August 18, 2025

You OTT to read this…a newsletter from Ott Street Eats on August 18, 2025.

As the last newsletter was dated May 15, 2025, it would seem that summer has almost passed. And what a weird summer it has been. We have been learning and growing this year. I know we need to catch you up on many things. So, here we go.

First, Leigh Anne’s recovery has been complete and she remains cancer free!

Next, before anyone even asks: No, we were not robbed. No, we were not kicked off the corner of Franklin Street and South Main Street in Harrisonburg. No, we haven’t quit (re-retired). No one shut us down.

That corner served us well. We are grateful for the time we spent there, and for the landlord who allowed us to use that space as a home base. That lot provided us the exposure to build our business. We may have never made a lot of money there, but the exposure got us invited to many different events and venues. And, we have built a decent catering business because of our time there. We are indeed grateful.

As I said in the last newsletter, we have hardly opened downtown this summer because we are being invited all over Western Virginia: Strasburg to Culpepper to Charlottesville, to Staunton, and even West Virginia. Of course, we like being local as well with our fine local wineries and breweries.

Anyway, we decided that we should let that corner go. We will be officially off the lot at the end of August. THAT SAID…we are looking for a place to store the food truck when we are not travelling. We are not looking for a place to open, just storage. We do have a requirement, however. The location needs to have a 30 amp plug (or 50) that we can plug into, so we don’t lose the food in the refrigerator. We would, of course, pay for the electricity we use. And, if someone has the space, but not the electric, we could pay to have that installed. If you have a space, or even a suggestion, feel free to reply to this email, or give us a call.

In other news: our daughter is getting married next month! We will be taking a week or so to go to Orlando to enjoy that! Also, our son (another Floridian) just came for a visit for a little over a week. He brought his girlfriend, and they got engaged while they were here! What a romantic year 2025 is turning out to be!

This past weekend, we catered a wedding. One of the dishes we served involved two kinds of eggrolls. One was a Reuban Egg Roll; the other was a Cheesesteak Egg Roll. I am telling you about this because I thought it might be challenging but later realized how easy it was! Egg rolls do not need to be complicated, or traditional. They can be a vehicle for just about anything! So, today’s culinary tip is…Egg Rolls!

Egg roll wrappers are generally found in the produce section of your local grocery store. I buy them at my local Food Lion. They say in plain print “Egg Roll Wrappers” and come in 20 to a pack. Keep them refrigerated until you are ready to use them. Now, remember Mise-En-Place? Get all the ingredients you intend to use ready. For example, our cheesesteak egg roll used sirloin steak cut into very thin strips, cheddar cheese cut into strips, and we made an aioli with mayo and steak seasoning, and of course, egg roll wrappers. You will also need a small bowl of water. The wrappers come looking square. However, you will want to place it on your cutting board (or other preparation surface) looking like a diamond with one corner pointing at you. When you are ready to ‘fill’ the egg roll, draw an imaginary line from the left corner to the right. You will be working just below that line. We put a small amount of the aioli on and spread it across, but NOT to the edges. Next, we put on as much meat as it could handle (to be explained in a minute), and then a slice of cheese. Now comes the folding. Take the bottom corner and lift it over the filling. No need to take it all the way to the upper corner. Touch the corner you lifted to an empty space below the top corner. Now gently pull back so that the filling becomes more compact. Now you know how much filling it can handle. Next, take a finger and put it in the bowl of water, then moisten the top 1/3 of the egg roll. Now fold in one edge (either left or right) so that the new edge is perpendicular to the bottom of your egg roll. Do the same with the other side. Now roll up. The moistened top should stick to the bottom of the egg roll as you roll it. Place it on a tray and repeat the process until you have made all you care to make. IMPORTANT: now freeze them! Egg rolls cook MUCH better from frozen. I recommend frying them until golden brown.

Now, think of all the things you could put in an egg roll. Cheeseburger? Shrimp? Crab meat? Veggies? Let your mind wander…

I hope this letter provides some insight into what is going on with us and perhaps a little culinary inspiration. We hope you all are doing well, and we are so very grateful to each of you for being our friends, and for often recommending us!

Cheers!

Johnnymac