If you happen to be in the picturesque Thousand Islands region of northern New York and you’re hungry, drive near the Fort Drum Army base and scout out the pink camouflage food truck.
If you’re lucky enough to zero in on this food truck at lunchtime, you will be served comfort food prepared by Carol Rosenberg, a military spouse and proud mom of a son attending college, thanks to a full ROTC scholarship.
Rosenberg is chief cook and bottle washer of the Military Moms Food Truck, whose motto is “Feeding someone’s baby every day.”
“Base food isn’t that good, and there are only so many options,” Rosenberg told LifeZette. “We are proud to serve really good comfort food, and give our military members some home-cooked options parked right here outside the base.”
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The Military Moms truck even competed on the fifth season of the Food Network’s “Great Food Truck Race,” though it was eliminated in the third episode.
“That was a great experience, and great for our branding,” said Rosenberg.
Partners Michele Bajakian and Wendy Newman, who recently moved to Fort Stewart, Washington, complete this well-oiled mobile culinary machine.
“We see Wendy’s move as a way to continue to grow this,” said Rosenberg, who rolls with life’s punches.
She considers franchising possible in the future.
“I have to say we’ve got good Butts. I’m a 51-year-old woman, so I’m obviously talking about the sandwich!”
Trained at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Florida, Rosenberg started cooking right after graduation. Her first job was cooking for the Busch family of Anheuser-Busch fame.
“That was a great first job,” she said. “They had no food allergies whatsoever.”
After that job, it was all about reinvention. As a mom and military spouse — her husband served in U.S. Army Special Forces for a time and is nearing retirement — Rosenberg is good at making the most of whatever situation she is in.
“I said to myself, ‘I’m going to get a food truck,’” she said. “The stories behind food trucks are very passionate, and they are a whole new and exciting niche in food. Brick-and-mortar restaurants are just too expensive these days.”
Rosenberg and her mobile restaurant can travel to smaller towns in her area, park and serve menu options like the “Sgt. Cheesy” grilled cheese and the “Charlie Foxtrot,” a “Sloppy Joe-meets-nachos with a Louisiana kick,” according to their menu.
They also attend area events like September’s Skewed Brew Fest in Sackets Harbor, New York. The pink truck can also be found near Fort Drum-area schools, offering teachers fresh options for lunch. The Military Moms truck offers catering for events such as weddings, too.
Rosenberg offered a thought about the most popular food truck menu item.
“Probably the Major Butts,” she said. “I have to say we’ve got good butts,” she added with a laugh. “I’m a 51-year-old woman, so obviously I’m talking about the sandwich.”
It’s the braised pulled pork butt with an original Carolina sauce, served with sweet and spicy fresh-cut coleslaw on a toasted bun, and homemade pickle spears.
Rosenberg said she is driven by her passion in life, and wants to share with others.
“If we can inspire others to chase their dreams, we will all live in a happier world,” she said.
She’s also launched a blog on the militarymomstruck.com website. It is there, she said, that “we will take people along to the huge music festivals, antique and art fairs we have lined up, highlighting happenings within a three-hour radius of Fort Drum.”
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