This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to the Austin City Limits music festival in Texas. Most people went for the three days of music – 8 stages and 130 bands. This is mostly why I went. However, outside of seeing Vampire Weekend, David Byrne, Gnarls Barkley and Robert Plant among many others – I was there for the food. Now you might be saying, what kind of chow could an event like that possibly have that rises above a funnel cake, cotton candy or deep fried twinkie? However, I knew going in that this was going to be a different scene – I had read that all of the food would be local and “quality.” Then I knew they meant business when I read: “No turkey legs.”

Over three days, I sampled food ranging from pulled pork sandwiches to tomato/mozzarella/pesto salads. Across the boards, the food was super tasty and run like no other big event I have ever been to.

A couple highlights:

The Chicken Cone – Definitely the best thing I ate at the festival. Here is the description: “Breaded in a mixture of almonds, sesame seeds, corn flakes, chile flakes and sugar, then fried and placed in a tortilla lined with a slaw that includes jalapeño and mango.” The chicken was crispy, but tender inside, and the spiciness of the crust mixed quite well with the sweetness of the slaw.

This treat was made by a restaurant called Hudson’s on the Bend, which is actually a fine dining restaurant in the Austin area. The booth:

Read more about the Austin City Limits food after the jump.

Pork Meatball Sub – A really well-done sandwich. The photo below does not do it justice, but the sub roll contained three tender, but not too juicy meatballs in a red sauce, which did not squish out of each end with every bite. So tasty – the meat and sauce combining well together. Finally, the sub was topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese which was a nice touch considering I detest the fake stuff.

This was made by another top flight Austin restaurant called Vespaio. The booth:

Overall the music was great, and I am glad the food was rose to the same level – it made for an excellent experience.