Unique to this year’s festival, one local vendor will be in two totally different locations during the two-day Village Peddler Festival. Gina Giallombardo and Annette Restifo, the two Willowick women behind Carhop’s Burger Sauce will be selling their famous jars of sauce in their usual spot located in the Local Culinary Marketplace tent at the festival and will also be serving it up on top of a ‘59 Eldorado burger in their new mobile diner.
The entrepreneurs’ original product, Carhop’s Burger Sauce was invented by Giallombardo when she owned a local tavern and was seeking something to make her hamburger stand out from the others.
Restifo was the encouragement behind taking the sauce to market. Choosing the name Carhop’s Burger Sauce, the two found out quickly they had a hit on their hands. People constantly tell them it tastes a lot like the sauce on the hamburgers sold at the former Bob’s Big Boy, a popular drive-in restaurant dating from the 1960’s.
The women don’t make that claim. The label says, “It’s the only secret sauce you’ll ever need.” The mayonnaise-based sauce is low in sodium, has zero carbohydrates, and is gluten free and sugar free.
The concept of the mobile diner was created from Carhop’s customers constantly asking when the co-owners were going to serve up the burgers with the sauce. Well, this year they decided it was time to do just that and bought the mobile diner. The Carhop’s Mobile Diner made its debut this summer at local farmers markets and private events. The mobile diner has the ability to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, anywhere for any event. Already on the books are farmers markets, school events, parties and festivals!
This weekend, on both Saturday, September 17th (10:00 am-6:00 pm) and Sunday, September 18th (10:00 am-5:00 pm) the Carhop’s Mobil Diner will be on festival field at the Village Peddler Festival held at Lake Metroparks Farmpark. The 1/3 lb. angus steak burger topped with American cheese, shredded lettuce and of course Carhop’s Burger Sauce, known as the ’59 Eldorado burger will be top of the menu. Festival goers will have a selection of regular and veggie burgers on the Burger Bar along with regular dogs and the ever-popular Fleetwood Chili Dog which is topped with homemade chili, cheese and jalapenos. Veggie burgers will be available and a limited amount of gluten free buns.
For more information on the mobile diner and burger sauce visit www.carhopsburgersauce.com and for all of the details on the Village Peddler Festival visit www.VillagePeddlerFestival.com or call 440.503.8414.