The Whole Schmear on Schmear It

Welcome to Schmear It, one of the newest food trucks to hit Philly’s streets.

Part of the team behind Schmear It, including founder and Chief Schmear Officer Dave Fine (right). A Baltimore native, Dave graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. With various fan services, marketing, and PR experiences in the entertainment and nonprofit sectors under his belt, he delved into his first social entrepreneurship project with Schmear It.

Schmear It spreads some seriously satisfying bagel sandwiches. While there are tried-and-true seasonal “Signature Schmear” combinations on the menu (elaborated below), the allure comes in custom-crafting your own dream schmear from the variety of fresh ingredients that Dave and his team source every day.

Beyond serving up bagels and schmear, Schmear It doubles as a grassroots fundraising and marketing platform for local nonprofits. Each week, the truck features a new local cause to which it will raise funds (donating a percentage of truck profits) and increase exposure to its mobile market.

It’s a tight but cozy fit inside the “Bagel Mobile.” The bright orange vehicle was Dave’s first and only eBay purchase, retrofitted from a recycled delivery truck into a operational food truck. He worked with Philadelphia’s Executive Auto Salon to design the truck from the ground up, from the placement of the window to the layout of kitchen equipment.

Dave takes me through the motions of preparing one of his signature schmears. The Flaming Islander starts with a base of plain cream cheese and spins in mango and Sriracha.

Fun fact: this particular combination happens to have a connection to one of Penn Appétit‘s very own past editors-in-chief!

Schmear It sources its bagels–with flavors ranging from whole wheat everything to blueberry, chocolate chip to sun-dried tomato–from South Street Philly Bagels, a family owned and operated bagel bakery.

My finished Flaming Islander.

Another popular special is the Loxsmith, a combination of cream cheese, chopped lox, scallions, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

A sampling of Schmear It’s other signature schmears:

• Philly Roll: cream cheese, chopped lox, cucumbers, wasabi, and a splash of soy sauce
• Stuffed French Toast: cream cheese, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, cinnamon, and maple syrup (on a french toast bagel)
• Nutty Naner: peanut butter, Nutella, and bananas

Whether you’re interested in customizing your own bagel and schmear or want to support a local nonprofit, Schmear It takes care of your needs. You’ll feel as good as your taste buds while eating Schmear It’s fare. Check them out on their website, Facebook, or Twitter.

— Nicole Woon