By Rick Sobey  |  Lowell Sun
BILLERICA — One sells chicken, the other pork. One wears black and gold, the other black and red. One cheers for a bear, the other an Indian warrior.
These differences, coupled with an intense hockey championship series, led the owners of Augusta Subs and Salads in Billerica to challenge a Chicago restaurant and food truck to a friendly bet. The loser has to wear the opposing team’s gear and sell the other food truck’s recipes.
According to these Boston Bruins’ fans, there’s no way they’ll be mocked after the series.
“The Bruins are going to take it, no question about it. So much heart on that
team,” said Bill Strazzere, co-owner of Augusta, at 599 Boston Road. “I hope I’m right because I really don’t want to wear a Blackhawks shirt and serve pork.”
“We have faith in the B’s, and it will be really fun to see them wearing Bruins shirts and selling chicken,” said Mary Bishop, Strazzere’s sister and co-owner of Augusta, which has been in town for almost 27 years.
With Augusta recently unveiling a chicken food truck, called Chicken on the Road, the owners wanted to see if any food truck in Chicago wanted to make the Stanley Cup Finals interesting. Through social media, the Augusta owners found Porkchop Chicago, a pork truck with avid Blackhawks fans.
But Porkchop wouldn’t agree to the bet initially. It took until the Blackhawks won the series’ first game for them to take the wager, Strazzere said.
“It’s a fun thing for bragging rights,” he said. “I’ve wanted to do these bets before. Sports were part of my family growing up, and it’s going to feel great to have another title in Boston.”
If the Bruins win, Porkchop Chicago’s staff would have to buy and wear Bruins’ shirts, wear Augusta’s chicken jewelry, and serve one of Augusta’s items for a day, such as their buffalo chicken mac ‘n’ cheese sub. The food truck would also have to put up a sign that reads, “We lost a bet to Chicken on the Road.”
Strazzere said that in the unlikely event the Bruins lose, Augusta’s staff would have to buy and wear Blackhawks’ shirts, put on a Porkchop Chicago pin, sell pulled pork for a day, and also put up an embarrassing sign.
The chicken food truck, unveiled six months ago, has been a big hit, Strazzere said. The truck stops in Billerica, Burlington, Bedford, Lexington and Malden throughout the week, sitting outside office buildings for employees at lunch. In the months before the Lowell Spinners season kicked off, the truck was at the stadium three nights a week serving college students.
The most popular food truck item is the chicken bites, with a dozen homemade sauces to choose from. Other high-sellers are its buffalo chicken sub, buffalo mac ‘n’ cheese sub, and explosion sub, which has mozzarella sticks, french fries and chicken with sauce on top.
“Food trucks are all the rage right now. Just a craze,” Strazzere said. “It’s a good way to spread your name out there, and it seems to be working really well.”
Strazzere said they’re looking into bringing the food truck to Yankee Doodle weekend in Billerica this September.
And if the Bruins win, Strazzere said there’s a good possibility he would get a special license to serve food in Boston during the Bruins parade.
Porkchop Chicago did not respond to requests for comment. Maybe they’re already out shopping for Bruins gear.
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_23522183/billerica-chicago-food-trucks-serve-up-stanley-cup
