And the winner of Honest Tom’s venerable taco truck is … Maru Global (Facebook page), the folks who specialize in authentic Japanese street food.
Maru Global’s plans for the truck are still coming together, but it is sure to feature takoyaki – a fried dough ball typically filled with octopus, ginger, onion and other delectables – maybe some curry fries, onigiri or their famous desert balls.
Maru Global won the truck as a result of a contest Honest Tom ran earlier this month asking would-be entrepreneurs to write him and explain why they should get the truck.
The winning of the truck is the latest in a tumultuous string of recent events for Maru Global’s Chef Ryo Igarashi and his wife Nicole Igarashi, who handles the business side of the operation. They had to close their restaurant, Tokio Global, near Headhouse Square in April after Ryo underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain. As he recovered they returned to the kitchen to prepare a whittled down mobile menu for events and festivals around the city.
Beat the heat this summer and grab some great food at a great price during the seventh annual University City Dining Days, sponsored by Wells Fargo. From July 12-26 enjoy a meal at the fixed price of $15, $25, or $30 (not including tax or tip) at one of the 34 participating restaurants in University City, including Distrito, Dock Street Brewery, and World Café Live, among others. Enjoy cuisines ranging from good old-fashioned pub food (New Deck Tavern) to Thai (Pattaya Thai Cuisine) to Indian (New Dehli Indian Restaurant) to Middle Eastern (Aksum Café) and everything in between.
Visit the University City District website for a full list including phone numbers and links for each restaurant. Reservations are encouraged, so make sure you call soon and save a spot! UCD is pulling out all the stops this year, including several commercials for the event, which you should check out below.
A neighborhood favorite when it came to halal meat and injera – that hard-to-find-and-even-harder-to-make Ethiopian and Eritrean bread – has closed. But it will be back.
Mohamed’s Halal Center on the north side of Walnut near 46th closed its doors late last month, but its owners plan to return to the area’s food scene in a couple of months with a spot on 48th Street near Spruce at the Center for Culinary Enterprises (CCE), which will house three retail spaces in addition to the shared-use commercial kitchens, an “eKitchen” smart classroom that will include a demonstration kitchen/television studio and other innovative programs. The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation is coordinating the $5 million CCE.
We’re going to have a lot more on this soon, including the concepts behind the three retail spaces, but we just wanted to pass along the word on Mohamed’s for now. No word yet on what might become of the building on Walnut, which has housed many businesses over the years.
We have good news and bad news. Curbside diners from Clark Park to Center City will be sad to hear that Honest Tom is retiring his taco truck. The good news is that an entrepreneur eager to get into the food truck game will get the colorful 1970 Chevy step van, one of the most vaunted food trucks in the city, free of charge.
“Honest” Tom McCusker, who in December climbed out of the truck and into his new shop on 44th Street, is giving the truck away for a story.
“It runs like an old workhorse but definitely has its quirks,” said McCusker, who says he bought the truck off a man named Derek with credit card cash advances from “multiple credit cards.”
Here’s a post from his Facebook page that spells out the deal:
For those that have inquired or anyone else it may concern:
We have been trying to get the truck back into regular rotation for months now, but with the shop schedule being as demanding as it is we have realized that it is not going to be possible. So we’ve come up with a plan…
As good as the truck has been to us we’ve decided it cannot be burdened with a monetary value. We will be gifting it to a noble up and comer looking to dive into the dark scary world of food trucking. Email honesttoms – at – gmail.com with why you should be the chosen one and we will make a decision on monday the 9th of july,meaning emails must be in that Sunday by midnight.
Update: The race has been sold out, but non-runners are welcome to the music fest.
Do you love running? Do you love beer even more? Does your passion for live music trump both your love for running and for good beer? Well prepare yourself for the Dock Street Brewing Co.’s annual Beer Run and Free Music Fest on Sunday, June 10. The 5K race runs through University City and culminates at the Free Music Fest where racers are rewarded with tasty Dock Street pizza slices and refreshing beer. The run will get your blood flowing for the local music line up featuring Hoots & Hellmouth, O’Death, The Extraordinaires, Street Walkers, and Tsunami Rising. All runners receive a token limited-edition pint glass, refreshments from Vita Coco, fruit, snacks and pizza/beer coupons.
Run pre-registration is $35 and on-site registration $40. The first 50 registered runners will receive a free Dock Street Philly Beer Run t-shirt. You can register at https://www.runtheday.com/app/find/register/841. Philadelphia Runner is the equipment headquarters and host for the packet pickup. On-site registration begins at 12 p.m. and the race starts at 2 p.m. just as the music fest begins. A portion of the proceeds benefits Cedar Park Neighbors Scholarship Fundraiser. The race is a great opportunity to feel a sense of community and spread fun energy throughout West Philly. Work up an appetite for Dock Street Philly Beer Run & Music Fest!
This is a reminder that beginning this week you can shop for fresh local fruits and veggies, dairy, meat, baked goods and flowers in Clark Park on Thursdays as well as Saturdays. The Thursday edition of the Clark Park Farmers’ Market (43rd and Baltimore) is resuming tomorrow, June 7, and will run until Thanksgiving.
The hours are 3 – 7 p.m. And of course, the Saturday Farmers’ Market is open year-round, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
And the winner of Honest Tom’s venerable taco truck is … Maru Global (Facebook page), the folks who specialize in authentic Japanese street food.
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