Food trucks compete for Pocatello’s approval

Pocatello’s Farmers Market was packed with folks lining up to get a taste of fame.

The Food Network’s hit show “The Great Food Truck Race” was there filming Saturday.

Food trucks visiting Pocatello revved up for the occasion.

“They start wherever on the West Coast, like L.A., and they go from city to city,” said Cassie VanderSloot, an avid fan of the show. “Whoever has the smallest profit in each city gets eliminated.”

When VanderSloot found out the show was headed to the Gate City, she took her excitement to twitter. She teamed up with the Samboni Philly Cheesesteak truck.

“These are guys who are in their 20s, and they have always wanted to be culinary people,” VanderSloot said. “They’ve always wanted to have a food truck. They’re living their dream.”

So why did the Food Network choose Pocatello?

It was a pretty easy choice, according to the executive director of Old Town Pocatello Stephanie Palagi. She was contacted by the show’s producers several months ago.

“They were looking for more of a small-town look, and we could accommodate the space, so we’re excited they chose to be here at the farmers market today.”

Palagi says there’s been an influx of people eating at our restaurants and shopping at our stores.

So the extra publicity brings plenty of benefits.

“Folks that live here forget sometimes that Pocatello’s a great place to live, so when people come from outside the community and choose to film a show like this, it really does help put us on the map,” Palagi said.

“The Great Food Truck Race” always includes a challenge for the chefs.

At Saturday’s event, the food trucks were not allowed to use starches like bread and rice.

Everything that couldn’t be used by the trucks was donated to the Idaho Foodbank.