Debajo del Sol: culinary

We are moving on from our place at Mark's Carts. Most may be aware of that by now, as the new season is underway and we are no longer part of the courtyard. We enjoyed our time at Mark's Carts and owe a lot to the project that gave us a running start with our food cart business. Now, it's time to move on.
After a long winter of thinking hard about what our future will look like, we are excited for what is in store for Debajo del Sol. We are most certainly not going away. We are still here. We are excited to be working with E.T. Crowe and her gang at the Wolverine State Brewing Company on Stadium. We are in the process of establishing a regular schedule, so keep an eye on our schedule. As soon as we have solidified times and secured staff we will announce some regular hours.
We also are excited to announce that we will be taking the cart on the road. We are branching out to festivals, food truck rallies, and music festivals. We are excited to be a part of the Romeo 175th Anniversary Jubilee happening this Saturday, May 18, in Romeo, Michigan. In August, we will be a part of the Mo Pop Festival at Freedom Hill Amphitheater. We are adding more events to the schedule as well. We'll update the blog as we go.

Pulled pork sliders served at an event last weekend

Jay's hard at work securing our cart. Thanks to Mom and Dad Scott for helping us make our food cart dream come true. I'm currently of little help, as I am in Den Haag, Netherlands. I'm visiting my sister, who lives here, and meeting my new nephew. The travel plans were made shortly before we knew about Mark's Carts and our part in the new food cart garden opening in Ann Arbor. This all has been a whirlwind development for us, an exciting whirlwind development.
Jay has Mama Maria and Papa T helping him perfect our paella while I'm away. I'm sure they both are also listening to him list all the things we have to get done in the few short weeks until Mark's Carts and Debajo del Dol opens. Along with our primarily Spanish cart, we will be throwing in some of Mama Maria's specialties along the way. Mama Maria is my mom. She was born in Sicily. I was raised on her authentic Sicilian cuisine. I guess we'll be playing a little with the Catalan and Sicilian culinary crossover. One thing I remember well about some of the Catalan cuisine was the familiarity of some of the flavors and textures.
Well, before I get too long winded and before I go tour another museum in Den Haag today, I'll leave you all with the press release we received for Mark's Carts:

March 22, 2011
For more information contact:
Mark Hodesh, mark@downtownhomeandgarden.com, 734-662-8122

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mark’s Carts eyes late April opening

Downtown outdoor food cart garden in Ann Arbor will offer gourmet street food ranging from breakfast burritos to pulled pork sandwiches to vegan treats.

With the warmer weather has come stepped-up construction on what is poised to become Ann Arbor’s premier street food scene. Workers are currently installing utilities and pouring concrete in the West Washington lot that will house up to ten food carts and a covered eating area. At the same time, work on a new commercial kitchen adjacent to the cart garden is in its final stages. Mark Hodesh, owner of Downtown Home and Garden and originator of the cart garden, predicts that Mark’s Carts will be up and running by late April.

“I am really pleased with how construction is shaping up,” said Hodesh. “At this pace, we will greet the spring by offering the community a wonderful new street food scene and attractive, affordable options for downtown dining.”

So far there are six food carts signed up for the cart garden. Hodesh is still accepting applications to fill the final four spots. Confirmed vendors at present include: San Street (Asian street food); Debajo del Sol(Spanish paella and tapas); The Lunch Room (vegan entrees, sides and baked goods); eat (locally sourced hearty sandwiches); Darcy’s Cart (breakfast burritos and more); and Humble Hogs (hoagies, braise-in-a bun, and other savory and sweet offerings).

Hodesh encourages other potential food cart operators to contact him. He is especially seeking vendors of Indian food, Jamaican food, and wood-fired pizza.

The idea for the food carts originated when Hodesh visited his daughter Jeanne in New York City last year. Impressed with the breadth of street food available there and the joyful, entrepreneurial spirit of the people running the carts, Hodesh decided to bring the concept home. Hodesh notes that Mark’s Carts also has an interesting historical connection: it is located on West Washington between Ashley Street and First Street, on the site of the former home of Herman Hertler. Hertler was one of the founders of Hertler Bros., the business that Hodesh bought in 1975 which is now Downtown Home and Garden.

A date for the cart garden opening will be announced in the coming month, as construction progresses.

Hyperlinks:

Debajo del Sol - http://debajodelsolaa.blogspot.com

The Lunch Room - http://thelunchrooma2.com

eat - http://eatannarbor.com

Darcy's Cart - http://darcyscart.com

Humble Hogs - http://humblehogs.com

Mark's Carts - http://markscartsa2.com

Downtown Home & Garden - http://downtownhomeandgarden.com