Michelle Panciarello, owner of Eat Me, Drink Me food truck.
What would have happened if Alice fell down the rabbit hole and, rather than landing in Wonderland, wound up in a field full of food trucks in Bridgehampton? Here’s our best guess: Nobody would’ve been late—for a very important date or otherwise—and Alice would’ve made a beeline straight for the Eat Me, Drink Me food truck.
She wouldn’t have found herself alone. Eat Me, Drink Me is one of Long Island’s best and most popular food trucks. So, it’s especially flattering then, that its owner, Michelle Panciarello, counts our Food Truck Derby—returning to Bridgehampton on Friday, August 19—as her favorite event of the year.
“I actually went to the first Food Truck Derby as a spectator,” says Panciarello. “I met a lot of vendors and I just fell in love. I remember thinking, ‘This is exactly what I want to do with the rest of my life.’ So, I went home and set a goal: Next year, I’m going to be in the Food Truck Derby with my own truck. And I was.”
As stories go, Panciarello’s is almost as wonderful as the novel from which she gleaned her food truck’s name. And the twice-fried, hand-cut fries she’s planning to serve at this year’s Derby? Delicious enough to transform the fields at the Hayground School into a french-fry-friendly wonderland (the very best kind).
Think this little one from last year’s Derby will be the next Michelle Panciarello?
“In past Derbies, we’ve done things like poutine and pickle fries,” says Panciarello. “Last year, we debuted a spicy mayo fry. This year we’re really experimenting. I’ve been playing a lot with Australian seasonings. I can promise you one thing: our fries this year are going to be delicious.”
This is not surprising. Delicious is basically our Derby’s theme. Take a look at the event’s e-program, read what all the trucks will be serving, and weep (with hunger pains). From Sweet’tauk lemonade to Wölffer dry rosé, smoked hickory pulled pork from Rolling Smoke Grill to triple threat brownies from Blondie’s Bake Shop, there’s something for everyone—and no one ever leaves hungry.
Still, Panciarello’s love for the Derby extends far beyond its food.
“I love seeing all the other trucks,” she says. “My favorite thing is when we’re all done serving, we get to hang out and catch up. I love hanging with Justin from Noah’s on the Road. I love seeing the crew from Blondie’s Bake Shop. The guys behind Rolling Smoke are two of the nicest people ever. Ninety-percent of my love for this business is my colleagues. We all celebrate each other’s achievements. So, to get to see everybody at the Food Truck Derby and simultaneously serve up incredible food? For me, it’s a dream come true.”
For attendees, it feels a lot like Wonderland.
Our 5th annual Food Truck Derby will return to Bridgehampton on Friday, August 19. For more information—or to purchase tickets—please visit our event page here.
