In Chicago, the three remaining teams meet Tyler, who calls them the "finest final three we've ever had." He wastes no time in handing out their seed money, $500. Chicago will present some unique challenges that not all the teams might be prepared for. Philly's Finest Sambonis thinks their cheese steaks will be an easy sell. Aloha Plate wants to continue their "thin it to win it" strategy. And Tikka Tikka Taco aims to be the team to beat.
A Surprise Truck Stop
Surprisingly Tyler is not sending them out to sell. They're having a Truck Stop challenge right here and now, and it's based on taste instead of sales. They'll be cooking deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. Before sending off the teams to buy their ingredients, Tyler warns them to put out their best effort: "A 4-year-old can toss ingredients on top of a pizza. I want to see some skill."
Pizza Newbies
The teams are using the portable wood-fired pizza ovens to bake their pizzas, and they have been provided with deep pie pans, pizza peels and dough. Most of them have never made pizza before, except for Joe from Philly's Finest Sambonis. He's sure his skills from working in a pizza parlor will come in handy. The challenge will be judged entirely on taste by a surprise judge who knows Chicago well.
Mayoral Decree
Tyler introduces Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who will be their judge for the challenge. The mayor explains that the winner of this challenge will receive a city proclamation and $1,000 to be added to their till.
Honoring a Legend
Philly's Finest Sambonis presents their pizza, which they've named after NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Ditka. It features three different kinds of cheeses, five different meats, spinach and pepper — and bacon in the crust. The mayor finds the pizza is too wet from all the grease of the meat.
Traditional with a Spicy Flair
Aloha Plate decides to make a traditional Chicago-style pizza with spicy tomato sauce and three cheeses. The mayor thinks the tomato sauce is too spicy and overwhelms the pie, taking attention away from the cheese.
A New Take on the Classic
Tikka Tikka Taco makes a chicken tikka pizza with feta cheese, mozzarella, spinach and raita sauce in place of the classic tomato sauce. When the pizza's crust burns a bit, they cut off the edge and cover it with cheese. The mayor really likes how different it is from the classic, but that it runs up against your expectation of a pizza.
Forward with Fusion
Tikka Tikka Taco gets the mayor's vote with the forward-looking pizza. The mayor presents them with the proclamation and the team is excited to win not only the validation but also the $1,000 prize for their till, which will give them an advantage.
The Finale Is Now
Tyler announces that the finale has already begun, two hours ago, and will include the three teams — a first ever. The final leg of the race will cover 800 miles and cross six states. He tells them to "be ready for anything, Truck Stop cooking challenges, Speed Bumps and even a surprise elimination." He issues their Speed Bump, requiring them to offer a full menu of at least five dishes for the rest of the race.
Rallying the Customers
Aloha Plate parks by a local Hawaiian festival, which pays off as the lines wrap around the street. They're serving teriyaki burgers, chicken lettuce wraps, chicken sandwiches, Spam sandwiches and chicken chopped salad. Even with the crowds, they don't make as much as they had hoped.
Keeping It Steady
Tikka Tikka Taco is selling tacos, naanchos, taquitos, salads and veggie wraps. They get a steady flow of customers during lunchtime while they're parked at a local brewery, but dinner is the total opposite.
Authentic to the Bone
To ensure a top-quality product, Philly's Finest Sambonis go out of their way to get supplies from Monti's, a local restaurant owned by a guy from Philadelphia. But they get stuck in traffic on the way to Lincoln Square, where they plan to sell their new menu of cheese steaks, chicken cheese steaks, Buffalo wraps, ranch wraps and steak fries. Luckily they get a busy flow of customers once there.
Sausage Special for Sale
On the morning of day two, Tyler calls with the second Truck Stop challenge, which will be based on sales. To their current menus, the teams must add a sausage special served Chicago-style, priced at $7. Mike Ditka will provide them with the 300 sausages to sell. The first team to sell out can head to Ditka's restaurant to win their prize.
Breaking Out of the Pack
Tikka Tikka Taco is the first to reach their goal and the only team to do so. Their strategy of offering $5 off any regular menu item for customers who bought the special paid off. Mike Ditka congratulates the team and Tyler sends them off to their next city, Annapolis, Md. They will have a five-hour lead, which is a big advantage for a team that had been perpetually stuck in the middle.
Sore Losers
Both Aloha Plate and Philly's Finest Sambonis were unable to reach their sales goals. Aloha Plate sold 238 sausages, whereas Philly's Finest Sambonis sold a meager 10. They spent all their time trying to hunt down a location, going from one bad spot to the next, instead of planning on a good spot ahead of time. The two teams enter Mike Ditka's restaurant with low spirits.
Disappointing the Coach
Mike Ditka is very disappointed with the teams, especially Philly's Finest Sambonis, a team that prided itself on impressing the coach. The teams, however, won't get off scot-free. They will have to wash dishes for the next four hours while Tikka Tikka Taco has the head start. Only once time runs out can they head to Annapolis.
More from The Great Food Truck Race
Get the latest on the race with exclusive behind-the-scenes content and exit interviews with the eliminated teams on FN Dish.
