Flavor of the Week Special Edition: Rodeo on Rosemary

Right smack-dab in the middle of Rosemary Street, on the block between Henderson and North Columbia, was the first annual “Rodeo on Rosemary.” 13 of the Triangle’s favorite food trucks lined the street with brightly colored paint jobs and names ranging from playfully to punny. Baguettaboutit, Chirba Chirba, CockaDoodleMoo, Pie Pushers, Sweet Traditions and others were all on hand to dish out the niche treats food trucks are known for.

“It’s been something that people have been asking us to do for years,” said Amanda Fletcher, the Supervisor of Festivals and Community Celebrations for Chapel Hill. “I’ve been wanting to add a food truck rodeo into our event season for several years as well, and the stars just aligned this year. We were contacted by the RDU Mobile Food Association and they wanted to do a rodeo in Chapel Hill, and we’ve been wanting to do one in Chapel Hill, so when they did the improvements to Rosemary Street is seemed like the opportune time to try to get one downtown.”

Crowds of people begin to form lines in front of their favorite food trucks, and the vents on top of each truck send subtle plumes of seasoned smoke and fresh food smells from grills, deep fryers, and ovens alike. The most difficult thing for most attendees of the Rodeo on Rosemary was deciding which truck to go to first.

“I tried CockadoodleMoo and they have some great sliders,” said Fletcher. “I also heard the lobster tots at Cousins Maine Lobster are amazing, but you have to wait, like, an hour for those.”

Before the Cousins Maine Lobster truck even opened its shutters for business, a massive line had formed in front of it. Full of hungry customers anxious to try Cousins’ famous lobster rolls and lobster tater tots, the Cousins truck has certainly struck a chord with Chapel Hill customers.

“I think there are four things that really make us popular in the area,” said Greg Keller, general manager of Cousins Maine Lobster’s Triangle truck and husband of owner Deb Keller. “One is it’s hard to find really good Maine lobster in this area. Two, the food truck scene is very popular in general, and we’re something unique … Third is that we obviously have the association with Shark Tank and the two cousins that went on the show, and Barbara Corcoran bought into the business. Finally, there’s a lot of north easterners here that know about lobster and they follow us.”

The Rodeo on Rosemary isn’t just great for Chapel Hill residents to try great food from local food trucks; it’s also great for the food truck owners as well.

“Typically we get a lot of repeat business,” said Rowland Boksleitner, of Sweet Traditions. “We also do full wedding cakes and typically what happens is people try our cupcakes and they’ll order cakes from us. They try it and see if they like it, and if they like it they’ll order bigger cakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes … This is a really cool event and we’re really happy to be in the first one of these and I hope it’s a big event for everybody.”

Sweet Traditions specializes in cupcakes and other desserts, including cakes and pies. They serve their sweets in an adorable little mobile trailer named “Belle.” Perfect for somebody searching to satisfy their sweet tooth in a food truck rodeo with mostly savory options, Sweet Traditions knows their niche and fills it well.

Wherever there is a collection of food trucks, there are bound to be standouts. Baguettaboutit, a sandwich truck that features six different types of North Carolina-made sausage served in French baguettes, is one such truck.

“I really love Baguettaboutit. I’m kind of, like, a Baguettaboutit loyalist,” said Kirsten Leloudis, a rodeo-goer waiting in front of Baguettaboutit for her turn to snag a sandwich. “I’ve eaten there a couple of times and it’s really cool to see them at today’s food truck rodeo. I recommend the ‘U Betcha’ sandwich, it’s a bratwurst in a French baguette with whole grain mustard,” said Kirsten.

Along with Baguettaboutit, Only Burger is another food truck with a following. Only Burger has been serving quality burgers and fries at their brick-and-mortar location in Durham for seven years, and their food truck is just as delicious. The Famous Fried Green Tomato Burger, for example, is a single beef patty with a fried green tomato, fried egg and their house-made pimento cheese on top, and it’s famous for a reason.

The staff of Chirba Chirba was also out in force, slinging their signature Asian street food fare in the form of can’t-miss dumplings. The standard “Juicy Buns” are always a favorite, filled with sweet and savory pork, but it’s the “Garlicky Greens” that really impressed. A savory mixture of braised collards, kale, garlic tofu and green onions, these buns were described by one rodeo-goer as “absolutely, unexpectedly great … especially with the black vinegar sauce.”

Advice for those trying to get the most out of the Rodeo on Rosemary next year: make sure to pace yourself, and bring some friends to help you so you can try as many trucks as possible.