Today the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched a campaign to inform the public about a new L.A. City ordinance prohibiting smokers from lighting up in outdoor dining areas -- including restaurant patios, cafes, food courts, food carts and mobile food trucks. The law, which goes into effect March 8, 2011, strengthens the city's efforts to reduce residents' exposure to the harmful chemicals found in secondhand smoke. Los Angeles is the largest city in the nation to implement a smoke-free outdoor dining policy. "The vast majority of L.A. County residents are non-smokers -- 85.7 percent -- and data has shown that even many smokers prefer to dine in smoke-free settings," said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, director and health officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. "This ordinance continues Los Angeles' commitment to protecting the health of our residents and reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, emphysema and the many other diseases associated with tobacco smoke." The policy specifically prohibits smoking within 10 feet of outdoor dining areas, including food courts, as well as within 40 feet of food kiosks, food carts, and mobile food trucks in the City of Los Angeles. Beginning March 8, 2011, affected businesses are required to request that patrons not smoke within the designated distance of their business and post signage with specific phrasing and the international "no smoking" symbol. "The City of Los Angeles continues to set the pace for healthy living," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "Angelenos already enjoy smoke-free parks, beaches and farmers' markets and now they will be able to enjoy all the wonderful outdoor dining that L.A. has to offer without exposure to toxic secondhand smoke." The campaign features colorful outdoor transit ads placed throughout the city showcasing delicious and healthy food and proclaiming eating out better with "a side of fresh air." Patrons and business owners can also learn about the law through radio announcements, online ads and the informational website FreshAirDiningLA.com. "This is great news for the City of L.A. and we wanted the campaign to reflect that," said Fielding. "Nothing goes better with good food than a side of fresh air." Read the rest <here>

The PhyDough truck is serving up organic ice cream and cookies to lucky pups on the streets of L.A. In keeping with the city's 'people food' trucks, dog owners can find their pooch's mobile munchies on twitter. Check out this short clip:

The Manila Machine Filipino food truck is the brain child of L.A. food bloggers Marvin Gapultos and Nastassia Johnson. It boasts what just might be the funkiest theme song ever to accompany a food truck!

 

If you can't get enough 'Manila, Manila, Manila, Manila Machiiiiine', download the song <here> The Manila Machine Music and Lyrics By Elson Trinidad

Walkin’ down Los Angeles streets I’m gettin’ kinda hungry, gotta find something to eat So many choices in the local food truck scene But I gotta check my Twitter, for the Manila Machine Manila, Manila, Manila, Manila Machine Shining rays of orange, it’s a sight that must be seen Manila, Manila, Manila, Manila Machine Make that truck your destination for Filipino cuisine The Manila Machine! Hoy! They got longganisa sliders and sisig over rice And that Filipino breakfast, you know silog’s so nice! They got turon for me, ube cupcakes just for you Don’t forget the chicken adobo and that lumpia too Manila, Manila, Manila, Manila Machine Shining rays of orange, it’s a sight that must be seen Manila, Manila, Manila, Manila Machine Make that truck your destination for Filipino cuisine The Manila Machine! Hoy!

LOS ANGELES — Chef Hugh Schick has cooked in some of the finest kitchens in the land. He took classes at the Culinary Institute of America, studied under the Italian food expert Marcella Hazan and served as a private chef for the likes of the writer Christopher Hitchens and the venture capitalist David Cowan. But when Mr. Schick and his business partner, Blake Tally, decided to open Le Truc, a San Francisco “bustaurant,” with a gourmet kitchen and dedicated seating area inside a converted school bus, the two quickly learned that the kitchens in food trucks are very different from their brick-and-mortar equivalents. “It’s basically like buying a trailer home,” Mr. Schick said. “You get a kitchen that’s not designed by a chef, but by an engineer who’s simply trying to figure out where to make things fit.” As Mr. Schick and other chefs seek to take more exotic foods like agedashi tofu and foie gras torchon to the streets and sidewalks of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, they are demanding a host of upgrades to the traditional catering trucks, from teppanyaki grills to vertical chicken rotisseries. And those who manufacture catering trucks are rushing to accommodate such special requests, which have rescued their industry from a recession-induced plunge in demand for the more traditional taco and hamburger trucks. “We’re seeing demand for customization based on specific menus or food concepts, which may mean installing a pizza oven or a baking oven for cupcakes,” said Richard Gomez, customer sales engineer and plant controller at AA Cater Truck, the largest food truck manufacturer in the country. “There’s also a lot more emphasis on marketing and graphics. Trucks used to be just white, but now customers want to make their trucks look like celebrities.” Read the rest <here>

Found this interesting video on L.A's love affair with bacon dogs hosted by Drew Carey for Reason.Tv. The health department says they are a 'no no', seizing equipment and jailing vendors, effectively pushing the dirty dogs into the black market. "It's so good and so bad for you, you might think it's illegal. Actually, it is"