January 13, 2014

King Creole Food Truck Brings Cajun and Creole Cuisine to Burlington, NC

King Creole Food Truck Brings Cajun and Creole Cuisine to Burlington, NC

Chef Micah Martello and the King Creole Food Truck

Chef Micah Martello has been in the food business for over 20  years. He’s been an executive chef, a food and beverage director, and a restaurant owner. He now owns and operates a Louisiana-themed food truck in Burlington, NC.

Originally from Baton Rouge (we graduated high school together!), Micah spent time in New Orleans where he owned a restaurant called Nautical. That restaurant was named in Bon Appetit Magazine’s “Best of the Year” in 1999. Micah arrived in Burlington, NC by way of Chapel Hill.

Restaurant life can be grueling, especially on young families. In order to devote more time to his family, Micah left the restaurant business for about 5 years. Starting a food truck was something that he has thought about for a while. He loves being a chef, and he figured that a food truck would allow him to practice his craft without being tied down to a restaurant. He was right. In the fall of 2012, the King Creole Food Truck was born.

“The food truck allows me to practice my craft without being tied down to a restaurant, plus it gives me direct interaction with my customers, which I love.”
Chef Micah Martello of the King Creole Food Truck
Chef Micah Martello

The name “King Creole” actually comes from a movie starring Elvis Presley that was released in 1958. And, for Micah, the name represents “Louisiana food.” [Incidentally, Elvis sang a song in that movie called “Crawfish.” I love that song! You can listen to it below.]

I just wrote an article this morning that explains the difference between Cajun and Creole cuisines. For most people who are not from here, those two cuisines seem like they are one and the same, like it’s all just “Louisiana food.” They are both tantalizing, and they both say “home” to me, but there are some definite distinctions. You can read about the differences here: Louisiana Cooking: Cajun or Creole?

I love what Micah has to say on his website KingCreoleFoodTruck.com:

“Don’t know what Creole is? Allow us to drop some knowledge on you. Louisiana Creole blends African, French, Italian, Native American, Spanish AND Portuguese flavors with good ol’ Southern cookin’. Sounds amazing, right? It is. King Creole creates our dishes from scratch using only the freshest local ingredients. We aim to please and to fill your stomach with the tastiest, most flavorful authentic cookin’ you’ll find in the Greensboro and Burlington, North Carolina area.”
Blackened Tilapia Poboy with baby Arugula, marinated sundried tomatoes and Remoulade sauce
Blackened Tilapia Poboy with baby Arugula marinated sundried tomatoes and Remoulade sauce

Award-winning Chef Micah Martello Joins Us on Around the Table

Chef Micah Martello joined us on the Around the Table Food Show just a few weeks ago. It was great to talk with him again, and he left us all hungry for fresh and hot food truck fare!

Listen to the Around the Table Food Show by clicking on the “play” button below. Or to download the MP3 version and listen at your convenience, just right-click this link and save it to your computer: King Creole Food Truck Brings Cajun and Creole Cuisine to Burlington, NC.

libsyn

Find the King Creole Food Truck Online

Check out the King Creole website or Facebook page for a full menu and updates, and follow @kcfoodtruck on Twitter.

Smoked Chicken and Sausage Gumbo