BHSEC students were devastated when, after 6 years of culinary services, Riad “Rico” Abdelsalam, better known to students as “the Blue Truck guy”, abandoned his post on East Houston street without notice at the beginning of the 2009 school year. “Without Rico I had to walk all the way to Avenue D for any kind of food,” says Year II Hilary Scherer. Now, Rico has returned, along with a new and improved truck and more on his menu.
At such a geographically isolated school, finding a decent, nearby food source is often challenging for students. The Blue Truck provides a cheap, convenient source of food. Year I Spencer Brown remarks, “even between classes I can run out to Rico’s to get a Cup of Noodles or a soda for a couple bucks.” With cheap and quick food, Rico’s business had flourished on the same corner since 2003.
Rumors explaining Rico’s sudden departure abounded at BHSEC during the Fall semester. Some students claimed he had deserted us for a Halal stand in Queens, while others insisted he had returned to Egypt to continue his career in social service. None of these stories, however, proved to be true. Rico was simply fixing his truck and renewing his vendor’s license—not an easy task in the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, which issues only 853 licenses for non-veteran vendors.
Nevertheless, Rico’s Blue Truck is back, and Rico has added to his menu treats like lamb gyro and falafel. A large banner above the menu reads “Welcome To Rico’s”. “It is good to be back,” says Rico, “I love the Bard students.”