Outside Lands' food roster is pretty mouth watering. We weren't sure how many more awesome eateries they could heap onto the pile they already had, but they sure as heck did it. The 2011 list of newbies boasts the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, Memphis Minnie's, Ritual, Straw, 4505 Meats, Kasa, and Salumeria by Flour + Water. But we musn't forget about the music amidst all this tasty fare! Behold, this year's food & music pairings menu to get the most out of your OL adventures.
Mavis Staples&American Grilled Cheese
Soul legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mavis Staples came from a time when your mom was still buying vinyl. It seemed like her smooth, timeless voice was going to stay there until she was resurrected by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, who collaborated with her on the excellent, Grammy-winning disc You Are Not Alone. Something else experiencing a major resurgence that's classic, smooth, and something your mom used to dish up? Grilled cheese sandwiches. The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen's got the lockdown on this ultimate meal, which will warm you up against the chill of GG Park, right alongside Ms. Staples' OL set.
What's more of a guilty pleasure than Three Twins' delectable Cookie Jar, Chocolate Project or Strawberry Je Ne Sais Quois flavors? We can't say no to that sticky-sweet, creamy goodness–-much like our affair with Best Coast's saccharine, ironclad pop, which we try to only listen to behind closed doors or in headphones. Live, singer Bethany Cosentino hits it out of the park every time, so grab some Three Twins–in a cone, of course–to complete your sugar intake for the weekend.
Big Audio Dynamite & Ti Couz
You thought they were gone...but they're still hanging in there. Big Audio Dynamite's (Mick Jones' first band post-The Clash) big reunion was announced in January 2011 to much surprise, after decades of well-documented hesitation from its members. Yet here we are, welcoming the genre-smashing group to our city, on the heels of several critically-lauded UK performances and a Coachella appearance. And after a much-publicized, imminent departure from the SF food scene after 19 solid years, creperie Ti Couz will have one last hurrah and goodbye by dishing out sweet and savory crepes at Outside Lands.
Phans, we know you're out there–-with an undying love for this legendary jam band that blends rock, jazz, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, funk, folk, bluegrass, reggae, country, blues, avant garde, barbershop quartet and classical. It's a mixture that's thrown together on the fly (no two Phish shows are ever alike), much like the gumbo getting served by Anchor & Hope. It's a dish often improvised with whatever ingredients come to mind, and when it's cooked with enough love and gusto, it's the ultimate hearty dish for cold days–and trust us, phans, you'll need fuel this thick to keep up with both of Phish's epic sets.
This elusive chanteuse rarely shows her face on SF's stages, despite the fact that she lives here; she's not a musician about town like Girls or the Fresh & Onlys. When she and her band decide show their chops, you get dark, dreamy pop awash in deep layers of reverb and echoes reaching a hundred miles, best when you're right there in it–so when the experience comes around, you take it. Just like the goodies from 4505 Meats–their cosmically juicy cheeseburger or bacon-studded hot dog, both of which will be served at OL–which you can only fill your craving of after a tremendous wait in their massive farmers market lines. But when you smell what they're cooking, you throw your money down–no questions asked.
