Governor’s Ball is one of the many ways that New Yorkers celebrate the kickoff to summer. It takes place on Randall’s Island every year during the first weekend of June. For obvious reasons Gov Ball is famous for the various artists, DJ’s, and bands that entertain the thousands of people that brave the crowds and the heat in order to enjoy three days of music.
However, this year Gov Ball not only provided festival goers with a packed musical lineup, it also gave its patrons a packed food lineup. This year’s Gov Ball food and drink lineup included many Instagram and New York famous vendors alike. Crowd favorites such as Taiyaki NYC, DO, Magnolia, Dough, and Momofuku Milk Bar were all in attendance.
Over the three days that the festival ran, I did my best in between mosh pits and tanning on the grass to visit as many vendors as possible. In the process, I was made this list which in my opinion includes only the best.
1. Dough
The second I saw the “Dough” sign gracing one of the food vendor tents I knew that it would be worth waiting in the line as long as I got to taste one of their Instagram famous donuts. Yes, it was worth the very, very long wait.
I tried a simple glazed donut and to say the least I was not disappointed. It was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It was the perfect snack to keep me going for the rest of the day.
2. Luke’s Lobster
A Luke’s Lobster lobster roll was the perfect on-the-go lunch. You could definitely tell the lobster was fresh, the salad was well seasoned and the roll was perfectly toasted. Delicious, easy to hold and quick made this sandwich ideal for a festival.
3. Magnolia
At first, I was a little disappointed when I approached the Magnolia food vendor tent. Initially I was looking forward to enjoying a famous Magnolia cupcake as my breakfast when I first arrived at Gov Ball on the second day.
However, to my surprise, Magnolia was only serving banana pudding. Although a little sad, I tried a scoop of their original pudding and I have to say I loved it. It was cold, creamy, and rich. Magnolia banana pudding just may have replaced their cupcakes as my favorite dessert.
4. Big Mozz Sticks
Big Mozz Sticks was hands down the best thing I ate at Gov Ball. I actually tried these mozzarella sticks last summer at Smorgasburg in Brooklyn. I loved them so much that I knew I had to get them at least once at Gov Ball.
These mozzarella sticks are no ordinary mozzarella sticks, they are crunchy and warm on the outside and so creamy on the inside. There is no way to describe how amazing they are without actually tasting them.
5. Wowfulls
The line for the Wowfulls food vendor tent was one of the longest that I saw. However, this makes sense. Wowfulls are easily the most Instagramable thing I ate over the three days of Gov Ball. The scoop of cold, colorful vanilla ice cream in a warm waffle made them the perfect post-mosh pit snack.
6. The Nugget Spot
I think I visited The Nugget Spot three times during the first day of Gov Ball. That just shows how delicious and filling these nuggets are. They are also the perfect meal to share with friends while sitting on the grass and waiting for the next headliner to perform.
7. John’s Juice
John’s Juice is not technically a food, it is a juice.
However, it was for sure one of the best things I tasted during Gov Ball. At first, I did not understand why there was such a hype surrounding John’s Juice because it is simply juice made inside of a fruit. However, this all changed once I ordered my pineapple juice and tasted it. It was so fresh and that made it so enjoyable on that hot June day.
Gov Ball weekend is one of my favorites of the year. Not only is it such a fun way to spend time with friends and make amazing memories, but this year I learned that it is also a way to try some insane food. Gov Ball is proving to become not only a music festival, but also a foodie festival.