Aly’s Food Cart sets up in town
Move part of Mattress Mary expansion
Aly’s Food Cart has taken up roots in town, with the cart moving from its former location in Arroyo Seco to the parking area in front of Mattress Mary’s building, located at 815 Paseo del Pueblo Sur. The famous lamb gyros that were once a 30 minute round-trip drive away are now available to those in town with a hankering for something unique.
The cart, which is owned and operated by Aly Hyder, is just the first addition to a larger vision for the area by Mary Domito, owner and namesake of Mattress Mary’s.
In addition to serving her usual menu of gyros, chicken shawarma, New Zealand-style meat pies and delicious desserts, Hyder will be adding a “Double M” green chile cheeseburger to the menu, as well as the late Taos chef Fred Muller’s famous green chile stew — two additions Domito said were conditional upon her relocation to the lot.
Domito recently purchased the old El Taoseño building, with plans to create “Double M Provisions.” She said she has always envisioned having food carts at her place. After making Facebook contact with Hyder, the two agreed to the conditions. “My only hesitation was because El Taoseño was Northern New Mexican cuisine. I had a real strong desire to have two menu items, [the burger and the stew]. Aly said she would be more than happy to create the recipes,” Domito said.
The cart will remain at the Mattress Mary’s location permanently, and is currently open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Along with the new location, Hyder said she has even more plans to expand her enterprise in Taos. “We have another one, which is our event cart, doing events around town, and wedding and catering events. Then, we have another cart which is not enclosed, it’s just a street cart.” She said she hopes to set up the third cart in Taos’ Historic District near the John Dunn Shops around June.
For now, Domito and Hyder are looking for a second cart to compliment Aly’s, perhaps a coffee or smoothie truck, Domito said. With an additional truck and the opening of Domito’s “provisions” store, they hope to make a local hub. “I’m all about quality and having it be a win-win relationship. So, eventually, we’re going to have a destination here that’s going to appeal to locals and tourists,” Domito said.