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'MasterChef' winner ditches Houston's food truck scene, rolls into Dallas

We could all name a few reasons why living in Dallas is better than living in Houston. For Luca Manfe, the Italian-born winner of MasterChef Season 4, his reason is that the food truck scene in Houston is all but broken down.

The Lucky Fig chef Luca Manfe won Season 4 of 'MasterChef,' the reality TV show on Fox that...
The Lucky Fig chef Luca Manfe won Season 4 of 'MasterChef,' the reality TV show on Fox that features the foul-mouthed Gordon Ramsay. (Courtesy of the Lucky Pig)

That's why he's bringing his Lucky Fig food truck to Dallas permanently. The business sells grab 'n' go Italian classics gone street: meatballs, but served as sliders; and an eggplant parm, served in a sandwich. We've got our eye on the polenta fries, too: They come topped with "taleggio cheese sauce, tomato aioli and parmigiano reggiano," according to Manfe's website.

Manfe shut the truck down for good in Houston on Jan. 1, 2017, reports Alexander Muse, the Dallasite who's now the managing partner in his truck and his business. Muse says the "slump in the energy sector last year" was another reason Houston was a bad fit for Manfe. "Throw in some expensive mechanical issues and frustrated investors and Luca faced the perfect storm," he wrote via email.

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Manfe's new focus in Dallas will be on corporate events, though he's also expected to tack on motivational speaking and catering to the business. The Lucky Fig will occasionally be out in the wild, at parks around town.

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The Lucky Fig will also get a new chef to run the day-to-day operations of the food truck, while Manfe is expected to oversee the menu's culinary direction.

The truck is expected to get rolling in spring 2017 in Dallas.

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The Lucky Fig's polenta fries come topped with cheese sauce, tomato aioli and parmigiano...
The Lucky Fig's polenta fries come topped with cheese sauce, tomato aioli and parmigiano reggiano.(Courtesy of the Lucky Fig)