Thomas MacMIllan Photo
The word went out on Twitter: Look for the truck on College Street. Jessica Van Deren got the message — and set out in search of a tasty rainy-day lunch.
Van Deren (at left in photo), who works in admissions at Albertus Magnus College, showed up at the Caseus Cheese Truck at 11:30 a.m. Huddled under an umbrella with two co-workers on the College Street sidewalk, she ordered a Combo #1: grilled cheese and a tomato soup.
The Cheese Truck, a project of Caseus restaurant, debuted last week. It has already caught on, with some new-media help.
With a fully outfitted kitchen on wheels, the Whitney Avenue bistro is using social media tools like Twitter to attract customers to the roving lunch spot.
The Cheese Truck follows in the footsteps of the Cupcake Truck, which also tweets its location each day and has attracted a loyal following.
The Cheese Truck menu lives up to Caseus’ reputation for offering gourmet takes on traditional dishes. For instance, the Cheese Trucks “Classic” grilled cheese — the menu’s centerpiece — features more than just cheddar or jack. It boasts of “a blend of provolone, swiss, comte, gruyere, gouda, sharp cheddar, and more.”
The tomato soup is made with local heirloom tomatoes. “They give it that extra pop,” said chef Jeff Weaver (at right in top photo). Plus there’s plenty of cream, he added.
As Tom Sobicinski handed out grilled sandwiches on Wednesday, he offered another gourmet twist. “Would you like some cornichons on the side?”
Sure, I’ll take some little pickles, customers replied.
Tom Sobocinski (pictured) is the brother of Caseus owner Jason Sobocinski. It took six months of off-and-on online hunting before Tom found the vehicle that has become the Cheese Truck. He picked it up for $14,000 using Craigslist in New Jersey. Inside, the little truck is outfitted with everything you’d find in a professional kitchen, except an oven.
During the lunch rush on Wednesday, Chef Jeff worked the grill in the stern while Tom Sobocinski took orders from the customers queued in the rain.
As she waited for her order, Van Deren said she had checked online to find the location of the Cheese Truck that day. “It’s like the cupcake truck,” she said. You never know where the food will be served up next. “It’s like a fun outing.”
Van Deren said she hadn’t eaten at the Cheese Truck before, but she’s a fan of Caseus. “I expect it to be delicious,” she said.
As he took orders at the window, Sobocinski shouted them to Weaver, standing just a couple feet away in the little truck.
“Do you have to yell? He’s right next to you,” said Paul Goerhke after placing his order.
Sobocinski assured him that yelling is an important part of the process.
Goerhke (at left in photo) said that he and his dining companion Jessica Svendson are regulars at Caseus, which is near their apartment. The feature that keeps them coming back is “How much they care.” The care is evident in the selection of choice ingredients and in the friendly atmosphere Jason and Tom create at Caseus.
Tom Sobicinski said he and his brother intend for a meal at Caseus to feel like eating in their dining room. “One of the tables is in fact our own dining room table,” he said.
Out in the rain, the line at the Cheese Truck kept growing. As she waited for her order, Amy Dowe (under the red umbrella) said she was drawn to the truck because she likes Caseus restaurant and because grilled cheese is something different from the Thai and Mexican food carts that set up around Yale.
“And the soup is amazing!” whispered another woman in line.
