When you think about all of the things associated with music festivals, your mind probably conjures up things like bands, shows, crowds, street style… and… food? Okay, okay, grub might not be the first thing you think of, but it just might be after this post. At Governors Ball on Randall’s Island, NYC’s biggest musical festival (Kanye’s headlining Sunday!), trust us when we say that the food more or less stole the show. A whole slew of the Big Apple’s culinary heavy hitters, such as Jeepney and Momofuku, have food stands at the fest, and needless to say, it’s pretty much foodie heaven. Check out the very best of the best noms up for grabs this year.
1. Hebros Kitchen’s Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese: This warm, cheesy concoction is Hebros Kitchen’s Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese with plenty of drool-worthy, tangy Buffalo chicken piled on top. Yum-my!
2. Pizza Nova’s Veggie & the Full Effect:Vegetarians are in luck at Governors Ball with Pizza Nova’s Veggie & the Full Effect on hand: Topped with onions, spinach, mushrooms, tomato sauce and a generous helping of mozzarella cheese, it’s a meatless dream. It’s filling too — one of those slices is roughly the size of your face — because it’s New York City, after all!
3. Burger Warrior’s Classic Black Angus Cheese Burger:You can’t go wrong with a classic. Burger Warrior’s Black Angus Cheese Burger comes made to order and is served with a crunchy spear of dill pickle.
4. Van Leeuwen’s Honeycomb Ice Cream:Van Leeuwen, NYC’s premier artisanal ice cream shop, brought one of its iconic trucks to Randall’s Island, all the better to serve up their tasty real cream and vegan flavors. This particular confection is the dessert co.’s sweet Honeycomb flavor.
5. Arancini Bros.’ Mix and Match Sicilian Rice Balls:Just TRY not to drool all over your screen looking at these toasty arancinis! The Sicilian Rice Balls come in Ragu, Bianco Verde, Buffalo, Bucatini Fritti, Pizza and even — gasp! — Nutella?
6. Snow Days’ Yeti Food Shaved Ice:Shaved ice is definitely one of Asia’s best exports, and Snow Days, which has shops around NYC, brought their tasty creations to Govs Ball in full force. Pictured here is the dessert shop’s signature Yeti Food, which translates to Yeti Tracks shaved ice (better known as cookies and cream), rainbow sprinkles and chocolate chips.
7. Luke’s Lobster Shrimp Roll:“Just as good as the lobster roll, but less expensive,” said the person who ordered this mouth-watering roll as we snapped a pic. The shrimp is served chilled on a buttered, toasted bun. Nom nom nom!
8. Jalapeño Corndog’s Funnel Cake:It wouldn’t be a festival without funnel cake! Sure, Jalapeño Corndog serves some delicious (and spicy!) corndog options, but their cakes are the real scene stealers. Topped with plenty of powdered sugar, this one is a thing of beauty.
9. Matchabar’s Matcha Popsicle:What with all its green tea goodness, this popsicle is the perfect way to sneak in a cold summertime treat while also getting all those great antioxidants. Sweet, healthy and delicious? Sold!
10. Asia Dog’s Mash, Sidney and Mel & Steve Topping Beef Hotdogs: Hot dogs are all about convenience. You eat them on the go: That’s what makes ’em so perfect for festival eating! The offerings at Asia Dog are no ordinary hot dogs, though. Piled high with things like pickled kimchi, crushed salt and pepper chips, these gourmet dogs are a must-try.
11. Coco & Co’s Fresh, Cold Coconut:On a summer day, nothing refreshes quite like a fresh, chilled coconut. Coco & Co is serving up some of nature’s finest refreshments at $8 a pop, emblazoned with “Gov Ball” on the side. Dry it out and it’s kind of a perfect souvenir, don’t you think?
12. Momofuku Milk Bar’s Confetti Cookie: YAAAS, COOKIES! Momofuku Milk Bar, a New York City institution, brought a truckload of their incredible cookies to Gov Ball and the crowds couldn’t be happier. In case you’re jonesing for the bakery’s other famous confections, yes, they have the iconic Crack Pie in stock too!
13. Southernmost Falafel’s Falafel & Hummus: Want some yummy fried falafels on a perfectly made pita with fresh veggies and drizzled with tahini sauce? Then you’ll probably want to make Southernmost Falafel’s your first stop: They brought it with this classic.
14. Mighty Quinn’s Pulled Pork Sandwich:Mighty Quinn’s, another New York culinary institution, is also on hand at Gov Ball this weekend. Their pictured Pulled Pork Sandwich consists of perfectly braised pulled pork on a brioche bun and top with some birds eye chili and cucumbers. Oh. Em. GEE.
15. Wowfull’s “Damn, Wowfulls!”: What in the what is this gorgeous thing? This dessert is made with egg waffle (the same stuff used to make the bubble waffle cones that will be your latest summer obsession), vanilla ice cream, strawberries, Pocky sticks and subbed-in condensed milk. Not only is it amazing to eat, it’s Insta-ready too!
16. Seamore’s Tuna Poke Bowl: If you’re in the mood for something fresh and light yet filling, Seamore’s has just the thing for you. Their gorg tuna poke bowl comes with sliced avocado, crushed peanuts, sesame scallions and — oh, yeah, lots of seasoned tuna poke.
17. by CHLOE’s Classic Vegan Burger: You’re probably in for a bit of a wait should you pay a visit to this popular vegan/vegetarian eatery’s location on Bleecker Street in Manhattan: The line usually wraps around the block. That’s why we were super stoked to see the restaurant has a stand at Governors Ball! There was still a line, to be sure, but we think it’s well worth it: Just feast your eyes on this Classic Burger, made with a tempeh-lentil-chia walnut patty and topped with beet ketchup, onions and pickles on a potato bun.
18. Spaghetti Incident’s Spaghetti Chitarra: When you think street food, you don’t ordinarily think pasta, but Spaghetti Incident wants to change your mind about that. Served in a handy cardboard cone (how convenient!), this Spaghetti Chitarra is made with Italian tomato sauce, basil and chunks of fresh mozzarella. BRB, we’re wiping the drool off our faces.
19. Black Tap’s Black and White Shake: We had to save the best (and by best, we mean most Insta-worthy) for last. This craft burger and beer spot recently made a name for themselves with their insane milkshakes, and they created an exclusive one just for Gov Ball! Feast your eyes on this: the Black and White Shake, which consists of an Oreo shake topped with whipped cream, crushed cookies, chocolate syrup and a full-on Whirly Pop. SO much yes.
(Photos via Kimberly Wang/Brit + Co)
