FOOD & DRINK
I n T he Ki t c he n | By Jenna Pelletier
Keep On Truckin’ From DJ to mobile restaurateur, a Providence chef’s journey comes full circle to his roots
Chef Welbi Genao wasn’t planning to open a food truck. But one day in April 2020 – while newly out of work from his restaurant job due to lockdown – he noticed that one of his Providence neighbors was converting an old construction vehicle into a mobile kitchen. “It felt like a sign to see someone building a food truck right outside of my house,” Genao says. “I started thinking, ‘wow, maybe this could be a good thing for me.’ So I got to work brainstorming ideas and eventually made a deal.” By that October, Genao’s food truck, Trap Box PVD, was on the road serving Latin American-inspired burgers, sandwiches, and
74
ProvidenceOnline.com • July 2022
fries. He regularly parks it at various locations, including outside of Long Live Beerworks on Sprague Street and at Carousel Village in Roger Williams Park for Food Truck Friday. Genao named the mobile eatery after his nickname, Trap, which goes back to his time DJing hip-hop around the city. The food is influenced by his family’s roots in the Dominican Republic and his upbringing in South Providence. Much of the menu draws on customer favorites from Genao’s now-closed Blend Cafe, including his take on a Cuban sandwich and a chimi burger – a popular Dominican street food. There’s also the Papa Chiche, a
fried chicken sandwich with hot honey; the NY Chopped Cheese, with ground beef and cheddar on a torpedo roll; and fries topped with birria, cotija cheese, and aioli. “I kind of got inspired by the movie Chef, where the chef goes from fine dining to a food truck,” Genao says. Genao first developed his passion for cooking during a personally challenging time. In 2011, he was arrested for possession with intent to deliver marijuana and went to minimum security prison for several months, he shares. To fill his days there, he read voraciously about food and restaurants. At that time, his mother, Francisca,
Photos courtesy of Trap Box PVD
Latin American-inspired burger and fries from Trap Box
