Keep on truckin’ toward food and fun
Greeting summer’s unofficial beginning with dogs on the grill has been the way to spend Memorial Day, well, maybe not since time immemorial, but for quite a few decades.
The wieners were cookin’ Friday at the Greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in more ways than one.
Not only were they encased in buns, but they were wearing coats, and that doesn’t mean coated with mustard or kraut.
The hot dogs on a hot summer evening were hoping to become top dog, and each sported a number.
Except for Elmer. The black and white dachshund-Jack Russell terrier mix was ready to go, with his tail wagging a mile a minute. But the event was so popular, Elmer’s owner said it filled up months ago.
Strutting through the packed concourse was The Meadows’ 2017 racing wiener champion, Doki Doki Yummy Chums. She won a coat proclaiming her title for all to see, and maybe to score a psychological victory Friday over any alpha dog wannabes.
Jess Golling, now of Detroit, Mich., but formerly of McKees Rocks, said of Doki, who will turn seven in August, “She’s always excited. It’s either insane or sleeping.”
There was no racing form for canines as the track went to the dogs, but Billy McClearn of Stoneboro, Mercer County, and his wife, Jody, had shaped up a card of sorts. He was entering Stewie in one heat while Jody placed Gabby in another dash.
And then there was lucky little Linus of Morgantown, W.Va., looking jaunty in his official racing attire plus matching navy blue and white hat and sunglasses.
He placed in the top four of his heat.
“He loves to run,” enthused his owner, Theresa Twigg.
This was a foodie event, after all, so here’s a tidbit to digest. If you equate funnel cake with festival food, how about a little garlic herb mayonnaise with that?
These funnel cakes by Carneval of Johnstown, Cambria County, are a lacy, Pennsylvania-poured variation on the doughnut sandwich.
“We actually created it because we got bored with eating the same food on the line in the kitchen,” said Lew Cramer. “And we were just playing around, and all of a sudden, this idea, bam, came about.”
Sandwich fillings include “Chicken Little,” Beefcake or D’Bottoms, a shaved kielbasa extravaganza with potato perogi, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and, no, not Thousand Island, but “Neville Island” dressing.
Prefer turkey, bacon, cheddar, tomato slice and the above-mentioned mayo? Just ask Lew Cramer or Mark Browning for a Tyler Durden. The turkey club is named for a “Fight Club” character.
Just don’t ask for powdered sugar. If you must have a funnel cake, dessert-style, it comes with locally-sourced maple syrup.
Need a drink to wash it down?
Around the back of Carneval making her debut was Shelby Brown of Tarentum, doing business as Main Squeeze Juice.
Healthy sounding ingredients – kale, celery, cucumber and broccoli “and a little bit of lemon,” said Brown as she muscled in on the food truck scene. She also makes fruit-based juices and smoothies.
Do people flock to a food truck fest and watch calories or make healthy choices?
“We will find out,” Brown predicted. “This is our first day ever.”
The Greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival continues from noon to 8 p.m. today and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.