The Great Food Truck Race - General Discussion

[mlp]

Quote

If I'm standing in line and someone I don't know comes up and tries to hug me they won't be getting my business.

Agreed.  That actually creeped me out.  I'm totally opposed to all the hugging you see everywhere because it strikes me as hypocritical.  We try to teach kids not to let strangers into their personal space and then we see everyone hugging everyone else whether they know them or not every time we turn on the TV.  I would have rejected that woman's hug even if the TV camera had been right on me.

I like this season because they're spending the most time on what the teams are doing rather than on them driving around looking for some place to park.  My least favorite truck is Baby Got Mac because I think the name is stupid and the two women are, um, unappetizing.  I don't care for Sol food either for the same reasons others have stated but at least they look neat and clean and seem to be cooking good stuff.  I like all the other trucks so far.  

[jcbrown]

10 hours ago, Morgana said:

If I'm standing in line and someone I don't know comes up and tries to hug me they won't be getting my business.

This! So weird and intrusive.

6 hours ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

Agreed. That was so weird! If she had nothing else to do, she could have helped get the food out. I'm ready for Sol Food to go.

Me, too. I'm tired of the special snowflakes sliding through in the bottom two.

41 minutes ago, GeorgiaRai said:

So can any team ignore the surprise/mandatory ingredient, as long as they make the biggest profit?  It may not be "fair" to assign meat or dairy to a vegan truck, but it's definitely not fair to let them cook whatever they want while the other trucks have to meet the challenge.

regardless. the screaming and hugging and carrying on about their "mission" bugs.  Away with them!

I agree it does not seem fair that most teams have to use the surprise ingredient but not all of them. Either it's a rule or it's not, and if it isn't, then it's pointless to provide the surprise ingredient. 

[Maya]

Sorry, I can’t see myself ever buying a bowl of what was most likely canned baked beans from a food truck.

[spiderpig]

2 hours ago, SoTheresThat said:

I'm with you on this. 

That one truck Tyler advised to raise prices marked an item up to $20. 

If I'm spending $20 on an entree, I want a waiter to bring it to me at a table.  I don't want to eat it standing in a field.  Not even for the reality TV show experience.

Argh!  This show used to be one of my favorites.   When did they run off the rails (looking at you cheapskate FN management, who won't show their faces on camera unlike Kermit and Medusa).

Where are Brooke, Bob and Suzie when you need them?

[hula-la]

3 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

So can any team ignore the surprise/mandatory ingredient, as long as they make the biggest profit?  It may not be "fair" to assign meat or dairy to a vegan truck, but it's definitely not fair to let them cook whatever they want while the other trucks have to meet the challenge.

regardless. the screaming and hugging and carrying on about their "mission" bugs.  Away with them!

Because I'm procrastinating from marking (report card marks are due Friday), I remembered that there was a vegan truck before. It was Season 2 and they were the Seabirds. They were eliminated in episode 4, and I was looking to see if there were any issues with mandatory ingredients (I remember not being annoyed with them like we are with the Sol Collective). In one episode, they had to make a sausage, but they made a vegan sausage.   Here, they talk about how they didn't intentionally market their truck as vegan. The truck lasted for a few years, but is now closed. 

[Maverick]

This season isn't nearly as bad as the "never leave LA" season.  

 Other teams have elected to not do the secret ingredient challenge in the past because they felt they had a better chance at winning with their own menu that with the bump they'd get in their till. 

[Chyromaniac]

9 hours ago, spiderpig said:

The trucks look dilapidated and crummy.  The menus are unimaginative.  And $15 for something from a food truck served in a paper boat in an area where I can't even wash my hands?

Why not pivot to a nice sports bar or gastropub where you can sit down, watch a flatscreen, and socialize with the bartender?  FOR THE SAME MONEY!!!

I agree about the trucks- I assume that they’ve mostly just been rewrapping the same fleet for a few seasons now, and they are showing their wear.

As for the pricing: it is certainly excessive on this show (arguably 2x what they should be charging) but food trucks are not meant to be cheap- they are supposed to be convenient and efficient. A gastropub is fine if the time and transportation to get to one fits in your work schedule- for some workers, the taco truck or hotdog cart on the corner is the best option. Or, if you’re late night bar hopping and all the real restaurants are closed, you can grab something between stops.

8 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

So can any team ignore the surprise/mandatory ingredient, as long as they make the biggest profit?  It may not be "fair" to assign meat or dairy to a vegan truck, but it's definitely not fair to let them cook whatever they want while the other trucks have to meet the challenge.

Sure, any team can skip out on the challenge- they’re also forfeiting any potential benefits (immunity for instance) from it as well.  And honestly, based on their placing, skipping the challenges hasn’t exactly done Sol many favors thus far.

[LittleIggy]

10 hours ago, SoTheresThat said:

I'm with you on this. 

That one truck Tyler advised to raise prices marked an item up to $20. 

If I'm spending $20 on an entree, I want a waiter to bring it to me at a table.  I don't want to eat it standing in a field.  Not even for the reality TV show experience.

I’m with both of you. Those prices are ridiculous, IMO. $20 for a po-boy? Just a po-boy, nothing else. Uh, no. 🤨

I wanted someone to tell Tyler that the service slowed down because they had to shell peanuts.

I still think Sol Collective, or whatever there name is, should be penalized for not using the featured ingredient.

[LittleIggy]

9 hours ago, mlp said:

Agreed.  That actually creeped me out.  I'm totally opposed to all the hugging you see everywhere because it strikes me as hypocritical.  We try to teach kids not to let strangers into their personal space and then we see everyone hugging everyone else whether they know them or not every time we turn on the TV.  I would have rejected that woman's hug even if the TV camera had been right on me.

I like this season because they're spending the most time on what the teams are doing rather than on them driving around looking for some place to park.  My least favorite truck is Baby Got Mac because I think the name is stupid and the two women are, um, unappetizing.  I don't care for Sol food either for the same reasons others have stated but at least they look neat and clean and seem to be cooking good stuff.  I like all the other trucks so far.  

Why just single out the women? The dude is supremely unappetizing, to use your adjective. He looks as if he lives in his mom’s basement and collects comic books.

As for the hugs, I agree. What’s even creepier is when contestants greet each other  with a hug on Naked and Afraid (XL or not). Watch those naughty bits! 🤣

[mlp]

Quote

He looks as if he lives in his mom’s basement and collects comic books.

Totally agree.  🙂  He looks like a big friendly dork to me but he looks clean.  The woman with the dyed red hair looks like she hasn't washed it in some time and she always looks grim.  The one with blue hair looks like she's in a world of her own.  If she's even spoken a few words, I missed it.  

Quote

contestants greet each other  with a hug on Naked and Afraid (XL or not).

Ew.  I've never watched that and now I'm glad of it.

[biakbiak]

7 hours ago, hula-la said:

Because I'm procrastinating from marking (report card marks are due Friday), I remembered that there was a vegan truck before. It was Season 2 and they were the Seabirds. T

In season 5 there was an Isreali team that kept kosher in life and on their truck but one of the challenges was that the teams had to switch trucks and cook the other teams menu and “SHOCKINGLY” the Isreali team was forced to switch with a truck that was bacon focused. I still shake with rage when I think about it. They did cook the menu but they couldn’t taste and so they probably weren’t putting out their best food it was just such a shitty stunt move by production. They did end up winning that season so at least there is that.

Did they have to pay for the pork? Because if they didn’t the vegan team would be taking a hit to their budget for not using it which seems like a fair “punishment” to me.

Edited June 18, 2019 by biakbiak

[suebee12]

Did anyone else notice that in the final elimination scene, that Tyler was bundled up in a fairly heavy jacket and the poor contestants were in shirt sleeves? I think they wanted us to think they were warm and enjoying the beachy scenes when in reality they were cold. I'm too lazy to check when this was filmed but I'm betting it was fairly cold...guess they had to advertise to get everyone to the beach to eat at the trucks. Brrrrrrrrr......

[cameron]

On 6/18/2019 at 12:27 AM, LittleIggy said:

I’m with both of you. Those prices are ridiculous, IMO. $20 for a po-boy? Just a po-boy, nothing else. Uh, no. 🤨

I wanted someone to tell Tyler that the service slowed down because they had to shell peanuts.

I still think Sol Collective, or whatever there name is, should be penalized for not using the featured ingredient.

Can't believe Tyler suggested the price hike on food.  Got to be a tv kind of moment.  Never have seen food trucks with those kind of prices unless they were selling lobster rolls.

[biakbiak]

4 hours ago, cameron said:

Can't believe Tyler suggested the price hike on food.  Got to be a tv kind of moment.  Never have seen food trucks with those kind of prices unless they were selling lobster rolls.

Maybe he has been living in the Bay Area too long their are trucks that come close or over that.

[Enigma X]

Throughout the seasons a lot has started to bug me but nothing and nobody as much as Tyler. He has become downright annoying to me.

I also feel as if a lot of stuff, even some of the contestants, are just contrived.

[xaxat]

After thinking (too much) about it, I really don't have a problem with Sol's decision to not participate in the meat centric challenges. However, I do think there should be a financial penalty for not doing so. A business can't afford to turn away free resources. What does annoy me is how much they play to the touchy feely, spiritual vegan stereotype.

If you are interested in seeing the behind the scenes operations of a working food truck, there is a one based in Idaho that streams live on Twitch. Grubtruck is a mac and cheese focused truck that serves Moscow Idaho. They stream their prep and sales days Tuesday/Saturday. 

[Skyfall]

On 6/17/2019 at 2:20 PM, GeorgiaRai said:

So can any team ignore the surprise/mandatory ingredient, as long as they make the biggest profit?  It may not be "fair" to assign meat or dairy to a vegan truck, but it's definitely not fair to let them cook whatever they want while the other trucks have to meet the challenge.

regardless. the screaming and hugging and carrying on about their "mission" bugs.  Away with them!

Waffle Love did it. Also I don’t get how $10 is too low when past seasons that was the going rate.

[biakbiak]

59 minutes ago, xaxat said:

A business can't afford to turn away free resources.

You can’t afford not to if it goes against the core concept of your business. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s beneficial. I know a lot of vegans and vegetarians who wouldn’t eat at a truck that was also preparing meat and given that it was pork I know several Jewish people who would also have a lot of questions about how it was separated etc. 

If the pork was free to the other teams than they did get a penalty for not using it.

[mlp]

Quote

You can’t afford not to if it goes against the core concept of your business. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s beneficial.

I have to agree with that.  Vegan/vegetarian doesn't appeal to me but, if I were a customer who had chosen that kind of diet/lifestyle, I'd want to know the truck was really what it claimed to be.

3 hours ago, xaxat said:

What does annoy me is how much they play to the touchy feely, spiritual vegan stereotype.

That is why I don't like them.  And the hugging.  

[Ellee]

I admit I'm not watching too closely but I thought the Vegan truck was just foregoing the challenge that has them either winning immunity or additional cash in the till.

Is this not the way it is?

[mlp]

6 hours ago, Ellee said:

I admit I'm not watching too closely but I thought the Vegan truck was just foregoing the challenge that has them either winning immunity or additional cash in the till.

That's the way I understand it.  If a truck doesn't fulfill the requirements of a challenge, they give up all chances to benefit from it.

[meep.meep]

On 6/17/2019 at 10:03 AM, spiderpig said:

The trucks look dilapidated and crummy. 

They really do.  I think anyone who has a failure with their producer-supplied equipment has grounds to complain and ask for some compensation.  It's not a level playing field when the fryers don't work, or one truck leaks, or the refrigeration goes out, etc.

They also need to work on a few dishes that don't require a lot of prep so that they can have a soft open and sell something (a drink, a sandwich) while their prep-intensive items are underway.

And, I think it's weird that the two all female teams are both dressing in yellow and black.

[seacliffsal]

I am enjoying this season.  I would like to know a bit more about the the determinations of the winners of the in-episode challenges.  I still can't wrap my head around how corn on the cob beat some of the other food items in Myrtle Beach and was really surprised that the Mac and Cheese truck won in Hilton Head.  I was surprised that the People's Fries left as I thought their food looked good, but, then again, they were using frozen potato products.  I thought the Idaho guys would lose (hot dogs?).  But, again, what do I know?

And, I so agree with an above poster-of course it took forever for the contestants to shell those peanuts!  I wonder if we'll see more contestants just decide not to fulfill the challenge so that they can focus on selling more food.

[lh25]

I agree with the comments about this season being a bit boring.  For me, it's that so far they have been assigned locations, so none of the "where should we set up the truck drama".  And this week, they get pre-cooked pork.  If I'm remembering correctly, one truck made instant mashed potatoes to make their potato cake to go with it.  Too many don't seem like they really know how to cook.

[DaphneCat]

5 hours ago, lh25 said:

If I'm remembering correctly, one truck made instant mashed potatoes to make their potato cake to go with it.  Too many don't seem like they really know how to cook.

I was just going to ask that!  Was it People's Fries?  Absolutely NO excuse for instant mashed potatoes.

[hula-la]

8 hours ago, lh25 said:

I agree with the comments about this season being a bit boring.  For me, it's that so far they have been assigned locations, so none of the "where should we set up the truck drama".  And this week, they get pre-cooked pork.  If I'm remembering correctly, one truck made instant mashed potatoes to make their potato cake to go with it.  Too many don't seem like they really know how to cook.

I'm of two minds of the pre-set location.  Yes, it rids us of the fun/drama of trucks determining where to park, circling for hours finding a location, getting a poor location, etc. But, with them all in the same selling area, you get to see who is able to get themselves ready to sell quickly, vs. those that seem to take forever during their prep. 

[rustyspigot]

Oh lord. Now a Sol Food lady has to leave because NO REASON?

[rustyspigot]

And now a bitch has a KIDNEY STONE!

[Hellga]

On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 1:26 PM, SoTheresThat said:

If I'm spending $20 on an entree, I want a waiter to bring it to me at a table.  I don't want to eat it standing in a field.  Not even for the reality TV show experience.

In my area $12-13 is normal for food truck entrees, if someone was charging $20, it better be something spectacular.  Large lobster roll or something like that.  

I kind of felt bad for Sol being down to one person, but I didn't care for them in the previous episodes so if she goes home, I won't really feel sorry.  

I am wondering about all the trucks selling together in the same spot this season.  Are they going to continue like this?  As I recall, in the previous seasons after the first episode or two, trucks would go on finding their own spots.  Sure, assigned locations even the playing field - but in the real world location IS the name of the food truck game.  I would rather see that happen in the show.   If someone wins the competition and they have never had to find their own spot - how long will it take them to get up to the challenge once they are selling and using their own money, not producer's money for ingredients, gas etc. (and any improper parking fines).

[rustyspigot]

I  don't believe for a second about kidney stone.

[Hellga]

Wow.  That fine was big!  Though I get it, food safety IS paramount.  I am glad NOLA stayed, though.  It's always seemed a bit unfair to me that a team could be consistently #1 and then have one bad day and go home.  

[xaxat]

I wonder how the Maple Truck that got eliminated early felt watching everyone make maple doughnuts?

Tyler on the Frank and Slide doughnut, "gross". Me: "Ha". 

The producer must have made a hell of a pitch to keep that last member of Sol around. I feel bad for them. I wonder if they doped up the ailing team mate long enough to get through the elimination knowing that they would be going home.

NOLA What happened? You had a fried dough and a shrimp challenge and you almost went home?

[rustyspigot]

Sol food collective  were the sorest losers. BYE assholes.

[Hellga]

On ‎6‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 5:18 AM, suebee12 said:

Did anyone else notice that in the final elimination scene, that Tyler was bundled up in a fairly heavy jacket and the poor contestants were in shirt sleeves? I think they wanted us to think they were warm and enjoying the beachy scenes when in reality they were cold. I'm too lazy to check when this was filmed but I'm betting it was fairly cold...guess they had to advertise to get everyone to the beach to eat at the trucks. Brrrrrrrrr......

Who knows, maybe he just gets cold easily?  At work, it's not uncommon for me to take my jacket off and sit in my sleeveless silk blouse while my neighbor in the next office down the hall is bundled up in a heavy sweater.   Exact same temperature, two different people.  We are the two extremes, though.  Everyone else is somewhere in between (though I am by far the most warm-blooded one). 

On ‎6‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 3:29 PM, DaphneCat said:

I was just going to ask that!  Was it People's Fries?  Absolutely NO excuse for instant mashed potatoes.

I have never used them, but I suppose if it is just an ingredient mixed into something very complex, I could see it as an acceptable option.  If it is served by itself, no way.  

[LexieLily]

I must be a cynic or the nature of TV production makes me cynical but I rolled my eyes at one person from all the other trucks going over to the Sol Collective truck to help her sell. 

[mlp]

12 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

I rolled my eyes at one person from all the other trucks going over to the Sol Collective truck to help her sell. 

I had the same thought.  I also wondered why a couple of those trucks just happened to have Old Bay on hand when they normally wouldn't use it.

I always wonder if those people are really driving in scenes where they're behind the wheel.  I can see scenery going by but often they don't have seat belts on which I would think production would insist on if they're really on the road.

I'm not sure what I think about the vegan gals and their problems.  They all seemed nice but I wasn't sorry to see them take all their drama and leave.  I was glad the Idaho guys didn't end up on the bottom.

[suebee12]

1 hour ago, LexieLily said:

I must be a cynic or the nature of TV production makes me cynical but I rolled my eyes at one person from all the other trucks going over to the Sol Collective truck to help her sell. 

But did NOLA help? Don't think so and they were the only group who didn't get in on the hugging when the Vegans left...wonder if there was bad blood?

Also wondered about the Health Inspector. Have they ever done that before? I know food safety is important but I thought that this came from out of the blue.....and no other truck had left-overs? Hmmmmm.

[LexieLily]

Just now, suebee12 said:

But did NOLA help? Don't think so and they were the only group who didn't get in on the hugging when the Vegans left...wonder if there was bad blood?

That's a good question. Baby Got Mac lady went into the truck for fifteen minutes (prompted by producers, I'm sure) and one each from Frank & Sliders or whatever their name is, the Idaho potato guys, and a Madea Made girl. Brunch Babes? Rolling Indulgence?

[Aerobicidal]

“We have now created this pattern of being in the bottom.” That is a comment shared by marginally self-aware vegans on a cooking competition show and many Grindr profiles.

What in the love of coconut “bacon” fuckery is up with one team wearing matching yellow neckerchiefs and another one with matching yellow sunglasses—perched on their foreheads?! Did they reject a team wearing yellow overalls with one strap undone and yellow T-shirt slides and yellow Hypercolor shirts and yellow fanny packs? Oh, thank heavens: another team has matching blue leis. I think they need shirts that say “Get Lei’d” to be more contrived.

One of the guys from Frank-n-Slides looks like a mall Santa in the middle of a six-day bender. 

And, wow, so many teams have hopped on 2012’s maple bacon trend. I’m excited for a sun-dried tomato, pesto, and goat cheese challenge to continue the cutting edge stylish trendiness of this show.

“Audible pit stop” sounds like some sort of fetishistic event that would happen on Sunday nights at your local S/M doughnut restaurant. Very apropos, and a way to unwind after the “Rolling Indulgence” party that starts at 11:11 p.m. on Saturdays.

Lord honey, if anyone on Food Network should be marketed as “The Corn Hole Master,” it’s obviously Jason Smith.

As a vegetarian with many vegan friends, I want to make it clear that not all vegans are neckerchief-wearing quitters. And I feel horrible for anyone dealing with kidney stones. But part of me finds their soy cheese meltdown (or the way it’s edited in the show) highly amusing. At least there will be lots of hot surfaces for me to fry seitan in when I go to hell.

The spirit of teamwork and togetherness these contestants are showing is so inspiring, I want to throw up, but I just opened another beer instead. I think it would go really well with a maple bacon shrimp po beignet lei.

I've never noticed this before, but I love how, at elimination, Tyler is like, "I have, in my hands, this ledger." It's so Tyra with her modeling portfolios. I totally think Tyler and Tyla should cohost America's Next Top Food Model. "Who is going home? The truck with all the potential in the world, but whose members were all leaving because of person and medical emergencies? Or the truck that consistently takes great photos, but has even worse personal hygiene than Pete Doherty?" 

The elimination was unsurprising. "Unsurprising elimination" is definitely a term I will never look up on Urban Dictionary or type into Google Images.

[Brookside]

I suppose what's his name can't help his unfortunate body type (though fewer calories would probably go some way), but losing the sad hat might help his image.  Call me shallow, but I'm making a split decision about something I'm about to eat.

[Pallida]

I'm curious how many areas actually allow for flexibility in food truck location. I know in my particular area, they are only allowed on private property, and I believe there are other restrictions. Because of this, there are certain areas where many congregate, although some are on their own. I know a lot of urban areas are promoting food truck pods (which make a lot sense when there's limited parking). 

I really don't have a lot of knowledge or experience with this, but I feel like the popularity of food trucks has led to greater restriction on where they can be, so maybe finding the key spot is not as important as it used to be. Or maybe that's just in specific locations.

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, suebee12 said:

and no other truck had left-overs? Hmmmmm.

It’s always been a rule that they have to completely clean out the truck when they change cities so it wouldn’t surprise me. It seemed like it was a complete accident and weren’t using it and had just forgot to  take out out all small part.

With the exception of the one woman who helped her cut pineapple for about 15 minutes it seemed like the other teams only helped out when they had filled all their orders for the day and were probably out of food so I could see that one woman rallying most of the other teams to throw Sol Food a bone since they all probably felt safe that they wouldn’t be going home and that Sol would.

Edited June 24, 2019 by biakbiak

[spiderpig]

7 hours ago, rustyspigot said:

I  don't believe for a second about kidney stone.

not buying it either.  And I've had two major bouts with stones.  Keep hydrated, y'all!

[Ellee]

8 hours ago, rustyspigot said:

I  don't believe for a second about kidney stone.

Or NOLA’s health violation for me. 

What better ‘suspense’ than to have SOL go against the number one team from the previous week. Oh and thereby saving another team that was in bottom two the previous week. 

Might just be me. 

[cameron]

9 hours ago, mlp said:

I had the same thought.  I also wondered why a couple of those trucks just happened to have Old Bay on hand when they normally wouldn't use it.

I always wonder if those people are really driving in scenes where they're behind the wheel.  I can see scenery going by but often they don't have seat belts on which I would think production would insist on if they're really on the road.

I'm not sure what I think about the vegan gals and their problems.  They all seemed nice but I wasn't sorry to see them take all their drama and leave.  I was glad the Idaho guys didn't end up on the bottom.

Old Bay is a staple when making seafood poorbo sandwiches.

[Maya]

I’ll admit I’m not a huge Mac and cheese fan, but macaroni and cheese and scrambled eggs on a donut bun?? 🤢

I wonder why the Nola truck didn’t just bang out a couple hundred beignets for the donut challenge. 

[mlp]

4 hours ago, cameron said:

Old Bay is a staple when making seafood poorbo sandwiches.

I know.  But a couple of the trucks don't normally serve any seafood yet they had Old Bay on hand to use when they were suddenly faced with a shrimp challenge.  

[biakbiak]

19 minutes ago, mlp said:

I know.  But a couple of the trucks don't normally serve any seafood yet they had Old Bay on hand to use when they were suddenly faced with a shrimp challenge.  

Madea and the Fry guys were the other two and Madea has served fish and Fry guys used it before.

And one of the guys mentioned doing research about where they were going to come up with his shrimp and grits so maybe the others did as well and figured having a popular seafood seasoning would be a good thing to have when traveling down the coast.

Edited June 24, 2019 by biakbiak

[ninjakid]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I know.  But a couple of the trucks don't normally serve any seafood yet they had Old Bay on hand to use when they were suddenly faced with a shrimp challenge.  

But shrimp/seafood challenges are pretty common. I'd make sure I had a can of Old Bay in my pantry just in case.

[spiderpig]

This show hs gone completely off the rails for me. It just screams CHEAP! CHEAP!   CHEAP!  Food Network has descended from an entertaining diversion into the Gong Show of cable broadcasting.

I watch to see who will be kicked off next, and that's because The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are over.