Images by Luisa Barrios – KTSM
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Meals fans had the possibility to get pleasure from scrumptious native flavors, reside music and enjoyable actions on the first-ever El Foodie Market on Friday night, July 26.
The occasion, which was introduced by Southwest College, featured a wide range of native meals vehicles and market distributors, culinary academic actions, reside music, a meals court docket space, a automobile present and extra.
KTSM spoke with native meals truck house owners and market distributors who shared their enterprise experiences.
Veggie Hearth Pizza
OJ Hernandez is the proprietor of a totally vegan pizza pop-up enterprise that he began in 2021. Though his specialty is plant-based pizza, Hernandez stated they will make “just about any pizza.”
Hernandez stated she has been doing this enterprise in El Paso at markets, festivals, live shows, occasions and extra. She additionally travels to Phoenix for an all-vegan occasion that’s “one of many largest festivals within the U.S.” and to Tucson, Arizona for an additional related occasion.
“Pizzas are made with the ‘typical crust.’ We don’t have gluten-free but, however we get loads of requests for that. Initially, we began with every little thing plant-based, with dairy-free cheese and plant-based meats. Pepperoni, sausage, rooster, every little thing plant-based,” Hernandez stated. “Over time, I diversified my choices right here in El Paso as a result of plant-based choices aren’t as extensively accepted right here as they’re in different bigger cities.”
Mee Moon Pet Treats
Natalie Oregon is a California native who sells pet treats with pure elements. Her journey started when she returned to the U.S. from Germany together with her husband in September 2023.
Oregon stated she discovered it was simpler to seek out higher alternate options to pet treats with just one ingredient or that didn't have many components in Germany, so feeding them to her canine wasn't an issue.
“After we moved again to the U.S. final 12 months, it was actually laborious to seek out treats with pure elements that didn’t have loads of chemical components or something like that. Even those offered in pet shops have so many oils in them that I believed, ‘I may begin my very own enterprise. ’”
French fries filled with potato chips
Alfredo Frescas, from Juarez, began his enterprise in 2021, after being impressed throughout a visit the place he was launched to loaded fries.
Their specialty is French fries with carne asada, pastor and rooster. Dishes embody guacamole, bitter cream, onions and extra.
“We go to markets, the Downtown Market within the metropolis and the Higher Valley in West El Paso. We additionally do occasions all through town,” Frescas stated.