Fuel for the Fire 08/06/2012 12:46pm

Let no one tell you that Twitter and Instagram are only good for learning what people had for lunch. Isn't that the common refrain? "Oh I hate Twitter/Facebook/Instagram. Like I care what my someone I haven't seen since high school had for lunch!" I issued a specific request two days ago for people to post pictures of whatever they happen to be eating during the Fringe, and the only three photos that have been tagged #mnfringefood so far are ones I took (and one that I made Fringe Tech Debbie Tallen take while I was sitting across from her at brunch yesterday). That's all fine and good, but I think we have some pretty conclusive anecdotal evidence against the theory that all people do with social media is describe their lunches. The truth is, you can't get people to talk about their lunches even by asking them specifically to do so. The more you know... I haven't seen any more shows since my last blog. I took yesterday off to catch up on some projects around my house, and was punished by the Fringe gods with a mighty faceplant in the Home Depot parking lot as I carried a bag of mulch to my car. That'll show me. I'm redeeming myself tonight with a trip to the Brave New Workshop for the 8:30 and 10:00 show slots. Dear Fringe gods, please let me get through my afternoon yoga class without incident. Between the tetanus shot and the faceplant, I'm not sure how much more injury I can sustain and still be in the mood for thee-ay-ter. OK, let's get back to the topic at hand. Food! Maybe you, like me, and everyone else who lives in Minneapolis and has seen a Fringe show and likes to eat, have wondered: where are the food trucks? It's no secret that the Twin Cities is the new food truck Mecca, and you can't scroll through the City Pages food blog or get on Twitter without hearing about the vast army of motorized restaurants taking over the city streets. So it seems intuitive that some of these eateries-on-wheels might be interested in tapping the natural market of hungry theater-goers provided by the Fringe. It's a question that's been getting a lot of buzz online, in line, and at Fringe Central, so I called up Fringe HQ to ask them what the deal is. Executive Director of the Fringe Festival Robin Gillette explained that the Fringe has spoken directly with a number of food trucks, and there are a few main reasons for their lack of participation. Most of their bread and butter comes from the lunch rush on weekday afternoons downtown, when they can find a spot to plant themselves for a few hours and serve a more or less steady stream of office workers. The most natural spot to plant a food truck for the Fringe would be outside Rarig, where, with four venues clustered together, the highest concentration of performers and audience members can be found. The problem is that the street outside Rarig does not allow parking. Ever. Of any kind. And even if that were not the case, the logistical nature of the way the show schedule is structured doesn't allow for much of a steady stream of customers. It would be a frenzy for 30 minutes, then 60 minutes of sitting, rinse, repeat. Not a good use of gas, electricity and labor, when you think about it. And finally, evenings are usually reserved for food prep for the next day's lunch rush, which is why you don't see many food trucks out and about once happy hours are gearing up at brick and mortar places. And there are only two days per week when the Fringe is in full swing over the lunch hour. So there you have it. That said, Gillette did say that of the food trucks they've spoken to, Vellee Deli seems to be the most interested in finding a way to make it work. No word yet on how, when, or where, but all hope is not lost, food truck fetishists. Today I'm signing off with a quote for those of you who, like me, are experiencing this Fringe from the oh-my-god-I'm-broke-as-hell standpoint, and are sometimes tempted to stay home and eat noodles instead of venturing out to see more shows, drink more Summit beer, and eat more food you can't afford. It just popped up in my Facebook feed, and seems highly appropriate: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." ~ Thorin Oakenshield Indeed, Thorin Oakenshield. Indeed. Get out there and enjoy some food, cheer, and song, Fringers. High five.