On June 13 and 14, noon – 6 pm, InLiquid presents Art for the Cash Poor 16.
Go Mad for Gourmet as the three-day event includes all the elements that drive us crazy-in-love with Philadelphia’s creative sector. Sweet and savory bites will be sold by seven local food vendors, including Chewy’s, Jerry’s Kitchen, Kung Fu Hoagie, Mom-Mom’s Polish Food Cart, Farm Truck Philly, Foolish Waffles, and Weckerly’s Ice Cream, while Crave Caterers provides light refreshments for the Friday night preview. Suds and spirits prescribe the mood for both the preview and the weekend fair, with tastings hosted by WhistlePig Rye, Siembra Spirits Tequila, Tito’s Vodka, among others on Friday, and a fully-stocked beer tent courtesy of Philadelphia Brewing Company on Saturday and Sunday.
Mom Mom’s Polish Food Truck dapples in the space-time continuum, mixing old world Polish recipes with modern flavors. Co-founder Ryan Elmore answers a few questions about the food truck that will be vending on Sunday.
Where did the desire to open up a food truck first come into play for you? And what was the process like in getting it started?
Opening a food truck has been a dream come true for Kaitlin and I. We talked about it over the course of a few years, deciding in Spring 2013 to put a down payment on a new cart. We’ve always loved to cook, eat, drink, and share that passion with others. The food cart happened to be a very doable platform for us, saving up money bartending while the cart was constructed. After a year of hustling around to find a commissary and deal with L&I and the archaic Health Department, we were ready to open by April 2014. There’s a lot of busy work and of course a ton of permits.
Why Polish food?
Kait and I were cooking a lot at home (we’re dating) and were making a bunch of Polish food. We’re both Polish (Kait’s 1/2, I’m 1/64 by my measurements) and started to host late night pierogi parties at our house after work. It clicked one day that Polish food was the way to go as it’s both awesome and under represented.
How does the “modern twist” to your food come into play?
We like to have fun with pierogi. A pierogi is the ultimate vehicle for bringing together different flavors and textures both savory and sweet. For the most part our base menu is pretty traditional with some extra finishing touches here and there.
How do you distinguish yourselves from other food trucks?
We do everything from scratch. Pierogi are a labor of love and we spend a lot of time making sure that each pierogi is made with care. We hand select all of our ingredients and keep seasonality and locality in mind. From pierogi to golabki (stuffed cabbage) our food is the food that only grandmothers used to want to make.
What are some of your most popular food items?
The Potato and Cheddar Pierogi are the #1 Stunna. They’re pan-seared dumplings stuffed with potato and Wisconsin white cheddar then topped with caramelized onions and a side of sour cream. We’re proud to serve Czerw’s kielbasa which is also a crowd-pleaser.
What are you looking forward to most about Art for the Cash Poor?
We’re excited to get out into the local art community as we live close and love to support the arts. I’m looking forward to coming home with something to hang on my wall.
The weekend-long fair invites attendees to navigate the Crane Arts space, which will be bursting with art vendors, live musical performances, culinary curiosities, and an outdoor beer garden. The addition of a Friday night ticketed preview party on June 12, 5:30 – 9 pm, serves as a meet-and-greet with the artists and a fundraiser for AIDS Fund, offering guests an exclusive sneak-peek at the festivities to follow
