At last year’s October 2021 Outside Lands, I wrote about the top 7 eats, most of which are back — and still great — this year. This weekend of August 5–7, we were back to OL’s regular pre-pandemic August time frame for a sunny, idyllic weekend of glorious weather and music in Golden Gate Park.
The 2022 lineup included alternative rock greats — Green Day to Weezer — to rap favorites like Sampa the Great, Lil Uzi Vert and Pusha T., albeit missing a major legend as in years past (e.g. Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, The Who). While crowds were intense at times — and when leaving early one day it was impossible to find a working exit, leaving only an emergency exit to get out (!) — magic moments were many, especially as the moon rose, fireworks exploded and the all-ages crowd reveled to Green Day on Saturday night, August 6.
But I’m here to talk food and drink. Since its launch in 2008, OL (put on by Another Planet Entertainment and Superfly) pioneered culinary and drink excellence in the world for festival food. From Wine Lands to Beer Lands, they stepped up the game in festival quality, down to Michelin-starred restaurants serving bites.
OL’s unique GastroMagic stage combines chefs and musicians for live demos with music. This year brought the recurring, beloved OL tradition of Beignets and Bounce, Tom Colicchio with electronic headliner Illenium, LA’s chef Roy Choi making “chicken tenders” with musician and actor Dominic Fike, and comedian Natasha Leggero with Michelin-star chef Ludo Lefebvre.
With 94 restaurants, 35 wineries and 30 breweries pouring and cooking, Outside Lands is as much for food-and-drink lovers as it is for music fans. Edible highlights are many but here are my top seven on the ground this weekend during the one-and-only Outside Lands:
1. Sandy’s Muffaletta
I’ve already told you why Sandy’s muffaletta is the best muff I’ve EVER had, and that includes in my beloved New Orleans, which I’ve deeply studied and researched for 15 years (returning last month). Sandy’s is in search of a new home, so be praying to the food gods for that to come through soon as we’re all already missing owner Peterson Harter’s pitch-perfect rounds of seeded bread packed with mortadella, prosciutto, soppressata, provolone and sopping-good spicy olive salad and mayo. Thankfully, we could get Sandy’s at Outside Lands for the first time. No surprise: the massive sando’s briny, meaty, sesame-laden goodness is ideal festival food.
2. Jo’s Modern Thai’s Drunken Thai Noodles
Jo’s Modern Thai is a vibrant Oakland, female chef-helmed Thai restaurant I reviewed here early this year. You already know from my review that chef Intu-on Kornnawong’s makrut lime-laced pork laab burgers are all that, at the festival for the first time this year. At OL, mine came out a bit too charred and dry (but still tasty) compared to at the restaurant version, but their stir fried drunken noodles — despite a small portion for $17 — were delicate yet flavor-packed. The noodles were topped with tender Smokin Woods BBQ brisket. A little basil, the right chile heat kick and we had one of the year’s best newcomers to Outside Lands.
3. Fish-Go-Tec Fish & Chips by Lord Stanley
Rupert and Carrie Blease’s Michelin-starred Turntable at Lord Stanley continues to delight with rotating residencies of world-renowned and up-and-coming chefs (my review here; August’s current thrill is chef Melissa M. Martin of New Orleans’ beloved Mosquito Supper Club). It was a joy to have them here this year with their “Fish-Go-Tec”: a generous hunk of flaky, beer-battered fish with fries/chips — even better with their chili and lime-laced melon salad.
4. Wahpepah’s Kitchen Fry Bread
Another OL newcomer this year was Wahpepah’s Kitchen from Oakland born-and-raised Crystal Wahpepah, an enrolled member of the Kickapoo nation of Oklahoma. This inspiring activist brought a few of her Native American dishes — highlighting indigenous Bay Area ingredients — to the festival, namely her gratifying fry bread in vegan and ground bison versions (I filled up on the latter). There was also her vegan or ground bison and Anaheim pepper-packed Kickapoo chili.
5. Daytrip’s Loaded Umami Fries
Another newcomer, “party restaurant and bottle shop” Daytrip served their whole hog Parker House buns, layered in fermented black bean sauce, horseradish aioli and cucumber pickles. But I was particularly drawn to the neon pink and pickled kick of their “Loaded Umami Fries” with the option to “add hog.” Malt vinegar, Riesling wine-caramelized onions and neon pink miso aioli partnered nicely with green cucumber pickles for a pickly, sweet, savory take on loaded fries.
6. Nyum Bai’s Cambodian Stir-Fried Noodles
While I was bummed to hear of the closure of modern Cambodian treasure Nyum Bai, chef Nite Yun is thankfully planning to reopen. In the meantime, we got a fix of her comforting Cambodian stir-fried noodles — even better with a squeeze of lime and added Khmer fried chicken — at this year’s OL.
7. Konjoe Burger Bar’s Burger
Konjoe Burger Bar was the only Peninsula food spot I was aware of at this year’s festival from Santa Clara. While their regular burgers weren’t on offer when I walked up (despite their classic burger with grass-fed beef, American cheese, chopped onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard being listed). Instead, they served a long sandwich/hoagie-esque bun oozing all that goodness in elongated form. It was much like Quik Dog’s signature Quik Dog burger— from beloved bar Trick Dog — which was also here at the festival for the first time.
DRINK HIGHLIGHTS
A few drink highlights this year were the special spots spirits brands created as little oasis amid the crowds. Gray Whale Gin’s sky blue VW van bar and striking ocean walkway stood out in the massive Polo Field and arguably served some of the most memorable drinks of the weekend, including a frozen slushie and tropical The Beachside, mixing the gin with pineapple, coconut cream, mint and lemon. Aperol’s signature pinks and oranges called just past the entrance from their “Aperol Piazza” garden of orange trees, swings and orange umbrella-covered tables, bringing sunny, playful whimsy with an Aperol Spritz.
At Cocktail Magic, a killer DJ set from none other than legendary SF DJs Q*bert and Shortkut was the ideal spot in the woods to linger over crushable cocktails on draft. I wanted to try more cocktail sections, but at SilverGirls95’s stand, Amulet (mezcal, Green Chartreuse, celery juice, lime, peach bitters) was a fun cocktail returning from last year, while I enjoyed the new tribute to Betty White’s Golden Girls’ Rose… St. Olaf Fizz: Gray Whale Gin, rosewater, Small Hands Raspberry Gum syrup, lemon, seltzer.
At Wine Lands, the curated selection by sommelier Peter Eastlake was rife with rosés, whether a surprisingly buttery Field Recordings rosé (like overoaked Chardonnay — and I usually enjoy their wines) or a “hit the spot” Scribe Winery Pet Nat Rosé. Other local favorites included Brick & Mortar’s single vineyard Sonoma wines and Napa’s ultra-cool Ashes & Diamonds.
Beer Lands’ highlights, curated once again by beer master Dave McLean, included delights from SF’s Almanac and Laughing Monk, along with the welcome addition of one of my Santa Cruz favorites, Humble Sea, plus Strainge Beast’s (by Sierra Nevada) spot-on hard kombuchas.
