The Tasty Trolley

A new Chippewa Valley food truck aims to bring eye-catching and colorful eats to families starting this summer. The Tasty Trolley – owned by Eau Claire couple Carolina and Josh Hepler – will serve up pulled pork sandwiches, walking tacos, and dozens of flavored soft-serve ice cream options. You’ll know when it’s around because of its authentic Charlie Bell, which lets out a retro ring when in town.

“It’s unique,” Hepler said. “We like the trolley because it’s eye-catching and it’s different.”

Among the menu’s specialty items are pulled pork walking tacos and super nachos, which use pulled pork in place of ground beef and can be served with barbecue sauce. The Tasty Trolley also serves up classic potato chips, baked beans, various iced and hot coffees, and lemonade slushies.

“We want things to be simple and quick, out-the-door,” Hepler said.

But, perhaps their biggest – and most popular – menu item will be their flavored soft-serve ice cream options, which infuse sugary flavorings to vanilla soft-serve.

Flavors include cotton candy, espresso, butter pecan, bubble gum, root beer, orange, peanut butter, tutti frutti, grape, peach, strawberry, red velvet, black licorice, kiwi, papaya, blueberry, black cherry, lemon – and the list goes on.

They plan to have a set list of flavors, with a rotating “flavor of the day” to make options simple for kiddos. They hope to officially launch their food truck the first week of July, waiting only on inspections from the Eau Claire City-County Health Department to ensure everything is ready to roll forward. But you can be sure to catch them at the Sturgeon Fest Truck and Trailer Pull on Sept. 5 in Jim Falls.

“We just want to show love to everybody,” she said. “Food is love. And there’s something about taking your family and getting ice cream on a hot, sunny day that just leaves a lasting memory.”

Check out the Tasty Trolley at facebook.com/FoodTruckWI. –Rebecca Mennecke

Submitted photo

44 Below

Have you heard the scoop from 44 Below? They’re now offering snow cones! You heard that right: snow cones. This variation of shaved ice, served with flavored sugar syrup, is sure to be a hit this summer, especially with the hot temperatures and humid days lately. But the fun doesn’t end, as 44 Below (1488 Front Porch Place, Altoona) plans to sell snow cones year-round. “We decided to start doing (snow cones) to offer something different in the park for families!” said manager Jake Jensen, referring to nearby River Prairie Park. Enjoy fan-favorite flavors such as blue raspberry, grape, and lemon lime – with plans for new flavors down the line. Check out more at 44belowicecream.com. –Serena DeMars

Photo by Andrea Paulseth

Chippewa Valley Museum / Ramone’s

Ramone’s Ice Cream Parlor recently started scooping up sweet treats at the Chippewa Valley Museum’s historic ice cream parlor, offering eight flavors of Chocolate Shoppe ice cream as well as traditional malts, shakes, and baked waffle cones. “Carson Park, in general, is such a mecca for families,” said Kayla Midthun, co-owner of Ramone’s, “and we’ve got a young family that utilizes the park a lot, and I think this is just a great option for folks to have Ramone’s at their fingertips when they’re at the park.” If you’re hanging around Carson Park all day sometime this summer, they’ll also serve up hot dogs and chips for families looking for a bite to eat. Learn more info at cvmuseum.com. –Rebecca Mennecke