ETHICAL GOURMET / Remind me to Tell You About the Time I Looked in the Heart of an Artichoke

 No to Food Trucks on City of London Streets London took a disappointing step back last night when city council decided, by an 8-6 vote, not to permit f ood trucks on City of London streets. The unanticipated decision came after months of contentious debate, five reports, and three trips to council, two of which resulted in recommendations back for more information. The proposal had earlier been significantly tightened by the community and protective services committee, mostly a result of the intervention of Mayor Joe Fontana. Several of the councillors who opposed food trucks did so because they believe them a threat to the financial health of existing restaurants in the downtown core. The amended proposal would have capped the number of trucks at eight, levied an annual license fee of $2,865, and required a 50-meter (about 150 feet) separation from any existing restaurant, double previous proposals. The amended proposal reduced the number of potential downtown sites fro

London Food Truck Pilot Debate Becomes More Contentious The London Food Truck Pilot reignited debate and Community and Protective Services Committee voted 5-0 to refer the food truck pilot proposal back to a special meeting on May 5th and a final vote on May 6th.  The issue has been debated across the city since last spring. Among the more disappointing proposals was a recommended cap of 12 (now 8) trucks and a lottery for licenses. As of this writing Mayor Joe Fontana is calling the issue “Pandora’s box” and wants to ban food trucks on Richmond Row, Old East Village, Wortley Road and Byron.  The Mayor’s new amendments to the proposal: higher fees, larger buffer zones and earlier closings. Many councillors remained hesitant about the pilot program going forward and two councilors wanted the proposal stopped for this year. Last year, the Mayor spoke strongly in favour of making the pilot project more accessible. London City Council agreed to get more public feedback on the p