Anna Mendes Left the Corporate World to Open a Food Truck: The Saucy Sicilian Story

Anna Mendes had grown tired of the corporate world and was eager to pursue his passion for cooking. To achieve this, he needed the best help he could find, so he turned to his mother, Priscilla, who was living in the mountains of Colorado. "Hey, I need y'all in Oklahoma," he said. "Let's start a food truck." His mother went back into retirement mode, ready to lend her expertise to Anna's new venture.

Anna Mendes' vision for The Saucy Sicilian was to create an authentic Italian experience that would transport customers to his great-grandmother's old-school kitchen. When asked what he wanted people to have when they came to The Saucy Sicilian, he replied without hesitation, "Meatballs! The meatballs are the must-haves." Anna's great-grandmother's recipe was a 50-50 mix of pork and beef, with eggs added to bind everything together. Fresh parsley and parmesan cheese were also essential ingredients in her recipe.

As they began preparing for the big launch, Anna couldn't stress enough how important his mother's homemade meatballs were. "No no sauce and meatballs," he emphasized, "what are we making? My mother's homemade meatballs this is my great-grandmother's recipe." The mixture was a labor of love, with each ingredient carefully selected to ensure the perfect balance of flavors.

Once they had mixed everything together, Anna's team got to work. They put their creation into the oven to roast, while simultaneously preparing his great-grandmother's marinara sauce. This classic Italian condiment was made with olive oil, garlic, onions, and a pinch of salt. As they waited for it to simmer, Anna couldn't help but share some stories about his mother's cooking.

With the sauce ready, Anna's team began assembling the dish that would become their signature item: meatballs smothered in the homemade marinara sauce. They seared short ribs in olive oil before adding them back into the sauce, which was then simmered for hours to develop a rich and complex flavor profile. The aroma of garlic, onions, and tomato paste wafted through the air, making everyone's mouth water.

As the line of customers began to form outside, Anna's team sprang into action. With each meatball going out the door, Dylan, Anna's young protégé, took over, expertly seasoning and finishing off the dish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a basil leaf. Anna couldn't have been prouder of his team as they worked together seamlessly to create an unforgettable dining experience.

One customer asked how the bird came into play, referring to a toucan that suddenly appeared in the kitchen. "The bird?" Anna chuckled. "It's just my mom trying to get in on the action." This tongue-in-cheek remark only added to the lighthearted and welcoming atmosphere of The Saucy Sicilian.

With every dish that left the kitchen, Anna felt an overwhelming sense of pride. His mother's homemade bread crumbs, parsley, and parmesan cheese had come together to create a masterpiece that was greater than the sum of its parts. As he took a bite of his great-grandmother's sauce with a tender meatball on top, he couldn't help but think that this was exactly what he needed – a passion-driven project that brought people together.

The Saucy Sicilian is more than just a food truck; it's a culinary journey back in time to Anna Mendes' great-grandmother's old-school kitchen. With every bite of his mother's homemade meatballs smothered in her great-grandmother's marinara sauce, customers are transported to a place where love, tradition, and family come together to create something truly special.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enganna mendes left the corporate world to open a food truck this is the saucy sicilian he wanted the best help he could find so he asked his mom priscilla she was living in the mountains in colorado and i'm like hey i need y'all in oklahoma let's start a food truck he got me out of retirement o-m-g you went old-school italian just like my great-grandmother if you told somebody to come here what should they have when they come here known as meatballs the meatballs are the must-haves i would agree with that no no sauce and meatballs what are we making my mother's homemade meatballs this is my great-grandmother's recipe 50-50 pork and beef we'll mix this together add some eggs okay can't have enough garlic grandma was right on point with that my mother's homemade bread crumbs parsley and the parmesan cheese okay you mix these up here you go thank you gotta get working dude we got a lot to do hey got a line of people go rock go we're a team we're gonna roast him in the oven next step we have my great grandma's marinara sauce we'll do a little olive oil one short rib once it's seared up then we're gonna just take it out why this way gramolina would do it we'll add it back in garlic onions get it cooked down we're not open yet he's making grandma's sauce hold on people are getting all antsy dancy out there tomato paste tomato sauce two cans of water in wait a second when did the bird come into play the bird the toucan thank you folks i'll be here all week try the meatballs short rip goes back in goes back in sugar salt the red pepper flake black pepper four bay leaves bring that to a boil okay let it simmer and then we're gonna put the meatballs in it really yes sir it cooks for about another eight hours and you put in a double cup a little parm top it off with a basil leaf look at that delicious and tender and moist great sauce a little sprinkle of the parmesan right at the end not fresh basil hits that sauce and just blooms and that's a good amount of garlic dylan your grandma taught you right great job thank you i appreciate it youganna mendes left the corporate world to open a food truck this is the saucy sicilian he wanted the best help he could find so he asked his mom priscilla she was living in the mountains in colorado and i'm like hey i need y'all in oklahoma let's start a food truck he got me out of retirement o-m-g you went old-school italian just like my great-grandmother if you told somebody to come here what should they have when they come here known as meatballs the meatballs are the must-haves i would agree with that no no sauce and meatballs what are we making my mother's homemade meatballs this is my great-grandmother's recipe 50-50 pork and beef we'll mix this together add some eggs okay can't have enough garlic grandma was right on point with that my mother's homemade bread crumbs parsley and the parmesan cheese okay you mix these up here you go thank you gotta get working dude we got a lot to do hey got a line of people go rock go we're a team we're gonna roast him in the oven next step we have my great grandma's marinara sauce we'll do a little olive oil one short rib once it's seared up then we're gonna just take it out why this way gramolina would do it we'll add it back in garlic onions get it cooked down we're not open yet he's making grandma's sauce hold on people are getting all antsy dancy out there tomato paste tomato sauce two cans of water in wait a second when did the bird come into play the bird the toucan thank you folks i'll be here all week try the meatballs short rip goes back in goes back in sugar salt the red pepper flake black pepper four bay leaves bring that to a boil okay let it simmer and then we're gonna put the meatballs in it really yes sir it cooks for about another eight hours and you put in a double cup a little parm top it off with a basil leaf look at that delicious and tender and moist great sauce a little sprinkle of the parmesan right at the end not fresh basil hits that sauce and just blooms and that's a good amount of garlic dylan your grandma taught you right great job thank you i appreciate it you\n"