By Susie Timm, Chief Operating Foodie

A few months ago, when I was still trying to find my way on Twitter, and truly understand the benefits it provides, I ran across a profile called @truckingoodfood.

I was immediately curious and started to watch the food banter between owner Jeff Kraus and other Foodies around the Valley and world.

I went to Truckin’ Good’s website and found to my delight, a mobile crêpe company right here in Arizona!

I do love crêpes. Light and flavorful outside filled with glorious delights inside like Nutella and banana or more savory ingredients like ham and cheese.

I tracked down Kraus and his lovely wife Erin Ware at the Carefree Art Festival to see their mobile crêpe operation in action.

Kraus and Ware have always desired to run their business from a mobile food truck, but due to some antiquated and frankly, quite strange, laws, Maricopa County doesn’t allow, “cooking crêpes in the open” from a truck.

So for now, the Truckin’ Good duo is cooking crêpes all over town at various festivals and Farmer’s Markets from a tent.  Damn well if I do say so myself.

Kraus waxed a bit poetic when I asked him about his crêpe vagabond lifestyle, “I decided to be mobile because it fits my gypsy like personality and it’s perfect because we go to places that people want to be. I feed off the energy of happy people and when people come up to us at these events they are having fun -they aren’t thinking about the economy, politics, and drama – you know what I mean? All that is on their mind is, hopefully my food, and having fun,” he said.

When I rolled up to the Carefree festival Ware and Kraus were crêpe-ing up their famous Nutella, banana and candied walnut crêpe as well as one with ham, cheese, pineapple and cherry drizzle.

Oozy Nutella Goodness

They use quality and fresh ingredients for all their crêpes and buy local as often as possible. The ham that day was from the Meat Shop in Phoenix.

I brought my husband and parents who were not previously acquainted with the joy of crêpes.

As Kraus worked his magic on the griddle, I asked him about how he got started.

“I took a practical and pasty cooking class at Classic Cooking Academy in North Scottsdale and my passion grew from there. When we went to Paris, there were street crêpes everywhere, and it was the coolest thing ever,” he said.

Special crêpe device for maximum efficiency

“We ultimately decided to specialize in crêpes because you can put anything in a crêpe and he loves all things French,” explained Ware.

At this point Kraus handed me the cone of joy that was the ham and cheese crêpe. It was delicious. I loved how the cherry drizzle complimented the salty pork and creamy cheese.

By the Power of Crêpe

I mowed down on the top of the crêpe and gave my sloppy seconds to my family.

Kraus got started on sweet crêpe. This particular crêpe was very first combo he created upon the onset of his crêpe obsession. In fact, he so loved Nutella that he decided a jar of it was owed the ultimate homage.

As a tattoo. On his forearm. Now, I am a big tattoo fan, and a big crêpe fan. So in my mind, he had immediate street cred and respect. I mean, how many men would festoon a body part with a tub of hazelnut goodness?

Now THAT's Dedication to your Food

He’s got other cool tats as well that he will show you if you come buy some goodies at his tent.

I digress.

My parents and husband adored both the savory and sweet crêpes. It was my dad’s first taste of Nutella and earned the John Timm “Thumbs Up.”

Yum.com

“It’s cool for me to share my food with people who care. And it’s even cooler to introduce people to new things – no joke, I fed at least five people who had never eaten crêpes before and at least one person who had never had Nutella at this festival,” said Kraus.

Ultimately, Kraus and Ware want to own a café restaurant with specialty carts and trucks all over Phoenix.

They are pioneering the gourmet food truck craze, one crêpe at a time.

“I just want to bring good food and new things to people on the street,” said Ware.

As for the simple nature and delivery of his food—Ware said, “Being at happy places makes my crêpes even that much better to eat. People are stimulated by their surroundings, right. It’s cheesy but if you think about it food has a multi sensory effect on people and when I create food that is honest, good, and different and serve it at places that people forget about reality it makes their eating experience 100x better.”

Jeff Shows Off his Mad Skills

He continued, “I don’t have any intentions on being a James Beard nominee.”

If there were a James Beard category for creative, humorous and passionate chefs who make food they love in a truck, or in a tent, I would lobby the committee to put Jeff Kraus high on their list of nominations.

Taste the difference! You can find Kraus and Ware and their magnificent crêpes all over the valley. Check them out at www.truckingoodfood.com