Last summer, the Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race The Los Angeles-based Cuban pop-up officially cements Señoreata in the network’s history, crowning its first plant-based winner.
The competition show’s new season is underway, and there’s a vegan contestant who could follow in Senorita’s footsteps. Across a series of challenges designed to test culinary skills and business acumen, The Easy Vegan—a plant-based pop-up based in Denver, CO—consistently placed in the top three.
Run by founders Taylor Herbert and Alexi Mandolini, The Easy Vegan was born out of Pandemic. After laying off Mandolini, he launched The Easy Vegan with Herbert, his partner in both business and life. for Great Food Truck Race, The couple recruited friend and Denver-based chef Matt Heikkila to round out their team.
Food Network
Season 16, officially titled “David vs. Goliath,” pits seasoned industry professionals with established food trucks against talented, up-and-coming rookies in the food truck business. Easy Vegan pits first-timers 2 Girls Jamaican Tacos against fellow rookies and food trucks; 4 Hen’s Creole Kitchen; Khana, which churns out Pakistani fusion dishes; and The Block, serving burgers, sandwiches and seafood dishes.
Lisa’s Creperie; Da Bald Guy, a Hawaiian mainstay serving island cuisine; Puerto Rican food truck D’Pura Sepa; And Italian Truck Paisani rounds out the season’s contenders, each competing as industry professionals.
“This season’s unique twist really delivers and while you might think the food truck pros have the advantage, the energy and talent of the up and coming rookies creates a level playing field – it’s anyone’s race,” said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food. Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement.
“Los Angeles is the perfect backdrop this season, there is no city more competitive for food trucks and only the strong will survive,” Ayala said.
Nine teams face off in this eight-episode season for a chance to win the $50,000 grand prize, and with only four teams remaining, The Easy Vegan is on his way to victory.
Easy Vegan in ‘The Great Food Truck Race’
Easy Vegan is here to win, and it’s evident in the food truck’s performance. The trio set the tone in the first episode, taking second place after earning $2,350 in food sales.
The second episode, as the Paisani team put it succinctly, solidified that The Easy Vegan is a “serious contender” and makes them a team to watch. The episode brought the teams to a minor league ballpark, where the challenge was to impress 150 guests and sell the most food. Winners will receive immunity from elimination and $15,000, the largest challenge prize in series history, as host Tyler Florence noted.
Food Network
With everyone vying for the prize, it was Easy Vegan who ultimately proved victorious. “We still get emotional re-watching that episode,” Herbert told VegNews. “When [Tyler] announced the challenge, we didn’t think we had a chance against the other team in a ballpark food challenge—you know, hot dogs, hamburgers, kids, but we immediately let go of the negative thoughts.”
“We didn’t lead with the word ‘vegan,’ because they’re kids and they don’t care,” Herbert continues. “It was a great opportunity to remind viewers that things like French fries and deep-fried Oreos are vegetarian.”
Another stand-out hit? Easy Vegan Lemonade. Kids flock to food trucks to sip on ice cold drinks, helping the team beat their competition.
Episode three once again saw The Easy Vegan in the top two, but episode four served as a wake-up call. The Pro teams finished first, second and third, with The Easy Vegan dropping to fourth, narrowly avoiding elimination.
“Our biggest competition [at this point] Everyone was,” Mandolini tells VegNews. “The podium was a mess. D’Pura Sepa came in second. We were looking around, [thinking]’Well, everybody’s here to play—Lisa’s Creperie, D’pura Sepa, da Bald Guy.’
“Da Bald Guy has a huge following in Los Angeles,” says Mandolini. “They were such a big competitor, and we’ve been thinking about them since the first episode, but at this point, we started looking around everybody. We were just so impressed.”
Easy Vegan takes first place
Most recently, episode five saw The Easy Vegan win back-to-back challenges. First, they impressed celebrity chef and restaurateur Jet Tila during the Taste Challenge. Teams were tasked with recreating their “origin story dishes,” the dishes that ignited their dreams of working in the food industry.
Easy chose to recreate vegan ramen, as the dish helped Mandolini realize how creative one can be when cooking. The team’s creamy shoyu ramen with koji and shiitake mushrooms was chosen as the tile winner, earning The Easy Vegan an extra $300 up their tile.
Food Network
The episode’s sales challenge brought the teams to a brewery, where their goal was to outsell their competitors. Easy Vegan Mushroom Dumpling served on a bed of miso alongside Japanese sweet potato and tempura vegetables; It is second only to mining.
However, when total earnings were calculated, The Easy Vegan’s earlier win gave them the boost they needed to officially win the first leg of the race with total earnings of $2,179.
Despite struggling competition in Los Angeles—where foot traffic is minimal, a reality the team hadn’t anticipated—the Easy Vegan trio relied on each other and their community.
“We feel like we [Denver community] It was with us the whole time getting to know the Los Angeles vegan scene,” shares Herbert. “People in Denver who are following our journey will send them [people]”
“I would get so emotional because someone would walk up to the truck, introduce themselves and say, ‘Hey, I’m six degrees of separation from this guy in Denver,'” Herbert said. “A lot of people rallied for us.”
The final three episodes of the Food Truck Race, titled “Family Food” (a plant-based challenge led by Señoriata founder Ivanis Holz); “Need for Speed” (a flavor and speed challenge); and “Final Showdown” (where the winning truck will be awarded $50,000), airing on July 16, 23 and 30, respectively.
What’s next for The Easy Vegan? Mandolini and Herbert are currently working on opening a plant-based restaurant under a new name later this year. Meanwhile, they’re still popping up at farmers markets.
For the latest vegetarian news, read:
Jocelyn Martinez is an associate editor at VegNews living in Los Angeles, CA.