Top Shelf
Mobile Cuisine
ABOUT
About the Owner
Francine - CCO
I like to think of myself as the CCO. It is a title I came up with meaning Chief Creative Officer. Actually, I am the Chef and Owner. (the accountant, buyer, mechanic, cleaner, driver, prep cook, produce inspector, etc...)
I started a food truck so everyday people can try new things, 100% made from scratch food, locally sourced, sustainably raised, organic when I can get it, without the high price tag at a fancy restaurant. Most of my recipes are labor intensive and take time to prepare and cook. Hand sliced Filet Mignon, Lamb Chops grilled to order, and salt plank seared U10 diver scallops are not something you can pre-cook and sit under a heat lamp. Even when we do burgers they are grilled to order and plated to your specifications. I would hope you can understand and be patient while we create your dish.
Before the truck:
I had a dream of a restaurant/catering hall, but I always knew I just wanted to feed people good food at a fair price. Plus, it is hard to be big and still mingle with the people. I needed to think outside the box to get myself into a box with wheels. I love being mobile. I love my mobile kitchen. I love to meet new people and go to new southern NJ locations. Now, nature is my catering hall with it's most beautiful scenery and landscapes.
Things don't turn out like you plan them, and that is okay. Just roll with it.
I hope you can join us soon!
Want the FOOD TRUCK EXPERIENCE?
Feel the heat and come work on the truck for up to 4 hours for $100.00 fee. (Yes. you pay us)
Inquire through our "Contact Us" button.
Top Shelf Mobile Cuisine:
About Us
As South Jersey's only fine cuisine food truck, Top Shelf Mobile Cuisine is all about serving fresh, upscale food on the go -- throughout Cumberland County & beyond.
Social Consciousness
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
Food Trucks in general have a very large carbon foot print. Most only get 6-12 mpg, carry 40 to 200 pounds of propane, and have generators that consume 1 gallon of gas per hour and emit exhaust and noise. Food Trucks also rely on all disposable items to serve their products.
At Top Shelf Mobile Cuisine LLC we are coming up with diverse ways to help reduce our carbon foot print. We have researched and found disposables made from PCF (post-consumer fiber) and that are commercially compostable. We never use Polystyrene or styrofoam. We only use paper bags. All take out boxes and serving items are eco-friendly and sustainable food packaging products with at least 25% pcf if not made of plant fiber or corn sugar. We are used up the last of our printed wax paper liners and moved to natural kraft paper in 2022 thus limiting the use of processing chemicals like chlorine bleach.
We use PLA drinking straws. PLA is polylactic acid and is derived from corn starch and sugar cane. Polylactic acid is biodegradable. We are using all clear pla cups as well. Of course the environmentally friendly stuff is costly so we must charge when guests request just a cup of ice. Sorry, but Mother Earth is important to us.
We are limiting our generator run time by prepping all our menu items while plugged into electric. We are, also, looking for places that share our concern for the environment to vend. A place that will be able to offer us a 30 amp electrical supply while we are parked doing business.
We compost all of our fruit and vegetable prep scraps, used tea & tea bags, and coffee grinds. Eventually, this will become part of the soil we use in our own vegetable garden and flower beds. Any Unsweetened Sun Tea of the Day will be used to water plants and vegetation.
Giving Back to Our Community
Top Shelf Mobile Cuisine LLC will be offering a 15% discount on your whole check to anyone that donates non-perishable food items. Non-perishable items include: can goods, rice, beans, cereal, formula, nut butters, pasta, etc. We will accept the donations at the window and store them in crates in our truck's cab area until we have a full crate to drop off to the St. Vincent De Paul Food Bank to help families in need.
Above:
Just having a little fun before I closed up one night in the Spring of 2017.
Photo courtesy of another food vendor's phone.