Good Taste is a menu for eating well in the Bay Area. I’m back after an extended break to hit the road and make a fantasy album, but that’s another long story. . .
Today, I’m here to share a bit of news and a few reactions to the additions planned for Taste of the Bay Area at Outside Lands Music Festival on Aug. 7-9 in Golden Gate Park. I’ve covered the food side of the annual music fest every year that it’s been held since 2009. It started out on a high bar and has only improved every year since. Pacing yourself and strategizing is a must.
The full vendor directory for Taste of the Bay Area is the best place to stay up to date on what will be on the menu. But I must declare, three months before the festival, I’m starting my annual calisthenics now.
Instagram stories that were published yesterday honed in on the marquee additions of Original Joe’s, Perry’s, and Balboa Cafe as well as fun collaborations between Wise Sons x Outta Sight Pizza, Jaji x Tallboy, and Reem’s x Lion Dance Cafe that will offer weekend-exclusive dishes to try.
There are more than 100 vendors this year, including first-time booths from Jollof Kitchen, Meski, La Cocina’s Mi Comedor, Chiricana, and Chi Chi’s Kiosko; plus Restaurant Naides and Copra in the VIP zone. Wine Lands and Beer Lands selections, always robust, will each welcome new pourers, and the Cocktail Magic area is launching Tasting Menu for “savory and culinary-inspired drinks.”
But when I got the full brief of what’s going to be happening, my eyes honestly glazed over after I saw two luscious words: pastry carts. Furthermore, the carts will be operated by two current favorites: Ferry Building hit newcomer Parachute Bakery and liney-but-worth-it salt bread pop-up Tano. It’ll be my distinct duty to find and share where these carts are located when I find them on the first day of the festival. Someone’s got to do it, and if not me, who?
My annual advice is to eat early before the lines, especially when limited collaborations and specials are of interest. And it’s never a bad idea to expect more surprises when on site.
Chicken Caesar salad wraps will be everywhere you look. The amount of available caffeine suggests that it really has supplanted other uppers in San Francisco. And, as usual, everyone will try to outdo each other with their fries, tots, and nachos.
Save my current slate of desired snacks—I’ve picked one or two items from each food vendor listed in the press release, but each will have more items on offer:
Abacá: Crispy Pork Lumpia, Carioca Donuts
Abanico Coffee Roasters: Café de Olla, Tembleque Coconut Pudding
Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas: Guajillo Chile Pork Tamales
Arquet: Lobster Rolls w/ Brown Butter & Chives
Austronesia: Filipino Tofu Rice Bowls
Azalina’s: Mee Goreng Mamak Malaysian Stir Fried Noodles w/ Meatballs, Golden Veggie Spring Rolls
Balboa Cafe (NEW): Caesar Salad Wraps, Espressotinis On Tap w/ Cold Foam
Batches Bakehouse: Crème Brûlée Poptarts, Lavender Lemonade
Bini’s Kitchen: Nepalese Lamb Momo Dumplings, Vegan Nepalese Chili,
Bloomstock: Horchata Cold Brew, Guava Matcha
Bodega SF: Beef Chimichurri Pho Dip Sandwiches, Mango Calamansi Spritzes
Brenda’s French Soul Food: Garlic Shrimp Pancit Noodles w/ Pork Belly, Blackened Pork & Shrimp Burger
Bun Mee Vietnamese Sandwich Eatery: Lemongrass Pork Banh Mis, Strawberry Lychee Limeade
Caché: Mushroom & Onion Confit Crêpes, Strawberry Compote Crêpes
Charles Chocolates: Dubai Ice Cream Sundaes, Gourmet Chocolate-Covered Smores
Chef Smelly’s: Dungeness Crab Surf & Turf Garlic Noodles, Peach Cobbler
Chi Chi’s Kiosko: Grilled Chicken Wings w/ Tamarind BBQ Sauce, Garlic Tostones w/ Sofrito Aioli
Chiricana: Panamanian Herb-Marinated Chicken Wings, Purple & Green Cabbage Coleslaw w/Cilantro-Lime Crema
Copra: Butter Chicken Basmati Rice Bowls, Spring Vegetable Biryani
Curry Up Now: Lamb Tikka Masala Loaded Fries, Fried Ravioli w/ Tikka Masala Dip
D’Grobak: Iga Bakar Beef Rib Rice Bowls, Vegan Grilled Tofu
Dolores Park Café: Bacon & Egg Breakfast Sandwiches, Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos
El Garage: Crispy Quesabirria Tacos w/ Consommé, Birria Grilled Cheeses
El Huarache Loco: Taquitos Locos, Chicken Tinga Huaraches
El Porteño Empanadas: Grass-Fed Beef Empanadas, Prosciutto & Fontina Empanadas
Event Specialists: Baked Soft Pretzels, Jalapeño Cheese-Filled Pretzels
FOB Kitchen: Crispy Pork Lumpia w/ Sweet Chili Sauce, Stir-Fried Veggie Pancit Noodles
Fowl + Fare: Citric Hot Fried Chicken Sandwiches w/ Chipotle Aioli & Pear Slaw
FroGo: Chocolate-Pomegranate Swirl Lactose-Free Frozen Yogurt, Pineapple Dole Whip
Gumbo Social: Louisiana-Style Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Fried Shrimp Po-Boys
Hard Knox Cafe: Crispy Chicken Wings, Golden Fried Fish & Chips
Hayz Dog: Spicy Kimchi Hot Dogs, Chicago-Style Hot Dogs
Humphry Slocombe: Secret Breakfast Sundaes, Bourbon Caramel Coke Floats
Izzy’s Cheesesteaks: Classic Cheesesteaks, Loaded Cheesesteak Fries
Jaji x Tallboy: Herb-Crusted Lamb Tenderloin Lavash Wraps, Dirty Martini Olive Potato Chips
Johnny Doughnuts: Chocolate Salted Caramel Old Fashioned Doughnuts, Doughnut Sundaes
Jollof Kitchen: Spinach & Black-Eyed Peas w/ Jollof Rice, Fried Sweet Plantains
Kaböb Trölley: Falafel Gyrittös, Loaded Gyrö Fries
KAIYŌ: Nikkei Sushi Handrolls, Miso Butter Corn
Kajiken: Homura Spicy Pork Aburasoba, Shimeji Mushroom Aburasoba
Kitiya: Garlic Shrimp Pad Thai, Fresh Young Coconuts
Koja Kitchen: Kimchi Waffle Fries, Korean Mushroom & Kimchi Rice Bowls
Little Sweet: Black Sugar Fresh Milk Boba, Egg Puff Waffle Sundaes
Love Burn: Hot Chicken Sandwiches, Strawberry Yuzu Refreshers
Lulu’s Little Kitchen: Falafel Rice Bowls w/ Green Tahini, Orange Blossom Lemonade
Mamahuhu: Sesame Dan Dan Noodles, Mushroom & Seaweed Garlic Fries
Marley’s Treats: Ube Milkshakes, Flan Ube Cheesecakes
Merkado: Adobo Chicken Tacos w/ Habanero Aioli, Slow-Braised Beef Birria Tacos
Meski: Ethiopian Sampler Platters w/ Injera, Duck Fat Yuca Fries, East African Donuts
Mezcla Eats: Vegan Mushroom Arepas, Colombian-Style Hot Dogs
Michoz: Peruvian Choripán Sausage Sandwiches, Peruvian-Eritrean BBQ Chicken w/ Chicken
Fat Rice & Salsa Criolla
Mi Comedor: Pineapple Al Pastor Crispy Chicken Wings, Golden Yuca Fries
Mission Street Burgers: Classic Smashburgers, Roasted Garlic Cheese Fries
Mozzeria: Neopolitan Margherita Pizzas, Housemade Thyme Lemonade
Nizario’s Pizza: Pesto Pepperoni Pizza Slices, Vegan Pizza Slices
Nobu: Fresh Salmon & Tuna Chirashi Bowls w/ Ikura, Fire-Roasted Corn w/ Yuzu Miso Crème Fraîche
Om Sabor: Vegan Al Pastor Tacos, Vegan Carne Asada Burgers
Original Joe’s: Prime Rib Dip Sandwiches, Zucchini Fries w/ Lemon-Basil Aioli
Otra: Crunchy Double Decker Chicken Tinga Tacos, Summer Veggie Picadillo Nachos
Out The Dough: Cookie Dough Bites, Cookie Dough Sundaes
Out There Coffee Roasters: Banana Milk Lattes, Banana Matcha Lattes
Palmetto Superfoods: Coconut & Blue Chia Açaí Bowls, Açaí Chaga Smoothies
Pantry Pigeons: Curated Local Cheese & Charcuterie Plates, Camembert & Prosciutto Baguette Sandwiches
Parachute Bakery: Vanilla & Passionfruit Croissant Cubes, Morning Buns w/ Toffee Glaze
Peaches Patties: Jamaican Beef Patties, Rustic Mushroom & Gruyère Patties
Perry’s: Classic Cheeseburgers, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps
Piglet & Co: Chashao Roast Pork Bentos, Pineapple Wintermelon Tea
Pink Onion: Prosciutto & Truffle Pizza Slices, Spicy Pepperoni Pizza Slices
Poorboy Coffee: Zero ABV Irish Coffees, Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Provecho: Brisket Bento Boxes, Salsa Macha Garlic Noodles
Reem’s x Lion Dance Cafe: Lamb Quesabirria Flatbread Wraps, Chocolate Chip Halawa Cookies
Respectable Bird: Fried Chicken Sandwiches on Brioche Buns, Calamansi Iced Tea
Restaurant Naides: Lobster Lumpia, Tomato-Raspberry-Guava Leaf Refreshers
Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos: Ice Cream Tacos, Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ruru Kitchen: Green Goddess Bowls, Banana Toast
Sabores del Sur: Summer Veggie Empanadas, Award-Winning Alfajores Cookies
Saigon Sandwich: Roast Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches, Loaded Banh Mi Fries
Sandy’s: Hush Puppy Corn Dogs, Pimento Fries
Sataysfied: Indonesian Mie Tek-Tek Stir-Fried Noodles, Grilled Chicken Satays
Señor Sisig: Tofu Sisig Burritos, Pork Sisig Rice Bowls
Sharona’s Chocolate Shop: Pistachio Kataifi Cups, Chocolate Covered S’mores
Shawarmaji: Falafel Wraps w/ Garlic Toum, Iced Jordanian Street Coffee
Shuggie’s: Broccoli & Cheddar Pizzas, Pepperoni Pizzas
Smish Smash: Top-Rated Signature Smashburgers, Dac Biet Smashburgers
Sorrel: Fried Chicken Sandwiches w/ Fennel Slaw, Grilled Sweet Corn w/ Cotija & Lime
STIX: Korean Cheese Corndogs, Cornflake Korean Corndogs
Suppenküche: Pretzel Brats w/ Sauerkraut, Berlin-Style Currywurst w/ Fries
Tacolicious: Local Fried Fish Tacos, Cola-Braised Carnitas Tacos
Tano: Classic Salt Bread, Salt Bread w/ Ube Diplomat Cream
The Caviar Co.: Caviar Corn Dogs w/ Sun Gold Tomato Aioli, Loaded Caviar Tater Tots
The Golden Coop: Asian-Inspired Popcorn Chicken, Crispy Vegetarian Egg Rolls
TIYA: Butter Chicken Rice or Naan Bowls, Matcha Lassi
Total Meltdown: Kimchi Grilled Cheeses, Apple Fig Melts
um.ma: Bibimbap Rice Bowls, Bulgogi Cheese Fries
Wahpepah’s Kitchen: Bison Burgers w/ Blueberry Aioli, Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Wise Sons x Outta Sight Pizza: Hot Pastrami Dip Sandwiches, Cacio e Pepe French Fries
Woodhouse Fish Co: Maine-Style Lobster Rolls, New England Clam Chowder Bread Bowls
Wooly Pig: Thai Red Curry Udon w/ Fried Chicken, Taiwanese Popcorn Pork Belly w/ Fried Mochi
Xolo Taqueria: Poblano Burritos, Watermelon Aguas Frescas
