Skillet, Skillet, Skillet. The food's so good.

But so much drama!

In 2007 came the first temporary closure by the health department (then, unrelated, the trailer broke).

In March 2008, Skillet reported its truck stolen, then realized the truck had been towed. Because it was parked in a tow-away zone. (A Slog commenter suggested Skillet try "putting down the bong.")

This June, one of Skillet's trailers was temporarily shut down again for "Operating without valid food business permit or plan approval / Potentially hazardous foods at unsafe temperatures / Inadequate facilities to control temperatures of potentially hazardous foods / Handwashing facility not working / No available hot water." At that time, owner Josh Henderson said the regular trailer had some problems, and a new one didn't have a fridge or the proper permits. Because of a contract with the Mariners, he said, "we had to roll the dice. Unfortunately we rolled the dice on the wrong night. We made a choice, we made the wrong one."

And now, yesterday, this:

An unapproved trailer located at 1250 S. 1st St, Seattle serving food by the establishment "Skillet" was closed by a Public Health food inspector on September 29, 2009, 5:45 pm for operating without a valid food business permit. The trailer will be reopened when the person in charge of the establishment completes all of the requirements for a legal mobile food establishment...

By phone, Henderson said Skillet was back up and running as of this morning. According to him, this is "stupid health-department shit. Our health department [permit] lapsed and we basically forgot to pay it in time. I’m just tired of the health department—there’s no collaboration, it’s just more of a police force... I thought I was communicating with them and being on the up and up, but that move last night... It was discouraging to say the least. I don’t really care, they can shut us down 10 times in a row and I’m just gonna keep going."