Cooking Channel show will film at the Rochester Lilac Festival. Here's why

The Rochester Lilac Festival, which showcases the most extensive collection of lilacs in the Northeast, has gotten its share of national publicity, but never on a national food show, said Jenny LoMaglio, executive producer.

That will change when the Cooking Channel show "Carnival Eats" comes to town May 10 and 11, the opening weekend of the 10-day festival.

In the show, comedian Noah Cappe travels around North America seeking out imaginative food at carnivals and fairgrounds. In Rochester, the show is slated to feature local food trucks Neno's Gourmet Mexican Street Food, Roll'n Deep and Macarollin.

Neno's has been around since 2015, when Fidelio Rita and his siblings launched a colorful 10-foot trailer that served tacos and tostadas. They have since opened a full-size food truck and a series of brick-and-mortar restaurants.

The show will feature its birria tacos, which Rita introduced in 2021, when birria had gone viral on social media. They are filled with braised beef, salsa verde, Mexican cheeses and onions and served with a smoky-spicy consommé for dipping. Cheddar cheese is added to the outside of the tortillas, which sizzles to a crisp as it cooks on the flat-top grill. A birria torta (sandwich) will be featured as well.

Rita is excited about the opportunity to be featured on the show. "I feel a little bit nervous, but I think we'll do great that day," he said.

Roll'n Deep, an Asian-fusion food truck owned by Scott Phomvongsa, hit the road in 2016. The show will feature its garbage roll, a deep fried egg roll filled with truck-made meat hot sauce, mac salad, tater tots and American cheese. It's a big seller at food truck rodeos and any events where beer is served, Phomvongsa said.

It also will feature its Korean nachos: Fried wonton chips topped with soy-braised pork, house made kimchi and gochujang crema. It is garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.

"I'm pretty excited, a little nervous," Phomvongsa said." I get a little camera shy sometimes, but I think I'll be ok."

Macarollin, a longtime food truck known for its gourmet mac and cheese, will serve its classic mac at the festival, as well as versions topped with lobster, pulled pork and Buffalo chicken. The show opted to feature one of its lesser known creations, pizza mac.

"Any advertising is good advertising as far as I'm concerned," said Chuck Andrews, owner. "It should be fun."

Andrews said shooting will begin at 5:30 a.m., on a weekend that's especially hectic for food trucks, but he's thrilled about the opportunity nonetheless.

"I think it's fantastic that Rochester ― specifically the Lilac Festival ― is being chosen to have a segment on their show," he said. "How cool is that?"

Carnival Eats, which debuted in 2014, was most recently in the Rochester area in 2019, when it visited the Spencerport Fireman’s Carnival. It also has featured the Wyoming County Fair, Great New York State Fair and Erie County Fair.

Tracy Schuhmacher covers Rochester's food and drink scene. Notice something new in your neighborhood? Send tips to tracys@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Lilac Festival food to be featured on Cooking Channel's Carnival Eats