Spud Stud: Loaded Potatoes Make A Meal In A Peel
"I took a minute, thought about it...I thought it was a great idea,"
Just a few weeks later, they purchased a trailer for their endeavor, and eventually upgraded to a full-sized truck, decorated with a grinning, muscle-flexing potato embracing a bikini-clad blonde French fry.
The
The oven-baked potatoes are substantial; the McCarthys choose larger-sized tubers, which are approximately one pound apiece. The potatoes are sliced and then topped with customers' choice of meat, cheese, vegetables and sauces -- and the reaction to the finished product is almost always the same,
The menu features basic spuds with sour cream and chives, bacon and cheese or broccoli and cheese, but the more creative topping combinations have become signatures: buffalo chicken with blue cheese and celery sticks; the "La Patata" with ground beef, chili, cheese, salsa, jalapenos and Doritos; the Cowboy with baked beans, barbecue chicken, cheese and bacon.
Other favorites include the "breakfast" spud with bacon or sausage, egg and cheese; a Philly cheesesteak version with mushrooms, peppers and onions; and a pulled pork spud with barbecue pork, coleslaw and pickles. A potato "salad" is a healthier option, with salad greens and choice of dressing.
"I'm always trying to do something new,"
And though potatoes are The Spud Stud's specialty, they've diversified their menu by offering an array of other items: burgers, cheesesteaks, grilled cheeses and wraps; French fries, hand-cut potato chips, onion rings, even fried Oreos.
"A baked potato, is something that if you cook, takes you an hour in the oven. Then you buy the toppings, and it's just not a convenient food. They like it, and I think it's because something you really don't make yourself, and you don't make it a meal."
The McCarthys, who also formerly owned a pawn shop, learned quickly that starting a food truck is a major undertaking. "It was supposed to be a weekend thing, and then it just turned into...seven days a week,"
--The Spud Stud parks regularly at
Look for a profile of a new food truck each week through summer in Thursday's CTNow section, and follow the series, with photos and video, at ctnow.com/foodtrucks.
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