Festival Eats

So brilliant me decides to start this initiative just a few days before attending Bonnaroo. Now, the good thing here is that at least the menus of the vendors were more vegetarian-friendly than those of most festivals I've been to, but it still seemed to be a lot of fast-food type stuff. And really, when it's eight hundred degrees outside, who wants to eat a chili dog, anyway? I would have killed for a good salad the whole time I was there!

However, if you look carefully, there are some decent options out there. One vendor, God bless him, offered stuffed grape leaves with a side salad, and another offered the most aromatic vegan burrito I've ever seen. Or smelled. It was stuffed with spiced sweet potatoes, black beans, onions, peppers, and rice. Because of his food allergies, my brother made this an even healthier dish by having them skip the flour tortilla altogether and serve him the contents in a bowl. I think I also would have preferred it that way. In fact, I may try this at future visits to my favorite Mexican spots.

What I really learned was that granola bars are my best friends in energy-sucking, outdoors activities. It's essential to have a good, reliable, protein-packed snack to get you from one decent meal to the next. And as always, my favorite vendors were the ones that offered Greek, Indian, and Middle Eastern fare. In my experience, no one does more flavorful, truly interesting, healthful dishes than these guys. I'm starting to crave curried vegetables just thinking about it....