Sydney, Australia is the latest city to jump on the food truck ban wagon.

Taco trucks are redefining street food in Australia.

The Land Down Under

Food trucks have become a sensation in U.S. cities like New York, LA and Portland, where some of them have built a cult following with highly-decorated trucks and signature dishes such as tacos, pancakes and Korean BBQs.

In Sydney, mobile kitchens are changing the direction of cheap street eats and Aussies are ultra fascinated by anything hot, spicy and Latin.

The city hosted workshops recentlythat attracted more than 30 participants keen to trial food truck ideas. Ten of the most interesting and innovative ideas will be picked for the pilot program, which will start next January 2012 and run for a year.

The World's Largest Food Truck?

Chef Eric Dively, slices some beef, at BABBQ's traveling big rig

There’s nothing else like it on the road. The BA BBQ food truck is 30 feet tall, 68 feet long, stretches 14 feet across for service, and has more than 170-square feet of grilling space.

The website calls it, “…One Bad @#$ Bar B Que.”
It’s mission: To bring a savory backyard cookout to large events and give customers a friendly experience.

The converted big rig is emblazoned with orange flames, longhorns, and a snarling bull wearing a chef’s coat. Where car-transport semi-trailers layer vehicles on like a three-tier wedding cake, the visionaries behind this massive mobile meal machine created a kitchen fit to feed a small army: Enough grills to churn out 4,000 hot dogs without stopping, and a custom wood-fueled smoker large enough for two whole hogs and 300 whole chickens.

“We wanted to stand out from everyone else,” says BA BBQ partner Anthony Romberger.

From conception until the truck rolled-out took three months. Romberger says there were no blueprints to study, and like perfecting that secret sauce, he and his partners relied on their own creativity.

“We wanted to turn it into a show,” Romberger said.

And if size matters, Romberger and his team have cornered bragging rights. BA BBQ claims to be the world’s largest mobile barbecue unit, although they plan to verify that with the Guinness World Records.

The BA BBQ truck plans to serve up its signature chicken, beef, ribs & pulled pork to people brave enough to endure wintery holiday weather near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Its Twitter page says, “Road trip south starts in January.”

The crew plans to make stops at Harley-Davidson dealerships along the East Coast and pull into the Florida State Fair in February and Daytona Beach Bike Week in March.

Sophie Maya Ankeles is picked up by her mother after running around the Tropical Shave Ice Truck at the March 12 Get Fed event outside the Federal Bar in North Hollywood.

The sound of base-laden beats and the aroma of fried foods filled the air at the Federal Bar in North Hollywood.  The red-brick corner building used to be an FDIC-insured bank.  Now food trucks park in a circle around the lounge’s asphalt parking lot for Get Fed and turn the ample chain linked space into a mini festival:  Live Dublab DJs spins the tunes and with their doors up are at least 10 food trucks:  Frysmith, Tropical Shaved Ice Truck, Mandoline Grill, as well as The Original Mobile Barber Shop Co. and The Great Food Truck Race’s winners – Grill ‘Em All.

We caught a piece of the action in March, at the second Ged Fed event.  The February premiere was so hot, bar managers and food truck operators wanted to make sure it wasn’t an aberration.  The players are convinced and Ged Fed is “dead on” the second Saturday of each month — with a rotating list of food trucks.

Julian Payne, owner and barber of The Original Mobile Barbershop Co. puts the final touches on his customer's hair at the March 12 Get Fed event outside the Federal Bar in North Hollywood.

Families, bicyclist, and foodies stop by NOHO’s premiere neighborhood bar to grab a bite, or a few.  Enthusiastic dog lovers relish in the chance to bringing their best friends to the party, but it’s not always cool for the quad pods.  On this more-than-warm spring afternoon, dogs sought shelter from the sun. Children have a freedom unheard of at restaurants.  They can actually run around the parking lot, while their parents sit down and enjoy their food.  The Fed Bar takes care of alcoholic beverages inside, while water and soft drinks sell like hotcakes outside.  And for those in need of a haircut, the Original Mobile Barber Shop Co. set up shop outside the parking lot and drew in both new and old customers.

Mong Skillman, owner/operator of the Mandoline Grill Vietnamese Food Truck organizes Get Fed the second Saturday of every month.  The next event is on May 14 from 12noon – 4 p.m.  The line up includes: The Mighty Boba, Tango Mango, Dim Sum Truck, and Mandoline Grill.

More information can be found at www.thefederalbar.com.

Bay Area Restauranteer Strikes Back Against Food Trucks

Alison Rowe denies the allegation, but it sure looks incriminating. She owns a restaurant called Harvest and Roe, and she’s been an outspoken critic of a new food truck in the neighborhood called JapaCurry.

Shiho Nakaza earns her living as an illustration artist. She sketches food trucks for fun. Her first rendering was of the Kogi Truck in 2008.  Masa Revolution met her at Santa Monica’s Victorian Museum at the First Tuesday dinner service, Sept. 28. 2010.