truck snob, and I beleive everyone should have at least one thing in their life where they are passionate enough to be a snob about it, I know I do.
June 13th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
john, you’re not going to the food trucks downtown because they moved a few blocks?
June 13th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Got it. I don’t think you and I will have much in common then.
June 13th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Bill, you have hit on a big reason why I think the food trucks are so popular. The perception of convenience. Psychologically it seems like walking up to a truck and ordering your lunch without even having to go inside, much less sit down and wait to have your order taken, is very quick and convenient. In reality you probably are going to spend more time at a food truck being the lines are so long, but the illusion or gut feeling still remains that they are quick and convenient. I’m pretty convinced that if those same restaurants were at a brick and mortar they would not get half the level of business. That is what motivated me to eat at them anyways, but now having to walk for 10 minutes just to get there has me rather eat at one of the traditional lunch spots just around the corner. Walking across town just isn’t convenient, they probably all moved to nicolette mall because the most workers in down town are centered around that area so they get the biggest proximity to people looking for a convenient lunch.
June 13th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
John,
I think it’s more than that. The convenience factor is definitely not just a perception IMO. Instead of purposefully having to wander miles of skyway to get to a specific restaurant, I can walk to a single area where numerous talented individuals are putting out excellent product which far exceeds that of the traditional lunch-priced options downtown.
I only spent 4 years downtown eating at just about every decent non-chain skyway restaurant and 1.5+ years eating at almost every available food truck so certainly don’t take my word for it.
June 13th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Walking is good for you (I’m pretty sure), and food trucks are out during the nicest time in Minnesota: Summer!
IMHO, just being outside is part of the food truck experience, and getting away from the routine of eating the same (mediocre) stuff; day in and day out.
I personally don’t care if it takes me an extra 10 minutes to walk to a food truck. At least I did something productive during my lunch hour and I get the bonus of eating some great food.
June 13th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
I think it would be great if more food trucks would appear in suburban areas where you can actually park next to the truck. Even if this Wicked Palace place is pretty lame it might not be a bad idea to eat there every now and then to show other potential trucks that its viable to serve the suburbs. Chipotle really needs some competition, a burrito food truck could destroy it, especially in Apple Valley where your only other choices for convenient food are burgers or chinese.
June 13th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
John,
So you’re going to suggest Dan drive to Apple Valley and offer…wait for it…more burgers?
If you’re going to drive to eat at a truck, why not drive to Rosemount for Italian takeout (they are sit down but that wouldn’t be convenient) from Giuseppe’s, sandwiches from Blue Ox, or Indian buffet at Ramadan, or any number of other places which I’m too burned out these days to come up with right now?
Personally what I think the suburbs need are a centrally located congregation point, like St. Paul’s food truck court (or whatever they call it now) so that people can hit them all up and pick and choose as they see fit from each. But that’s me.
June 13th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Walking might be good for you Nils but i think that good is canceled out by eating something created in a deep fryer ;P
But I agree that being outside is part of the experience of a food truck, both for the psychological factor of convenience and sunlight generally just makes people feel better.
June 13th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Bill, no regardless of what Dan does I am just saying that food trucks in the suburbs or any other place would be a good thing. And can be viable, considering the example of Chipotle which has zero competition for what it is offering.
But I would rather have them spread out rather than centrally located, then one is going to be near your work, near your home, near the route between your work and home.
June 13th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
I know you’re just trolling john, but you really have no clue what you’re talking about.
If you can’t recognize that a local and sustainable approach is more than a “sappy mission statement”, that these trucks are putting out some of the most creative, imaginitive and highest-quality foods in the Twin Cities right now, and you think people go there purely because of “perception of convenience”, you are even dumber than you sound.
Your statement about them not making it in a bricks-and-mortar restaurant is naiive as well. Most of the operators of these food trucks DO HAVE popular and successful bricks-and-mortar restaurants or have operated ones in the past. Stephen Trojahn (Gastrotruck) was the Executive Chef at Cosmos. Lisa Carlson (Chef Shack) opened Minneapolis mainstay Barbette and she and her partner Carrie Summer have had leadership positions in kitchens of some of the world’s foremost chefs. 128 Cafe, Barrio, Taqueria la Hacienda, Stanley’s NE, and the Anchor Fish and Chips trucks are all extensions of successful bricks-and-mortar places. Ngon Bistro’s Hai Truong (currently one of the most exciting and popular chefs/restaurants in the Twin Cities) just launched his truck. Turkey-to-Go, Chef Shack, and a couple of others are in various stages of EXPANDING INTO bricks-and-mortar spots.
If you don’t care about food, just say so instead of trolling us or making shit up.
BTW, the trucks congregate around Marquette Ave not Nicollet (2 blocks west).
June 13th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
And WSK is from the owners of Saffron and will now be opening an additional brick and mortar based on the truck itself.
June 13th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Thank you. I can’t believe I glossed over the best one, although even a James Beard Award-nominated chef probably won’t impress “why would I walk 5 blocks when I could have dumbed down Sawatdee Thai in the skyway (a.k.a. mopey II).
June 13th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
There’s a terrible Indian restaurant in the basement of Macy’s. They also serve…tacos. No, I’m not kidding. That’s the sort of stellar food you’re going to find in the skyway. Fuck the food trucks, who needs variety when I can get Americanized Indian and tacos in one fell swoop?!!?!!?!?
June 13th, 2012 at 5:18 pm
No I don’t know much about food trucks, just providing a perspective, not trolling.
“If you can’t recognize that a local and sustainable approach is more than a “sappy mission statement””
Lets not confuse the restaurant business with the restaurant marketing business.
“Your statement about them not making it in a bricks-and-mortar restaurant is naiive as well. ”
I didn’t say they would not make it, I said they would not have half the level of business. Which is very reasonable to assume. Are there long lines of people waiting for lunch in the brick and mortar versions of these food trucks? And convenience is a big factor, If they relied on only food-fanatics and aficionados they would go out of business, the average patron doesn’t go to a food truck for a religious experience, they go because they are hungry and have work to do.
“BTW, the trucks congregate around Marquette Ave not Nicollet (2 blocks west).”
Huh? Nicollet and Marquette are right next to each other not 2 blocks apart. So there are lots of food trucks on Nicollet and surrounding, “around Nicolette mall” is plenty accurate.
June 13th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
john l,
Once you are done getting schooled, I hope you stick around, for real.
One thing though. Where are all these greasy deep fried food trucks? That makes no sense.
June 13th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
Sniff the wind lefty, you will find them.
June 13th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
OK one block. The rest of what you said makes no sense.
June 14th, 2012 at 8:13 am
MSPD, Bill,
Help me out here. I can’t honestly think of a fried item I have eaten from one of the places, nor can I think of an item that Bill has reviewed that came from one.
I think Vellee may have been selling egg rolls last night, but they may have been spring rolls…so that may be one.
Why am I feeding the troll?
June 14th, 2012 at 8:23 am
Donuts from Smack Shack, Egg Rolls from Vellee Deli. I can’t think of anything else that was fried other than those two items but I haven’t tried everything there is to try by any means.
June 14th, 2012 at 9:35 am
Anchor Fish & Chips and Foxy Falafel probably.
June 14th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Seasoned french fries from Twisted Sister?
June 14th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
I don’t think they issue licenses to food trucks without deep fryers. It’s in the city bylaws.
June 14th, 2012 at 5:24 pm
Ah, Anchor and Foxy. How could I forget.
john l, you need to work harder if you want to be funny.
June 14th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
This “stream” certainly is turning into one of those “instant messaging” rants!!!:)
June 18th, 2012 at 10:29 am
If Vellee Deli is a 10, and Smack Shack is an 8.5, well then I would have to rate Gastrotruck a 6. Very disappointed in the food there last Friday.
This puts Wicked Palate at about a 2.
June 18th, 2012 at 11:21 am
I haven’t eaten at Gastrotruck but it wouldn’t hurt them to redo the name. The only time you hear the prefix gastro is in various unappetizing contexts.
June 18th, 2012 at 11:26 am
Gastropub?
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:45 am
Gastro-Intestinal Distress…
I am frankly disappointed that the one food truck Burnsville has is getting such shoddy reviews… Not that I think they are wrong… In fact, they are likely spot-on.
It isn’t hard to spot a previously frozen burger patty. Anyone who is priding themselves on their burgers should certainly know better.
Originally, I intended to check it out (being a hardcore burger lover) but now I am thinking of simply getting a juicy or something like that today.
Was it really that blah?
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:51 am
Jeremy D.
I would rather eat at Burger Jones than Wicked Palate because Burger Jones is a better value, and I will never eat at Burger Jones because it is too overpriced.
lefty
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:53 am
I’m glad I’m not the only one that feels that way about Burger Jones…
June 22nd, 2012 at 10:46 am
Jeremy D, from my perspective, yeah, it was “that blah”. Even more so since I’ve had World Street Kitchen, Vellee Deli, and Get Sauced food truck items just this week all of which were tremendous. One thing that stood out in my mind was the Get Sauced sandwich. It’s a pulled pork sandwich with a kalbi-style marinade/sauce. Besides good flavors, I was thrilled that there were textures, crust pieces, a little fat, etc. in the pork. It was a perfect illustration of what I was talking about with this (from above) and I’d recommend getting over to the Get Sauced truck for a try:
June 23rd, 2012 at 4:07 am
Burger KING, motherfuckers! Get your JONES on for some PRICES that are RIGHTEOUS!
Austerity, y’all. What, y’all RICH?
June 28th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Thisweeklivecom/~3/75GyHh2OzRQ/
June 29th, 2012 at 8:40 am
Once again the Burnsville City Council wastes taxpayer money assisting another self serving council member…………………….. This is NOT economic development. Keep this type of commercialism out of our parks and away from brick and mortar, taxpaying food purveyors.
July 16th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
From The Wicked Palate’s FB page:
…
July 17th, 2012 at 6:04 am
Isn’t that what weekends are for??
July 17th, 2012 at 6:17 am
He worked the Swap and Shop so I’m guessing this is his weekend.
July 17th, 2012 at 6:41 am
“see you there and stay inside today”
Do food trucks lose a lot of business on extremely hot days (ice cream trucks not withstanding of course)?
July 17th, 2012 at 8:32 am
Nurd-
I visited the food trucks in downtown Minneapolis when it was 96 degrees out. They didn’t appear to be hurting for business.
July 17th, 2012 at 8:55 am
I see they put up their new website today and water is now listed at $1.00 vs. the $2.00 I paid for it last month.
Unless I hear otherwise, I am going to go with this thread being the reason and credit goes to Wicked Palate for responding to feedback.
December 26th, 2012 at 7:32 am
[...] 6. Nha Sang 7. The Buckboard 8. Burnsville Ale House 9. Panini Grill 10. The Rack Bar and Grill 11. Wicked Palate Food Truck 12. Classic Saigon 13. Saigon Palace 14. Black Stallion Saloon 15. Byblos Lebanese Grill 16. [...]
December 31st, 2012 at 7:29 am
[...] MN Valley Tap House in Apple Valley, MN Zest in Eagan, MN Spice Thai Cafe in Lakeville, MN Wicked Palate Food Truck in Burnsville, MN Copper River Fish and Chop House in Lakeville, MN Lone Oak Grill in Eagan, [...]