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City's first food truck roundup set for Saturday
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Pittsburgh's food truck scene appears finally to be getting moving, starting with what's being billed as Pittsburgh's first food truck roundup on Saturday.
From 6 to 10 p.m., four mobile food vendors -- Franktuary Truck, Polish Pierogi Truck, Oh My Grill! and, added Tuesday, Dozen Dessert Truck -- will park in the parking lot at 188 43rd St. near Butler Street in Lawrenceville. People are invited to come by and buy frankfurters and poutine, pierogies and other Polish dishes, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, and cupcakes for prices ranging from $3 to $8.
Organizer Megan Lindsey, co-owner of Franktuary, says that she hopes to grow the event, as she knows there's a hunger for food trucks, and knows of some new ones that are ready to launch, including the PGH Taco Truck (it wasn't quite ready for this roundup).
Pittsburgh has lagged behind some cities in having a variety of food trucks and food truck gatherings, in part because of laws that make it difficult for the mobile food vendors to set up near restaurants and stay in one location long enough to cook and serve food.
Some of the food trucks that the city already has don't move, such as the ones that park near Carnegie Mellon University.
Aspiring vendors have been talking with city officials about changing the laws. One restaurateur, Kevin Sousa, had been working to set up a regular gathering of mobile food vendors at his Station Street in East Liberty, but said earlier this week that he's abandoning that idea.
Ms. Lindsey said the lot where the trucks are gathering Saturday is owned by Rebecca Morris of WildCard, a Butler Street boutique, and her husband, Brian Mendelssohn, of Botero Development.
A news release Monday encouraged people to walk or bike to the event and notes, "A wading pool will be available for small children and those who would like to cool off their feet."
Ms. Lindsey said so many people have RSVP'd on the event's Facebook page, "We are collecting lots more wading pools, and hopefully some seating."
First Published July 26, 2012 12:00 am
