Latest / WashCo Insider / Nate Mass & Carole DeAngelo
Transcript
- Chase McClain: Good morning. She's the queen of clicks, the ringmaster of big time events, a fashion icon and a friend to all. He's the colossus of kraut, the salt and of sandwiches, the king of wings, the great Bambino of barbecue. Carole D'Angelo of the Observer Reporter and Nate Mass of the Washington PA Food Group. When we come back, we're talking Greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival. So, 2026, Carole, marks the 10-year anniversary of the Greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival. Tell us, like, go back 10 years. How did it all start and how has it evolved over those 10 years? Well, that's a great question. It started out with an idea. Kevin Brogan and I talking about events at the Meadows Casino at the time. Now, Hollywood Casino at the Meadows. And we said, what about food trucks? What if we bring a few food trucks? A few. To the casino. I was like, wow. You know what? That's a great idea. And then we'll bring some vendors and we'll have some music. And there'll be Tom Fullery. There is always Tom Fullery. And so year one, we had 20 food trucks, 21 to be exact. Mm-hmm. Maybe 15 vendors, a couple of bands. And literally it was a blur because year one was successful beyond our dreams. Went 20 to 40 to 50. We held steady 52 to 54. The vendor list grew from 20 to 30 to 40 to 50. The bands went from four to five to six and just got larger in name. Then we added the racing, the wiener dog racing. There were some fireworks on occasion and 2019 we had traffic stopped on 19 and 79 off-ramp to get in. And I remember going home Friday night thinking, what have we done? How did the little observer reporter newspaper and the Meadows Casino pulled this off. And this year we're going to have 60 food trucks. Goodness. All right. yeah, that's how it started. Now we're talking. Well, and honestly, it was crazy. It sounded crazy. It sounded nonsensical. It sounded like there's no way. There's no way. Who's going to eat from all these trucks? This is before I knew Nate. Because he certainly will. So that's it. Year 10. There are days. In years where I think, I'm not going to make it through this. It is more steps and more heat and storms and crazy craziness. And I wouldn't trade it for any one thing in the world. I'll tell you what, my family has had so much fun going over the years. I think before we go any further, what's the dates this year? ⁓ that's a great question. So this is our big 10-year anniversary. It is May 22nd through the 24th. It is Memorial Day weekend. Kicks off on Friday as it always does. except this year it's a little longer on Saturday and we can get into that later but it's going on until 11pm on Saturday night so we're doing an upright. So I'm a tangible guy. I like to go to an event and when I leave that event I know what it smells like, I know what it looked like, I know what the sounds and the sights are. Walk us through it. Like what are we going to see there? What should we expect, you know, to experience at the Food Truck Festival? Well... There's some tricks up our sleeve this year, year 10. think that I will now make the announcement that we are going to have a 10th anniversary Ferris wheel. Yes. And I have been working on this. The team has been working on this for about a year. And so we're going to have, as I mentioned, we're going to have all the way up to 60 food trucks. And so you just saw the layout and you saw the way the food trucks and vendors are set up. This year it's going down a little bit further. So, of course it's going to be on the apron and the track, but it's going down a little bit further, which a little bit's a stretch, it's a lot further. It's called the Manager's Lot. We're going all the way down to the end of where you can conceivably go. That's where the Ferris wheel will be. There'll be other things for the kiddos. So that's what you're going to see. Now you're going to have a sight line of a Ferris wheel, which I'm so pumped about. You're going to see all the tents. showing you where all the vendors will be. You'll see the stage on the track. That's what you'll see. What you'll smell. You talk about what you'll smell. ⁓ man. ⁓ Everything from barbecue to good old fashioned french fries and hamburgers to ⁓ the good thing, corn dogs. The corn dog smells you used to get at the fairgrounds and stuff. I mean it really brings you back to just ⁓ a good time of growing up and... smells in the air and the fun people walking around. I mean, it's a blast. It is a blast. And don't you feel like, and I don't know how everybody grew up, but Sundays in my house was always sauce. Sauce, yes. ⁓ and my mom would have the window cracked. You smelled it as you were approaching the house. And for me, that's what I wanted to give to the community, right? So like, you smell the funnel cake. You know that smell when you smell it. You smell the French fries from a mile away. Right? And you can actually smell the sauce when you're approaching Tambalini's. And don't care how many times I've had it, I still want it. You know what I mean? It's something that brings back. What about the Gills Pit Beef? I'm a vegetarian, this is how much I love this community. The pit beef. Yeah, let's get into it. Let's talk about some food trucks. Alright. So, know, Gills Pit Beef is one of my favorites. It's been since they came there, what, last three or four years? Been there, I think this is going to be their fifth. Their fifth year, actually. ⁓ The pit beef isn't my favorite actually it's the turkey now that turkey sandwich with the ⁓ Other famous mayo garlic parmesan aioli is to die for you. I mean the first person I heard that really Yeah, it's a fan fave. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah, it really is and then you got dirty birds chicken and waffle They're awesome from New York from New York. How come you're all the way from New York to bring their spin on a simple easy Chicken and waffle. mean who would have thought of that now? Let's talk about ⁓ yeah 10 seconds did you ever have it chase? Yes? I'm not a chicken. know you have no no I'm not maybe I've just not had the right chicken well That's what I was gonna say maybe maybe this year you promised me you'll give it a try and of course you've had it ⁓ I didn't even look at you because that's a lot of different things on the menu, but I stay original with the chicken waffles on a stick It's literally like a schist kebab style. Okay, and they have homemade or simple homemade syrup that they make and put on it And I think it's homemade, right? Oh, yes. yeah. Yes, they do. Yeah. what else? Who else? Who else are some of your faves? Because he's the food guy. Well, we just had him again at KidsFest, Fat Cat Mac Attack. Man. Again, something simple like mac and cheese, but they take it to a different level with it being homemade and adding the buffalo chicken in there with their buffalo sauce. And my favorite is they put celery on top of it, adds that nice little crunch and stuff. Yeah, I dig it. It's really good. It doesn't get mushy. No, no, no, no, no. I mean, I don't. never let it sit that long. that, that was a given, he doesn't let it sit. And Patty's Pastries is a big favorite. It's a newner, but we've been promised that it's the same exquisite cupcake and cookies and all the things that she Bacon Bourbon? I can't ever say it, that's why he's doing it. I say Makey Bakey Bourbon. There it is. And it's not just food trucks, right? I mean, I can talk to food trucks all day, but what else would visitors expect to see there? Well this is the craziness that we we said. So I was like, well, OK, so we have to have the food and we have to have the entertainment, right? But people want to do others. course, we have tons for the kiddos and we could talk about that, but it's the shopping. So you can come to this festival and there are activities and games for the kiddos. Friday night is family fun night. There's Meet the Princesses brought to you by Chrome. That's a huge favorite. We've got games. All that has to happen. But I think about you're there. We're walking and talking and eating and drinking and do all the things. We're going to do some shopping. yeah. I would be remiss if I didn't get a plug-in for Vintage Grace Boutique. ⁓ would be in big trouble, head to toe VGB today. But some other of our favorites. Everyone loves Kaleidoscope. It's a local store downtown Washington. They focus on in recovery, so you're going to see a lot of products there that are handmade. Some other favorites that Trista and I wanted to talk about, Aunt Carole's. Gourmet dips, not because it's my name. Have you ever gotten her stuff? I have, yes. I don't understand what goes on. It's a little packet of dip, you add water and it's like magic, right? Unbelievable. Right? It's true. Have you had it? Yeah. Okay, so forgotten glass, handmade candles. I'm just going to name a couple of our favorites. Razzleberry Bakery is a new one. I love her cookies. Her and Happiness is Homemade is two of my favorites. Great people too. Honestly, really I think they might be the best cookies I've ever eaten in my life. Something goes... And you, okay, you look at it and it's enormous and you're not eating the whole cookie. You're not not eating the whole cookie. It's physically impossible. What are your favorites? Do you guys have a fave from that? I think the snickerdoodle was my fave. Hat of hers. They're giant. Like she said, there's all kinds. A lot of times you bite into it and you're like, what is this? It's just filled with goodies. There's something filled in there. don't remember which one I ate, but I will never forget that cookie. You blacked out. I think I've tried almost everyone that she's had out now and I'm telling you they are. Well, she's got the little samples. Swoaps, berries and bees. Cannot not mention them. then Sip and Joy, it's the etch glass and it's all different types of glass. So it can be glassware, can be something you hang. Wooden Att, which is the original name, which is literally wooden And then one last one, Isaiah 54 Gifts, which is a little bit of home decor and some jewelry. Those are just a snippet. of 50 plus, we're going to also hit 60 vendors. yeah, I'm trying to off the grid, literally. So tell me, it's Friday, Saturday, Sunday, what are the hours? Well, the hours this year are a little bit different. So Friday night, along with live racing is five to nine. As I mentioned, we're extending Saturday, it's noon to 11. So we got to patronize folks who are going to be dead dog tired. And then Sunday is 11 to seven with entertainment the whole time. Well, let me throw in a pro tip for those out there listening. Here's your pro tip, right? So as things start to wind down with the Food Truck Festival around 11 o'clock, Vibe UltraLound, super popular nightclub that was at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows from 2013 to 2018 has just reopened. So as things wind down outside, make your way inside and you can be in there and party till 2 a.m. I heard a little rumor about them open and that was the spot to be before. mean, if anybody was out dancing, I was not. I still in Arizona at the time. I mean, that was the spot to be. And what is so great about this festival and what I have seen, I've actually seen people come for all three days. So they want to see the race saying, he's waving his hand, Saturday they're going to come, midday and maybe make a night of it and now you've got an even... bigger reason to make a night of it. And then sometimes Sundays like the family day. Sundays when we show up with the kids. come after church. And I encourage that because there's no physical way, even if you're Nate Mass, that you can eat from all the food That is true. It's tough. Though you might try. I might try. might try. He has tried. So now what? Nate, you've been on the food truck ride for three years now. Yes. You've got to give us a short list of your must-try dishes. Well, I mean, gills. We talked about gills a little bit. Gills is definitely up there and ⁓ that turkey, the turkey sandwich is a winner for me. mean, it's favorite things I've ever had anywhere, especially off of a truck. ⁓ Woodstock barbecue is absolutely delicious. They make great barbecue. I haven't made it out to Try's Pizza yet. One of these days I'll make it out there to Try's Pizza. It's good. Yes. Really, really good. ⁓ Rustic lemonade. Now, again, we want to talk drinks. You have drinks here as well. So again, we talk about this all the time, something for everybody. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, you can bring the kids, you can your animal, you can bring your dog, you bring your cat if you want as long as they have them on a leash, correct? Yes. But Rustic Lemonade Company has some of the best lemonade around with the weather. You're gonna need something to drink, so let's say we'll start with that. If you're a coffee drinker, I know the Roaming Bean is gonna be there. Absolutely delicious as well. And then Remy's Root Beer. Remy's root beer is something that I think everyone should try. Everyone's a root beer drinker, right? Everyone likes root beer. What about the pierogies? My mom, my Polish heritage up there, she's like, come on, Nate. So, pierogi truck is very difficult to get. She doesn't just go anywhere. And I will tell you, because I am Polish and my family made homemade everything, I'm always a little bit skeptical. I'm like, this isn't gonna be as good as my grandma's. It is as good as my grandma's and you literally, cannot believe the amount of butter and the amount of onions. is something, my recommendation is that's a take home. You get that for the end of the day when you're going home. That's a good idea. I think so because you want to sit and savor that. Oh yeah, agree. can smell it upstairs in house. Right? It's that butter, absolutely. So, you know, I like to try a lot. of a lot of things, but for those that want to try a little bit of everything, you have a sampler program. Tell us about that. This is a little stroke of genius and I'm not exactly sure whose idea it was. I think maybe possibly it was Kevin Brogan from the casino and I don't really want to give him credit because his head's swelling as I'm sitting here. So the sampler program, what it entitles you to is you can get tickets to go to participating sampler program food trucks. Last year we had around 20. This year we're on par for that and maybe even hit 30 this year. The price pre-sale is $23, so that link is live on the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows website, on our Greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival website, and on all the socials. So you can click on that, takes you right to purchase the tickets. It's a nice simple program. If you forget about it, forget about it, and you don't get the $23, it's only $25 a gate. And what's really cool about this, Because the landscape is so large, and I've given you the visual and you saw it on the B-roll, there are two locations of sampler ticket places. So you can go at the north and south entrance. If you choose to park at the north or south, you come down, you come in, you see the tent right there, you can purchase them on the spot. Super simple. Head on out to the food trucks. They will be labeled. We will provide you with a list of who's in the program. And away you go. Last year we had four leanies, Fat Cat Mac Attack, Dirty Bird, just to name a few. And R &D Curbside is our winner last year. Those are just a handful of them. And this program is so fantastic for that reason. So you can taste a little bit of something, you can share with your friends and family, and then you could do what I suggest, which is take something home and eat it in the privacy of your home. That's my recommendation. So I've just eaten 10 times what I should have, right? Absolutely. I need a drink. Yes. What's available from the adult beverage section? This is all you. Honestly, I didn't. what the adult beverage section is. ⁓ so the adult beverage is all the tents that are outside on the track. So we've got, let's see, who do we have for sure? know we've got Country Hammer Moonshine. Okay. We've got Thistleweight Winery. We've got Distillery. Who else, Trista, am I forgetting? Let me talk real quick about Bones Distillery. That man is a genius for one. He is a very smart and very kind gentleman. that runs a great business. love that he's starting to get his name out there and getting into businesses. He even told me that some of his alcohol is in the liquor stores now. the state stores are carrying some of it as well. I wish the best for him. I really do. He's in Liberty Pole's old spot in Washington. look what Liberty Pole did with themselves. They went from that little tiny building to a huge facility now. And I think Glen at Bones Distillery is on his way as well. How about that moose pie in the fall? Yeah, the moose pie is delicious. Moose pie with a little bit of ginger ale. That's the ticket. You gotta try it. Tastes like fall. Yes, just trust me. I trust you. It's not like a double IPA like you like. There's a handful of others. Heist is coming. I believe J &D is on the fence of coming. We're talking them into it for several years. So what we typically have is out on the track. You can sample different things to pair with the food. And then also, of course, we've got three different bars set up by the casino. where they've got drink specialties. You can get your IPAs and anything else. And there's, we're talking about a little bit of a pairing menu so that if you come to, yeah, so if you come to the Observer booth, we're gonna give you a pairing list of what foods go with what alcohol so that we can give back. That's a great idea. I thought so, thank you. Half the time I'm just too full to even drink alcohol, so. Yes, we don't force the drinking on him too much at this one. So you're gonna have to tell me about the bands. Love to see the bands, my in-laws. travel to Siemens all the time. who should we expect to see there this year? Well, this year, the Saturday lineup I actually have to look at because it's so big. So thank you for having that up on the screen. Ashley Marina is a brand new act to the Food Truck Festival and she's a young gal. So we're giving her the opportunity to sing in front of hopefully thousands of people, which I thought was fantastic for the casino to do that. Followed up with Rick Kay. Now, Rick Kay plays a little bit of everything. He plays some 90s, he plays some oldies, he's just a good dude, he's a great one to kick it off. And then a fan favorite at 3 o'clock is Rough Creek. If you have not heard Rough Creek, you absolutely should. Now, I didn't know they brought this band in until the last minute. Six Gun Sally at 6 o'clock. ⁓ wow. Listen. That will get the crowd going and it keep us. And so what I thought is we'll do some dancing, burn off some calories, allow you to go eat some more. And then the Burning Heart Tribute Band at nine o'clock will take us into right around 11 o'clock. That's where I'm going to suggest you have your drink. You can settle in, listen to them, do some dancing and then head into Vibe. I think that's a genius plan. Then on Sunday... I'm maybe sure that you guys have heard of this band. Somewhat of a fan favorite, No Bad Juju, which I thought was in there. What a great way to kick off our Sunday. Then into the Clintons. The Clintons also have been to Food Truck and Quarks and Cakes and they're requested every year. And then they surprised me once again and are rounding out the Food Truck Festival at five o'clock with Bon Journey. Bon Journey. I love them. Bon Journey. I cannot wait. This is by far. the best lineup of entertainment that we have seen at any food truck festival. also my recommendation, stretchy pants. We say this every year, stretchy pants. There's a pro tip for you. Listen, and they make them for men and women, they make them for kids, you want to wear your dancing shoes and your walk-in, so make sure they're comfy shoes. So that's my tip of that. Love it. Fun in a bundle. Oh yes, yeah. Isn't that what I am? That should be my tagline. You want to talk about things you see and hear. How about things that people are going to ask you, where did you get that? Because there are so many delicious dishes you'll look at, somebody walk by and say, what is that? Where did that come from? So be prepared to answer some friendly questions asked by people because there's so much good food. mean, we talked about R &D a little bit, the pineapple. I mean, the giant stuffed pineapple. It's crazy. The show alone from just looking at it is incredible. that? have You're watching people walk by with that. Well, and so they make a vegetarian dish, which is great. So let me talk about that for one hot second. So we will be asked 6,722,000 times I kept track last year, are there gluten free options? The answer is yes. And that will be in our greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival magazine, which comes out in the paper the Sunday prior, as well as distributed at the event. So that will lift gluten free options as well as vegetarian options. Perfect. That's cool. It's a great idea as well. And also we should tell everyone that it's free. We'll be asked 722 million times. It's a free event, free parking, free all the things, right? So it is free? Oh, you're a guy. Here we go. I knew it was time. Does it get better than free? Right? Free 99. Okay, so I got us off the subject. But go ahead, you were going ask something. Nate, I want to hear about the food truck contest. So the food truck contest is something that we do it between us on our live. I kind of pick out my favorites here and there, but also ⁓ the crowd gets to vote for a fan as well. Last year it was R &D with that pineapple. I mean, the fan favorite was that pineapple. Yes, they had, I think there was chicken, beef option, as well as the vegetarian as well. And then Sinkers and Suds. I don't know if you ever had those little things. Oh no. I guess it needs to be on my short list. They are delicious. so talk about the little... I feel like Sonic Chasing Rings looking after them things because they are these little delicious rings. Tell them about the bacon because you... The ones with the bacon... The bacon ones are really delicious. I mean they have all kinds of different flavored ones. I was going to say covered in things but flavored ones I'll say. And iced coffee. I had some raspberry one the last year that was just amazing. Me and Owen went on a Sunday actually and we... I think that's... We got a couple rounds of those, Sinks, Sinkers and Suds, man. And then third place last year was Forlini's Kitchen. And again, they're into a lot of local events. They're around the area lot, great people, great food. Amazing people. And they deserve it. We've extremely fortunate, and I'm being very sincere from the very bottom of my heart. The amount of people that I have met through this event, the local people who took a shot and opened a food truck, and it's so much work, and it's so unpredictable. And it's so scary. And this is one way that we can give back to this community. And thanks to people like both of you for supporting this because this is their livelihood. Like Forlini, had a professional job here. He dabbled in it. He's a caterer. He's a great man. And to see their faces when we're parading around with those trophies, it's my favorite part. Yeah. So there's some competition. There's some tricks up some of their sleeves this year. And I've seen a couple of the trucks actually add that to their side of the truck. That's an honored thing right there. Yeah. We're pumped about it. So listen, we like to wrap up our episodes with a wrap-washing session. OK. All here we go. Nate, you're up first. If you had to open your own food truck, what would you serve? What would you call your food truck? I have talked about this actually with an old high school friend of mine, baseball friend, Ben Bell. Thank you, Ben Bell. Shout out. ⁓ Skeetie and At. ⁓ Piscetti in there? I want an Italian food truck because a lot of times you'll see a pizza truck with like an Italian hoagie or something on there, but I want a full-blown pasta Italian truck that just specializes in Italian pastas, Italian hoagies, and Italian soups. I think that'd be a great idea, so if there's a sponsor out there... happen. Right? Geez! that is... I've talked about that a couple times actually with people and the thought. I love that question. I absolutely love it. We got Bon Journey coming this year. Carole, go back in time. and give me your favorite all-time either Bon Jovi or Journey song. Listen, I'm gonna set the scene. This hair, this jaw was so much bigger. It was about an inch, well, maybe two higher, about four inches longer. I had the cut-up shirt at the time, skin-tight jeans. Do you guys wanna guess it? Living on a prayer. Because listen, philosophically I'm living on a prayer every day. So it was like perfect for me and I'm hanging on by a thread. Living on a prayer. Can't wait. Great. Nate, if you were a competitive eater, what would be your food of choice? Oh, that's easy. That's pizza right there. For sure. Pizza. I could eat pizza every day, to be honest. Have you ever seen him eat? I've tuned lives and I have a great appreciation for your skill set. Thank you, thank you. That's a great way of putting it. I just call them a little piggy. Yours was much nicer, but okay. I speak that language. So we've talked about this being the 10th anniversary of the Food Festival. You've talked about where it came from, what it is today. Where do you hope to see it in 10 years from now? If I'm alive, because this event tries to kill me. I see a national act performing on Saturday night. I see fireworks. I see something on the track, horse carriage rides. I mean, I don't know. I want kids to be able to do something on the track. I see something special for families to come. I see a contest of some caliber that they're going to win something, a kitchen makeover. I don't know. I just see big. And that's how we roll, right? Let's put it on the vision board. That's where the Ferris wheel came from, right? That's where the Ferris came from. That's what I see. Nate, you know the Washington County restaurant scene as well as anyone does. I try my best. is one restaurant that doesn't have a food truck but should? Not necessarily a restaurant, but they do serve food. It's an eatery, Liberty Pole Spirits, because Chef Alex in their kitchen, they have some things on the menu, but they run specials throughout the week. Burgers, chicken dinners, steak dinners. We went to a barbecue there once, and the food is phenomenal. I mean, and they have great whiskey, locally made whiskey at that. So it's a win-win for everybody in that position. But ⁓ yeah, I think I'd really like to see their food go like that. would be great. That's a great idea. Let's make that happen too. So Carole, it takes a village to raise a child. And I think the same could be said about events. Give us a few shout outs for those people that have kind of helped you from the beginning, your team, the casino folks. mean, what has it taken to get to where you are today with this event? I would absolutely be remiss if I didn't talk about Kevin Brogan from Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, VP of Marketing. He is crazy as I am in a totally different way. He's supportive. He understands our community. He cares about our community. He knows what it takes to run a successful establishment but also events. He from day one was supportive and has always been supportive. I hope he doesn't hear me say that twice about him. But my team, my team, and you both know them a little bit, and it has ebbed and flowed and it was large in the beginning and then it's smaller now. So there's one person that has been along for the ride with me right by my side since the day I started, and that's Marie Ann Curtis. If you haven't met her, she's as crazy as I am. She handles all the car dealers and without the car dealers, without our sponsors, Dean's Water is our main sponsor. Without the sponsors, we have nothing, right? Like they are the ones who help support this and the car dealerships, I knew them and but she's the one with the relationship. Without them, we had no event. They line the cars up, you see them. They support everything that we're doing. But she literally is right by my side with all these crazy ideas, questioning everything I'm doing, telling me I'm doesn't leave my side. that person. My team has, like I said, it's ebbed and flowed. was large in the beginning and it's tiny now, but the people at The Observer Reporter who you know, Kendra, Natalie, Trista, Chris, I could name them all, but they've all been there right by my side handling the social media and the website and everything. Also, hot dogs food trucks. was one of the very first to signed up. It had no idea what I was about. They me from Adam, and they'd been right by my side coming to every single thing, supporting me, cheering me on. That's awesome. It has literally taken a village, as you said, to pull this off. And we, in this community, have the largest food truck festival in multiple states. So that's something that we all should pat ourselves a little on the back for, right? Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome. Can't thank the two of you enough for coming today. Thank you. I'm looking forward to it. Yes. Until then, tonight the Washington Wild Things kick off their 2026 season with an away game outside of Chicago against the Windy City Thunderbolts. They'll be back in Washington for their home opener next Friday, May 15th against the Schomburg Boomer 705. This Saturday, May 9th, Running of the Wolves returns to downtown Washington. So much fun. You've got to take your kids out. We're also going to have Boxing Live at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows Saturday evening as well. Next week's guest on The Wash Co. Insider is Patrick Cannon, artistic director of Little Lake Theatre Company. Until then, thanks for joining us. We'll see you at the Greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival, May 22nd through the 24th.