Food Network scouts contacted the Garellis after reading a newspaper article about their plight.
“They noticed my story and reached out to me and wanted to know if I wanted to participate” in a new series, The Great Food Truck Race, says Joanne. “I still had to submit a 10-minute video, and then we had a Skype interview.”
That the eight-week race across country–cooking meals and facing eliminations all the way–would begin in Beverly Hills was not a problem, the producers explained. The network would fly all the contestants to the starting point.
That the Garellis did not have a food truck (or, at that point, any functioning business) also was not a problem. Each competing team would be provided with a fully outfitted truck.
That Joanne, who calls herself an "egg slinger," has no formal training as a chef, also did not prove a deal breaker. The couple decided that Steve would stay home to look after their 15-year-old daughter, and Joanne recruited two food industry friends to help her operate the truck–restaurant veteran Tim Boulous of Eventide Grill in Sea Bright, and Ilene Winters, founder of Sea Bright Rising, an organization that has so far raised more than $1 million to help rebuild the town.
They would be competing against three teams from California, one from Hawaii, one from New York City, one from St. Louis and one from Philadelphia. Each truck chose a theme–things like specialty tacos, sliders, hot dogs, stuffed potatoes–and a name.
The Jerseyans dubbed themselves Boardwalk Breakfast Empire and decided to offer great start-your-day meals–morning, noon or night.
The caravan would cover 4,181 miles in eight weeks, with stops in San Francisco, Portland, Pocatello, Rapid City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
The first challenge, in posh Beverly Hills, was to create a dish that would sell for an untrucklike $20 and deliver real value to the very picky Rodeo Drive crowd.
The trucks would be ranked in descending order of dollar sales, and would be allowed to head for the next destination in that order, after forced delays, leaving the last place team less time to better their sales.
At the end of each episode one truck would be eliminated. Boardwalk Breakfast Empire survived Week One’s ordeal in La-La Land.
“We came up with an omelet with jumbo lump crab, Gruyere, tarragon, crème fraiche and caviar over toasted brioche with tri-color home fries,” says Boulous. “Everywhere we went, we tried to keep the menu as a breakfast,” even if it was a savory pancake sandwich for lunch or dinner. “Breakfast can be a meal at any time.”
Week Two airs this Sunday, August 25.
One of the biggest challenges was keeping the trucks in good operating order.
“We definitely ran into speed bumps,” Boulous says.
In San Francisco, they had trouble lighting their pilot light and got a hand from another team.
“It was very competitive, but the teams became friends,” Boulous says. They are all still in contact. “It was an adventure of a lifetime," he adds, "and an awesome opportunity to meet people from all over the country.”
“We brought a lot of awareness to the Jersey Shore and to being hurricane survivors,” says Garelli. “I’m so proud of what we did, and I’m very proud of the state of New Jersey.”
The Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race with host Tyler Florence.
SUZANNE ZIMMER LOWERY is a food writer, pastry chef and culinary instructor at a number of New Jersey cooking schools. Find out more about her at suzannelowery.com.