Eating with the AU: Austin Eats at Austin City Limits.

Back in May, we enjoyed the spoils of a well catered music festival first hand, with the world famous food stalls at New Orleans Jazz Festival. Some of the city’s most famous restaurants and chefs bring affordable and delicious dining to the 100,000 Jazz Fest attendees every year. Meals like the Cochon De Lait (A sub stuffed with milk marinated pulled pork – which you then drench in Louisiana Hot Sauce – see photo below) and the Crawfish Monica (a delicious pasta dish with the American South’s favourite seasonal shellfish) are as popular as the artists of the festival lineup.

Then you have Lollapalooza, which has become world famous for the way it highlights the Chicago food scene. C3, who put on Lolla – and are now invested in Big Day Out – also put on the annual Austin Food and Wine Festival, so they know a thing or two about ensuring festival attendees are well fed. That’s why it will come as no surprise that much of the same was found at C3’s Austin City Limits earlier this month, in their “Austin Eats” food section.

A city which is no stranger to music festivals, nor feeding its attendees, Austin is littered with one of the most diverse selection of food trucks in the country. Having attended SXSW for three years now, there are a certain couple of places I ensure I rush out to every time I’m in town. One of our favourite here at the AU is the Chi’Lantro Korean Taco Truck, whose Kimchi Fries are out of this world, and Quesillas are some of the best I’ve tasted. Indeed they brought a few of their favourites to the festival. Then there’s the Jalapeno Brisket Tacos from Stubb’s BBQ, which can also be found here. The famous Salt Lick, a Texan BBQ chain, also have a presence.

The Woodshed Smokehouse deliver treats such as Truffled Mac and Cheese and the Rabbit and Rattlesnake Sausage, which I’m told was delicious. Boomerang Pies – a take on the tradition Aussie pie by an Austin local – was also a popular treat, though I don’t think most Aussies will have ever tried a Crawfish and Shrimp Etouffee Pie. I have no doubt it was delicious, though didn’t try it myself.

One of my favourite meals at the event was the Shrimp Cocktail at the French themed stall, where you could also get a tasty Steak Frites Baguette. The cocktail was essentially a Bloody Mary minus the vodka, replaced with juice shrimp and a dash of beer for taste. A great way to kick off any day.

As you can see by the photos above, I was lucky enough to head backstage into the production line of the food stalls, where I also was able to try a Meditteranean Yeeros – basically beautifully marinated meat and tahini in a wrap. Very tasty, and all made fresh behind the scenes.

On talking with the staff backstage, I learnt a few things about the stalls. The festival, which is now in its 11th year, hasn’t always has a food section like this – it has been a gradual growth spurred on by its sister festivals and events (perhaps a model by which Big Day Out will follow?). Some of the vendors have been with the festival since the first year, others have come in more recent years as the curators have grown the

There’s a great comradery behind the scenes. People trade food so they don’t have to eat their own food, which they spend up to 15 hours a day cooking and preparing in and amongst blistering heat. There’s a natural rivalry between the chefs to create better food, a more efficient production line and outsell one and other. But this is done over a few beers and a great atmosphere. Everyone is local, bar Tim Love who is from Fort Worth, Texas – he runs the Love Shack, and his inclusion in the festival seems to be a sore spot for a few I spoke to. But as they admitted, they all get along and it adds some extra competition to the whole affair.

When you talk about production line though, it really is incredible to see it in action. They are producing SO much food. Sometimes a bit too much as I had more than one meal that had been sitting there for too long. But when you can keep a festival this huge, with lines this small, you can’t fault them for doing what they need to to keep their customers happy.

And all this said, food on this sort of mass production is never going to compare to what you experience in the actual food trucks or restaurants, and it rarely did here, but it’s not a bad way to treat yourself to some local specialties while you witness some of the biggest bands in the world. And it’s worth noting that the best food we ate at the festival were dishes specifically concocted for the event.