Thousands of rabid, screaming fans head to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park this weekend to stuff their faces at Outside Lands. Oh, and maybe listen to some music.
Music headliners range from Metallica and Skrillex to Stevie Wonder and the Foo Fighters, but BiteClub’s there for the 55 restaurants, 16 breweries, 49 wineries, and countless food trucks, chefs and culinary wonderments that have become a signature of the gastro-music event. Spread over several acres, this year’s big food and drink draws include the new Beerlands, where Bear Republic, Firestone Walker, Lost Coast, Magnolia Gastropub, North Coast, 21st Amendment and others serve up 32 brews; and Outside Lambs, where Chef John Fink of The Whole Beast curates a lineup of lamb-centric pop-ups featuring Michael Mina’s RN74 and Bourbon Steak House.
Chocolands gathers sweet-pushers like Epic Cookies, Kara’s Cupcake, Candybar and Sharon’s Chocolate Shop in the quiet McLaren Pass, where sugar junkies can mainline cupcakes, s’mores and cookies. Taste of the Bay Area 2012 expands throughout three fields adding newcomers Bacon Bacon, Belly Burgers, Hapa SF, Seoul on Wheels, Nojo, Eat Le Truc and Bun Mee. Returning faves Namu, Farmerbrown’s Little Skillet, American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, 4505 Meats and Straw skip the usual fest-food and ramp up mini restaurants serving out-of-the-box dishes including Tonkatsu sandwiches, schwarma snow cones, Korean tacos, and hazelnut crunch cupcakes.
Adding a touch of class is the Wine Lands tent with 120 different wines. Local Wine Country faves include Long Meadow Ranch, Ridge, Robert Sinskey, Preston of Dry Creek, Copain, Simi and House Band Wines. Check out the full list of purveyors and foods (with notes on 2011 faves and where I’ll be this year), in addition to my report on last year’s Outside Lands food fest. And let me say right now, I am sincerely hoping to pick up my Crack Bar habit again at Brass Knuckle catering.
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A Taste of the Bay Area: 55 Restaurants
Orange: New, Must Try
Green: Favorite of 2011
4505 Meats – 4505 Classic Cheeseburger, Fried Chicken YumYum
American Grilled Cheese Kitchen – Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Andalu – Crispy Mac-n-Cheese, Corn with Smoked Pimenton
Asqew Grill – Fresh Grilled Skewers, House-made Salad; Sides
Azalina’s – Malaysian Chicken and Vegan Nachos
Bacon Bacon – Spicy Pork Fries, Root Beer Floats
Best In Show – Evergood Hot Links, Evergood Hot Dogs
Big Chef Tom’s Belly Burgers – Pork Belly Burgers, Almond Cumin Slaw
Brass Knuckle – Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs, Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca
Bun Mee Vietnamese Sandwich Eatery – Vietnamese Sandwiches
Del Popolo – Margherita, White and Pepperoni Pizzas
Earthly Delights – Philadelphia Cheesesteaks, Parmesan Fries
Eat Le Truc – Thai Curry Pork Tacos, Beet Salad
El Huarache Loco – Quesadillas, Huaraches and Gorditas
Endless Summer Sweets – Gourmet Funnel Cakes
Event Specialists – Churros, Soft Pretzels
Farmerbrown’s Little Skillet – Fried Chicken & Waffles
Full Belly Farms – Organic Melon, Peaches and Juices
Hapa SF – Lumpia “Shanghai” Spring Rolls, Sisig Tacos
Homeroom – Gilroy Mac and Cheese
Kara’s Cupcakes – Gourmet Cupcakes
Let’s Be Frank – 100% Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs
Little Village Produce – Smoothies, Coconut Chais
Living Greens – Organic Juices, Shots and Tonics
Loving Cup – Rice Pudding, Blue Bottle Hot and Iced Coffees
Luella – Ricotta and Artichoke Sandwiches, Pork Bacon Chili with Cheddar
Maverick- Cincinnati BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Milk Shake Werks – Milkshakes, Ice Cream Sandwiches
Mission Minis – Mini Cupcakes
Namu Gaji – Short Rib Tacos, Chicken Thigh Tacos
New Ganges – Samosas, Chicken Curry Plate, Indian Vegetarian Plate
Nojo – Tonkatsu Sandwich, Cucumber Salad
Nombe – Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken Thigh Nuggets) Odango (Fried Rice Balls)
Pacific Catch – Hawaiian Poke, Baja Shrimp Ceviche
Philz Coffee – Customized Blends made one cup at a time
Pica Pica – Arepas, Yucca Fries
Q Restaurant and Wine Bar – Tater Tots with Chili Lime Aioli
Rosamunde’s Sausage Grill – Beer Sausages, Nuernberger Bratwurst
Sabores del Sur – Empanadas and Award-Winning Alfajores
Sataysfied – Chicken Satays, Fried Noodles
Señor Sisig – Sisig Nachos and Fries
Seoul on Wheels – Korrito, Pot Stickers, Kimchee
Spicy Pie – Gourmet Pizza Slices, Cookie Pie
Split Pea Seduction – Farm-to-Fork Soups, Salads and Sandwiches
Southern Sandwich Co. – Mesquite Chicken Sandwich, Texas Beef Brisket
Southpaw BBQ and Southern Cooking – Smoked Beef Brisket, Texas Beef Brisket, Collard Greens
Straw – Falafel and Shwarma Snow Cones, Sweet Potato Tots
Tacolicious – Carnitas Tacos, Beer and Shot Braised Chicken Tacos
The Little Chihuahua – Fried Plantain and Fajita Burritos
The Pizza Place – Personal Pizzas, Meatball Grinders
Those Fabulous Frickle Brothers – Green Tomatoes, Fried Pickles
Three Twins – Organic Ice Creams
Up & Under Pub and Grill – Steak and Portobello Sandwiches
Whisk on Wheels – Choripan, Empanadas
Woodhouse – Shucked and BBQ Oysters, Chowder
Outside Lambs
The Whole Beast – Whole Roasted Lamb Gyros, Lamb Mulligatawny (Indian curry stew), Lamb Poutine, Moroccan Mint Iced Tea
Bourbon Steak House DC – Lamb Sausage Hotdogs (in partnership with 4505 Meats) with sweet and hot peppers on an Acme hotdog roll
Bourbon Steak House SF – Lamb Kefta Meatballs with All-Star Organic Farms Cucumber and Fennel-Yogurt
RN74 – Grilled Brentwood Sweet Corn with Lamb Sausage Crumbs and Cotija Cheese (vegetarian & vegan options available)
Chocolands
Candybar – Guittard Hot Chocolate with Homemade Marshmallow, Frozen Guittard Chocolate with Whipped Cream
Delessio Market & Bakery – Chocolate Dipped Caramel Corn
Epic Cookies – Gourmet Cookies, Milk Chocolate Milk
Guittard Chocolate – Chocolate Bar Tasting Duo
Kara’s Cupcakes – Chocolate Gourmet Cupcakes
Sharona’s Chocolate Shop – Chocolate Dipped Rice Crispy and Brownie, S’mores, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
Beer Lands: 16 Breweries in total; 32 beers poured
21st Amendment – Hell or High Watermelon (Watermelon Wheat), Back in Black (Black IPA)
Anchor Brewing – Steam (Common Beer), Summer (American Wheat)
Bear Republic Brewery – Racer 5 (American IPA), El Oso (Amber Lager)
The Bruery – Mischief (Belgian Golden Strong), Humulus APA (Extra Pale w/Bett)
Drake’s Brewing – 1500 Pale (Pale Ale), Amber (Amber Ale)
Firestone Walker – Pivo (Pilsner), Double Barrel Ale (Extra Special, Strong Bitter)
Heineken USA – Newcastle Summer (Citric Blond Ale), Amstel Wheat (Pure Hefeweizen)
Iron Springs Brewery – Chazz Cat Rye (Rye Amber), JC Flyer (American IPA)
Linden Street Brewery – Urban People’s Common (Common Beer), Burning Oak (Black Lager)
Lost Coast Brewery – Great White (Belgian White), Downtown Brown (Brown Ale)
Mad River Brewing Company – Extra Pale (Pale Ale), Jamaica Red (Red Ale)
Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery – Proving Ground (American IPA), Kalifornia Kolsch (Kolsch)
North Coast Brewing Company – Scrimshaw Pilsner (German Pilsener), PranQster (Belgian Strong Golden Ale)
Pacific Brewing Labs – Squid Ink (Black IPA), Nautilus (Hibiscus Saison)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – Outside Lands Saison (Saison), Kellerweis (Hefeweizen)
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers- Big Daddy (American IPA), Payback Porter (Porter)
Wine Lands: 49 Wineries, 120 Wines Poured
* BiteClub Faves
August West
Banshee
Big Basin Vineyards
Bonny Doon Vineyard
Brander
Caymus Vineyards
Chappellet
Claypool Cellars
Copain
Faust
Free Flow Wines, Simi, King Estate, Cultivar, Rowland Tebb, and Darcie Kent on tap
Gamling & McDuck
Gloria Ferrer
Hess Collection
Hobo Wine Company
House Band Wines in a pouch
Idell Family Vineyards
J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines
Kermit Lynch with a selection of his famous European imports
Long Meadow Ranch
Medlock Ames
Meiomi Wines
Mer Soleil Vineyard
Miner
Navarro
Olabisi
Orin Swift Cellars
Palmina
Preston of Dry Creek
Qupé
Verdad
Ridge Vineyards
Robert Sinskey
Saintsbury
Santa Rita Winery
Scribe
Saldo
Summer of Riesling 2012
The Scholium Project
The Prisoner
Tres Sabores
Turley Wine Cellars
Villa Creek
Wind Gap
Wines of Portugal with Sommelier Eugenio Jardim