The Best Food To Be Served In A Parking Lot?

Taco trucks go well with beer

We need to think about the best food that Howard County can serve in a parking lot.

Yesterday, I posted about the two breweries that plan to open this spring.  The trick of a brewery -- not a brew pub -- is that it has no kitchen.  So Jailbreak Brewing and Black Eyed Susan Brewing both plan to partner with food trucks and restaurants to feed folks who come to drink some beer.

Food trucks are fun.  I have posted about them many times.  The breweries may be able to attract trucks form DC or Baltimore, but the local choices make some good ideas:

• Barbecue from David Welch, who usually sets up in Savage.  He is a pro, and the pulled pork, kielbasa, ribs and more could make terrific drinking food.
• Tacos and Mexican sandwiches.  There are several trucks along U.S. 1.  I haven't been to many since I discovered R&R Taqueria, but the breweries could roll in folks like Pupuseria Lorenita or Pupusieria Los Pinos. 
• Sweet and savory from the waffle trucks -- La Pearl or Thomas Waffles.  Dessert is obvious, and La Pearl does catering.  But Thomas does some sausage sandwiches that I could have used on some late nights.
• Then there are cookies.  CookieRide may not seem like the obvious choice for tipsy folks.  But the Jailbreak folks are specializing in "culinary" beers -- recipes made with fruits and other items more common with chefs than brewers.  I wonder if there are ways to partner with CookieRide or even CrunchDaddy's popcorn.  I'm imagining mini-bags of some savory popcorn paired with special beer.

But I was thinking about other fun.  Nathan Sowers runs out River House Pizza on the Second Sunday markets on Main Street in Ellicott City.  That pizza oven looks tough to move, but those pizzas are absolutely spectacular.  I can't think of better food if these breweries can attract crowds that make it worth pulling that oven.

What else can you recommend for Jailbreak and Black Eyed Susan to check out?  They can pass out cards at the food truck round-ups.  But there must be creative partnerships to make -- especially where these folks want to brew interesting beer that pairs with food.  They have space.  They need food for their folks.

What restaurants might want to show up?  I don't know the economics of restaurants or the logistics of delivering food to a parking lot.  But there are good places to start the conversation:

• RG's BBQ Cafe?  These folks might want to meet Robert Gadsby.  He has a new high-end place in Columbia with an aspiration for a creative bar, and his casual Laurel barbecue joint just down U.S. 1 could do great wings, ribs, and more.
• Town Grill in Lisbon runs a great stand at Larriland's October weekends.  Pit beef, barbecue sundaes, and burgers.  It's a drive from Lisbon, but their food would go great with a beer.
• Bulk pizzas?  Justin and I talked at Jailbreak about whether a pizza place might deliver.  I don't know that Coal Fire Pizza delivers, but maybe there is a way to connect them.  Are there any good pizza joints near Jailbreak in Laurel or Black Eyed Susan in Columbia?
• Can restaurants deliver if they don't normally cater?  I think of great food that works as take-out.   If it could travel, it could be great fun to have Peruvian chicken or Hawaiian roast pork or kalbi or Korean tacos from Annas or Mexican tacos on Lily's house-made tortillas.

What can you suggest to Jailbreak and Black Eyed Susan?  They'll want something delicious.  I know that I'm an oddball, and I'd love Maiwand's kabobs or Mango Grove's chicken tikka with my beer.  But I'd love to know what you'd recommend.  Who else could cater to a parking lot?

It's serious that any truck, restaurant or catering folks should reach out to the breweries if they want to work together.  These seem like serious folks who want to find good food.