From September 19 to 21, dozens of vendors served hundreds of meals to what seemed like thousands of people at the Eat Real Festival at Jack London Sq. in Oakland. As the name suggests, all the vendors had some “real” food to offer: most items were made from organic ingredients, with plenty of vegan specialties and many meals made from locally-sourced materials. There were some unexpected flavor combinations and strange-sounding ingredients, but the friendly vendors were more than happy to share their knowledge (and a wide array of samples) with everyone.
For the sweet tooth in all of us:
These show-stopping nut butter fountains definitely drew in some experimenters and nut lovers:
Nut butter fountains | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
The rustic plating of these French macarons sure felt like a little sanctuary in the woods away from the noisy crowds and smokey air:
Macarons of all flavors | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
The elusive Liège waffle made an appearance as well, pictured here in its maple-bacon form:
Maple-bacon Liege waffle | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
My personal favorite: instant, no-fire-needed s’mores! They are toasted right before your eyes, then handed over while still warm. Genius. Find some other fun spins on this gooey dessert here.
Alternative s’mores | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
All about the samples:
While we do love Costco for its wonderful samples, the ones at the Eat Real Food Festival take the cake. From creative mustard “palettes” to beer and fancy cooking school demos, the samples alone were enough to fill even sizable bellies.
“A little sumpin’ sumpin'” from Lagunitas Brewery | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
Poached then fried egg with chard | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
Carnivore’s paradise:
There is just something mesmerizing about watching whole lamb chops being chopped up…usually leading to an irresistible sandwich in your hands. It can also inspire the chef in all of us to venture forth and try some lamb recipes.
Grilled lamb chop | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
Let’s not forget about adorably terrible puns either:
Photo by Rozina Fonyo
No food festival is complete without this American classic:
Gourmet corn dog | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
There was a plethora of cultural foods ranging from Asian to Latin American to Persian. These Spanish paellas were cooked in impressively large paella dishes and smelled impressively delicious:
Paella | Photo by Rozina Fonyo
Yes, the Korean BBQ chicken kebab was good. Very good. If chicken is not your thing, try using beef with this bulgogi marinade for a satisfying dinner.
Korean BBQ chicken kebab | Photo by Anthony Lubbers