Besides The Music

You’ve got your ticket, comfortable shoes and bandana to block out the dust –now what are you going to eat at the world’s only gourmet music festival? I know, it seems odd that it is the world’s only gourmet music festival –but according to Ari Feingold, they can make this claim. And he should know, he started off as a vendor for the first two years of the festival, and has held the official title of Curator of A Taste of the Bay Area at Outside Lands for the past 7 years. Feingold and crew bring together 80 restaurants, food trucks and food carts from all corners of the city. Several of The San Francisco Chronicle’s “Top 100 Restaurants of 2016” can be found within A Taste of the Bay Area, including 2016 newcomer Trestle – known for its New American menu..

“We were the first festival to place such an emphasis on food and drink and we believe the Bay Area is the ultimate home to diverse, local, culinary driven cuisine,” he says, “Just the fact that it’s here makes it something no one else can replicate.

They always try to stay one step ahead. “Each year, we take everything we already do and make it even better. While other festivals may now be copying Outside Lands – to a degree- each year there are new special features; this year it is Outside Clams and a few other soon to be announced experiences.”

Last year they served over 200,000 meals, this year they expect to match or exceed this with such unique offerings such as Turkey momos (Nepalese dumplings) from Bini’s Kitchen to poke from Pacific Catch to Malaysian style nachos from Azalina’s.


New for 2016:

Outside Clams, will be helmed by festival veteran Woodhouse Fish Co. It will offer a comprehensive crustacean experience, including raw and BBQ oysters, lobster rolls, and clam chowder, and is conveniently located next to Wine Lands for easy pairings of oysters and crisp California whites.

Trestle – known for its New American menu.

Mozzeria, the country’s first deaf owned and operated Italian pizzeria, which will fire up its Neapolitan pizza from a restored cable car at Outside Lands.

Newcomer Bini’s Kitchen will offer the city’s best momos (Nepalese dumplings).

Itani Ramen will represent Oakland’s dining talents and bring ramen to Outside Lands for the first time.

Koja Kitchen, a Golden Gate Park neighbor, Fine & Rare, The Japanese Pantry, Rove Kitchen, Four Barrel Coffee, Belcampo Meat Co. and Homestead Cookies.

This year’s farmer’s market will be led by The Farmer’s Wife, which will offer fresh produce and apple and wildflower honey melts.

Here’s what else you can expect:

Beer Lands

Dave McLean, Owner of San Francisco’s Magnolia Brewing Company and Alembic Bar, curates 28 breweries that represent the best of Northern Californian craft beer culture. The one-year old Harmonic Brewing will pour its Dogpatch-made micro brews and join returning favorites like 21 st Amendment, Calicraft and Lost Coast.

The Monk’s Kettle, a pioneer in the gastropub movement will be back, providing beer-worthy snacks like pretzel knots with beer cheese sauce. One of the country’s foremost craft breweries, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., will also return. Sierra Nevada’s Beer Ambassador Terence Sullivan will host his popular Beer Camp with Sierra Nevada’s special festival brew, the Outside Lands Saison, on tap from the brewery’s signature solar-powered trailer. Several more breweries will be announced

Wine Lands

Like no other wine tasting on earth, Wine Lands offers an unbeatable collection of both iconic and trendsetting wines. This year is its largest gathering yet with 40 top regional winemakers pouring more than 120 wines. In addition to dozens of rustic wine booths, guests will find magnums on ice in a wooden canoe and winemakers talking equally enthusiastically about music and wine as they pour a rare vintage. As a complement to the Outside Lands wine experience, guests will find The Back Wine, a sip and putt mini golf area. The Back Wine will have a new location at the festival and will offer wines by Cannonball Wine Company. This year, Wine Lands sees 12 new winemakers on the lineup. Peter Eastlake, the brain behind Wine Lands each year and a 2014 Food & Wine Sommelier of the Year, will be introducing Fount, his first vintage of California Grenache and Rosé. Two of Russian River Valley’s most reputable vineyards, Alysian and Thomas George Estates, are newly on site, as are prized wineries like Raymond, Niven Family Wines, Georges Duboeuf and Bonterra. Sparkling wine from Scharffenberger Cellars, sake by SakéOne and iconic Californian vintages from Turley, Ridge, Banshee, and Claypool Cellars also return. Santa Rita Secret Reserve Red Blend and Cavit Pinot Grigio will be featured throughout the festival grounds as the premium wines offered.

Choco Lands

Since every great meal ends with dessert, Outside Lands offers Choco Lands. The enchanting forest boasts a menu of over a dozen gooey, sugary, and chocolaty confections by Guittard Chocolate Company, Kara’s Cupcakes, Sharona’s Chocolate Shop, Candybar Dessert Lounge, Epic Cookies and The Crème Brulee

Cheese Lands

Speaking to San Franciscans’ enormous appetite for cheese, Cheese Lands will expand this year. Expert artisans will be on hand as guests enjoy warm, oversized servings of Raclette cheese, loaves of fresh baked bread, cheeses by the dozen, and charcuterie selections. Cheese Lands is curated by Thalassa Skinner of Culture, America’s magazine for cheese lovers, in partnership with Napa Valley’s Long Meadow Ranch.

The festival’s wildly popular culinary personality soars to even greater heights withGastroMagic, a one-of- a-kind stage devoted to fantastical entertainment in the way of star personalities, food, cocktails, comedy, improv, music, and of course, sorcery. The GastroMagic lineup will be shared in the coming weeks.

Outside Lands has become one of the most popular summer events for both the culinary and music enthusiast alike. The three-day festival features 80 restaurants, 40 wineries, 28 breweries and numerous top cocktail bars, all local to California. It also showcases more than 70 legendary and emerging artists. To date, Outside Lands has raised over $10 million dollars for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, and with a heavy emphasis on sustainability, boasts one of the best environmental records of all US festivals. Outside Lands was co-founded by Superfly and Another Planet Entertainment and takes place each August.

Learn more at sfoutsidelands.com or on Twitter @sfoutsidelands, Facebook, and Instagram @outside_lands; #outsidelands.

Check out the gallery below for photos of what you’ll find at Outside Lands.