Photo courtesy of A Bite Truck

If you follow the local luxe lonchera scene, chances are you've probably crossed paths with Chef Keba Parker already. Whether it's behind the grill at The Lime Truck or Barcelona on the Go, Keba has the "learn by doing" mantra down. His catering company, A Bite to Remember, has been around since 2003. He recently included the lonchera aspect and invited us to talk about the venture. Consider this an On the Line teaser; at least until we get him to answer the questionnaire.
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Photo by Johannes Dewald

Creating a garlic dish that not only paired well with white wine, looked appealing when plated, but also didn't require silverware was something Garlic Scapes' Mike Dimmitt spent time conceptualizing. The recipe he shares with us fulfills all three requirements. 

Mike also explained a common misconception diners have about food handling on the lonchera. Turns out many tend to wear three sets of gloves at a time; so after handling money while taking an order, one layer is removed to work on preparation. Once the third layer comes off, another trio is put on. We're thinking the glove manufacturers are making a killing these days.

Read our interview with Mike Dimmitt of Garlic Scapes, Part Two.
And now, on to Part Three . . .

Sweet Garlic and Cilantro Chicken Sandwiches

Serves 4
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Seabirds Facebook Page

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Photo by Johannes Dewald

MIke Dimmitt may appear relaxed on the outside, but his mind is going a mile a minute. Whether reading or spending time with his kids, he is always doing something to improve his quality of life. You might be surprised to find out what this luxe lonchera owner was working on prior to owning Garlic Scapes. We certainly were!

Read our interview with Mike Dimmitt of Garlic Scapes, Part One.
And now, on to Part Two. . .


When you're not in the kitchen cooking, what are you doing?
I am booking events and returning emails, phone calls and text messages. If I'm not working, I'm with my kids, doing football practice or playing video games.

Last song playing on your radio/smart phone/iPod:
"Drive By Truckers" by Paulianna.
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Pictured: Gabriel Zambrano at left, with Carlos Salgado of Taco María, outside Zambrano's Soho Taco. Missing: Danny Godínez of Anepalco's and Gabbi Patrick of Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen. We'll rectify this soon--details to come...

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Photo by Johannes Dewald

Mike Dimmitt was difficult. And by difficult, we mean next to impossible to get a hold of. We'll let the fact he was in the process of moving be an excuse, but c'mon! He's lucky we share a favorite chef and infatuation with dim sum and (San Diego) breweries. A purveyor of the so-called stinking rose, the Garlic Scapes luxe lonchera is also known for some tasty chili. Now if only they sold breath freshener for afterward . . . .

Your earliest food memory:
My father's firehouse biscuits and gravy. He would make this every weekend. He was a fireman and the designated chef for his firehouse. My mom didn't cook.

Favorite meal growing up:
Casa de Taco, a La Habra taco joint. I would get the bean-and-cheese burrito with rice and green onions. They would call it "The Mike burrito."
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Interested in working for a food truck like Dos Chinos? Curious about the pay, the hours, the fringe benefits? An article published over the weekend on Budgets Are Sexy by a writer named Jay, who took on a side job with OC's much-respected Viet-Mexi truck, lays it out.

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http://www.facebook.com/NWAtruck

With no apologies issued to Ice Cube or Dr. Dre, someone has launched a food truck called NWA, a.k.a. Ninjas With Appetite. Theirs is a lonchera plastered with non-menacing cartoon ninjas and other kawaii characters in colors that recalls something out of Adult Swim. It's brethren is, of course, Kogi and Dos Chinos, luxe loncheras that, for lack of a better term, fuse the Asian with the Mex, or whatever the hell they feel like. But while Kogi is Korean-Mex and Dos Chinos is Viet-Mex, NWA is...you guessed it, Japanese-Mex.


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Photo by Mary Pastrana

While some luxe lonchera owners delve into cuisine normally reserved for white linens and table crumbers, Spudrunners keeps things classic and comfy. Whether cheesy or carblicious, Bob Brown and his team serve it up from their mobile kitchen. He's been so busy working on their next venture with Chronic Taco(!!), we barely had enough time to conduct part two of our interview.

In accordance with with OTL's (unofficial) trending of uncomplicated meals, Bob leaves us with a meal encompassing meat, starch, dairy and even vegetables besides potatoes!


Santa Fe Fries

*Serves as many as you're willing to share with
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Photo by Mary Pastrana

Our interview with Bob Brown continues as he calls while I'm en route to the dentist. After verifying his seriousness over some of his responses, I mentioned the tall tales told by his Spudrunners team in part one. Today's segment involves family; and by family I mean his wife, son, father and dog. Check out how his non-food skills keep our conversation going in today's On the Line.

When you're not in the kitchen cooking, what are you doing?
Answering emails.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Orange Park Acres in the City of Orange.
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