Rockin' Summer Food Festivals

While the lines were long and the ticket/cash set up a bit sloppy, there were happy bites being taken in every direction. In order to maximize my time at the event, I tended to the shorter food stand lines, inevitably deciding on Crawfish Monica, Frankies 457 Spuntino, Crif Dogs, and M. Wells as my four deserved bites for the day (all complemented by various beers from Brewmaster Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery's curated beer tent).

My tastes included crawfish macaroni and cheese, sausage and peppers over a creamy polenta, a hot dog wrapped in bacon with sour cream and avocado, and a grilled cheese with bologna and foie gras, respectively. While each of the four foods was rich, the collective pleasant feeling of the day under the warm May sun was even richer.

With any first go-around of a major festival, there were sure to be some hiccups. Long lines, messy bathrooms, sound system problems, etc. are almost a guarantee at larger events nationwide, and this weekend's was no exception. The thing about the Great GoogaMooga, though, is that there is clearly promise here. Where the festival itself fell short, GoogaMooga-ers stepped in and made up for it in understanding and enthusiasm.

Festival workers were eager and ready to help in any way they could when asked, and Googa-goers were always there to lend a fellow foodie some line advice or "taste" sneak peaks. It is this foodie-fellowship among the audience which truly brought the weekend together.

While there might not always be a buzz surrounding pop culture food the way there is now, as long as there are food-followers with excitement and curiosity about what they are eating, the Great GoogaMooga will continue to shine as a (bacon) beacon of summer festival light.