Where were you this past weekend? I hope, for the sake of your taste buds and your wallet, that you made it out to Oakland’s Eat Real Festival. For all those who could not attend, you’re in luck! Heck, even for all those who did attend, but want to reminisce about the smorgasbord of fine food, host of good people, and hours of informative demonstrations, this blog is for you.

August 27-29, Jack London Square was taken over by dozens of food vendors, eager to get their gourmet menu items to the public. At $5 and under, I felt like I was actually stealing food all day! The slogan, “Putting the food back in fast,” could be seen everywhere. And for good reason! Eat Real’s mission, according to the event website, is making real food as accessible and affordable as fast food. It was truly refreshing to find that nothing was overpriced, and I could actually afford to try many of the items calling my name! It’s not often that I can satisfy my cravings and still have money left over.

Crowd favorites included the much buzzed about Chairman Bao truck, Gerard’s Paella made in GIANT paella pans, Tru Gourmet’s variety of organic dumplings, and the 51st State’s cactus fries that sold out twice before I could try them! I fell in love with the sweet potato pie from Uhuru Pies that seemed to have healing powers, and was lucky enough to snag some delicious lumpia from Senor Sisig before they disappeared.

Favorites from the Parties That Cook office included mushroom empanadas from El Porteno, Homeroom‘s mouth-watering Trailer mac and cheese, and almost anything from Jim n Nick’s BBQ (sadly, not local).

The demonstrations, though informative, were also entertaining. On Saturday, one could have learned how to milk a goat and make ice cream on the same stage! We now have our own bitters expert in the office thanks to a Sunday demo on Homemade Bitters with Greg Lindgren of San Francisco bar Rye. Knowledgeable and friendly presenters opened up to the crowd, sparking interest in sustainability and encouraging an exploration of the do-it-yourself lifestyle. Even our friends from FarmCurious were there! Check out our blog on Urban Homesteading for more information!

Overall, the fun-and food-filled weekend was a success! I will be sure to never miss another Eat Real Festival as long as they keep happening!