Linda Falkenstein
The city of Madison food cart rankings for 2015 have been compiled and released (although they will not be official until the Vending Oversight Committee approves the list at its meeting on Oct. 28).
Longtime Capitol Square favorite El Burrito Loco is at the top of the list, with a final score of 100.50, a 93.50 average score, seven seniority points (the maximum allowed) and no deductions. El Burrito Loco ranked third in last year’s city evaluations and second in 2013. (The cart’s owners opened a restaurant on the city’s west side in 2014.)
Each September, a committee of 20-some Madisonians reviews each cart over a two-week period, evaluating them according to a number of set criteria. The crew is recruited by street vending coordinator Warren Hansen, drawing from city workers and other downtown/worker/student food enthusiasts.
In addition to the points from the committee review, seniority points (one is added for each year of vending, though these max out at seven years) are awarded and can go a long way toward putting a cart into the top ten.
Deductions are made by the city for health or vending code violations. The “prize” all carts are going toward is their first pick of sites for the following year. If a cart's scores fall below 70, further work is deemed necessary before it is allowed to vend in the following year. The new vending season begins April 15, 2016.
This year, 52 carts participated, up slightly from last year's 50.
Here are the top ten carts in the city's official scoring for 2015.
1. El Burrito Loco
2. Curt's Gourmet Popcorn
3. Good Food 1
4. Caracas Empanadas
5. Bulgogi Korean Burritos
6. Madison Sourdough
7. SoHo Gourmet
8. JBC Coffee Roasters
9. Teriyaki Samurai
10. Luangprabang Thai Food
Madison Sourdough and JBC Coffee vend primarily Saturdays during the Dane County Farmers’ Market; the others are Library Mall and Capitol Square carts on weekdays.
If looking solely at the score of the committee from during the review period (disregarding seniority points and any deductions), the top ten become:
1. Caracas Empanadas
2. Curd Girl
3. Good Food 2
4. El Burrito Loco
5. Good Food 1
6. Ladonia Cafe
7. SoHo Gourmet
8. Silk Road Gourmet
9. Umami Dumpling
10. Luangprabang Thai
Curd Girl vends primarily at the Farmers’ Market and special events. Silk Road Gourmet is a new cart hoping to gain a Mall-Concourse spot for next year. It was the highest scoring of the new carts auditioning for next year, with an overall ranking of 28th.
Other new carts that have not vended before and aim to start regular Mall-Concourse vending next season are Greek Street (29th), the Pickle Jar (which has been vending at Let’s Eat Out events and Dayton Street throughout the summer, 32nd), El Grito Taqueria (which has been doing a number of pop-up events since August, 35th), Masarap (which has been vending at Let’s Eat Out nights, 37th), the Green Mustache Juice Bar (which has vended at Mad City Bazaars, 42nd), Pepper (44th) and Zam Zam Authentic Afghan Cuisine (52nd).
“Fabulous Lunch Box” (24th) is a renaming of Fried and Fabulous, and Jakarta Cafe (46th) was formerly known as Fortune Cafe.
This is the first year that many new carts have had substantial vending experience under their belts before the review period, thanks to the opening up of more vending opportunities with lunchtime cart gatherings at spots such as University Research Park, Epic Systems and American Family, and evening cart gatherings sponsored by Let’s Eat Out.
Other carts such as Zen Sushi (in front of Grainger Hall), Pots ’n Tots (sites vary), and Ich Liebe Dich macaroni and cheese (West Dayton Street) have opted for spots outside of the Mall-Concourse, which means they don’t have to participate in the review.
