Celebrating Food Truck Friday with 1UP Catering

Last Friday I took a midday trip to the SEMO PETS parking lot located at 180 Weston St. in Cape Girardeau. Ordinarily, I would have been there to drop off a donation or to volunteer (aka play with all the sweet puppies and dogs waiting for their forever homes), but this time I was on a different mission. I was looking for the newest installment to the local food truck scene: 1UP Catering.

To save time, I viewed the menu on their Facebook page while I filled my gas tank. I called to place my order before leaving the gas station and was pleased to find several menu options under $10. I don't know why, but that seems to be my magic number for lunch these days. It could have something to do with paying fifty bucks to fill up my gas tank (ouch!), but I digress.

When I arrived at SEMO Pets (formerly known as the Humane Society) I noticed what appeared to be a brand spanking new food truck at the end of the lot. It was a beautiful sunny day, and part of me wanted to pop into SEMO Pets and beg to cuddle a puppy, but I know they have schedules, procedures and rules to follow so I turned my attention back to the 1UP Catering food truck.

I was enthusiastically greeted by the masterminds behind the operation, Pedro Minakata Moresco and Nick Carreras. My food was hot, fresh and ready to go. I ordered the Korean BBQ Beef Gyro, which is an 8-inch pita stuffed with Korean Ground beef, fresh cilantro, cucumber and jasmine rice. All that ... and a bag of chips.

Although I wished I could have lingered, savored each bite and chatted with them a bit, other customers were arriving, and I needed to get back to the office.

Pedro and Nick of 1UP Catering are at your service!Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

I opened my lunch container before leaving the parking lot and realized taking red light bites without dropping Korean BBQ on my beige sweater might pose a challenge. Then, a stroke of genius hit. I grabbed the bag of Miss Vickie's Jalepeno chips (they have other flavors available), dumped the chips into the box, and slipped the gyro into the empty chip bag. That was my "MacGyver" moment of the day, brought to you by years of parenting ingenuity.

What did I think of the Korean BBQ gyro? Delicious. The budget friendly ground beef with the distinct mixture of sweet with a hint of spicy seasonings topped with light crisp cilantro wrapped in a warm toasted gyro filled my tummy but left my taste buds wanting more. Other menu items included a beef barbacoa quesadilla, philly cheesesteak, caprese grilled cheese, street corn and charro beans. I was told they are in the process of updating their menu to include vegetarian options. After learning Pedro studied at Le Cordon Blue in Oregon, worked in a butcher shop in Italy and is quite the perfectionist in the kitchen, I can't wait to see what they offer next.

Pedro later described their working partnership as a "dynamic duo" with Nick being the mastermind behind the finances and PR while Pedro focuses on the cooking and recipe development. They are passionate and well suited to their new endeavor but I did dig a little deeper to get you the scoop on Pedro. His bucket list item? His childhood dream of becoming a firefighter took a backseat to his food aspirations but he still dreams of driving a firetruck one day. Firefighters do have a reputation for enjoying good food. Maybe a collaboration is in their future? I will keep you posted.

You are reading this on a Thursday which means you are just in time to make 1UP catering your Food Truck Friday destination. You can find more information about their location, hours and menu by visiting their social media pages or calling (573) 576-9460.

P.S. I did make a return trip to SEMO Pets over the weekend to get my puppy fix. If you would like more information about volunteering, donating or adoption you can reach SEMO Pets on Facebook or by calling (573) 334-5837.