With summer just around the corner, food trucks will soon be hitting the streets, bringing us our favorite sandwiches, pizza, tacos and more. Among the newest is The Rolling Cones, serving the tastiest components of savory cuisines of Americana and the world, neatly tucked into cone-shaped bread.
Cudahy-based The Rolling Cones is owned by Mike Barber, who operates the food truck with wife Lu Ann, daughter Emily, son Matthew and his partner, Rolo. Barber is an accountant by profession but always loved to cook. Yearning to venture into something different, he wanted to start a food truck but wasn’t sure what to serve. During a visit to the Wisconsin State Fair, he saw a stand offering filled bread cones. “I didn’t try one, but I thought, ‘You can put just about anything you want in a bread cone,’” Barber said. “We’re the only truck in the area that has anything like this, so it seemed like the perfect thing.” Barber introduced his food cones at an event at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in January 2016. The cones went over well, and Barber acquired a truck this past May.
Meals served cone-style are attractive and easy to eat. There are no plates or trays to balance along with a beer or shopping bags while walking through a crowded festival. Barber also notes they’re more environmentally efficient because all that’s needed to hold the cone is a deli tissue.
The bread cones are made fresh by hand for every event. They come in white, rye and multigrain and are approximately the size and shape of a large ice cream waffle cone. Barber said popular fillings include pulled pork or chicken tinga. Comfort food varieties include macaroni and cheese with ham and bacon; chicken pot pie; sausage and meatball bomber; The New Orleans Roller—filled with seasoned Cajun shrimp, black rice, charred corn and red onions and topped with cotija cheese and avocado—and the Reuben, with corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. They also have Hunan beef with peppers and onions.
Vegetarians will enjoy the Mediterranean filled with that region’s favorites, such as hummus and tomato, decoratively topped with a generous portion of feta cheese; a chana masala cone, filled with chickpeas, tomatoes, cilantro and Indian spices; and shepherd’s pie, made with soy crumbles in gravy, with peas, corn and onions and topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. A kid-friendly option consists of creamy mac and cheese with hot dog slices served in a smaller bread cone accompanied by a bag of chips and a juice box. Three or four meat options and one vegetarian choice are typically available for each event.
Confirmed 2017 events so far include the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Spring Fling (May 21); a Milwaukee County Zoo members-only event (June 6, 7 and 8); Kletzsch Park’s July 4 parade; and an appearance at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc (July 8). They also cater private events.
Barber enjoys getting The Rolling Cones truck out and meeting the people who enjoy their cones. “The people that eat at food trucks are the nicest people I’ve ever met, and they make it fun to do this,” he said.
For more information, visit rollingconestruck.com.
