Eat First

Food Rescue Food Truck, Syracuse

The 1988 Grumman rescue vehicle that chef Gerald "Jerry" Bolton and partners rolled out as a food truck this summer had a long life traveling to fire scenes a couple counties away, in Geneva. Now it's a state-of-the-art mobile restaurant kitchen, serving upscale, firehouse-themed food at public and private events around Syracuse and Central New York.

"It's fun,'' says Bolton, who is best known as the executive chef at The Oncenter in downtown Syracuse. "We have a good following. We change the menu up every time we go out.''

 

Partners in the project are Bolton, his wife, Susan, and Chuck Wilhoit. They purchased the retired rescue truck, which had 100,000 miles on it, in May of 2019 and left it in the capable hands of Edward Pacelli, a retired steelworker and metal fabricator in Auburn. Pacelli stripped out the truck's interior and added a four-burner stove, fryer, charbroiler, salad unit and work station with a large cutting board. A two-and-a-half-foot aisle separates the stations in the 16-foot space, so it doesn't feel cramped, Bolton says.

 

The food truck became a welcome stay-at-home project for the partners when Governor Cuomo ordered restaurants and event venues to close in March to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. The Boltons and Wilhoit used their new-found free time to work on menu items and make plans to launch the food truck. The Food Rescue Food Truck made its debut at a private event in July and started making appearances at local breweries, including Middle Ages Brewing Company in Syracuse and ONCO Fermentations, in Tully. They've also been doing a lot of corporate/business/employee events. They hope to eventually collaborate with local fire and police departments on events and donate a percentage of proceeds to first responders.

 

At each gig, the chalkboard menu features about five items. The partners keep an eye on the weather when deciding what to serve and have started adding in cool-weather fare, like soup, chili and chicken and biscuits. Some favorite menu items so far include EMS Chips 'n Dip (housemade seasoned potato chips with caramelized onion dip); Pyro Piggy Poutine (crispy french fries topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, cheese curds and creme fraiche); Firehouse SPO (grilled sausage, peppers and onions on a toasted roll); Smokin' Quattro Formaggi (four-cheese grilled cheese with smoked gouda, asiago, fontina and sharp cheddar on sourdough); Hook and Ladder Chicken Riggies (chicken breast, cherry peppers and pink sauce over rigatoni, "with just enough fire''); and the Stop Drop 'N Oyster Roll (fried oysters with lettuce, tomato and “Rescue Sauce” on a toasted hoagie roll). Desserts (by Sue Bolton) might include jumbo chocolate chip cookies or  brownies.

 

                EMS chips and caramelized onion dip

 

                   Chicken riggies

                    Pulled pork quesadilla

 

We caught up with the Food Rescue Food Truck on a recent Saturday at ONCO Fermentations, a small farm brewery in Tully. We ordered more than we could realistically eat, but wanted to sample several of the items on the menu. All three items were easy to share. Potato chips of any kind are my downfall, and the seasoned EMS chips with caramelized onion dip ($6) were outstanding -- warm, thick, crisp and lightly seasoned. The chicken riggies ($12) had plenty of fire and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The serving was huge and more than half of it came home with us. The pulled pork quesadilla ($10) featured shredded pork tossed with a savory bourbon barbecue sauce, topped with cheddar cheese, garnished with scallions and a drizzle of sour cream. The quesadilla was nicely grilled, so everything was hot and melty inside the crispy tortilla.

 

We hadn't been to ONCO since it opened last year. Owners Erin and Brian Bullard make a wide range of beers and their plum saison and signature session New England IPA hit the spot on a warm fall day. ONCO has added outdoor seating and the doors to the warehouse space roll up, making it nice and airy inside.

 

Chef Bolton recently returned to his position at the Oncenter, where he has worked for 26 years, overseeing the food end of events for hundreds and sometimes thousands of guests. He's there two days a week, for now, preparing for the time the facility gets the go-ahead to resume special events. Prior to COVID-19, he figured he'd work on the food truck on his days off. He's glad to have the food truck "side hustle" and grateful for the positive reception it has received so far in the community.

 

 "It's something different,'' Bolton says. "We get along well and work well together. We're learning as we go.''

 

The Food Rescue Food Truck will be at Middle Ages Brewing in Syracuse the afternoon of Saturday, October 3 and at ONCO Fermentations on Oct 10, 16, 23 and 30. Hours are 3 to 8 p.m. Oct. 10 and 4:30 to 8 p.m. the remaining dates. Check the food truck Facebook page for more details and updates. 

 

For more information or to book the Food Rescue Food Truck, call 315-516-6770 or email [email protected].

 

 

 

Food truck roundups in Syracuse

The Syracuse Food Truck Association launched in 2015 with three members: Nick Sanford of Toss & Fire Pizza, Dennis Souva and Cindy Baker of The Chicken Bandit and Pat Orr of PB&J's Lunchbox. In four years, the organization has grown to include nearly 30 mobile food entrepreneurs.

 

In Syracuse, it has been a bit of a rocky road for them. In the past, the city used a lottery system that gave the trucks standing locations on city streets. At one point, expensive licensing and permit fees drove many of the trucks out of the city. Fortunately, Syracuse Common Councilor Michael Greene introduced legislation this year that reduced the cost for food truck operators to set up shop -- and gave them the green light to set up on a first come, first serve basis on certain blocks downtown.

 

The city also dedicated a day to weekly food truck round-ups in Clinton Square. Judging from a visit on a recent Wednesday, the Clinton Square Food Truck Rally is a success -- and a great lunchtime addition to downtown. And Wednesday isn't the only day the trucks roll in. You can enjoy lunch from local food trucks most Fridays at the Everson Museum of Art and have a food truck supper on some Fridays at the Syracuse Inner Harbor, to benefit In My Father's Kitchen.

 

Food trucks contribute to a vibrant local food culture -- and are a fun and affordable way to experience different cuisines. August is upon us. Be sure to check out these seasonal events.

 

Clinton Square Food Truck Rally

The Clinton Square Food Truck Rally continues from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays into the fall. Six food trucks are on site each week and the spots rotate among the nearly 30 members of the Syracuse Food Truck Association.

 

On the day I visited, Wolf's Patio Pizza, Cluck N Burger, Cue-Dogs, Skippy's Ice Cream, Byblos Street Grill and the Papa Gallo Taco Truck were present. I was torn between wood-fired pizza and tacos but the tacos won. From a menu of about 10 tacos and burritos, I ordered the Pollo Verde street tacos ($10) from the Papa Gallo truck. These featured seasoned chicken, corn, black bean and red pepper salsa and a cheese blend stuffed inside three warm flour tortillas. Two people could easily share the tacos -- and something else from another truck.

 

Food Truck Fridays at the Everson Museum

There are just a few Fridays left to catch this event, held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. most Fridays on the plaza at the Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison St., Syracuse.

 

Four food trucks are on site each week, offering everything from barbecue to Middle Eastern food to waffles and ice cream. Also on hand is the Syracuse Farm Fresh Mobile Market, which brings fresh produce at reasonable prices to accessible locations around Syracuse. The mobile market is a project of the Southside Interfaith Community Development Corporation.

 

The final Food Truck Fridays of the season are scheduled for August 3, 10, 24 and 31. Click here to see what trucks will be there.

 

Food Truck Friday Roundup at the Syracuse Inner Harbor

Two of these popular food truck gatherings remain: August 16 and September 20. Hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Proceeds  benefit In My Father's Kitchen, a non-profit that offers assistance to the homeless and refugee community through street outreach. Diners are encouraged to round up their tab to the nearest dollar, five dollars, 10 dollars, etc., and support a great cause. Parking is available in the Aloft lot on West Kirkpatrick Street, across from the Inner Harbor location.

 

At the first event of the season, we finally had the opportunity to sample specialties from two food trucks we've been wanting to try: Bold Coast Lobster Co. and Conundrum (foods with a cone under them). The New England style clam chowder from Bold Coast ($6 for a cup) was full of flavor and clams and the Connecticut-style lobster roll ($18) was served with drawn butter only (no mayonnaise), on a toasted New England-style roll. Lobster and butter -- what's not to love? The roll was absolutely delicious.

 

From a menu of about six items at Conundrum, we decided on the Ginger Pig Cone ($12; seasoned shredded pork, cooked in coconut milk, with ginger, garlic, lemon, basil and honey and served with a slaw of red cabbage. All of the above ingredients were stuffed in a waffle-style cone. I feared it would collapse -- so we turned it on its side on a plate and ate it with fork and knife. The cone was a somewhat sloppy symphony of flavors.

 

 

 

To find out where local food trucks are, go to Street Food Finder or download the Street Food Finder app.

 

All photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise noted