Food Trucks and TV and Hungry Ladies, OH MY!

Y'all....it looks like Columbia is finally going to get itself on the national radar for something other than a delinquent quarterback, a national championship winning baseball team, or for it's "famously hot" weather.  This time around, the city will be talked about because of it's food scene.  As this blog can attest, Columbia certainly has some top-notch restaurants that focus on tasty food and local sustainability.  But this post isn't about all of those awesome places.  It's about slightly more unlikely candidates: Food Trucks.

Despite the raging debate over whether or not DER Tacos could open a food truck on Main Street (by the way, that has finally been approved, and the last I heard, the truck should be open for business in September), Columbia has a budding food truck scene.  First, we have the Pawley's Front Porch truck - basically an offshoot of the 5 Points restaurant - that has been seen mostly around Lake Murray Marina.  Second, we have 2 Fat 2 Fly Wings, a truck specializing in stuffed chicken wings.  Finally, we have Hungry Lady favorite Bone-In Artisan BBQ on Wheels, which has gained a pretty large following since taking to the streets in March.  The latter two trucks caught the attention of Eat Street, a show on the Cooking Channel in the US and on the Food Network in Canada.  The whole show focuses on the best street food available.  As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I adore street food, so I'm fully on board with this show (I don't have cable, so I've never actually seen it, but if someone could point me to an internet location where I can watch it, I'd appreciate it).   At any rate, the Eat Street crew was in town this past weekend to film both 2 Fat 2 Fly and Bone-In for an episode that should be airing sometime in September.  This Hungry Lady was contacted by the show and asked to participate in the Bone-In BBQ taping, so guess how I spent my weekend?


I couldn't make it to the 2 Fat 2 Fly taping because it was on Friday, and I had to work.  I still haven't tried the stuffed chicken wings, and I desperately want to.  I'll get there one of these days, hopefully sooner rather than later.  I headed out to the Bone-In taping on Saturday morning.  It took place at the truck's home on most Saturday mornings, Baan Sawan Thai Bistro on Devine Street.  I'd say that there was a pretty amazing turnout - there were a TON of people there, and as soon as the crowd seemed to lessen, more people started showing up.  While I'm sure it was a rather stressful day for the Bone-In staff, I imagine it was also a huge ego boost for the fledgling truck as well.


It was HOT on Saturday morning, not surprising, given that this is Columbia in July.  There were some tents and misting fans set up, but the parking lot is pretty small and it was crowded, so it was pretty awful outside for awhile.  People could go inside Baan Sawan and sit, but it's not exactly a big place, so there was still a lot of spillover.  Thankfully, the good people of Baan Sawan made sure that all of the waiting public could grab a cocktail or two. I had two fabulously refreshing pomegranate and blueberry mimosas, with fresh blueberries in the bottom of the glass.  Cheers to the waitstaff who were running around both inside and out to make sure we all had what we needed.  I would have happily shared my mimosas with you...you looked like you could have used one.  Or six.


Right.  My mimosa was nothing short of fabulous, but I was really there for the food.  I ordered my favorite thing on the menu - the brisket sandwich.  I've written about how amazing this sandwich is before, so you can refresh your memory here.  Once I had my food, I wandered over to the production staff for my close-up. And it certainly was a close-up.  Hopefully they can edit out any bits of brisket that may have been stuck in my teeth after they filmed me taking a giant bite of my sandwich.  It was my second real TV experience, and in the first one I didn't have to say much, nor did I have a camera in my face.  It was a little daunting, and I'm sure I sounded completely ridiculous on camera.  I guess we'll find out in September, assuming that they decide to keep my footage in the show.


It was a pretty awesome experience,and I was thrilled to be asked to be a part of it.  Truthfully, I was a little overwhelmed.  But I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end.  After all, giving my opinion on a food show can only help me achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a guest judge on Top Chef, right?  Right.  I'll let y'all know when Bravo finally calls, but I wouldn't hold your breath.


Congratulations to both Bone-In and 2 Fat 2 Fly wings for getting to be a part of this show.  It's a huge honor, and I think your food totally deserves it.  I'll see you all again soon.