I have a major sweet tooth, with chocolate being my biggest downfall. This month’s entry in The Best New Jersey Food Trucks gets brownie points for their creativity and originality. (Bad pun, but I promise their desserts are much better.) The Brownie Bar – based in Ridgefield Park – has been around for nearly five years now.
Owned by wife-and-husband duo Lai and Gustavo Barboni, the truck travels throughout NJ and NY. Their signature item is, of course, brownies; but thanks to Lai’s professional pastry experience, they serve many unique recipes and tasty flavors you won’t find elsewhere.
The Barbonis devote themselves to The Brownie Bar full time. In fact, the couple is soon opening their very own café. Best of NJ spoke with Lai about the truck, the café, and all of their sweet treats. Check out the full interview below!
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The Best New Jersey Food Trucks Interview: The Brownie Bar
BONJ: Tell us the history behind The Brownie Bar. What made you get into the brownie business?
Lai: Back in 2014, Gustavo bought a food trailer with the intention of having a side business selling empanadas. He liked this particular trailer because it had an oven and no fryers, which is hard to find. He started applying to street fairs, festivals, carnivals with no success. The food truck craze was taking hold and there were many empanada trucks dominating the scene. That’s when I got involved and decided to switch to sweets.
I wanted to make something simple that can be made on the truck…. cupcakes! But then we hesitated, thinking we wouldn’t be able to get into any events like the empanada idea. Plus, I felt the cupcake craze was fading. I kept thinking, “What sweet treat is simple to make (like a cookie) and can have different flavor variations; but be familiar and nostalgic (like a cupcake)?” BROWNIES! So I went on a mission to develop a deeply rich chocolate brownie recipe that I would love to eat and be simple to make… no mixer required.
BONJ: Where did you two meet?
Lai: Gustavo and I met while working at Blue Smoke restaurant in New York City in 2002. He was head bartender, I was a pastry cook. We immediately connected through the food. One day he saw me carrying a huge container filled with a pink liquid; walking toward the sink to throw it out. He asked what it was, and I told him it was the excess liquid from the macerated strawberries and rhubarb that we used for cobbler. He told me to save it for him, that he would use it. A couple hours later, he comes back with an amazing cocktail that he created with the juice: Strawberry-Rhubard Caipiroska, a twist on a Caipirinha but made with vodka instead of Cachaça. I was totally impressed and he won my heart over; we got married in 2005.
Once we decided on brownies [for The Brownie Bar], brainstorming for flavor variations came naturally for us; especially the Boozy Brownies. The idea was to make a cocktail in the form of a brownie or blondie. Hence, the White Russian brownie and Mojito blondie were born. S’mores, Pecan Pie, and others soon came afterwards, always with the intention to elevate the humble brownie.
BONJ: What different items can people get from your truck?
Lai: Besides seasonal brownies and blondies, in the warmer months, people can find homemade vanilla ice cream for a Brownie a la Mode or a Brownie Sundae topped with homemade sauces and fresh whipped cream. We also have beverages like Cold Brew Coffee, Spiced Apple Cider and our extravagant Frozen Chocolate Blast; It’s an over-the-top chocolate slushee! We’re working on a non-dairy, tropical fruit version of the Blast.
BONJ: What can patrons expect from a Brownie Bar brownie?
Lai: They can definitely expect a rich, fudgy brownie. The blondies are a bit cakier, but still moist and chewy and not crumbly.
BONJ: What was business like when you started out?
Lai: It was difficult. We thought we could just park on a street somewhere and start selling, kind of like in NYC. Soon we realized every town has different rules pertaining to food trucks, and some towns don’t even allow them. We had to rely on companies that produce festivals and street fairs, but then it would get expensive; with not only the application fees, but health and fire permit fees for every town. Eventually, people started seeking us out for private catering. People would constantly ask if we had a permanent location where they could get their Brownie fix. This is one of the reasons why we decided to open a brick-and-mortar.
BONJ: What can you tell us about your new café?
Lai: The café will be an experiment; part bakery, part coffee shop, part sit-down eatery. We basically needed a full commercial kitchen of our own to support and expand the food truck. But we wanted our neighbors and customers to have a place to hang out and enjoy a good cup of coffee with a fresh baked sweet. We hope to open the Brownie Bar Café by middle of June.
BONJ: Will the Brownie Bar Café feature an expanded menu?
Lai: Yes. Our focus will still be brownies, but we will also have other desserts, some small savory bites and beverages. We want our offerings to be unique and well-made using quality ingredients for the best taste experience. Our menu will also be seasonal.
BONJ: What kind of catering options do you offer?
Lai: We serve Mini Brownie Trios with optional beverages and/or ice cream. Guests get to choose from a menu of flavors which people love to do. It gives them a chance to taste different things. Our dessert food truck is available for private catering, weddings, corporate functions, school events, religious celebrations, and fundraisers. If you don’t need the truck and just want brownies, you can order trays at the Brownie Bar Café.
BONJ: Do you know what events you’ll be at this spring and summer?
Lai: Not too many. We didn’t load our schedule to give us space to focus on the café. We’ll be at the rescheduled Branchburg Food Truck Festival on May 23; Paterson Food Truck Fest on June 4; Paramus Food Truck Festival June 13; Town of Monroe (NY) Food Truck Fest on June 19; and possibly Food Truck Friday in Pound Ridge, NY, on July 23. We will be participating in a few events in the fall, too.
To learn more about The Brownie Bar, click here to visit their website.
Click here to see more of The Best New Jersey Food Trucks.
All Photos: © Patrick Lombardi / Best of NJ
