Wheels of The Bus Boy Mobile Cuisine now rolling in Carson City
Submitted by Brett Fisher on Sat, 01/26/2019 - 10:12am
Billy Lavelle's newest set of wheels is unlike anything else on the Northern Nevada food truck scene.
It stands out like, well, a double-decker bus.
That's because Carson City's newest food truck is a double-decker bus, straight from London, England, where it used to transport commuters and sightseeing tourists.
But Lavelle, a 1982 Carson High School graduate, breathed new life into the 36-foot long, 15-foot tall British icon by turning it into his dream: Food on wheels.
The Bus Boy Mobile Cuisine opened for business earlier this week, the culmination of a monumental three-year project for Lavelle, who is no stranger to the food scene.
The Queens, New York, native was surrounded early in life by some of the most diverse and eclectic eats found anywhere worldwide.
Much of Lavelle's formative years were spent appreciating the finer points of food, for which he developed a culinary nose that he has followed clear into the driver's seat of The Bus Boy's two-story Cummins L10 diesel pusher.
On Friday, The Bus Boy was parked in the Grocery Outlet parking lot along N. Carson Street, attracting both the curious and the hungry.
Featuring sit-down and street-side service, The Bus Boy is unique among other food trucks in the region.
There are two menus to choose from. One includes scrumptious street fare like sausages, frankfurters, sliders, chicken strips and even fish-n-chips, a traditional English favorite.
The other menu is meant for seated service, featuring savory gourmet dishes like salmon, steak, chicken and beef or salmon Wellington.
Sit-down diners can climb the steps to The Bus Boy's second level, which seats 28 comfortably.
Seating areas up top are lit with bright, fun perimeter neon lighting that patrons can change with the touch of a remote control placed at each table.
There are flat screen televisions upstairs as well as outside of the bus for those who want to enjoy sporting events while they eat.
A specially designed dumb waiter delivers food from the downstairs kitchen to servers on the top floor.
The commercial kitchen features appliances designed to cook food faster than it takes in an ordinary restaurant, Lavelle said.
Lavelle said his goal all along has been to introduce something different and fun for the whole family to enjoy.
"We're looking for an exciting, happy atmosphere that is enjoyable and family-friendly," he said. I'm just looking to have a good time and serve the community."
For that reason, The Bus Boy does not serve alcohol.
"We want to keep it to where everyone feels welcome," he said.
What The Bus Boy does serve is a lot of locally grown ingredients and gluten-free food.
"Only two of the items — the beef and salmon wellingtons — have gluten in them," Lavelle said. "Everything else is gluten-free."
Even the fish-n-chips.
Lavelle said L.A. Bakery in Carson City provides The Bus Boy with many gluten-free options.
Bentley Ranch in the Carson Valley sources its beef and lamb to Lavelle, while Dayton Aquaponics supplies the greens.
A specialty ice cream from Icecycle Creamery in Reno is made just for The Bus Boy, Lavelle said, while Donuts To Go in Carson City bakes a special-sized fritter as a dessert item.
Lavelle said he is also going to be working with Flocchini Family Provisions in Carson City to develop other new sausages for The Bus Boy.
To experience The Bus Boy for yourself, visit it online at thebusboymobile.com or check it out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thebusboymobile.
The Bus Boy is open Mondays through Saturdays generally from 12-8 p.m. But hours are currently subject to change. Lavelle said he plans to post The Bus Boy's location each day on Facebook, so that patrons can easily find it.
Then again, The Bus Boy's double-decker body is rather hard to miss.
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