Outside Lands' second day began with a whimper and went out with a bang. Both were collective: The whimper was 50,000 people moaning in unison as it looked as if we'd all get frostbite, and the bang was the joy we all felt during Tame Impala's set when the sun inexplicably emerged. (And then it was on to Kendrick Lamar, who drew such crowds at the Twin Peaks stage that the consensus was that his place should have been switched with the Black Keys). The one benefit of being way, way back in the crowd? You don't have to go very far to find food. 


Monk’s Kettle

Order a pretzel knot or sausage from Monk’s Kettle and then immediately turn around and buy a beer from Beer Lands, which is fittingly located right next to the stand and features an array of local brews. The soft pretzel knots with cheesy beer fondue sauce are a staple at the Monk’s Kettle Mission location, and they travel well to the festival. The sauce is as delicious and creamy as ever. Vegetarian and pork sausages in a salty pretzel roll are filled with slaw and can be topped with grainy spicy mustard. Jenn Pries

Beer Lands can be dizzying, and someone at Monk's Kettle was very shrewd to come up with a booth that can be approached from multiple directions. By the time I got there, the sausages-in-a-pretzel that Jenn got her hands on were long gone, so pretzel knots it was. I kind of can't believe these aren't more of a thing. When I was a kid, garlic knots (10 for a $1) were a vaguely adult-sounding thing you got at the pizzeria next to the baseball card shop. Now that I'm an adult who acts like a kid, all I want are pretzel knots with a beery sauce. Maybe it's cause I work above a mall that has an Auntie Anne's? Peter Lawrence Kane

Woodhouse Fish Co.

Woodhouse is serving lobster rolls and oysters right next to Wine Lands, so grab a steely rosé or a zesty sparkling wine and chow down at the picnic tables. At $20, the lobster roll is pricy, but worth it if you feel like at least one meal merits a splurge. A buttered, toasted roll holds these chunks of lobster, celery, and green onions together. Honestly, the simplicity of the roll makes the dish. It’s sturdy and buttery, the best complement the lobster could ask for. Oysters are either barbecued or served raw with lemon and horseradish-spiked cocktail sauce. JP

AQ

SOMA's AQ whipped up comfortable, yet still imaginative waffle recipes. Airy and crispy, the waffles held the flavors of three different topping selections within their pores. We got down with the mixed mushroom waffle (right) with a light porcini cream sauce, a garlic & sesame dust and crispy sage leaf to bring it all together. The Monte Cristo waffle (left), put a new spin on an old classic, with a spicy habanero jelly atop four slices of ham and white American cheese. While the waffles could've been hotter, the creative juxtaposition of flavors in both presentations, made this an OSL food grab, you brag to all your friends about after eating. Adrian Spinelli

Big Chef Tom's Belly Burgers

Nothing makes me act out like a bratty child more than finding out something is slathered in mayo. Conversely, when alternatives to Satan's condiment pop up, I try hard to show my gratitude. Chef Tom's pork belly burger looks a lot like a sausage patty, both the unmelted cheese and light char around the edge of that bun look almost McDonald's-esque, and the green apple slices just flat-out took me by surprise. But it came together really well, the apples' tartness balancing the fat without — as a mayonnaise-based sauce would — adding any more. If you're thinking, "well, maybe, but it looks kinda dry," believe me, the pork belly has plenty of juice. PLK

4505 Meats

Okay, I basically caved on my hostility to a certain family of sauces once confronted with 4505's chimichurri fries (and lemon aioli). I just ... couldn't be a killjoy anymore. Something about the way they're fried tastes just as good in a field as in a restaurant. (Unlike festival pizza, which I avoid because I don't think anyone will be assembling a wood-fired oven on-site.) I guess they might be a smidge oily, but I can't really complain about extra lipids given all the beer I've been pouring down my gullet this weekend. Do not miss the chicharrones, either. At only $4 a bag, they help you make friends. PLK


Namu Street Food

"Ra bap" means rice in Korean, and the Ra Bap soup from Mission eatery Namu Gaji is basically ramen with rice. The Mission restaurant’s street food stand is also offering okonomiyaki Japanese pizza, which can be made vegetarian if asked for (there are tons of veggie options at OSL this year, which is awesome). Given the misty weather of Saturday afternoon, I ordered the Ra Bap soup with chicken breast and added the kimchee and soft egg option. The creaminess of the egg yolk worked really well with the spiced kimchee. The soup is equal parts garlicky and fresh, with liberally sprinkled chives and crisp mung beans. JP