The Great Food Truck Race pulled into Salt Lake City this week, and it was interesting to get a look into the teams’ plans even before they reached the starting point. Knowing the climate was a bit chillier than the first stop, Seabirds decided to make soup and hoped to find a vegan-friendly spot in the SLC. They also found out about a pet adoption event taking place that weekend and knew it would be perfect for them. Other teams found various festivals and shops to team up with and everyone was stoked … until Tyler Florence gave them $100 to start and their first Truck Stop Challenge.
The Truck Stop Challenge required teams to make and prepare a signature sausage dish … which was not the best news for Seabirds, who opted to prepare a vegan “sausage” dish with chickpeas and herbs. Team Korilla figured they had no chance of winning, so they took the meat and skipped the challenge — a smart move that even Tyler appreciated. The winning team was Hodge Podge, not only for Chef Hodge’s sausage-making skills but because he made a flat bread to put it on. His reward was an extra $100 and, as he learned later, he would not have to participate in the Speed Bump.
Once the actual contest got started, the teams were remarkably cool with their $100 limit … and resourceful! Lime Truck decided to go vegan, Korilla found a Korean grocer that would let them buy on credit and Café con Leche booked a catering gig that gave them a $300 down payment. But things started to get down and dirty as Seabirds discovered Lime Truck booked the pet adoption gig with an exclusive contract. If you watched last time, Lime Truck and Seabirds partnered up to reap more profit but what appeared to be cooperation between teams in the beginning has turned into every man for himself.
The rivalry between Roxy and Lime got a little heated at the sausage challenge when Roxy boxed Lime’s truck in, but they managed to steer clear of each other during the course of the weekend. Last season didn’t really have a villain, but this season gives us two in these teams. The Roxy team just comes off as gruff and unpleasant so it was really pleasing to see them have a huge line with no food prepared and then being told to vacate the parking lot they were in or the police would be called. It will be equally pleasing to see Lime’s taken down a notch too.
There was some curious strategy on the part of Devilicious, who decided to close up shop early on day one when they ran out of food instead of making an additional purchase like everyone else. That did not seem like a good move, especially with an impending Speed Bump on day two which required the trucks to stop what they were doing, and relocate at least a mile from their current spot. This was not as big a setback as thought because, somehow, no matter where the trucks moved to (most of them, anyway) there was already a line forming. How could the locals find out about this in such short time?
In the end, it was a pretty thrilling leg with a record amount of money collected from the seven trucks — over $25,000.00! First place went to Korilla, with $5665.00, and their secret weapon — the meat from the sausage challenge. Hodge Podge, with a $100.00 advantage and no Speed Bump to worry about, only managed third with $3646.00. Last place came down to $159.00 between Roxy and Devilicious, and unfortunately, that decision to shut down early came back to bite Devilicious. Next stop: Denver.
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on Aug 21, 2011 @ 23:41 EST5EDT
