By Laine Doss | Miami New Times
Photo courtesy The Rolling Stove
Long-time Miami culinary junkies will likely remember the Rolling Stove. One of the first food trucks on the Miami scene, the truck was — and is — run by Troy Thomas, who offers char-grilled comfort food from his flame-wrapped vehicle.
The Rolling Stove received much acclaim, and in 2011 was named one of the ten best food trucks in the United States by Eat Street‘s James Cunningham for USA Today. The truck is still on the road, and will celebrate its fifth anniversary on July 6. While Thomas is happy with the success of the truck, which travels throughout south Florida from Palm Beach to Miami, he was ready for another challenge. As luck would have it, an opportunity arose last week.
Thomas tells New Times that his partner, Henry Gonzales, was the catalyst for the Rolling Stove to take over the kitchen at Churchill’s Pub. Gonzales is friends with one of Churchill’s managers, who was looking to up the pub’s food game. “This just happened less than a week ago, but were ready to go.”
Thomas is doing some cleanup and menu planning, with the intent of taking over the kitchen and starting meal service the beginning of June. The menu? “It’s an extension of the truck with some good English pub grub mixed in.”
Menu items include a version of bangers and mash, fish and chips made with mahi, empanadas, brisket nachos, and Thomas’ famous Capt’n Crunch-battered chicken. For dessert there’s banoffe, a banana and toffee pie.
In the future, Thomas will set up a smoker outside for ribs and chicken. Though prices haven’t been set, Thomas plans to keep it budget-friendly. “The prices will be lower than they are on my food truck. We have less overhead here.”
Fans of the food truck needn’t worry. The truck will continue operating, with Thomas’ partner, Gonzales doing the bulk of the food truck duties and Thomas working the kitchen at Churchill’s Pub.
The Rolling Stove at Churchill’s will be open seven days a week, from around 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., though days and times may change.
