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Food Trucks Use Twitter to Draw NY Business–But Upper West Side is Shunned

Van Leeuwen ice cream truck draws crowds.

Van Leeuwen ice cream truck draws crowds.

The melding of food trucks and Twitter is in full swing. Not since the Good Humor man hung up his bells in the 1970s, have so many food trucks patrolled the streets of America’s cities. And now you can find New York’s mobile food fleet easily through Twitter.

But there’s a problem: only a few vendors to be found on the Upper West Side. A quick glance at the trucks’ locales around the city reveals that few take up position in our fair neighborhood. Yes, I know we’re not hip. Yes, I know, we’re a bit dowdy. But there are lots of serious eaters on the Upper West Side, not to mention scores of families with snack-eating kids.

David Lebovitz says that he “can’t tell”  if the proliferation of twittering trucks “is a good thing, or it means things are getting out of hand.”  Maybe the trend is getting out of hand below 14th Street, but it’s barely caused a ripple on the Upper West Side.

Here’s a list of food trucks and their Twitter IDs from Serious Eats. The Treats Truck makes a stop at Broadway and 80th Street and the Rickshaw Truck can be found at Columbus Circle.

Calexico Carne Asada Cart
Twitter: @CalexicoCart
URL: calexicocart.com
Three California brothers making carne asada tacos, chipotle pulled pork, and other Mexican-inspired food. They won the 2008 Vendy Awards, an annual street food contest held in New York.

Cravings Truck
Twitter: @nyccravings
URL: sites.google.com/a/nyccravings.com/cravings/
Taiwanese-style fried chicken over rice with secret pork sauce and handmade steamed dumplings (vegan, pork, or mix).

Dessert Truck
Twitter: @desserttruck
URL: desserttruck.com
Also dessert-themed. They beat Bobby Flay in a chocolate bread pudding Throwdown.

Le Gamin Truck
Twitter: @legamintruck
URL: legaminmobitruck.blogspot.com
Sweet and savory crepes, quiche Lorraine, baguette sandwiches, ratatouille salad, and other European café-type foods. Photos of food here.

Rickshaw Dumplings
Twitter: @RickshawTruck
Dumplings and dipping sauces from a truck covered in funny slogans like “Who’s Your Edamame?”

Treats Truck
Twitter: @TheTreatsTruck
URL: treatstruck.com
Cookies, brownies, bars, crispy treats and more. Tweets the whereabouts of their main truck Sugar and its vehicular little sister Dot.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
Twitter: @benwvl
URL: vanleeuwenicecream.com
Scooping up flavors like currants and cream, pistachio, gianduja, espresso, and ginger, all made from hormone-free milk.

Wafels & Dinges
Twitter: @waffletruck
URL: thedinges.blogspot.com
Sweet and savory Brussels and Liege waffles.

Cupcake Stop
Twitter: @CupcakeStop
URL: cupcakestop.com
A mobile cupcake shop starting June 3.

Question of the day:  What’s your favorite food truck?

Related:

Street Food: NYC Food Trucks Serve Up Latest Dining Trend

Upper West Side: The Taco Truck That Delivers



Related posts:

  1. Food Trucks: Cupcake Stop, Rickshaw Dumpling Arrive on Upper West Side (Sort Of)
  2. Two New Food Trucks: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream on Upper West Side; Taim Launches Truck
  3. STREET FOOD: NYC Food Trucks Serve Up Latest Dining Trend

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