Colorado Representation on ‘The Great Food Truck Race’

Are you ready for another round of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race?

Hosted by Tyler Florence, Season 15 kicked off on June 5, and it’s giving viewers an action-packed culinary road battle along the sunny Southern California coast. Nine teams of aspiring food truck owners with specialties ranging from fresh pasta to plant-based Cuban dishes must prove their cooking chops and marketing tactics in high-stakes challenges to beat their rivals and stay in the race.

Hitting beach locations along the way, the finale will take place in San Diego, where only one team will be awarded a life-changing grand prize of $50,000.

Representing Colorado Springs is Southern Pride Asian Fusion, which is made up of DJ Williams and married couple Houston Greenlee and Gio Palacio.

“There are so many times in life where we’re told no,” Greenlee says. “’No’ this or ‘no’ that, but if you knock on enough doors, tap the shoulders of enough people, or send enough emails, you eventually get told yes. As a team, we were told yes. We went out there, and we rocked it. We’re going to show what three culinary students and three veterans can do on a food truck. This was an absolute blast.”

“This was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Palacio adds. “We took it, and we owned it.”

Williams, who owns and operates Last Bite BBQ in the Springs, specializes in Southern-style cooking. Greenlee and Palacio, on the other hand, bring Asian fusion and flair. Their vibrant mix of Southern comfort food and Asian cuisine is sweet, savory, and one-of-a-kind.

According to Williams, they were inspired to audition for The Great Food Truck Race after he saw a casing call on Facebook.

“I just saw a Facebook post that said they were casting, and if you want to have a food truck one day, apply,” he says. “This was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up, and it all came to light.”

The trio initially met while attending Paragon Culinary School and bonded over their military background, having served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Williams has always dreamt of owning a food truck one day, while Greenlee and Palacio hope to open their own restaurant in the Philippines.

Winning the race will set them on the path to achieving their goals.

Palacio, who was born in the Philippines, also hopes to become a Michelin star chef. He says he has always had a passion for cooking.

“I always loved being in the kitchen, ever since I was a kid,” he says. “My grandma and mom taught me how to cook because when you’re in high school or college, nobody’s going to cook for you. So, you have to learn how to do it yourself.”

Williams also learned to cook when he was a child.

“I grew up with a full Italian grandma and a Mexican grandma,” he explains. “They were always cooking, and they were always ready to share everything with us and teach us how to do it. So, they really got me into it. Now I have three daughters, and I love cooking for them. I love making stuff that not only they’ll like, but everyone else will like as well.”

For Greenlee, his story is a little different than Williams and his husband.

“Cooking was not my first career choice,” he says. “I was in my master’s program pursuing social work, and I wanted to help LGBTQ youth in our country, and in the Philippines as well. My mom owned a restaurant when I was little, so I can cook, but it wasn’t a passion. After Gio came home and then I met DJ, all the pieces started to fit together. I was like, ‘Wait a minute, your boy can cook too!’ So, what better way to support Gio than to stand behind him and have some training from the same school? After DJ came into the picture, it just became such a team effort. Teamwork really does make the dream work.”

“We bring such fluidity to the table,” Williams adds. “I can do something that Gio can do, and he can do something that I can do. Then with Houston doing the same as us, we can all work very, very well, and smooth with each other. That comes from both the military training that we all have and being taught from the same master chef through culinary school.”

“And we are proud to represent the LGBTQ community in this competition,” Palacio concludes.

New episodes of The Great Food Truck Race will air Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network and streaming on Discovery+. Stay up-to-date and connect with Southern Pride Asian Fusion on Facebook.

Photos Courtesy of Food Network and Southern Pride Asian Fusion