Furthur playing at the Lands End Stage Saturday evening

The Outside Lands festival that took place in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park August 14th and 15th was dedicated to integrating local food, wine, music, and art to create two days of entertainment, indulgence and education.

A Taste of the Bay Area, Wine Lands and Eco Lands provided festival goers with the opportunity to experience quality food from Bay Area restaurants, California wines from some obscure local wineries, and lessons on urban farming and sustainability...all in between music sets that took place on four separate stages.

The area now known as Golden Gate Park used to be referred to as the "Outside Lands" back in the Gold Rush era, "a great sand waste" that was not legally part of the city of San Francisco until 1866. By 1860 the park had been transformed into a recreational space for citizens to enjoy. This festival reclaims the name and celebrates the social value that the park environment contributes to life in an urban area.

This slideshow features some of the festivities from Saturday August 14th.

Outside Lands 2009

Festival-goers swarmed Golden Gate Park this weekend at San Francisco's Outside Lands to soak in some world-class music, chow down on some local and diverse eats, and bask in the abnormally warm weather (discounting wintry Sunday).

There seemed to be something for everyone at this massive festival, with a variety of music showcased…

Black Eyed Peas

Jason Mraz

Dave Matthews Band

No shortage of spectacles to watch…

Fou Fou Ha!, performance troupe extraordinaire

And of course, a plethora of tasty food and beverages to fuel the fun, because a San Francisco event just would not be complete without some good grub.

Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, Yucca Fries and Cachapas

Top tastes included Venezuelan bites from Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, who served up arepas, cachapas, and yucca fries. My cachapas filled with shredded beef, black beans, plantains, and cheese hit the spot with its savory filling and sweet corn pancake shell, crispy on the outside and slightly gooey when I bit down.

Maverick’s Cincinnati Pulled Pork Sandwich

Maverick’s Cincinnati Pulled Pork Sandwich was smoky, rich, and meaty, with just the right saucy tang, and crunchy slaw on top. And, the house-made potato chips were without a trace of grease.

Hog Island Oysters

Hog Island Oyster Co. was back again this year, shucking and barbecuing their prized oysters. Nothing like rock n’ roll and oysters. Mmm slurp.

Little Skillet, Fried Chicken, Waffles, Mac n’ Cheese, and Cornbread

Farmerbrown's offshoot, Little Skillet fed the masses with their famous Fried Chicken and Waffles…so good they must be made with love (and butter…same difference). I had been hoping and wishing and praying for some more of those ridiculous black pepper biscuits with brown sugar crumble I tasted a few weeks ago at their pop-up happy hour block party, but alas, that will have to wait for another day.

Philz Coffee, Turkish Coffee

Local favorite, Philz Coffee made sure the party went strong into the night with their frothy, deliciously caffeinated beverages.

Yats, Catfish Po’Boy

And Yats brought a taste of New Orleans to Outside Lands, with their Fried Catfish Po’Boys, Jambalaya, and Eggplant Beignets. A hidden gem located inside Jack’s Club in Potrero Hill, Yats has been a long-time favorite of mine with their authentic po’boys and Creole dishes. I have a feeling that after this weekend, this will be a best kept secret no more.

Yats, Eggplant Beignets

The Eggplant Beignet was probably the most interesting thing I tried this weekend. Thick batons of eggplant coated in a savory peppery batter, deep fried, and dusted with powdered sugar, I’m still not quite sure how I feel about it. It had the sweet and savory combo going, which I dug, but…it was a little weird. Addictive, but weird.

Q Restaurant, Tater Tots

My tastebuds needed something familiar to recalibrate after that, and Q Restaurant had just the thing with their good old fashioned, crispy Tater Tots, available in traditional (ketchup) or fancy (chili lime aioli) accoutrement.

Handcut Waffle Fries, Eos Restaurant and Wine Salon

The Cheesy Waffle Fries from Eos also looked fully satisfying.

Charles Chocolates S’more

For the sweet tooth, giant S’mores from Charles Chocolates brought smiles to the kiddies and grown-ups alike.

Three Twins Ice Cream, Mint Confetti Cone

And Three Twins Ice Cream kept the crowd cool one scoop at a time.

Props to Outside Lands for creating an event that brought together so many of the things SF loves best.

‘Til next year

San Francisco's Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
Golden Gate Park
August 28-30, 2009

Food and Wine will be a big part of this year's Outside Lands, San Francisco's 3-day Music and Arts Festival to be held August 28-30, 2009 in Golden Gate Park.

Outside Lands, A Taste of the Bay Area

After last year's successful maiden voyage, this year's Outside Lands promises to be even bigger and better with over 30 restaurants and 25 local wineries offering tasty sustenance as festival goers enjoy music from the likes of Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Tenacious D, Incubus, Black Eyed Peas, M.I.A., Ween, Modest Mouse, and Jason Mraz, among others.

The festival honors Bay Area culture, and as a city that loves our food, you can be sure that offerings will not be confined to your average festival fare. For those who attended last year, you'll recognize some returning vendors such as: El Huarache Loco, bringing the flavors of the D.F. (Distrito Federal a.k.a. Mexico City) to the SF, Hog Island Oyster Company, shucking and grilling away, Maverick, serving their famous pulled pork sandwich, and Pacific Catch, getting fresh with their Hawaiian poke.

With over 50% more local restaurants participating in Outside Land's Taste of the Bay Area tent this year, you can look forward a plethora of newcomers as well. Local favorites like: DOSA's tantalizing Southern India cuisine, Little Skillet's farm-fresh soul food, Q Restaurant's funky American comfort food (word on the street is tater tots!), Taylor's Automatic Refresher's pulled pork sandwiches and chicken Caesar salad (what, no burgers?), Ti Couz's savory and sweet crepes, and Yats' ridiculous poboys.

For purists, don’t worry, you can still get your burgers and dogs, but Burgermeister and Let's be Frank will be serving them SF-style (organic grass-fed beef, topped with locally grown lettuce and tomato, nitrites/nitrates/hormones/antibiotics/filler free).

A Taste of the Bay Area participating restaurants

This year's Winehaven tent will feature 75 different wines, each available in half or full glasses. Tasting seminars will also be offered:

• Taste with the Trailblazers: Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon, Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Bob Lindquist of Qupe, Steve Edmunds of Edmunds St John
• The Sustainable Sipsters: Robert Sinskey, Long Meadow Ranch, and Preston of Dry Creek
• The Next Generation: Morgan Peterson of Bedrock Wine Company, Charles Bieler and Joel Gott of Three Thieves, and Ethan Lindquist
• Coastal Cowboys: Pax Mahle of Wind Gap, Bradley Brown of Big Basin, Steve Clifton of Palmina.

I was blown away by the transformation of Golden Gate Park during last year's Outside Lands. It was the perfect storm of great music, community building, and no shortage of good things to eat and drink, all encompassed within the beauty of the city's iconic park. The bar has been set high, but with a solid lineup on the horizon, things are looking good for a strong showing once again this year.

Stay tuned, yours truly will be covering this event...highlight recap to come.

Outside Lands
August 28-30, 2009
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Tickets: Advance Single Day General Admission tickets ($89.50), Advance 3-Day Tickets ($225.50)
Tip: It looks like there are a few contests going on to win free tickets, and volunteer opportunities as well.