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Food & Drink, Food & Drink Feature Mar 29, 2017
Why Chicago’s once-promising food truck scene stalled out

As food trucks have flourished in other U.S. cities, the mobile food industry in Chicago has been systematically immobilized by legislative opposition, onerous red tape, costly fines, and the pro-restaurant lobby.
- By Julia Thiel
- Tags: Food & Drink Feature, food trucks, parking ticket, mobile food, Kyle Kelly, Cajun Connoisseur, Tamale Spaceship, Beavers Donuts, Proco Joe Moreno, Rahm Emanuel, City Council, Tom Tunney, Brendan Reilly, llinois Food Truck Association, Gabriel Wiesen, Cupcakes for Courage, Taquero Fusion, Sun-Times, ABC-7, Slide Ride, Department of Transportation, Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Matt Geller, Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association, National Food Truck Association, Kogi BBQ, Gaztro-Wagon, Mike Sula, Meatyballs Mobile, Matt Maroni, Phillip Foss, Ann Sather Restaurants, Illinois Restaurateurs political action committee, Illinois Restaurant Association, GPS, food truck ordinance, Duck N Roll, Amy Le, Glenn Keefer, Patrick Sheerin, Kuma's Corner, Crain's Chicago Business, Saucy Porka, Sam Toia, Dan Salls, Salsa Truck, Quiote, Manny Hernandez, Denita Tittle, Ms. Tittle's Cupcakes, Institute for Justice, Anna Helen Demacopoulos, Cook County Circuit Court, John Levy, National Food Truck Association, Minnesota Food Truck Association, Spotted Monkey

Blogs, Bleader Mar 18, 2014
Phillip Foss's Meatyballs rides again

The El Ideas chef takes his meatball sandwich truck on the road again after two and a half years of fine dining.
- By Michael Gebert
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Phillip Foss, Meatyballs Mobile, El Ideas, James Beard Awards, food trucks, FoodTruck50, Matt Maroni, Gaztro-Wagon

Blogs, Bleader Mar 18, 2013
Marigold Indian restaurant, now in Andersonville, still a gem

The upscale Indian restaurant, relocated to Andersonville, provides another option for imbibing.
- By Kate Schmidt
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Marigold restaurant, Uptown, Andersonville, craft cocktails, Lao Sze Chuan, naanwiches, Gaztro-Wagon, Matt Maroni

Blogs, Bleader Jan 9, 2012
RIP restaurants—including, alas, Gaztro-Wagon

A half dozen restaurants closing ten days into 2012
- By Kate Schmidt
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Seasons, Jacky's on Prairie, One SixtyBlue, Charlie Trotter's, Merle's #1 Barbecue, Tiny Dog Cupcake, Matt Maroni, Gaztro-Wagon, Morso

Blogs, Bleader Dec 31, 2011
More best bites and sips of 2011

More notable bites and drinks from 2011
- By Kate Schmidt
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Mike Sula, best restaurants 2011, Inovasi, John des Rosiers, Antico, Brad Schiedler, Matt Maroni, GaztroWagon, Royal Coffee, Ethiopian breakfast, Sable, Mike Ryan, Glenwood Sunday Market, Sweet Attila's, the Growling Rabbit, MorSo, Choo, GT Fish & Oyster, Boka Restaurant Group, Benjamin Schiller, Mark Mendez, Liz Mendez, Vera, Barbari

Blogs, Bleader Nov 1, 2011
X-Marx underground campout dinner, "off-the-cuff" at MorSo

Upcoming food and drink events: the X-marx Camp Out dinner at Hot Chocolate, Matt Maroni's "off-the-cuff" chef's tasting menu at MorSo
- By Kate Schmidt
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Next Restaurant, Next Childhood, X-marx underground supper club, pop-up restaurants, Hot Chocolate, Abraham Conlon, Rachel Sliviki, Luke LeFiles, Matt Maroni, MorSo, Choo Lipsky

Blogs, Bleader Oct 7, 2011
This week in Food & Drink: Matt Maroni's MorSo, Key Ingredient fenugreek, affordable recommended restaurants in Lincoln Park

In this week's Food & Drink: MorSo, Cocktail Challenge fenugreek, affordable recommended Lincoln Park restaurants
- By Kate Schmidt
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Matt Maroni, MorSo, Gaztro-Wagon, Choo, Matthew Lipsky, the Southern, fenugreek, Clint Rogers, Henri, panch phoron, Kris von Dopek, Duchamp restaurant, nopales, Lincoln Park, Floriole Cafe & Bakery, Red Flame, Caminito Argentinian Grill

Blogs, Bleader Aug 29, 2011
Food Truck Social 2011

Food Truck Social 2011 suffers from its own success
- By Julia Thiel
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Food Truck Social, Food Truck Social 2011, Matt Maroni, Gaztro-Wagon, Morso, Time Out Chicago, Michael Carlson, street festivals, summer festivals

Blogs, Bleader Feb 17, 2011
This Week's Food and Drink Events

A national coffee expo, a local food film screening, a Texas barbecue dinner, and more.
- By Sam Worley
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Stems, West Town, tea pairing, Liif Tea, Kissel's Spiced Jam, the Great American Cheese Collection, Coffee Fest Chicago, Navy Pier, coffee, latte art, Coffee Fest, Alpana Singh, Check, Please!, champagne brunch, Chicago French Market, Alpana Pours: About Being a Woman, Loving Wine, and Having Great Relationships, Polar Beer Fest, Rock Bottom Brewery, strong beer, winter ale, Logan Square Kitchen, Robert Bates, Ingredients, local food, Matt Maroni, Gaztro-Wagon, Local Food Wisdom, Jim Javenkowski, Texas, Texas barbecue, Sheffield's, Founders, Destihl Triton Barley Wine, Emmett's Russian Imperial Stout, Half Acre, Thunder and Son Brown Ale

Blogs, Bleader Dec 17, 2010
This Week in Food & Drink: Best New Restaurants, Key Ingredient: Geraniums, Saigon Sisters, and more

Best new restaurants of 2010, Key Ingredient chef's challenge: geraniums, Saigon Sisters, and more
- By Kate Schmidt
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, best new restaurants, food trucks, Phillip Foss, Meatyballs Mobile, Matt Maroni, Gaztr-Wagon, Arami, Balsan, Big Star, Paul Kahan, Branch 27, John Manion, Girl & the Goat, Stephanie Izard, Henri, Kith & Kin, the Purple Pig, Ria, Sprout, Ceres' Table, Chilapan, Franks 'N' Dawgs, Gilt Bar, Ruxbin, the Southern, Vincent, Saigon Sisters, Key Ingredient, chef's challenge, Curtis Duffy, Avenues, John des Rosiers, Inovasi, geranium, Pollock's Cod, Acre, Pasticceria Natalina, Natalie Zarzour, Pipeworks Brewing Company

Blogs, Bleader Aug 13, 2010
UPDATE: Foss Family Restaurant Popping Up at Gaztro-Wagon on Sunday

Foss Family Food Trucks pops up at Gaztro-Wagon on Sun 8/15.
- By Sam Worley
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Matt Maroni, Phillip Foss, Kenni Foss, Gaztro-Wagon, Lockwood, The Pickled Tongue, food trucks, food truck ordinance, pop-up restaurant, Meatyballs Mobile, Foss Family Food Trucks, puffy pan bread, Twitter, golden brick

Blogs, Bleader Jul 28, 2010
The Food Truck Ordinance in All Its Gripping Glory

Key provisions of the proposed ordinance governing food trucks, which goes to the City Council and from there to committee today.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food Chain, Politics, Food & Drink, Clout City, good truck ordinance, food trucks, Mobile Food Facilities, Matt Maroni, Scott Waguespack, Vi Daley, City Council

Blogs, Bleader Jul 27, 2010
Food Truck Ordinance Goes to Council Tomorrow

As a draft of the proposed food truck ordinance heads to the City Council, one of its architects, chef Matt Maroni, prepares to roll out his mobile Gaztro-Wagon for the first time.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food Chain, Politics, Food & Drink, Clout City, food trucks, Scott Waguespack, Matt Maroni, City Council, Vi Daley, Margaret Laurino, Gaztro-Wagon, Eugene Schulter, Ed Smith

Blogs, Bleader Jul 22, 2010
This week in Food & Drink

Reviews of new restaurants Gaztro-Wagon, Cumin, and Cookie Bar, plus eight recommended restaurants in Edgewater.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, new reviews, Matt Maroni, Gaztro-Wagon, Cumin, Cookie Bar, Huaraches Doña Chio

Blogs, Bleader May 25, 2010
Cool your engines, the food truck ordinance still has a long road to go

Hold your horses: Chicago's proposed food-truck legislation still has a long way to go.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food Chain, Politics, Food & Drink, Clout City, food trucks, Matt Maroni, Philip Foss, Scott Waguespack, Vi Daley

Food & Drink, Food & Drink News Apr 29, 2010
Food Truck Roadblock

Pretty much every chef in Chicago has an idea for a food truck—but two of them have just served potential legislation to the City Council.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food & Drink News, Chicago food trucks, Chicago street food, street food, eloteros, fruteros, food trucks, Vi Daley, Phillip Foss, Chicago health department, Kitchen Chicago, Flora Lazar, Flora's Confections, Green City Market, Pickled Tongue, Meatyballs, pushcarts, City Council, Vee-Vee's African Restaurant, Time Out Chicago, Troy Marcus Johnson, Chicago All Fired Up, La Cense Beef Burger Truck, Kogi BBQ, Cary Taylor, Jeff Pikus, Brendan Reilly, Tom Tunney, Norma Reyes, Mark Psilos, Matt Maroni, Scott Waguespack, mobile food dispensers, Rita Gutekanst, Limelight Catering, Gaztro-Wagon

Blogs, Bleader Apr 27, 2010
Chicago Street Food: We Keep Baking Till We Get Cake

The mission to make street food legal (and practical) in Chicago is a years-long one.
- By Whet Moser
- Tags: Chicagoland, Food Chain, Politics, Food & Drink, Clout City, eloteros, elotes, street food, Chicago street food, food trucks, Phillip Foss, Matt Maroni, Troy Marcus Johnson, Chicago All Fired Up, The Pushcart War, Bernard Stone, Dick Mell

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As food trucks have flourished in other U.S. cities, the mobile food industry in Chicago has been systematically immobilized by legislative opposition, onerous red tape, costly fines, and the pro-restaurant lobby.

The El Ideas chef takes his meatball sandwich truck on the road again after two and a half years of fine dining.

The upscale Indian restaurant, relocated to Andersonville, provides another option for imbibing.

A half dozen restaurants closing ten days into 2012

More notable bites and drinks from 2011

Upcoming food and drink events: the X-marx Camp Out dinner at Hot Chocolate, Matt Maroni's "off-the-cuff" chef's tasting menu at MorSo

In this week's Food & Drink: MorSo, Cocktail Challenge fenugreek, affordable recommended Lincoln Park restaurants

Food Truck Social 2011 suffers from its own success

A national coffee expo, a local food film screening, a Texas barbecue dinner, and more.

Best new restaurants of 2010, Key Ingredient chef's challenge: geraniums, Saigon Sisters, and more

Foss Family Food Trucks pops up at Gaztro-Wagon on Sun 8/15.

Key provisions of the proposed ordinance governing food trucks, which goes to the City Council and from there to committee today.

As a draft of the proposed food truck ordinance heads to the City Council, one of its architects, chef Matt Maroni, prepares to roll out his mobile Gaztro-Wagon for the first time.

Reviews of new restaurants Gaztro-Wagon, Cumin, and Cookie Bar, plus eight recommended restaurants in Edgewater.

Hold your horses: Chicago's proposed food-truck legislation still has a long way to go.

Pretty much every chef in Chicago has an idea for a food truck—but two of them have just served potential legislation to the City Council.

The mission to make street food legal (and practical) in Chicago is a years-long one.

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