New fall flavors at Yum Yum Cupcake Truck

Oh Yum Yum Cupcake Truck. How I have missed you. I have been craving cupcakes, but you are rarely in my area of town. Finally, I found you at Food Truck Bazaar in Lake Mary on October 1, along with some other great trucks and vendors. Unlike some other food truck events, the monthly Lake Mary event features a handful of food trucks and tons of local artists, jewelry makers, and other neat vendors. The beautiful park by Lake Mary City Hall is a great, relaxing setting to enjoy the food and the art.

Now, back to the cupcakes: as usual with Yum Yum, there were some hits and misses with the new fall flavors and other cupcakes. While we couldn't get enough of the El Churro (with its crispy, cinnamony, sugar exterior and delicious frosting), the Pumpkin Gingy cupcake fell short. While it had a delicous cream cheese frosting, the cupcake batter had a hint of baking soda or something slightly off. Otherwise, it was moist. I had been craving pumpkin treats, and was looking forward to the perfect bite.

The new Hootenanny Harvest Apple cupcake is pretty good. You get a hint of sour apple with real apple filing in the middle. The Chocolate on Chocolate is good, but again the batter tastes slightly of baking soda. There were lots of other good food trucks to try - such as Baja Grill - but unfortunately, I have food allergies and didn't see items I could eat.

All in all, I had a wonderful experience at the Food Truck Bazaar, and can't wait for the next big one: October 12 at Fashion Square Mall!

Gourmet Food at Lake Mary Food Trucks

It was a cool, rainy day here in Central Florida this past Sunday. But that did not keep a motley group of food trucks from serving up their delicious wares at Central Park in front of City Hall in Lake Mary. Families came out and were having a great time as well. The park has plenty of seating and natural beauty, so it beats some of the other food truck stops in parking lots.

I was excited to try new food from unique trucks I haven’t seen at other food truck events. Fork in the Road and Nubu Grill did not disappoint. Fork in the Road, started by Lake Mary chef Bryce Balluf, offers up gourmet plates such as Scotch Quail Egg, Toasted Tomato Mac ‘n Cheese Pops, and Elvis Cookie-wich.

Nubu Grill also had tasty dishes such as Lemon Pepper Flounder and Polynesian Beef. I had the Coconut Curry Chicken from Nubu Grill, and was really impressed with the homemade curry and spicy peanut sauce on this dish. Plus, I got a big serving of rice, chicken, and fresh vegetables for $7.

Central Park - Lake Mary

Some of the other food trucks that I was not able to try but that looked great were: Louis Bistro, Kona Dog, and Firehouse BBQ. If you have tried these food trucks or the Lake Mary food truck event, what did you think? Comment below.

When: The last Sunday of every month.

Where: Central Park, 100 North Country Club Rd., Lake Mary (on the corner of Lake Mary Blvd. and Country Club Rd.)

Eat & Drink for Good Causes, Orlando!

Two Orlando events – both on Friday, March 2 – will allow you to try tasty local food and help out important causes.

The Sit, Stay, Sip & Save a Life event, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., features food and wine samples from top Seminole County restaurants. It benefits TEARS, an organization for homeless pets in Seminole County. Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 the day of the event.

Where: The Courtyard at Park Place at Heathrow Center.

Spanish River Grill

Another mouth-watering event, Slow Down, includes cocktails and beers from Florida distillers and local, seasonal food tastings from Spanish River Grill, The Rusty Spoon, and Dandelion Communitea Café. It runs from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $15, and the event benefits Slow Food Orlando. Call 407-648-7060 for more information. 

Where: City Arts Factory, 29 South Orange Ave., Orlando.