CHICAGO — The Great Food Truck Race is here.
Last week, the city approved seven new cook-onboard food trucks to join a growing number of mobile eateries.
Hitting the streets this summer are: Eastman Egg Company, a truck serving up breakfast items; Beaver's Donuts and Coffee; Giordano's, famed purveyors of deep-dish pizza, Gelato D'Oro, which serves up hand-dipped gelato; Cheesie's, the grilled cheese guys; Patty Wagon, the burger guys, and Carbon's Kitchen, the mobile version of the waffle mix company.
That makes about 120 food trucks roaming the city's streets, and 13 that have licenses to cook onboard. And last week a judge upheld a lawsuit challenging part of the city ordinance that forbids food trucks from setting up within 200 feet of brick-and-mortar restaurants.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel cheered the news by filming an episode of the Food Network show "The Great Food Truck Race," with chef Tyler Florence, the mayor's office said. It's a multiweek competition that challenges teams of new food truck owners to outsell one another on a nationwide trip. The winner is awarded a fully loaded food truck.
For the first time, food trucks will set up shop at Taste of Chicago, July 10-14.
