I think it goes without saying that last year's Haute Wheels food truck festival was rather disastrous. It was almost unbearably hot, there was very little shade to be found, some food trucks were running very late and almost all of the trucks had lines that stretched across the blazing parking lot of the HCC Southwest campus. Let's not mince words, okay?

But there were those of us who held out hope that a better event would emerge from the Haute Wheels fallout.

"If the Haute Wheels food truck festival was better organized it could be totally rad," wrote Twitter user and event attendee Caitlin Kaluza after the festival was over. "Let's just say I'm looking forward to next year."

Well, it's next year now. And we're looking forward to a brand-new Haute Wheels food truck festival, too -- especially since Eating...Our Words is one of the sponsors. The 20 food trucks that are participating this year are also getting excited.

The lineup so far includes:

• Angie's Cake
• Bare Bowls
• Bernie's Burger Bus
• Coreanos
• Custom Confections
• Eatsie Boys
• Firehouse Tacos
• Fork in the Road
• Frosted Betty
• Good Dog Hot Dog
• Green Seed Vegan
• Happy Endings
• H-Town StrEATs
• It's a Wrap!
• Kata Wit Flava
• Katfish Kitchen
• Kurbside Eatz
• Ladybird
• The Lunch Bag
• MMM... Cupcake
• No Borders
• NOLA's Creole 2 Geaux
• Oh My Gogi!
• Phamily Bites
• Pi Pizza
• Porch Swing Desserts
• Stick It
• The Waffle Bus
• Zilla Street Eats

...with more still to be announced.

The second coming of the Haute Wheels festival will take place on May 12 and 13 -- that's Mother's Day weekend, in case your mom really loves mobile food -- from noon to 5 p.m. each day at HCC Southwest (5601 West Loop South).

Tickets are on sale now for $16 each, which includes admission as well as five drink tickets for either full sodas and/or waters or samples of beer and/or wine. Stick around next week, and we'll be giving away free pairs of those tickets to a few lucky readers.

And this year, Haute Wheels promises two things: shorter lines and more shade. If the weather will just hold up until May, it looks like the food truck festival we've always wanted could be close to finally happening.

Follow Eating Our Words on Facebook and on Twitter @EatingOurWords

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