@JoelECarlson:    Hello everyone! Welcome to the TwitterREVIEW of the St.Paul Irish pub called @The_Liffey. Tweeting done by the manager, Jay. Lets go!

Jay:    Thanks Joel, it’s a pleasure being “here” with you.

Q – #1    To start off with Jay, how did @The_Liffey get it’s name, and how long has it been around?

Jay:    The Liffey is named after the famed River Liffey in Ireland wich flows through the center of Dublin.

We’ve been open for over 8 years

Q – #2    Great. For people NEW to @The_Liffey, where are you located so that people can get an idea as to where to find you?

Jay:    The Liffey is located on the SW corner of West 7th & Kellogg in downtown St. Paul, kitty-corner from the Xcel Energy Center

Q – #3    Nice location! Lets now talk about the latest BUZZ about @The_Liffey, the makeover/remodel. When does that start?

Jay:    Very exciting news! We are planning a full-scale remodel inside the pub starting July 15. The new interor combines a sense of

place and spirit while the focus will be “colorfully cozy”. It was designed and will be installed by native Irish craftsmen and

should take only 10 days to complete! Along with the remodel we are currently busy creating a new menu to compliment the the look.

Q – #4    Awesome! So will you be closed during this time of construction, and will the rooftop Terrace change as well?

Jay:    We will also be featuring new drink specials, wine list, & happy hour specials…our outside dining area “The Terrace” will still be

open (weather permitting) during construction, and we hope to re-open the pub by July 28th.

Q – #5    Good to know! You mentioned Jay that there would be some changes to the menu. What items will probably stay?

Jay:    Our core menu items such as our Artichoke Dip, Reuben and Fish & Chips will of course stay but may get a bit of a “tweak”, for example

we will be making our own sauerkraut in-house for our Reuben – we are always trying to improve our game!

Q – #6    Ahhh! Great idea! Does @The_Liffey ever offer brunch or breakfast for it’s customers?

Jay:    The Liffey is open for breakfast daily 7am-1030am M-F and 730am-1030am weekends – we also offer our special Brunch menu from

11am-2pm on Sat and Sun – we are currently revamping our Brunch menu in conjuction with the new-look Liffey – expect to see

traditional favorites as well as some unique offerings including fun “brunch” drink specials!

Q – #7    Lots of NEW things going on and to expect at @The_Liffey! As far as the staff goes, are there currently any job openings?

Jay:    We are always looking for good people and personalities to help us deliver our mission to give our guests a memorable experience…

so they cannot wait to come back! We always encourage people to apply, but we have a solid staff for the rest of the summer.

@JoelECarlson:    Good to know. Thank you Jay for your time and comments about @The_Liffey. An exciting month of July for you and the pub for sure!

@JoelECarlson:    Hello everybody! Welcome to the last #TCFoodTruckWeek guest for TwitterReviews, it’s @chefshack1! Carrie Summer will be Tweeting.

Q – #1    To start off Carrie, how and when did you and Lisa connect to develop @ChefShack1?

Carrie:    Lisa & I met 10 years ago when she hired me as her sous-chef on a restaurant project here in Mpls.

we started @chefshack1 on a table top in 2007 @MCFarmersMkt

Q – #2    What was the plan or concept that you and Lisa first came up with for @chefshack1? How did it grow to several trucks?

Carrie:    ..well it all started with the Indian spiced mini-donuts.. Brenda Langton from @spoonriver1 asked us to create a concept

..for the new @MCFarmersMkt ..and as a pastry chef that I am , I was passionate about doing a really great donut

..chef Lisa then also started with her signature hierloom tomato/watermelon gazpacho. That was 2007

..after that first year it was just gangbusters..then we started looking for a trailer and bought chefshack1

..the following two trucks were acquired in 2009 locally. Now we work @chefshack1 full time May-Oct.

…our goal was to create really seasonal, tasty and organic streetfood to the public at fair prices

Q – #3    Great! In addition to the 2 items that you mentioned, what are some of the other regular options on your menus?

Carrie:    ..we do bison burgers w/ fixins’ , that soft-shell crab sandie, pulled pork nacho, beef tongue taco, grass-fed hot dogs

..our signature donuts, chocolate mousse, creme brûlée, farm ice creams, charcuterie, Farm salads, duck specialties

..we really concentrate on cooking within the seasons and of course #organic whenever possible and within MN & Wi..

..our menus are always changing, at any given time we are fortunate enough to have many farmers bringing us .

..spectacular ingredients. All Local !!! Sustainable & #organic ..#knowyourfarmer

Q – #4    High quality menu choices with local ingredients is important to both you and Lisa. Why not a Greasy Spoon instead?

Carrie:    ..integrity is paramount to us. Yes, great ingredient cost a lot, but it’s important to us…

..I think that’s why people like our food so much , because of our ingredients..it’s all so fresh !.

..we decided on opening the trucks/trailer ..as it was more affordable for us at the time. And so we could travel

..in the winter months to refresh and to experience different cuisines around the world..

Q – #5    Integrity is a good thing! :) With having a few trucks, how big is your staff/crew that works with you and Lisa?

Carrie:    ..it fluctuates as it’s seasonal. A few! Lisa & I really try to do all the cooking ourselves, she on savory & I do the sweets

All 3 units are usually not out at once. The trailer goes to @MCFarmersMkt @kingfieldmarket,Red goes to #foodtruckcourt

..lil’ Donut truck is finicky cuz she’s an oldie and we have her out here and there. She just got out of the shop..

..so she’ll be back on the streets next week!it’s a full time job just keeping all the fleet (including 2 catering vans)

..on the road w/ maintenance, fuel, washing, propane etc..

Q – #6    I see that! With you being at the beginning of the food-truck introduction to MN, do people approach you for advice?

Carrie:    ..yes, consistently. Via e.mail, calls or just on the street. #jectv ..looking for advice

Q – #7    If someone has a restaurant or cafe idea, would you suggest a food-truck as a good way to test the market for interest?

Carrie:    ..yes, absolutely. It’s less over-head =less risk. But do not miss-understand , it’s still rather costly.

..I am just parking a truck now , after service :)

Q – #7    Any plans for additions to the menu(s) that you care to share? Any additional expansion plans in the works?

Carrie:    ..new curries, and a few new sandwiches are on deck, and we plan on introducing some new desserts too!

..with 3 units, it’s enough. Probably no more ! #jectv we always have something up our sleve, when you see it you’ll know:)

@JoelECarlson:    Not trying to add work to you Carrrie. :) Thank you for your time today and for sharing some things about @chefshack1. Enjoy the day!

Carrie:    ..thank you Joel! Great to meet you, have a fantastic weekend. And thx 4 the tweets on #jectv !

@JoelECarlson: Hello, and welcome to the TwitterReview of @Smack_Shack featuring Josh Thoma as the man in charge of the Tweets. Lets get started!

Q – #1    To start, how did the concept for @Smack_Shack go from a thought to a reality? What was the process?

Josh: I wanted to start a food truck with an item that no one else in the cities was doing from a truck. I’ve always loved –

– lobster rolls. It also had to be an item that we could make quickly.

With a concept in mind, we just needed to find a truck and have someone build it to our specs.

Q – #2    So when did the @Smack_Shack start to serve people on the street, and was there much of a learning curve to the biz?

Josh: We started last Aug. there was a huge learning curve. We were open from 11:00 AM until midnight over on 1st and 4th.

We found that we didn’t have nearly close to the late night traffic that we thought we would have. Nor Twins fans.

We found that mist Twins fans wanted to get to Target Field then eat. It might be better this year.

Lunch turned out to be our busiest time. We are just using the truck for lunch and doing private events at night.

Q – #3    Where can people find you generally during the lunch hour? What kind of events have you used the truck for?

Josh: You can always join us late night @1029Bar, we open at 5:00 inside.

We try to be near 6th and Marquette. The spots on Marquette are not reserved for a specific truck like spots on Nic

We do private coporate and social events like grooms dinners, grad parties and weddings

Q – #4    What has been your (Josh Thoma) experience with food/cooking that made you want to open @Smack_Shack?

Josh: I’ve been in the restaurant business my whole life working in the kitchen for 13 years and switching to front of the

house for the past 8. I wanted to do something that combined both. A food truck is perfect. I get to be in the

kitchen and talk to guests at the same time. I love it.

Q – #5    In addition to the #LobsterRoll, what are some of the other items that you feature on your @Smack_Shack menu?

Josh: We also do a shrimp and sausage po’boy. It’s a classic New Orleans style sandwich served on a baguette. We also have

an arugula salad with the same lobster that comes in the lobster roll.

Also, watch for our lobster boils at @1029bar. Next one is this Sat. July 23 after that.

Q – #6    How much lobster do you use in a typical day and where do you get your bread from for @Smack_Shack?

Josh: We can go through about 80 lbs of shelled lobster in a day. We get our bread from @TheSaltyTart.

Q – #7    Great! To close, what future plans do you have for @Smack_Shack? Expansion? More trucks?

Josh: We are looking at expanding in the near future. Maybe another truck, maybe in the skyway.

@JoelECarlson: Awesome! Thank you very much Josh Thoma for you time today and talking about @Smack_Shack on #jectv. Keep the #LobsterRolls coming!

Josh: Thanks for the TwitterReview!

@JoelECarlson: Hello everyone! Are you ready for some great Tweets from the @ForkNroadTruck ladies? Lets get this TwitterReview started!

Q – #1    So first, how did you 2 ladies know each other before you started @ForkNroadTruck?

Amy & Kari: We grew up across the alley from eachother in South MPLS. Have been friends since we were 2 yrs old.

Q – #2    So how did you come up with the @forkNroadtruck concept? Had either of you been in the food/restaurant business before?

Amy & Kari: We always wanted to be part of a food business~Amy was living in LA lots of #foodtrucks there~neither of us are trained chefs.

we decided to take the mobile concept of a truck, to bring the food we love to cook to the fine folks here in MN

Q – #3    How did the concept of the menu for @forkNroadtruck come together? Where did you get ideas for it from?

Amy & Kari: Inspirations: from our friends & family. We like to put a twist on the ordinary: keeping things fresh and familiar.

We’ve always cooked with similar tastes. So, bringing together our menus is easy.

Q – #4    What are some of the regular menu items that you feature regularly or in rotation?

Amy & Kari: We always have our BBQ pulled pork grilled cheese w/caramelized onions. It’s a fav! Santa Monica BLT w/avocado garlic mayo too

We always have 1 or 2 vegetarian options daily as well~Roasted Red pepper & Fresh moz w/basil garlic mayo & arugula~egg salad

~sorry~hashtag! multi tasking in the truck and dropping food off at Black Forest.

Q – #5    I see. A big part of food-trucks is location, location, location. So where can people find you and your truck?

Amy & Kari: We post our menu and schedules on facebook at *Fork in the Road Truck* We use twitter to tell folks where we are NOW.

We just got done with Wednesday #foodtruckcourt on Kellogg Blvd,that always brings good crowds! Mon= we’ve been going to @mnhs

Q – #6    Good to know! Many trucks operate during the summer months. What is your “window” of operations in MN?

Amy & Kari: Last season: we stayed open thru the Winter months. That is open for discussion this next year ;)

We do expect to be operational thru the end of October~We’ll always be available for festivals and for Catering!

Q – #7    Any special events coming up? Any SPECIALS on the menu coming up in the near future? Special drinks?

Amy & Kari: This wknd is Jazz Fest in #MearsPark on Fri & Sat also on 7/16 is @TheBeerDabbler. Drinks:people love our Strawberry lemonade!

@JoelECarlson: Thanks to Kari and Amy of @forkNroadtruck for their time and Tweets today! I can vouch for their BBQ pulled pork, it’s yummy!

Amy & Kari: Thanks @JoelECarlson come and eat with us anytime!

@JoelECarlson: Hello everyone, and welcome to the TwitterReview of the @128cafe food-truck, with Jill Wilson Tweeting today. Lets get started!

Jill: Good Morning!

Q – #1    Lets start off with, when did @128cafe start as a cafe, and then when did the food-truck start?

Jill: The restaurant originally opened in ’96. It closed 6/07 & I purchased the business & re-opened in 11/07…

We started our mobile cafe last summer so this is our 2nd season of operation.

Q – #2    What made you decide to start a food-truck version of @128cafe, and how much planning went into it?

Jill: It started as a new way to market the restaurant. I wanted a billboard w/128 cafe written all over it.

the economy was in the tank & it wasn’t so great getting ‘Best-Kept-Secret’ awards. I needed people to know about us…

About the same time, my husband was working in NYC & would tell me about all the fancy midtown restaurants w/trucks..

that would drive down to Wall St. & make fancy lunches. That’s how it hatched. A truck can be both a billboard &

a way to introduce the flavors of the restaurant to a new crowd of people.

this all started in the fall of ’09 & we launched our truck last spring.

Q – #3    I see. With there being cooking space and food storage limitations on a truck, how did you figure out a menu to use?

Jill: We designed our menu options so that they 1) can be prepared quickly 2) Represent the style of food …

that we’re serving at 128 &  3) work well, practically, in the limited space of truck. We have to balance each day’s..

menu so that it’s not all from the grill or all from the pantry.

Q – #4    So what are some of the regular items on the menu, and what are some of the items that get rotated?

Jill: Well, we always have our BBQ ribs on the menu since they’re our calling card. The rest of the menu rotates & depends..

on the event that we’re setting up for. We nearly always have fresh fish, lovely salads like grilled asparagus or beet

andwiches-pulled pork w/our BBQ sauce, BLTs, grilled portabella mushroom, etc. The key is that everything …

is fresh & made to order. We don’t cook it and wait for it to sell. We always keep in mind that we’re representing 128

Q – #5    Where can people find the @128cafe food-truck generally, and what are the hours of operation? Open to catering or other events?

Jill: I do my best to keep our website ( www.128cafe.net ) updated so people will know where we are but twitter is my..

best friend when it comes to broadcasting our location-some days we just don’t know until we get there!

I have, however, worked hard at creating events like #FoodTruckCourt on Kellogg every Wednesday w/4 other food trucks

And we’re also booked every Thursday night either @musicinmears or the Ordway’s Summer Dance & music near the Landmark

We’re also booked for Patio Nights at City House. Free concerts on the river & organized by www.mmaa.org

Then we also do a private event here & there & a lunch around downtown or the Capitol if the weather & sched permits

Q – #6    Nice work Jill! :)  When people come to the @128cafe food-truck, who should we look out for to say “hi” to working in the truck?

Jill: The truck crew is: Ian (chef), Jamie, Jake & Brad-cooking & either Buffy or me in the window.

@JoelECarlson: Thanks Jill for your time today and talking about the @128cafe food-truck. Look for a video later today about the truck.

Jill: Looking forward to meeting y’all soon!

@JoelECarlson: Hello everybody, and welcome to today’s TwitterReview of @TheLocalMPLS with GM Josh Petzel at the helm. Lets get started!

Josh: Well, first thanks for having me “here” today! Hopefully, the weather has broken a bit so we can all enjoy a patio!

Q – #1    So Josh, tell us a little bit about the history of @TheLocalMpls. When did it start and where is it located?

Josh: The Local first opened up in Dec. of 1997 with aspirations of pub, fine dining & a boutique hotel in the floors above.

We are located on 10th and Nicollet in the historic Dolmen House. Over time, we’ve undergone a few remodels/changes

to best emulate a Victorian style pub you would’ve seen in Dublin towards the end of the 19th Century.

Q – #2    Interesting! So moving fast forward to today, what kind of menu does @TheLocalMpls feature, and what are some of your popular items?

Josh: Our menu has evolved over the years to reflect our true pub nature. We do traditional pub items like Fish and Chips,

Shep Pie, and Sausage/Mash. However, we do put a twist on things to keep them current with trends and regional traits.

Unfortunately, Irish are not renown for culinary adventures. So it can be a challenge at times to overcome the image.

Although, we are working hard to turn that image around at all of the pubs and still keep roots firmly in the ground.

Q – #3    That comes from a great kitchen staff! Who are some of the people you currently have and have had in your kitchen?

Josh: Amen. Our Executive Chef, Jason Hicks, has been here for 12 years. He started as a line cook under Steve Brown, then

became a sous chef and now Excecutive Chef. Apologize, meant Steven Brown! Typing too fast today I guess…

All of our current chefs (4 Sous and 1 Exec) have a say and key role in menu development. We do weekly specials and

that are created by them. If the respnse is good and it fits our concept, it becomes a menu item next reprint!

Q – #4    Awesome! :) For people new to @TheLocalMpls, what are your hours of operation and when’s your Happy Hour? Any space for events?

Josh: Monday – Friday 11am to 2am. Sat – Sun 9am to 2am. However, we open early for any televised futbol/rugby match Sat/Sun

Even the ones that start @ 6am! Our HH is Mon – Fri 11am to 6pm for drinks and 2pm to 6pm for apps. We have many spaces

available for events from 8ppl to 80ppl. We have a dedicated Event Planner to handle all of your details!

Our website http://ht.ly/5d7Cu is always a good starting point.

Q – #5    Good idea. After yesterday’s weather, summer is officially here! Do you have outdoor eating space?

Josh: Ahh… yes. Patios and Nicollet Mall. Other than the State Fair, is there a better people watching combo? Doubt it! It

seats about 130ppl in the heart of the action on Nicollet Mall. Good spot to catch Holidazzle in the winter too!

Although it was not the first choice for people yesterday!

Q – #6    In addition to the food, the staff has to be good too to be successful. Are you currently hiring @TheLocalMpls?

Josh: We’re always looking for good people! Isn’t everyone though? We’ve hired the majority of our summer patio staff…

already. But, I do encourage people to always apply as we are constantly looking and evolving, an ongoing process.

Q – #7    Great! To close, how has @2GingersWhiskey and @GreenOxMeat been received by your customers? Good success?

Josh: @GreenOxMeat was launched last fall and has been constantly developing since then. It’s a great concept with numerous

and fantastic variations. We’ve been slowly implementing @GreenOxMeat products into the menus of all 4 pubs with

favorable results. We love guest feedback on these items because we can literally adjust recipes very quickly.

@2GingersWhiskey has also been a lot of fun to develop. We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from both…

the neat whiskey and mixed drink guest. Our summer beverage menu rolls out this week with some interesting infusions!

We encourage everyone to try some and please share feedback! Whether food or beverage.

@JoelECarlson: Nice! Well thank you Josh for your time and comments today regarding @TheLocalMpls. Enjoy the day and your job!

Josh: Thank you! Time to get ready for hopefully busy lunch on the patio, have a great day!

@JoelECarlson: Good morning everyone on this gray day in the Twin Cities. Lets get going with a TwitterReview with @CooperWestEnd (Valid Serhan) on #jectv.

Cooper: Good morning Twin Cities

Q – #1    So @CooperWestEnd (Valid), tell us, what kind of place is Cooper, and where are you located?
Cooper: Cooper is an Irish Pub and Restuarant, serving Irish American cusine, located at the edge of Town in Shops at west end

Q – #2    How long has Cooper been around and what kinds of customers do you get? (Business? Families? etc.)

Cooper: Cooper been around since October 2009, guests range from families 2 business lunches and dinner & fun loving bar crowd

Q – #3    I see. In addition to the bar and main eating areas, are there any private meeting rooms or outdoor eating space?

Cooper: 2 private rooms the Cutting Room seats 34ppl and the Screening Room seats 50

Patio seat up to 150ppl a great place on a sunny day for a big ginger

Q – #4    Wonderful! Are the private rooms set up for presentations, audio, video, etc?

Cooper: Yes, in the Cutting room, audio & video set up plus a 55″ TV for a presentations. all you need is your laptop

Q – #5    Lets get to the food now! :) What kind of food options do you offer? Any vegetarian or Gluten-Free options?

Cooper: our menu offers a variety of options, vegetarian options are available, from salads to our popular MN Wild Rice Burger

our own Green Ox items Sausage and mash and the Charcuterie platter

and we also have a separate Gluten-Free menu + Gluten-free Bard’s sorghum beer

Whatever you choose, come hungry for the best pub grub this side of the Atlantic : )

Q – #6    Yes, the @GreenOxMeat is quite good! Anything going on with the drink menu?

our own 2 gingers whiskey been a great hit, a wonderfull selection of Speciality coctails including the big ginger

not forgetting the great selection or our draft beer and wine, our beverage happy hour runs till 6:30pm 7 days a week

@JoelECarlson: @CooperWestEnd (Valid Serhan MNGR) thanks for your comments and time today to talk about the Cooper. Have a great day!

Cooper: great stuff, and been great talking to you as well, all the best/