Jason Rodriguez was born and raised in New Jersey where he began his culinary career at 17 slinging cheesesteaks.
Meanwhile, he had the dream of starting his own business. The ball started rolling in 2013, when he and his family moved to Florida.
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“We always knew we wanted to bring the taste of our Jersey food her...It was always a family topic in every reunion to start our own food truck and bring some of our favorites to Florida,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
Rodriguez dream became reality about a month ago when he opened his food truck, A Taste of South Jersey. It is at 1398 E. Vine Street in Kissimmee.
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“Our opening wasn’t just an ordinary event; it was a memorable reunion of our community. It was heartwarming to see people from all over South Jersey come together,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
At the food truck you’ll find cheesesteaks with a unique seasoning by Rodriguez’s cousin, but what helped bring a line across the parking lot was the Tarantini Panzarotti.
The truck serves the iconic Italian dish from the original creator – Pauline Tarantini. It was created in the 1960s and is a deep-fried turnover stuffed with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, Rodriguez said.
He added when Tarantini Panzarotti posted the food truck was coming here on social media, people from all over Central Florida drove to them – making sure this was real.
“A Touch of South Jersey wouldn’t be possible without their incredible contribution...their support has been invaluable,” Rodriguez said.
Overall, Rodriguez dream is not done yet, he has plans to add more menu options such as Philly cheesesteak fries and egg rolls – he also said he would love to open a brick-and-motor space in the area.
“At the moment we want to move around for events and get to know ourselves to our fellow Floridians. Our goal is to build connections and allow everyone to experience what we have to offer,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
Click here to check out where A Touch of South Jersey will be parked next.
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