Food truck event rolls into town
2nd ‘ block party’ of the year features 10 vendors, music
WATSONVILLE — Earlier this year, Robby Olson was discussing ways to attract people downtown with wife Jenni VeitchOlson and City Council members Karina Cervantez Alejo and Felipe Hernandez.
Hernandez mentioned a food truck event he’d attended in Los Angeles.
“When he said it only required a big parking lot, I thought, ‘ Hey, I have one of those,’ ” said Olson, pastor of Watsonville’s United Presbyterian Church.
So it transpired that the inaugural Food Truck Block Party drew 400 hungry people to five very busy trucks in April.
“My husband and I worked the first event solo — huge mistake,” said Kasia Maslanka- Smith, coowner of Ate3 one. “This time we’re bringing plenty of help.”
Round two of Watsonville’s Food Truck Block Party takes place from 4- 7 p. m. Saturday in the United Presbyterian Church parking lot at 112 E. Beach St.
“Robby ( Olson) really took over on the followup event and has made it twice as big and better,” Hernandez said.
For the second coming of the block party, 10 food trucks will circle up to dish out something for every palate to a live Latin blues soundtrack by The Ville Band.
“All five of the original trucks returned,” said Olson. “And we’ve added five more.”
Although Olson said a favorite was impossible to choose, he recommended the “gourmet comfort food” of Ate3one, the fried artichokes of Castroville’s The Choke Coach and the Mexican seafood menu of Mariscos San Juanito.
Other participating food trucks include G’s Tacos, Happy Dog Hot Dogs, Aunt LaLi’s Mobile Cafe, El Volcan, Carmona’s BBQ, J& S Catering and Damien Catering.
“One of the neat things about the first Food Truck Block Party was how it brought together this diverse cross section of Watsonville residents,” said Olson. “What’s great is how the food is similarly varied. There’s definitely something for everyone.”
Hernandez said nearly 1,000 people have responded as “going” on the event’s Facebook page.
“It wasn’t long ago that food trucks became kind of a negative rallying point for this movement to sanitize Watsonville of its character,” Hernandez said. “I see our success here as a victory for our city and its entrepreneurs.”
Maslanka- Smith
and her husband, Jonathan Smith, are two such entrepreneurs. Their truck, Ate3one, was the first to sign up for the original block party and the first to re- up for Saturday’s event.
The couple is trying to start a food truck revolution by training staff to open their own food trucks. Maslanka- Smith learned the trade during a six- month stint in a San Jose food truck called The Waffle Roost.
“I was working 15- hour days for free just to learn the business,” she said. “The culinary term for this is ‘ stage,’ which basically means bust your ass for free and prove your worth to the chef.”
“We’re not out to compete with other food trucks,” said Jonathan Smith. “We’re here to support the entire food truck community.”