Andre Williams has mastered the art of cooking saltfish and the discipline of running a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

• His next challenge? A fickle generator attached to his food truck shutting down around 11pm near Symphony Hall.

Why it matters: Boston's late-night food truck pilot program has become a testing ground for restaurant owners who want to learn the mobile dining business.

Catch up quick: Williams, owner of Cool Shade, and at least eight others got licenses to operate at one of seven designated spots up to 3am throughout the week.

• Some businesses, like Billerica-based Augusta's Chicken on the Road, were seasoned food truck owners eager to serve Boston's late-night crowd.
• For others, like Cool Shade and Murl's Kitchen, the pilot has become their introduction to the rush — and the hiccups — of the food truck game.

Case in point: Williams figured out how to adjust the water temperature for the generator and got the truck back online in 20 minutes.

• Then he and his staff turned to the growing line of customers who waited it out.
• "I'm turning into a little mechanic," he told Axios.

Zoom out: Most U.S. cities don't have a dedicated late-night food truck program.

• The cities that do have late-night eats — Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and New York — give their businesses the green light to stay open late if they meet certain requirements.
• But Boston businesses seeking late-night hours have run up against neighborhood associations and licensing officials who resist approving later hours for fear it would disturb slumbering residents or cause other issues.
• Enter the pilot program, which helped streamline the permitting process.

Reality check: Some summer nights are slow, but it's given new operators and city officials time to work out the kinks.

• The city is scoping out a new location near Boston Medical Center, after food trucks stationed at 775 Harrison St. garnered noise complaints from nearby residents.
• Earlier this summer, several food trucks failed to show up on their designated nights, either due to personal emergencies or scheduling conflicts. At least one no longer appears on the city's roster.

Yes, but: The food trucks have become destinations for third-shift workers, concertgoers and tourists who get introduced to Jamaican, Dominican and other cuisines that aren't typically found downtown.

What they're saying: "These trucks showcase that culinary diversity that we have," says Correan Reynolds, the city's nightlife czar.

Tell a night owl

Steph here. I got to know the food truck owners, and their signature meals, while reporting on the late-night pilot program.

• Here's what I recommend.

Oxtail rasta pasta: Oxtail dishes are a hit at nearly any Boston Caribbean food truck, but Cool Shade won me over with their fresh marinated oxtail and sweet plantains on the side.

Toston sandwich: El Dugout brings a slice of Dominican cuisine to downtown Boston with its chicken toston sandwich.

• It's chicken slathered in garlicky mayo ketchup sauce, held together by two large tostones, or fried plantains.

The explosion: Augusta's Chicken on the Road serves a monster of a sandwich packed with chicken cutlets, mozzarella sticks and fries, topped with a sauce (I chose marinara).

• I haven't seen a sandwich this intimidating since the fat sandwiches at Rutgers University (New Jersey transplants know).

Yes, but: The other food trucks had some great options, like Extreme Flavor's jerk chicken and Murl's oxtail-loaded fries.

🚉 Gov. Maura Healey blasted the Trump administration after Deputy Transportation Director Steven Bradbury said the feds were considering a takeover of South Station and other East Coast transit stops.

• "We don't need or want his interference here," Healey said of President Trump. "We're not going to let the guy who went bankrupt six times take over our train stations."

Transdev, Boston Public Schools' bus contractor, failed to keep track of bus incidents or whether its drivers had proper training or credentials, an independent report released yesterday found. (Globe)

• Mayor Michelle Wu said that Jean Charles — the driver operating the school bus that killed 5-year-old Lens Joseph — should not have been on the road.

A car fire shut down a section of the MassPike running through the Prudential Tunnel, causing traffic to back up yesterday afternoon. (NBC Boston)

Boston's New Edition Day isn't just the culmination of the city's "For the Culture" week, but a homecoming for the group and their local fans.

Catch up quick: Boston will honor the boy band's six members — Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, Ronnie DeVoe, Michael Bivins and Ricky Bell — by naming a street in their honor in Roxbury and declaring tomorrow "New Edition Day."

The latest: The members started arriving late this week for the celebration, which includes a community block party, said John Borders IV, the city's tourism chief.

• Borders called New Edition "the greatest R&B group of all time — really the greatest group of all time."

Zoom in: For Borders, the celebration is personal.

• He recalls growing up seeing Bobby Brown visit his father, John Borders III.
• Before the elder Borders became a pastor, he was in a music group called the Energetics.

Fast-forward four decades, and the younger Borders is a city official, welcoming the six members home.

• "This is really, really a full-circle moment for us," he said.

If you go: The street naming ceremony is at 10am at the corner of Ambrose and Albony streets.

• The community block party starts at 11am at the Orchard Gardens Boys & Girls Club in Roxbury.

Tell a Day 1 fan

Boston's biggest move-in weekend is upon us, which means some streets become a treasure trove of secondhand furniture and appliances.

The intrigue: It's a dumpster diver's dream, or at least a lifeline for broke college students willing to risk a bedbug infestation to furnish their apartments.

If you're new to Allston Christmas, Matt Rocheleau's "Twas days before Allston Christmas," is required reading.

As usual, the Silhouette Lounge will celebrate by playing Christmas music and selling $1 hot dogs with their booze.