'Roo food

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210893914479574505.post-49729200725389797972008-06-19T19:15:00.007-05:002008-06-19T20:15:15.179-05:00'Roo foodI'm still recovering from Bonnaroo. It's fun, but for an old goat like me, it's a lot of work to be out in the sun and mostly on your feet for 8-12 hours a day for three days straight. I'm lucky I have a desk job. So, the food. Sure, there was some good music there, too but <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bonnaroo+2008+music+reviews">other, better writers have written reviews</a>, so I'll tell you about the food. <a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_cH5hMrrfLkY/SFr85fA1b8I/AAAAAAAAARw/2iC4x75uCxg/s1600-h/arepa.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_cH5hMrrfLkY/SFr85fA1b8I/AAAAAAAAARw/2iC4x75uCxg/s320/arepa.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213757583142514626" /></a>First, arepas. Not only were these guys back this year (Toby's Arepas from South Florida, I think), but they had multiple stands. Good call, y'all. I didn't have to stand in line for 20 minutes to get my fill. So I had five of them over the course of three days. Yes, five. Usually the first thing I ate...and the last thing I ate. Soooo good. I did branch out and eat other things, though. A lot of other things. It seemed to me that there were actually more food choices this year than the last two years, so I didn't even have to eat one slice of pizza or eat one single burrito. <a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_cH5hMrrfLkY/SFr9ATd9dAI/AAAAAAAAAR4/v5auVBqMYgo/s1600-h/sw+fries.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_cH5hMrrfLkY/SFr9ATd9dAI/AAAAAAAAAR4/v5auVBqMYgo/s320/sw+fries.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213757700302533634" /></a>One vendor was selling sweet potato fries (battered, so they were different from what I'm used to getting from Bobbie's Dairy Dip) and samosas, so after my first arepa, I settled in for a pile of fries and an apple samosa (while listening to Fiery Furnaces). Later in the evening, we had a vegetable samosa and a tofu samosa. All were delicious. The samosas were more like turnovers stuffed with filling and were served with a slightly spicy salsa-like sauce. I loved them, but "deep fried" is one of my favorite phrases and not something too often associated with vegetarian food. On day two, I sent the Significant Omnivore off for snacks to eat while waiting on Ben Folds to perform. He came back with (very expensive) Ben & Jerry's treats. I think we could have bought three pints for what he paid, but that's the price of convenience. And they were good, but a bit overpackaged, I think. Anyhoo, dinner time rolled around and we headed back in the direction of the samosas, but rounded the corner (past the vendor selling all sorts of sea-bound critters) over to the quesadilla place. I ordered a (vegan) Sesame Gingerdilla, which was red cabbage, carrots and a few other taut veggies stir-fried with sesame oil and ginger and shoved in a tortilla. The SO opted for the Feta Metadilla, which was feta cheese, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, sauteed onions, and olives in a spinach tortilla. Both were delicious and really hit the spot. I didn't think I really liked red cabbage, but it worked well with the sesame and ginger and the crunch in the "quesadilla" was a nice change of pace. I can make these at home! We thought we'd be out of luck for a late night sweet snack before settling in to see Pearl Jam because the crowd was so thick , we were forced to the back, but we stumbled upon a stand that I could smell before I could see: candied roasted pecans and walnuts. Perfect. <a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_cH5hMrrfLkY/SFr_LG7JeGI/AAAAAAAAASA/JWuuar5TP9Q/s1600-h/food+selection.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_cH5hMrrfLkY/SFr_LG7JeGI/AAAAAAAAASA/JWuuar5TP9Q/s320/food+selection.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213760084937111650" /></a>By the third day (and after three arepas in two days), you'd think I would've had my fill, but I started off with yet another arepa. Really, they are that good. It was just my snack until we could decide on lunch. It was a hot day, so we yet again wandered over to that wonderful oasis of veg-friendly foods and went to the wrap place this time. I got a (vegan again--yay!) wrap with hummus, tomatoes (because I'm brave), lettuce, and cucumbers, while the SO opted for the portobello wrap. It was a little heavy on the sauteed onions and a little too warm considering the weather, but he enjoyed it. It had a great savory flavor. We ate our wraps while listening to Robert Randolph wrap up and sitting in a prime patch of shade under one of the handful of trees. <a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_cH5hMrrfLkY/SFsAeRBcz4I/AAAAAAAAASI/BIy5MQEk5hU/s1600-h/crepe+food.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_cH5hMrrfLkY/SFsAeRBcz4I/AAAAAAAAASI/BIy5MQEk5hU/s320/crepe+food.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213761513577041794" /></a>While sitting under the tree looking toward the stage where Solomon Burke was about to play, I spied the crepe vendor. I'd managed to resist the crepes for two days, but not on Sunday. So I headed over and got myself a fruit crepe (strawberries, blueberries and bananas with a little chocolate; hold the pineapple and whipped cream). The crepes were pre-made and laid out on a round griddle to be heated and the toppings were placed on top. They were pretty generous with the toppings, but at $8, the crepe was the most expensive food item we got and well, wasn't really quite worth it. But I had to do it. Going to Bonnaroo is like going on vacation; you just gotta indulge. Which is why I had one last arepa on my way over from Robert Plant and Allison Krauss to Death Cab for Cutie that evening.Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03114168635296592781noreply@blogger.com