I design and build custom vehicles so I’ve been aware of the gourmet food truck revolution that has been sweeping across the country the past several years. If there is a bustling downtown or arts/cultural district in your city, odds are, there may be a gourmet food truck setting up shop there right now. But let’s get this straight once and for all…a gourmet food truck is not the same as your typical food truck found at most construction zones that feeds hard-hats. Yes, at times the truck types can be similar, but that’s where the similarity ends. Gourmet food trucks can offer the same things a gourmet restaurant could, only in a mobile setting. Some offer already prepared foods like gourmet cupcakes while others bring most of the same equipment they use in a commercial kitchen with them, just outfitting it for use into a mobile platform & prepare hot delicacies right before your eyes.

Some chef’s are no longer wanting to be stuck in the kitchen without a view of the world, they want to be able to bring their cuisine to the people, when the people want it and see the reaction to their hard work in real time, bypassing the table comment card. If you Google “Gourmet Food Truck” you’ll find articles in Time magazine, The New York Times, CNN and if you recall, there was a TV show that featured nothing but gourmet food trucks competing against each other! There are Twitter sites, blogs, food truck locator map websites and Facebook pages about and for gourmet food trucks. LA, New York & even Austin have spearheaded the movement, but other areas are fast at catching up. Except Dallas…Even the legendary Zagat’s has their own division now dedicated to gourmet food trucks: www.foodtrucks.zagat.com

Last year I looked into what it would take to start a gourmet food truck in Dallas. After a week of tracking down what would be needed…I was fed up! The level of “red-tape” that it involved, for me, killed the thought of doing a gourmet food truck. Here, look for yourself:

http://www.dallascityhall.com/pdf/ehs/MobileFoodVendorRequirements.pdf

Mind you, I didn’t want to own or operate a truck, I wanted to be able to build them and meet all the regulations so the end client would have no problem getting them licensed for the Dallas area that they wanted to operate in. Any chef or company that is looking to operate a gourmet food truck in Dallas not only has to have the city council meet on it, they must have the health department requirements met (understood), but then have laws changed to even have places available for them to go to! Crazy!

Not only are local chef’s looking to get their food out to the masses, but corporate restaurant chains are doing the same. Taco Bell, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Smash Burger, Jack in the Box and Pizza Hut are some that I’ve seen. I’m definitely positive that there are many, many more! I’d love to have a “Lobsta Truck here!” www.lobstatruck.com

I like going to Downtown Fort Worth and hanging out…Dallas…not so much. Maybe a few gourmet food trucks would change that? (just my opinion)

Congrats to the ones who have stuck in there and are operating their mobile dreams in Dallas now. Hopefully more are coming as the city council is voting on changes currently…we’ll see…

A nice afternoon could be spent walking around shopping, looking at local scenery & art, grabbing a few gourmet sliders or even made right before me sushi, a freshly made smoothie and a specialty cupcake for dessert…all without walking into a brick & mortar restaurant. One can only wish…

CW

If you haven’t seen the commercials featuring the new Lexus LFA then you haven’t seen what may be one of the most technologically advanced vehicles ever mass produced. I use the term “mass produced” lightly as there will only be 500 produces with 171 slated for US shores.

I do hope that the lucky ones in the US that purchase the new LFA will drive it and not just keep it stored away. For those of us that enjoy driving, this car was meant to be driven!

Lexus is not making the vehicle an easy get either for most with the $400,000.00 price tag probably just being a starting point. But for a supercar of it’s caliber and limited production numbers, I’d buy one if I could! For the people among us that may never get to own one, sit in one or even drive one, I’ve attached this video from Lexus that comes on the disc the owners get when they purchase. So if you are @ Cars & Coffee early on a Saturday morning & there just happens to be a newly purchased Lexus LFA parked nearby…you can think back to this video & impress your friends, that lovely lady you may be with, or maybe event the owner of the LFA by pointing out things the average person might not know.

If you are waiting on your newly ordered LFA…I’d just like to say: Please contact me! I’m in the Dallas area and if you give me a ride, I’ll buy the gas! CW

I like watches, I like cigars, I like smooth scotch…This watch fits into my “I Like Watches” category. It’s a respected luxury name, in a sleek design that won’t get my arm chopped off because it’s not “blinged” or too loud. Fits well with suits or casual attire for me. I like it a lot. “CW”

Another new for 2011 Louis Vuitton watch is this new Voyagez Tambour Automatic Chronograph watch with a tachymeter (tachometer). Why they emphasize this latter function I don’t know. Racing-themed watches have been featured them on bezels and flange rings for a long time, with next to no people actually using them. However, those extra numerals around the dial tend to always look cool!

Set in a 44mm wide Tambour style case, the Voyagez is in steel with a gray and red dial with black and white trim. This aggressive looks goes really well with the carbon fiber strap. Inside the watch is a Dubois-Depraz made LV172 automatic chronograph movement. The dial design uses three middle aligned subdials for the 30 minute chronograph and subsidiary seconds. This might be one of the most interesting looking chronograph layouts in a watch this year. I look forward to checking it out upon its debut in March. Look for this new Tambour Voyagez Chrono in June 11 at a price of 4,800 euros or about $6,505.00 US.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

OK, so first I have to apologize to the readers of my blog. I haven’t posted in a while because I’ve been so busy! Not only is Total Image PR doing projects, KraV motorsports is doing projects, but I’m assisting my friend Kimatni (“K”) with a project for Super Bowl.

“K” operates one of the most respected sites for new vehicle tests and features, Automotive Rhythms. (ARTVLive.com) Honestly, this is a project that I wish I could do all the time! AR has teamed up with Porsche to invade the Super Bowl in Dallas with a team of drivers and a small fleet of brand new 2011 Porsche’s. I’ve had a love affair with Porsche’s ever since seeing the odd-looking Porsche 911 that one of my neighbors owned when I was a kid. But I liked the 914, the 944 and even the 928! I first saw a modified DP Porsche on Miami Vice and then an iconic Gemballa customized Porsche made me forever forget that a car was just a car and began looking at them as something more. From that point on, I loved Porsches and anything could be customized!

Porsche will come to Dallas with everything from the Cayenne & Boxter to the new Panamera. The fleet will be based at the luxurious Rosewood Crescent Hotel. From there we will offer test drives to select RSVP guests and shuttle service to athletes and VIP’s.

You want to come out and see what all the fuss is about, don’t you? Here are a couple of options…Come to BMW of Dallas Saturday morning about 8AM for Cars & Coffee. We’ll be there with a few Porsche’s. Come to the hotel either Friday or Saturday and see the vehicles up close and personal, without being hassled by a salesman! Or lastly, travel the roads of Dallas & Fort Worth, maybe hit up a few nightclubs and keep your eyes peeled for a few brand new Porsche’s back to back, possibly with your favorite celebrity or athlete inside enjoying the ride!

For A Special Treat…Click the Link Below!

1384-2011-porsche-performance-experience

ARTVLive.com

Porsche.com/USA

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Here we are, another holiday season means another year is upon us. Time to reflect on the year that was and look to the year that will be. For some, hopes and dreams that didn’t happen in 2010 will get another chance in 2011. This year for me personally has been fun, interesting, happy, scary, busy, calm, loud, quiet & overwhelming. I’m looking forward to what 2011 can offer me, my family & my business. I don’t have a resolution, but I do have a wish…

I wish that 2011 gives everyone what they need & want. I’ll be working hard to make sure it gives me & my family what we need & want.

From My Family to Yours…Stay Blessed.

Chris Wortham

Benny Black, owner of Platinum Motorcars, is having his 2nd annual Toy Drive! Come drive an amazing car & help out Bryans House at the same time.(*)

Platinum Motorcars:
Platinum Motorcars is your luxury rental boutique. Platinum prides themselves in the services they provide & their attention to detail can be felt from the moment you first contact them…to the second you see the vehicle that will be yours for the weekend…to the handshake and smile you’ll get from when the car is returned, it is truly evident that luxury is their life and pleasing you is their commitment. Platinum knows how to provide you with the service you desire and the pampering you deserve, and it’s all done with the utmost style and finesse. Platinum has unequaled relationships at Dallas’s finest hotels and upscale service providers, and the Platinum staff is groomed and trained on how to take care of the most discriminating client.
“Please allow Platinum Motorcars to show you how we do what we do.” Benny Black

> Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9am – 6pm; Saturdays from 10am – 4pm; Sundays by appointment. For more information, call 469.374.9090 or visit www.PlatinumMotorcars.net

TOYS GIVEN BENEFIT BRYAN’S HOUSE:
Families with children who have serious health problems find love and warmth at Bryan’s House when they need child care. Their families receive case management, emergency financial assistance, donated food, along with other family support services, as needed. Their mission is to respond to the needs of children and their families by providing medically-managed child care, respite care, and community-based, family-centered support services. Bryan’s House is a special-care facility in Dallas for children affected by HIV or AIDS, children with other special health needs, and their families. They offer a full range of medical, educational, and psychosocial services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
www.Bryanshouse.org

(*Each driver will need a minimum of $100,000 in property damage coverage on automobile liability insurance. The route will be pre-mapped and drives will be chaperoned by a Platinum Motorcars representative.)

Ever stopped to really listen to the nursery rhymes we learn as kids? The lyrics sound cute and fun, but have you ever spent any time actually listening to them? I’ve recited (over and over again) some of the most common rhymes & I have been thinking about the dark meanings in the subtext. Think about it…

“Ring Around The Rosie”: This had to be about the black plague that killed many thousands in London, “Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.” That’s Death if I ever heard it.

“Humpty Dumpty”: A simple and blatant story of Police brutality.

“Three Blind Mice”: Torture & cruelty of physically disabled animals

“Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater”: Classic case of the oppression of women

“Rub-a-Dub-Dub”: When a gay menage-a-trois is discovered, the men are then persecuted and forced to leave town

“Little Bo Peep and Little Boy Blue”: These are about incompetent farm hands with inadequate training

And to me, one of the most blatant is: “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring”: Let’s look at the lyrics:
It’s raining; it’s pouring. The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and bumped his head, And he couldn’t get up in the morning.
This to me sounds like a form of mercy killing (euthanasia) meant to look like an accidental death of an elderly man, quite possible for the insurance money or his Social Security check. What does the rain have to do with him falling asleep…lot’s of things could be done by someone and evidence washed away by the rain. And how does he “bump his head” if he’s asleep? Sounds like foul play to me…Did anyone ever ask about a next of kin or who his last visitors were? Did he even live alone? Too many unanswered questions for me!

Sleep tight! Don’t let the bedbugs bite. (News Flash!! Half of Manhattan has been shut down due to bedbugs!)

Thank you…

Part business, part casual and all smartphone – DROID PRO by Motorola makes the most of your time. Staying productive at work is a priority, but managing your personal life is just as important. Featuring a PC-like browsing experience with Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, a 1 GHz super-fast processor and corporate access, you’ll have plenty of time for work, play and everything in between.

Efficient and Effective

DROID PRO is a mobile office in your pocket. The 1 GHz processor makes for fast connections when you’re on a deadline. With access to your corporate work directory, you can check availability, propose new meeting times and even reschedule appointments right on the device. QuickOffice Mobile Suite gives you the capability to edit documents right in hand, and drafting quick messages is easy with a large, spacious QWERTY keyboard. DROID PRO will stay with you all day long thanks to extended battery life, allowing for hours of talk time. DROID PRO also allows consumers to use the phone as a 3G Mobile Hotspot to connect up to five other Wi-Fi enabled devices/laptops.

Dress It Up

DROID PRO comes ready to customize as you see fit. With thousands of apps to choose from on Android MarketTM, you can tailor the device to your preferences. You have one touch access to your calendar, e-mail, social networks and even news right at your fingertips. A large 3.1 inch display allows you to enjoy all of your content with clear views right on the device, including images taken with the 5 megapixel camera. Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA®) connectivity allows you to stream, store and share content with multiple DLNA-enabled devices around your home.

Super Secure

Rest easy knowing DROID PRO is extra secure. With corporate-level security, it’s the first Android device with data encryption (available early 2011) and the ability to completely have your phone and SD card wiped if it’s ever lost or stolen. Remote password management allows you to change and check passwords on the road, so you can be confident in your security. With this elevated corporate-level security, you won’t have to worry about your information getting into the wrong hands.

(Via Motorola Media Center)

Whoever came up with this concept should get a raise! The boss that green-lighted it should be applauded. This commercial shows the ingenuity that kids always want to try the unusual because, as kids, this makes perfect sense and why wouldn’t it work! The kid in me says: “Brilliant!”

Maybe more commercials should appeal to our “Kid Brain”? That’s the part of your adult brain that gets pushed to the back & only comes out when you’re really happy or you just want to annoy your wife.

Bring out the “Kid Brain” more! Have some more fun and don’t take yourself so serious all the time. The next time you are not having fun, but wish you were, think of these kids in this commercial…find your “Kid Brain” and do something that may make you and someone else smile and laugh. Laughter is Great!

(Via: Me, Snickers & my “Kid Brain”)

While watching the Barrett-Jackson auction,a 2008 Bugatti Veyron came up for sale. We all know the Veyron…1,001 hp, over 200mph, supercar status for sure! This one is a sophisticated silver & black two-tone. Serial #80 of 300 produced. It’s owner didn’t just let it sit as it has 11,800 miles on the odometer. Service cost on the Veyron was $100,000.00 and the cost when new was listed @ 1.8 million.

I was particularly curious to find out what it would go for…since it is a used vehicle and any new car looses it’s value as soon as it’s off the lot. But this is a Bugatti Veyron! Would it hold it’s value? Would it set all types of sales records? Would it even hold it’s value?

At about 7:45 PM Central Time…the auction hammer fell on Lot # 6580 and it was sold for $700,000.00 with the 10% buyers premium, $770,000.00! So the Veyron can’t hold it’s remarkable value! Does that mean that in another 2 years the price will be around $300,000.00 for a 1.8 million dollar used car? I wouldn’t mind a used 4 year old Veyron in 2012…(just as long as it’s well kept) If you are fortunate enough to own a Veyron, here’s my advice…DRIVE IT! ENJOY IT! You can’t get your money back, it probably won’t make you any money…And if you die…you can’t drive it up to the pearly gates.

(Via Me)

UPDATE: UPDATE: UPDATE: UPDATE:

Ok, It seems that right after I posted this blog and the car was sold, the buyer reneged! Did he read this post and have second thoughts? Maybe he didn’t ask his wife if he could spend $700,000.00 on a used car? Here’s what happened:

Barrett-Jackson’s marquee sale of an exotic Bugatti Veyron in Las Vegas turned into soap opera Saturday when the winning bidder backed out of the sale, leaving the auction company holding the bag for a $700,000 sale.

Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson, stepped up and bought the car himself, making the Bugatti’s consigner whole and protecting the integrity of the auction.

Barrett-Jackson would not identify the faux buyer, saying only that once the guy said he would not honor the sale, the auction yanked his bidder credentials on the spot and escorted him off the premises.

“First, he said he didn’t bid, then he said he was ‘trying to help,’” Jackson said. “The bottom line is, he said he wouldn’t buy it and we booted him.”

The controversy was announced from the auction podium by Barrett-Jackson president Steve Davis, who said the buyer had reneged on the deal, Jackson had bought the Bugatti himself and that any of the under bidders were welcome to make an offer.

When no one spoke up, Jackson said, “I guess I own a Bugatti.”

A short time later, Davis stood at the podium and dangled the lanyard with the bidder’s pass from the unidentified bad bidder.

“He’s been escorted off the property,” Davis said. “Here’s all that’s left.”

Jackson seemed OK with his pricey acquisition as he eyed the Veyron supercar later in the auction’s holding area, saying it would be a keystone for his own car collection. He also said he was anxious to take the 1,001-horsepower beast for a cruise around Vegas.

But with that, his cell phone rang and he was told that one of the phone bidders still wanted to buy the car.

“Another bidder saw what happened on SPEED and now he wants to buy it,” Jackson said after he hung up. “I guess I don’t own a Bugatti.”

WOW!

(Update Via: Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com)