New Jersey team on ‘The Great Food Truck Race’ finishes 3rd

Well, they almost made it.

ESO Artisanal of Morristown made it to the second to last episode of the Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race" but were eliminated, finishing third.

It’s quite a comeback story for ESO. As reported by Patch.com, the owners of the restaurant had to close their business due to a lack of capital but, helped by a $10,000 cash infusion by the New York Jets, and Visa (part of their effort to support black-owned businesses) they persevered and were able to reopen. However, they had never run a food truck before this competition.

ESO's team features chefs AJ Sankofa, Kristina Gambarian and Matt McFadden. Sankofa told the Daily Record: "Knowing that we were going home is obviously a tough thing. But every single member of this team left it all on the field. There's nothing more than I can ask for.”

The show, hosted by Tyler Florence, featured nine teams, so finishing third isn’t that bad, plus Florence offered them a job: "I think you are some of the brightest young culinary talent in America right now. And if you want to come to San Francisco and work for me, I'll hire you tomorrow."

The business they run, ESO Artisanal on Elm St. in Morristown sells handmade pasta, sauces, and desserts like cheesecake and tiramisu (which Kristina is known for).

They now plan to start catering private events with the goal of opening their own restaurant. They are getting orders from all over since their appearance on Food Network, though.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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