What to eat at this weekend's SF Street Food Festival
Just got back from spending the morning at La Cocina's SF Street Food Festival, and I have a few recommendations if you're thinking about going tonight or tomorrow.
Oh, how I’ve missed this event, which was last held in 2019 and fed over 300,000 attendees over 10 years. It’s now taking place at China Basin Park, which is a fresh location for the party, and features live music, including the utterly charismatic Bululú, who I helped award first place to in a battle of the bands hosted last year by the SF Public Library at SFMOMA, performing on Sunday.
The fest spotlights 25 food businesses led by mostly women and immigrant chefs who have grown through the incubatory guidance of longtime nonprofit organization La Cocina. Many have been affiliated for years and now have their own popular restaurants (like Reem’s California, Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, El Huarache Loco, Peaches Patties, Crumble & Whisk, and Bini’s Kitchen); La Cocina has helped 48 brick and mortar restaurants open in the Bay Area.
My absolute favorite bite from this morning's tour was a Colombian hot dog from Pacifico, which operates inside SFJAZZ. It's a beef frank topped with pineapple sauce, caramelized onions, potato chips, crispy jalapeños, and quail eggs. I don't see it on any of their regular menus, so try it if you can! It definitely makes me want to go check them out for a full meal sometime.
I can't stop thinking about this Southern Thai style pork rib by Kitiya and highly recommend buying their spicy cilantro sauce (called Nam Jim Ped) that's for sale at the fest and also local markets.
If you're looking for something sweet, I enjoyed the combo of Hippie Chai's vegan matcha latte and Lunar's yuzu egg tarts, which are at the same booth. These are both relatively new businesses to La Cocina.
The festival has a dream team lineup, and half the fun is discovering it for yourself. Also, the weather can't be beat this weekend. Hope to see it return next year as well!
Saturday hours go until 8pm and Sunday hours are 11am-6pm at China Basin Park, 1 China Basin Park, SF. More info here.
GOOD TASTE turned 200 this week, and I celebrated by creating an interactive crossword puzzle themed around the San Francisco food scene. Give it a try!
Tamara Palmer
See you next weekend!
Tamara
