The new food truck on the block is hard to miss -- it's design is scratchy, swirly and shines in the sun.
Brian Farrell, owner of Italian-themed Basil Thyme, said he makes the pasta, sauces and cheeses from scratch, and wanted the truck’s design to represent that idea.
"It doesn’t matter how it looks," he said of the 1987 postal truck he modernized. "Love it or hate it, it’s all about how the food tastes."
Farrell said he believes the freshness of his meals is a differentiator. As a foodie, he said, one of his favorite experiences is "when you have a good meal where the chef shows he cares and attends to details."
Basil Thyme offers $8 pasta and lasagna entrées, $7 sandwiches and $3 desserts, including cannolis. Combo meals for 10 bucks come with an entrée, salad, dessert and drink.
"We’re taking a pretty standard fare and just trying to do a good job with it," he said.
The other food truck owners were "incredibly friendly," he said, squashing any notion of a full-out food truck war. "I don’t see it as Us vs. Them."
Farrell said his main competitor is time. "I want to do lunch in our time zone and then get to Chicago and serve them lunch too."
He sure has that get-up-and-go attitude for someone whose workday is from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Farrell previously worked as an engineer, but when the economy slowed, he decided to try something new. His love for food sparked an idea to open a food truck. "I watch the Food Network. That’s what I do."
And he admits it wasn’t -- and isn't -- easy. "This is pretty much the hardest I’ve worked in my life," he said. "We’re still getting our groove."
