Last time we checked in with Gary Tripp, the face behind the freshly made falafel dished out of the Falafelwich Wagon, at our first Food Truck Friday, he revealed that he and partner Colin Shive were working on a new venture: Falafelwich Wagon No. 2. Now Tripp tells us that, though still in the works, the second falafel wagon is taking a backseat to the duo’s next project: a meatball-toting food truck called – what else? – Big Balls.
Shive, who prepares the meals served out of the Falafelwich Wagon to hungry food truck fans, will also be the chef and so-called “head baller” behind the new mobile meatball project. Tripp explained that he and Shive came up with the idea for Big Balls after they searched unsuccessfully for something beyond “the same marinara-laden and drenched sandwiches” available around town.
Thus, Big Balls will feature a selection of meatball “ball-wiches,” starting with four to five and adding new varieties each week, that are a step away from the traditional Provel and marinara meatball subs. The sandwiches will be served on three to four types of bread baked fresh every day and will feature several types of meatballs including a vegetarian option. Other meatball varieties could include a veal and pork blend as well as one with a bit of chicken in it, Tripp noted.
Big Balls will take a different approach to parking than most of the food trucks trolling St. Louis’ streets as well, stopping by multiple locations a day for 30 minutes instead of parking in a single spot for a three-hour time period. It will also extend from the normal lunch hours to serve the mid-evening and dinner crowds and will be hitting the streets a few times a week instead of every day. Look also for Big Balls to venture into new areas not currently visited by Falafelwich and other food trucks. For now, keep an eye on the soon-to-be addition to St. Louis’ growing food truck scene on Facebook and Twitter.
This article appears in June 2011.