Music festivals these days are big business, loaded with good bands and now, all kinds of good eats. In advance of this years Outside Lands Music, Food, Wine & Art Festival in San Francisco (8/14-15 at Golden Gate Park in SF feat. Kings of Leon, The Strokes, My Morning Jacket), we decided to give some Friday Fives facetime to a good friend and fellow music and food enthusiast, Superfly Productions principal, Kerry Black.
Black and his team curate festivals like Bonarroo & Outside Lands. You want All Access passes? Black is the guy you need to know. We tried to convince Superfly to sponsor an Infatuation party plane to SF for Outside Lands for us and all our friends (you). Didn’t happen. Maybe next year.
Kerry’s “Perfect For” Picks
Classic NYC Establishment
Totonno’s (1544 2nd Ave.) – “My personal pizza mecca. Worth the trip, especially if Cookie breaks you off for some seemingly insignificant infraction. Since the “wine list” is all airplane bottles, we always go Spanish and mix red wine and coke to create a fitting cocktail for the meal.”
Impressing Out of Towners
Ivo & Lulu (558 Broome St.) – “My go to spot in general, love this spot. Cheap, BYOB and amazing food. The wild boar sausage in blueberry sauce is one of my favorite dishes ever. Even the escargot sauce is off the hook (usually takes at least two baskets of bread to finish).”
Date Night
Perbacco (234 E. 4th St.) – “Great atmosphere at this small italian tapas spot. Staff is great especially when it comes to ordering wine. And my favorite meatballs.”
Buffalo Wing Fix
Kasadela (647 E. 11th St.) -”OK I cheated, they are definitely not Buffalo Wings but they are my favorite chicken wings in the city. I love Nagoya style wings which I would describe basically as sugar wings. Yum. Everything at this Japanese spot is intense and delicious, not to mention the great vibe, music and sake. “
Dining Solo
La Taza De Oro (96 Eighth Ave.) – “Saddle up to the classic counter top and feast upon the Chicken Cutlet, one of my favorite pieces of chicken with a healthy portion of yellow rice and black beans. Hit it twice a week.
Ramblings…
My favorite prix fixe and one of the best meals I have had in a while is Torrisi Italian Specialties. I rarely get cravings as intense as I do for Frankie’s Spuntino’s House-Made Cavetelli with faicco’s hot sausage & browned sage butter. My favorite yakitori spot is thankfully nowhere near St. Marks, try Yakitori Totto if you like meat on sticks (and every other place in the Totto empire for that matter). Best cupcakes are at Tonnie’s minis in Harlem. If you MUST go to Magnolia, please skip the cupcakes and get the Banana Pudding which is basically as addictive as crack.
Outside Lands’ Twitter People
Kerry isn’t on twitter, but Outside Lands is and here are some of the participating restaurants you’ll find at the festival in San Francisco.
@LetsbeFrankSF – Frankly the best grass fed beef hot dogs in the world.
@missionminis – Scrumptious bit size cupcakes from the sunniest neighborhood in SF.
@anchorandhopesf – Beer and seafood in SF, need we say more.
@threetwins -The scoops of organic ice cream from SF.
@outthedoor -Get in the door now of this trendy SF Vietnamese noodle cafe
