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Thirty different gourmet food trucks from across the state came to compete for five different awards Saturday during the local installment of Food Truck Wars at St. Cloud’s Centennial Park. PHOTO/MING HENRY -
The Food Truck Wars “twist of Florida honey” theme Saturday was professionally judged, led by Chef Jay Judy and Mr. Jim Whaples.
Thirty different gourmet food trucks from across the state came to compete for five different awards Saturday during the local installment of Food Truck Wars at St. Cloud’s Centennial Park. Sponsored by the City of Saint Cloud and Reel in the Rays, the “twist of Florida honey” theme was professionally judged, led by Chef Jay Judy and Mr. Jim Whaples.
“This event brings out families, it’s a nice safe event. Like one big block party.” Liz Otts, president of Food Truck Wars, said.
Otts said that they chose this theme because honey and citrus are staples of Florida, and that by including it into the challenge they can promote businesses and tie communities together. With this theme they included an additional “Special honey” award.
The Food Truck Wars line of events works to bring together communities and families, and through this amazing battle, food trucks and owners helped to raise $50,000 in communities that have sponsored the event.
Saturday’s free event included a beer garden sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kissimmee Bay as well as a kids zone and live music with Trickle Down. A portion of the proceeds goes towards local charities.
Some of the food trucks that competed were Los Pinchos Tacos from St. Cloud, Donut NV from Kissimmee, The Crepe Co. and Up in Smoke BBQ from Orlando.
Many food trucks that came out in support of the event incorporated the theme in creative ways, with some trucks tying honey into their customer favorite sauces such as Los Pinchos, and others like B.Y.O.B from Orlando blending honey into a salty and sweet dish like goat cheese and chicken. For their overall judgment judges considered whether a food truck’s meal was easy to eat, delicious, presentable, and original.
The awards and the winners were:
Special Honey award: Ruben Place Asia
People’s Choice award: Camel Tow Tacos
Casual Cuisine: The Hook Orlando
Delectable Dessert: Peter Johns Ice Cream
Top Sales: Lees Famous Cheesecake
Food Truck Wars stated that they were so thankful to all participants and gave a special thanks to the Rotary Club of Kissimmee Bay and the City of St. Cloud.
