MM_061418

14 | June 14, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger community
mokenamessenger.com
Food trucks draw foodies, families to Hickory Creek Barrens Preserve
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
After a successful inaugural
season, the Forest Preserve
District of Will County
super-sized the food and fun
at its 2018 Food Truck Fridays
series.
On Friday, June 8, from
4:30 to 7 p.m., Grumpy
Gaucho, Lucy’s and Rogue
Curbside Kitchen provided
a variety of dinner options
during this year’s first Food
Truck Fridays event at Hickory
Creek Barrens Nature
Preserve. For dessert, Nothing
Bundt Cakes was on
hand with mouth-watering
confections.
“Last year, we expected
to get about 100-150 people
each night. On our very first
night we had 450 people
and the truck ran out of food
about an hour into the event.
It continued to grow last
year and we were getting to
a point where we were seeing
about 500 to 700 people
per night,” explained Ben
Hecke, Community Partnerships
and Outreach Coordinator
with the Forest
Preserve District. “With that
kind of turnout we knew we
had to continue it and expand
it.”
Along with additional
food trucks, the district offered
a variety of games and
activities for kids to engage
in some free play while
mom and dad enjoyed their
dinner. Food Truck Fridays
attendees also had easy access
to the trail that leads in
to the Hickory Creek Bikeway
and Old Plank Road
Trail.
“There’s no better way to
enjoy nature than with some
delicious food. If you come
out to Food Truck Fridays –
even if you’ve never come
out to the forest preserve before
– you might find yourself
hooked with the beautiful
nature that we have,” said
Hecke.
One may think that food
trucks would have limited
menu options, but each participating
vendor had a wide
variety of food to choose
from. Nothing Bundt Cakes
– which will be opening a
new location near Hickory
Creek Barrens at Route 30
and Wolf Road this August
– offered 10 different cakes
to Food Truck Fridays attendees.
“Confetti is my favorite,”
explained Nothing Bundt
Cakes owner, Bob Feldman.
“It’s our vanilla cake
with birthday flavoring and
sprinkles. It’s like an oldfashioned
birthday cake. It’s
the ultimate party cake in my
opinion, and it’s got the perfect
amount of sweetness for
my taste. I absolutely love
it.”
Empanada fans had six
different flavor combinations
to choose from at
Grumpy Gaucho while
Lucy’s offered everything
from pulled pork sandwiches
to veggie burgers. Rogue
Curbside Kitchen’s menu
consisted of a variety of tacos
and sandwiches including
the Milkman Burger
which features 1/3 pound
Hufendick Farm’s beef
patty, Wisconsin cheddar
cheese, tomato, red onions
and aioli on a buttered brioche
bun.
Frankfort resident Annie
Gabey, 8, who was joined by
her parents Ryan and Kate
Gabey, was more interested
in the sides than the dinner
options at Lucy’s.
“I want the cheese fries
because I really like cheese
fries,” she said.
In conjunction with Food
Truck Fridays, the Forest
Preserve District of Will
County will be hosting Rock
the Woods on June 29 at
Goodenow Grove Nature
Preserve and Aug. 31 at
Lower Rock Run Preserve
to offer more fun on the fifth
Friday of those months.
The Rock the Woods series
will feature even more
food truck fun along with a
free concert.
Food Truck Fridays will
return to Hickory Creek Barrens
Nature Preserve on July
13 and Aug. 10.
The event will also make
stops at Hammel Woods,
Whalon Lake and Prairie
Bluff Preserve each month
through the end of August.
“Come out, get lost in nature
and enjoy some great
food,” said Hecke.
More information about
Food Truck Fridays and other
events at the Forest Preserve
District of Will County
can be found at recon
nectwithnature.org.
Patrick
NAWS Illinois Humane
Society
9981 W. 190th St. Mokena
60448
Patrick is a handsome
2 year old neutered,
male, brown tabby
domestic short hair.
He is a big boy that
is friendly, talkative
and active. He loves
attention and likes to
play with his kitty toys.
Please contact NAWS
at (708) 478-5102 to
meet him.
Want to see your pet featured as The Mokena Messenger’s Pet of the Week? Send your pet’s photo
and a few sentences explaining why your pet is outstanding to Editor T.J. Kremer III at tj@moke
namessenger.com or 11516 W. 183rd St., Office Condo 3, Suite SW, Orland Park, IL 60467.
Morris residents Jeanne Millsap (left) and Anthony Robinson toast with treats from
Nothing Bundt Cakes during Food Truck Friday on June 8 at Hickory Creek Barrens Nature
Preserve. Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media