Tag Archives: food truck

Nosh Hound Food Truck Rolls into Stamford: Global Cuisine with Deliciously, Bold Combinations

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Nosh Hound Eatery is the newest entry to the Stamford Food Truck scene.When I saw the post by my buddy over at Hey Stamford, I was curious. When I read his praise and a menu that really intrigued me, it had potential, and I decided to drive to Stamford and give it a shot.

Nosh Hound is the brainchild of owners Sam Ralbovsky and Maycie Maringer.  After graduating from the Culinary program at Johnson & Wales University and a three-month cross country food inspired road trip, they returned to Sam’s hometown of Stamford, CT. The two young cooks became enamored by the diverse cooking styles they encuntered on their cross country adventure and wanted to show their passion with a menu of “global cuisine experienced through the medium of sandwiches, snacks, and small bites.”

The menu is full of incredibly creative combinations. I smiled when I saw the heading “The Usuals,” which laid out combinations from Hamburguesa Americana (chorizo spiced beef, onions, Jalapeños, white American cheese and a chipotle “secret sauce”) to a VLT (smoked wild mushrooms, fried green tomatoes, arugula, sun-dried tomato aioli on rye toast). Nothing was “usual” about the menu. They start with foods that we all grew up with and then transform them with addition flavors and textures, inspired by various regions of the world, a Philly Cheesesteak with a Korean twist, a hot dog inspired by eastern Europe or a chicken sandwich with Latin flair.

The truck is new to the streets of Stamford, a mere three weeks, and they are still getting a feel for locations. The Facebook page states that they are parked on Summer Street across from the Ridgeway Shopping Mall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but as I waited for my food I was told you might also find them parked in front of Dairy Queen and over at Landmark Square, or late at night in SoNo in the circle in front of Harlan Publick.

On my first visit I ordered two sandwiches, the Southern Sammy and the Korean Cheesesteak.

My clear favorite of the two was the Southern Sammy. It was outstanding. It included several pieces of buttermilk fried chicken, topped with slaw, house sweet pickles, Cajun aioli, and served on a brioche bun. With a few of the chicken pieces jutting from the bun I first tasted the fried chicken. It was perfectly fried, but I yearned for a little more seasoning on the coating. That desire for more seasoning was more than satisfied as I worked my way through the combination. The slaw was delicious, adding more crunch to the sandwich and the Cajun aioli was nicely spiced. The sweet pickles were sweet-spicy and the Brioche was a great complement to the ingredients. The sandwich was a great balance of spicy, sweet, crunchy, creamy and buttery. I highly recommend the Southern Sammy.

The Korean Cheesesteak was served on a traditional long roll and included Bulgogi, caramelized onions, melted white American cheese and Sriracha mayo. It was served open-faced and my initial thought was that if the taste was as bold as the visual appeal, it would be a great sandwich. Care needs to be taken to slowly close the roll prior to the first bite. It also offered an enormous boldness of flavors. Unfortunately, the beef marinade was a little overwhelming, much too much sauce, and then the spiciness of the Sriracha mayo kicked in. As much as the melted American cheese tried to balance the spicy-teriyaki, it could not. Likewise, the slivers of scallion that topped the sandwich added more pungency. I kept looking for the caramelized onions for some sweetness, but they were not present in my sandwich, a little growing pains mis-cue during assembly. Adjustment to the marinade could drastically improve this sandwich’s balance.

After my visit I reached out to Sam and Maycie and they were excited about the chicken and disappointed in the cheesesteak and asked me to return. There was great flavor coming out of that truck and on my second visit I enjoyed two new items from the menu plus a cheesesteak 2.0.

The Bangkok Fish Tacos included beer battered Mahi Mahi, coconut, peanut slaw, pickled Thai chile, and a red curry aioli. The thick pieces of fish were lightly coated to give just a hint of crunch while maintaining a juicy and soft interior. The flavors were enhanced by the red curry aioli, which added a little heat and the coconut and peanut slaw added some texture. The pickled Thai chilies added even more complementing flavors and left a nice amount of heat behind with each bite. It was a fabulous taco in both flavor and balance.

I was curious how they would blend a vegetarian option onto the menu with their bold creativity and the VLT quickly answered my question. Served on toasted rye bread, the VLT combined a lightly coated and fried green tomato, with smoked and fried wild mushrooms, arugula and a schmear of sun dried tomato aioli. The lightly coated tomato slice was a great canvas for the other ingredients. The mushrooms offered tremendous flavor, but were just a touch burnt on the edges, and the arugula and sun dried tomato aioli were perfect to brighten the dish and add some spicy notes from the peppery arugula. This is a vegetarian option that even a carnivore like me would order again.

They insisted I try their revised Korean Cheesesteak and I am glad I did. The marinade was complementing the beef, which was now the centerpiece of the sandwich and the inclusion of the two-hour caramelized onions added a wonderful sweetness. In addition, the melted American cheese and the Sriracha aioli were lessened and were in the background to add the Korean spiciness and umami to the sandwich. All of these changes created a superb cheesesteak.

Overall, Stamford has a new, and delicious, option with Nosh Hound. I really liked the fried chicken, it was delicious, the tacos were outstanding, a killer vegetarian sandwich and the revised cheesesteak that combines flavors from around the world. After two visits, Sam and Maycie can definitely combine bold flavors into delicious sandwiches. As they balance the meat and the sauce ratio, this will easily become one of the best trucks in the area and a must go-to. Check their facebook, twitter and website for their locations.

The author was compensated for this review; the meal on the second visit was provided without charge. The opinions contained herein are solely those of the author.

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Hapa Burger – Food Truck Killin’ It

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Almost a year ago I visited Hapa Food truck and ordered three tacos. Little did I know that the smiling face of owner Chris Gonzales, who prepared those delicious tacos was hiding an incredible talent of delivering bold, balanced and creative cuisine. After I finished the tacos he told me I needed to try the burger. I was too full at the time and told him I would come back. Shame on me for waiting a year. Since that time Hapa has developed quite a following and Chris recently opened Miro in Fairfield, and a colleague who visited Miro told me it was fantastic,

Well…fast forward and I recently returned to Hapa for the burger. The smiling face of Chris was replaced by an equally smiling and friendly face of his wife. I ordered the HAPA burger with fries and she asked if I liked Brussels sprouts, of course I do.

The HAPA burger consists of grass-fed beef topped with pork belly, Vermont cheddar, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, house aioli, encased in HAPA’s signature ube bun.

Let’s start with the bun. Ube is a purple yam. The HAPA bun was a sweet potato bun (made with pureed ube) which gave it the distinctive purple-blue hue and a high level of sweetness, a brioche on steroids. Inside the bun was a large beef patty, which was prepared exactly to medium rare. The meat was delicious, with a loose, medium grind and slightly seared. A delightful and creamy melted slice of Cheddar cheese was melted on the patty., and then the culinary boldness appeared with the accompanying ingredients. There was a slice of pork belly atop the burger that contributed a wonderful layer of smokiness and juiciness from the fat. Now the HAPA burger offered another level of flavor…the caramelized onions. These were cooked low and slow to create a soft and delicate texture, with the inherent sweetness elevated with the addition of brown sugar. The aioli intensified an already bold combination with another level of sweet and spicy, with a touch of wasabi to kick up the heat. A thick slice of tomato and lettuce rounded out the outrageous combination.

The fries were equally creative and delicious. Topped with a cheese sauce and sweet and spicy seasonings, they were the perfect accompaniment to the burger. There was tremendous flavor in both.

Let’s not forget the Brussels sprout. They were equally outstanding. Deep fried and then finished with pico de gallo, papaya seed dressing they are some of the best sprouts I have eaten.

Overall the HAPA burger can challenge any from restaurants in the area and is a contender for best burger in Fairfield County…it is that good.

 

 

 

Boothbay Lobster Company Truck Rolls into Stamford’s Harbor Point

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Boothbay Lobster Company is opening its first bricks and mortar location at Harbor Point in Stamford in the upcoming months. To give the community a taste of what to expect from super-fresh Maine lobster, the company is periodically parking its Boothbay Lobster Company truck 100 yards down the street from the restaurant, serving two types of Lobster Rolls, a BLC sandwich, Lobster Mac & Cheese, plus a few non-lobster items. On a beautiful afternoon CTbites visited the truck to sample the newest addition to the Harbor Point neighborhood. As I approached the truck I noticed a sign stating that the lobster were caught the previous day…this was an ultra-fresh product.

The cooking and serving truck was joined by a second, which acted acting as the portable inventory for the visit. On its opening day the week before, they were so overwhelmed with customers that their anticipated 10-hour stay was shortened to under five hours when they ran out of product. On this second visit, they assured numerous people on line that they brought plenty of food for the full afternoon and evening. The menu offers two varieties of Lobster Rolls, each priced at $16. The first was a “Downeast” (recommended by the owner) that included chilled lobster and mayo and the second was a “Connecticut” (my choice) that offered warm lobster with butter. I did not order, but the truck also serves a BLC (bacon, lobster and cheese sandwich), Lobster Mac & Cheese and a Grilled Cheese sandwich, plus a side of Potato Tots and a Whoopie Pie dessert.

    I first sampled the Connecticut. It contained large chunks of both claw and tail meat, lightly coated with salted butter and served on a griddled Martin potato long bun. The meat was perfectly cooked to maintain the lobster flavor and the texture was soft and not chewy at all. I was very impressed. I next moved to the Downeast. There was a scant amount of mayo, just enough to hold together the lobster meat. The owner was correct, the Downeast was fantastic. The major difference between the two was the Downeast delivered a hint of the ocean’s mild saltiness while the Connecticut’s saltiness was that of the butter. They were both served with cole slaw, which was basic shredded cabbage+ and Cape Cod potato chips.

Overall, Boothbay’s Lobster Rolls were delicious. I would recommend the Downeast over the Connecticut, preferring to taste the mild saltiness of the ocean versus the saltiness of the butter.

Check out their Facebook page for times and dates the truck will be on site.

Chef Tony Delicias – Not Bad Tacos

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bl1Located on Riverside Avenue in Norwalk just south of the Wendy’s on Route 123 and across from the cemetery (I kid you not), Chef Tony Delicias is a colorful truck offering tacos, burritos and other Mexican fare. When I approached the window on my first visit there were several people already enjoying their lunches and each assured me that the food at Chef Tony’s was delicious. I ordered three tacos, the steak, chicken and chorizo. Each included a double tortilla topped with grilled meat, onion, cilantro and the diner chooses from a few sauces on the counter. A few wedges of lime plus slices of radishes joined the tacos on the plate

rsz_dsc_0172I placed a small amount of the green sauce on each and returned to my car. The steak was my first choice and I was disappointed after the first bite. It was very bland, just small chunks of beef, griddled and placed on the tortillas. I did not taste any seasoning. The cilantro was mild and the green sauce added a good level of spiciness. The next taco I tried was the chicken and it was a twin to the beef, very bland. The last taco was the chorizo; fortunately this was different with a good level of spiciness from the chorizo

bl4Something did not feel right. Tony was fastidious in the prep, after handling money he washed his hands, he used new gloves with each order, I just could not believe what I ate was indicative of the food, so I returned for a second visit. On visit number 2 I again ordered three tacos, a steak, a carnitas and chicken. It was a different experience

bl3The tacos on the second visit were served nestled in a Styrofoam container with three lime wedges and a small side container of green sauce. The tacos contained the meat plus a small handful of onions and a fair amount of cilantro. There were no sauces on the counter and Tony included a small container of salsa verde with the order. After returning to the car I added a good squirt of lime and drizzled the salsa on each. The chicken was much better with a touch of seasoning and the lime, onion and salsa worked very well together, but the cilantro was somewhat bland. The next taco I sampled was the beef, which was also lightly seasoned and very good. The carnitas was the last I tried and was the best of the six tacos I tasted over the two visits. The pork was seasoned properly, grilled nicely and the meat maintained a good level of juiciness. Like the other two tacos, the balance of the onions, salsa and tortillas was very good.

Although somewhat inconsistent, the second visit to Chef Tony’s feels more indicative of the food and presents another choice for good tacos, albeit in a somewhat out-of-the-way location.

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