What’s up, Nomsters! The Bay Area has had a flood of night markets over the past couple years since they started gaining popularity, but one of the larger ones that we hope will stick around for years to come is Foodieland! Foodieland 2019 was held at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, CA, and actually took place over three separate weekends in July, August, and October. All three were jam packed full of AMAZING food from restaurants, catering companies, food trucks, and pretty much anything else food-related you can think of. We only got to try a fraction of the huge variety that was there since there’s only so much we can fit in our bellies, but we’ve definitely got some highlights to share, so let’s get to it!
While there may not have been much in the way of fancy decorations at Foodieland, who actually needs that stuff when you’ve got all the noms you could ever want? There were seriously smiles everywhere you looked, which really says something considering how many people were there.
I Love Cheesesteak – Bulgogi Cheesesteak
One of the first food stalls we hit up at Foodieland was I Love Cheesesteak, which has a really cool concept of pairing Asian flavors with a classic cheesesteak! The one we got was their Bulgogi Cheesesteak and it was actually super tasty! It was a good mix of subtle sweetness from the meat and savoriness from the cheez whiz.
Big Baby Bottle
Next up in our Foodieland adventure, we could see from a distance that there was a huge line for Big Baby Bottle, so we walked over to see what all the buzz was about. Turns out they provide all different flavors of juice that you can mix and match, and they serve it in these HUGE baby bottles! The thing is – the one I’m holding isn’t even the biggest! There’s one that’s large enough to come with a neck strap similar to when you get the largest Fat Tuesday size in Vegas. But it was definitely refreshing in the heat that day, and they offered free refills!
The Kebab Guys – Grass Fed Lamb Kebab and Kebab Guys Fries
The Kebab Guys are actually currently only offering catering services, but we hope they move into brick and mortar locations or food trucks or anything that makes their food more accessible because it was fire! Their secret sauce is delicious, but the Grass Fed Lamb Kebab could be eaten plain and still be fantastic. The Kebab Guys Fries with Chicken were the highlight for us, though. They were so fully loaded that you can barely see the actual fries, which means you know they’re hooking it up! It had a slight kick, and the flavors definitely pop.
Kiss My Boba – White Rabbit and Tongan Taro
So many boba places basically offer the same flavors, so we were excited to try Kiss My Boba’s drinks since they looked much more unique. They also have cups with two sections that you can fill up with different flavors, so you can share with bae, or if you’re just indecisive, you can get two for yourself! We got White Rabbit (based on the White Rabbit candy) and Tongan Taro and both were quite good. The White Rabbit was a little too sweet, but they nailed the taro flavor.
Pineapple Whips
Once something I thought I could only find at Disneyland, Dole Whip-esque desserts have been popping up in more and more places. And thanks to Pineapple Whips, you can get their version – called a Pineapple Whip – catered at your event, office, or wherever else. This was another refreshing treat on a hot day, but it melted quickly!
Foodieland is definitely a night market that you could go to three weekends in a row and still not make a dent in all the food stalls there. It had a fun, family-friendly vibe, and everything we tried was cool and unique in their own way. Keep in mind that the really popular spots will have really long lines – we’re talking upwards of 30 minutes – so if there’s something you absolutely have to try, be sure to get there early!
Have you been to Foodieland? What were some of your favorite spots there? Let us know on our Instagram! Till next time, Nomsters!
