Midtown Lunch

While rushing back to the office from lunch, I stopped dead in my tracks (to take a photo, naturally) when I spotted the Treats Truck in their old Midtown spot on 45th & 6th. You’ll have to hurry, though — according to their twitter, the truck will be there only until 3 p.m.

It’s hard to believe it but in June of this year the Treats Truck will turn 5 years old. I still remember the first time I ate my first mexican brownie from Kim’s adorable truck, and that day seems like yesterday as much as it seems like 20 years ago. It has always been tough for street food vendors on the street of Midtown, but if you’ve been following the scene over the past 18 months, you know it’s gotten that much tougher. So tough that Kim, the good samaritan that she is, rarely parks in Midtown anymore. But she hasn’t given up, and today she asked us to post this update to all her fans who are eager for her to return to Midtown on a more permanent basis.

I started The Treats Truck in June 2007. I loved the idea of having customers all over the city, and couldn’t wait to get started. I studied the city’s rules and guidelines and set out looking for places to park my truck.

When you own a food truck in New York City, you’re given lists of restrictions and rules, and you do your best to find a suitable spot. In addition, you soon find out there is also the reality of the streets, and each block is different. You have to put in the time to figure out where you fit in. Even after you establish your spots, you must remain sensitive to changes in the way a particular block works.

It was not easy that first summer, but it was also magical.

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Yesterday we got to see Kim from the Treats Truck in a great video courtesy of Save The NYC Food Trucks… but today it looks like we’re going to be able to see her in person!  AOL’s Advertising Week launches today, and as part of the festivities the Treats Truck will be open for business on 41st btw. 7+8th. It’s been over 4 months since the cops chased the Treats Truck out of Midtown, so to say this is exciting news would be huge understatement!

It seems as if the ramp up in police pressure on the food trucks of Midtown has claimed its first permanent victim. The Treats Truck sent out this unbelievably sad email to their followers this morning:

To my dear customers,

We will not be midtown for the time being. The police have let us know that they no longer want food trucks in the midtown area. Two of our spots dear to our hearts (and our first two regular spots since the early days) have been 45th & 6th Ave and 38th & 5th Ave. We have so many wonderful regulars, and you all have made serving you such a pleasure. We are so sad to have to take our truck elsewhere. We hope to be able to return someday. For now, we cannot. We wish we could. You have all made the past four years very special. You can always order for delivery for your offices or come by our new spots. You can call to find out where we are each day.

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It’s St. Patrick’s Day! Timing for the eating o’ the green treats. If you’re courageous enough to brave the emerald clad revelers, there are some St. Patty’s Day treats awaiting you at Treats Truck including: cupcakes, crispy treats, and four leaf clover sugar cookies. And Robicellis is now delivering to Joe the Art of Coffee in Grand Central on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so Joe should have a selection of their holiday cupcakes: Irish Soda Bread (with a clotted cream buttercream & Drambuie soaked raisins), Irish Coffee (Bailey’s-espresso cake & buttercream, ganache, crushed white chocolate) and the Car Bomb (Chocolate Guinness stout cake, Bailey’s buttercream, Jameson whiskey ganache). Lily O’Brien’s will be getting a delivery of these flavors tomorrow for those of you still celebrating on Friday (or needing something to get over your hangover).

Also Shake Shack is serving up Mint Chocolate Chip Custard, and if you tell your server “Get Lucky” at The Counter in Times Square they’ll give you a green beer or green shake for just $3. “Like” The Counter on Facebook and show it to them (on your phone or a printout) they’ll give you the shake for free.

For those of you who forgot that today is Valentine’s Day, you can still save your you know what with some treats for your lady. Lily O’Brien’s (on 40th btw. 5+6th) will be getting their Monday delivery of Robicelli’s with special Valentine’s flavors:

• The L’Amour: Chocolate Chambord cake, Chambord & raspberry buttercream, chocolate shavings, wildberry drizzle
• Strawberry Champagne: Champagne cake, strawberry champagne buttercream, strawberry reduction, edible gold dust
• Dark Chocolate Dulce: Dark chocolate cake, dulce de leche buttercream, dark chocolate drizzle, Maldon flake sea salt (seen above)
• The Eve: Walnut cake, pomegranate cheesecake buttercream, roasted walnuts glazed in pomegranate molasses.

Additionally Treats Truck will be making a special Monday appearance in midtown on 45th & 6th Av from 12:30-3pm with heart shaped sugar cookies, chocolate heart cookies and raspberry linzer heart cookies. Keep track of the Treats Truck’s location on the ML Twitter Tracker or via Twitter.

Lily O’Brien’s (40th btw 5+6th), 212-575-0631