There’s been a lot of movement lately in Westerville’s cuisine scene.
Literally.
As the popularity of food trucks in central Ohio has exploded over the last few years, several of the most popular have come from Westerville or the Westerville area.
The next time you spot some local food trucks – whether at the Westerville Area Resource Ministry’s Great Westerville Food Truck Fest, gearing up for its second go round on Sept. 14 at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Westerville Surgery Center, or at one of the OhioHealth 4th Friday events – keep an eye out for these locals.
Pizza Mike
This is just Pizza Mike’s second year on the road, but owner Mike Evans is no stranger to the art of the pie.
The Westerville resident owned a pizzeria – Michael’s Pizza in Uptown – for five years. He has won “Best in the USA” at the World Pizza Championship in Italy, and in 2013, he appeared on the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race.
“The truck gives you the opportunity to just turn that key and go, and do what you want to do,” Evans says.
It’s the base that sets a Pizza Mike pizza apart from the rest, Evans says, and the key there is balance. His recipes – some of which have been handed down over the course of 60 years from his grandfather, who was a chef in Italy – emphasize quality crust and dough and, overall, balance of ingredients.
“We can all buy the same toppings … but your dough and your sauce set you apart from other people,” Evans says.
The fan favorite – and a consistent award winner – is the Michael’s Traditional, which is topped with homemade sausage, spicy pepperoni and sweet onions.
The truck mainly goes to private parties, but is on the schedule for 4th Fridays and this year’s Food Truck Fest.
Mojo TaGo
Brian Reed’s truck serving up tacos to go (TaGos – get it?) was among the pioneers in the new age of food trucks in central Ohio when it launched in 2010.
Now, it’s one of the most recognizable names in local food trucks, and has seen enough success to launch a second truck.
“Early on, you should have seen the looks that I got,” Reed says.
Westerville resident Reed was in commercial real estate before he put his truck on the road. He was inspired by stories about the huge food truck scene in Los Angeles and, being a taco fan, he quickly seized on the Mexican specialties as a theme.
The most popular item tends to be the slow-roasted shredded pork taco with grilled pineapple salsa, and Reed is forever looking for interesting new types of tacos. A Korean barbecue taco joined the menu last year, and he’s been experimenting with a duck confit taco lately.
“I try to roll out a couple of new things each year,” says Reed.
Mojo will be at 4th Fridays and at the Food Truck Fest this year.
Kona Ice
Everywhere Jack Freeh goes, he brings 31 flavors with him.
The Kona Ice truck company is based out of Kentucky, and Freeh owns the franchise that focuses on Powell, Lewis Center and Westerville. The truck’s specialty: flavored shaved ices.
The truck is now entering its fourth season. Freeh got into it as a post-retirement job after a career as a consultant and soon found it to be enormously enjoyable.
Customers can choose from a short list of flavors to apply to their ice themselves, or have workers apply them. Freeh can’t explain it, but almost every time he takes the truck out, blue raspberry is the most popular flavor by far.
Charity is a big part of the Kona Ice philosophy. The national organization has given over $15 million to schools, booster groups, nonprofits and more since its inception.
“After three years, (the local truck) has given back a little over $50,000 to local schools and sports groups,” Freeh says.
In addition to the Food Truck Fest, Kona Ice can be found at the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce Music & Arts Festival and the Genoa Township Business Association Community Expo. It also makes frequent stops at Westerville area businesses, schools and day care centers.
Gigi’s Cupcakes
Within 60 days of opening the first Gigi’s Cupcakes storefront in central Ohio, Ron Freeman took a Gigi’s truck to the streets.
Freeman owns the Gigi’s franchise, which opened its first store in late 2012 on Polaris Parkway just west of Westerville. He also has stores in Pickerington and at Easton Town Center.
There are Gigi’s stores in 21 states, but there are only about six or seven trucks, Freeman says. His truck has proved a useful way to get the word about Gigi’s and its long list of unique cupcake flavors.
“We’ve got a great product, and we want to spread it all over Columbus,” says Freeman.
The truck’s offerings include mini cupcakes, sold both individually and in four-packs. It usually offers a choice of six flavors, though those rotate on a daily basis, typically reflecting the daily menu at the retail stores or event-themed specialties, e.g., Kentucky bourbon cupcakes at events during the Kentucky Derby week.
“Wedding cake is always the No. 1 flavor we put out,” Freeman says.
Gigi’s is at the Food Truck Fest and 4th Fridays, as well as at a variety of other central Ohio events, including the Equine Affaire at the Ohio Expo Center.
Red Plate Blue Plate
The Southern coastal cuisine beloved by owner Thomas Adams is the name of the game at Red Plate Blue Plate, which started running last year.
Adams, a Westerville resident, was in the tire industry for about 30 years before putting the truck on the road. He was a huge fan of the food in the area from Charleston through Savannah – areas with both farms and shore, he points out – and used it as a model for his new venture.
“It just makes for an incredible richness of foods,” Adams says.
The most popular Red Plate Blue Plate item is the shrimp po’boy, but the truck’s signature item is its shrimp and grits – shrimp sautéed with onions, celery and mushrooms, and served over white corn hominy grits.
“Not everybody’s willing to try that, but those who do really enjoy it,” Adams says.
The truck also serves salads, chicken po’boys and macaroni and cheese.
Much of Red Plate Blue Plate’s food is served on the corporate lunch circuit, primarily in Westerville and Hilliard. It will be at the Food Truck Fest this year, and has also been part of food truck festivals at Ohio Village and Columbus Commons.
Garth Bishop is editor of Westerville Magazine. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Seventeen other food trucks are signed on for the 2014 Great Westerville Food Truck Fest, including Challah!, Cilantro and the Angry Wiener.
