We almost didn’t go to Googa Mooga yesterday afternoon. Even though I had secured tickets, the overwhelming negative response to the food festival’s first day (on Saturday) was disheartening. I mean, of course I expected it to be crowded and chaotic, but the horror stories about hour long waits and the scarcity of actual food sounded more like a nightmare than a relaxing day of food and music in Prospect Park.
But I had taken the evening off work, it was a beautiful day, and we decided we should at least stop by and see what the fuss (positive or negative) was all about. If it was so horrible, we could always leave and get food in one of the nearby Brooklyn neighborhoods. Unlike what the early reviewers seemed to be claiming, we would not be held hostage. At least I hope not.
I must say most of our Sunday went off without a hitch. It was certainly crowded, but nothing was too chaotic, the lines were manageable, and it ended up being a great day in the park with friends, food, and music.
Just like any amusement park, the food and drinks were way overpriced, but that’s part of the deal, no? Aside from those unfortunate souls who chose to spend $250 on Extra Mooga, the tickets were free.
And for $7 here and there, we got to try some seriously delicious, but overpriced food. Most of these dishes are available at the brick and mortar locations of the restaurants at a fraction of the cost (or at much bigger portions).
That’s why we tried to mainly stick to dishes we could only get here. Most memorable to me was the bacon flight from Landhaus. The scattered $12 plate looked underwhelming, but each strip of fried pork belly fat was distinct, crispy, and satisfying.
I also really liked the Filipino Hot Dog with Shrimp Mayo from Maharlika,
the smoky meaty grilled Spring Onions with Romesco from Tia Pol,
and the refined and seasonal asparagus and ricotta tart from Seersucker.
The desserts were pretty much done by the time we got to that area so no Curry Shake from Big Gay Ice Cream or Fried Cheese Cake Bombs from James for us, but we lucked out with a deliciously balanced Milk Chocolate Dirt Cake from Top Chef Just Dessert’s Katzie Guy-Hamilton.
Other tastes included a refreshing Grapefruit Mint Soda from Brooklyn Soda Works,
a gutbomb foie gras and strawberry jelly donut from my friends at Do or Dine,
and our newest discovery, gluten-free bread from Free Bread with a strawberry and cream cheese sandwich. Yum.
Now on to the real reason I was invited here in the first place: the beer. I loved the Beer Tent, which was designed and curated by Garrett Oliver from Brooklyn Brewery. It was a bit frustrating that you had to pay $2 for a plastic glass and then $11-$16 for a full beer. The lines were also rather longer in here so we just got tastes of two beers.
The Googa Doc Pomus was brewed by Brooklyn Brewery exclusively for the event (although I may have another taste of it at tomorrow’s NYC Brewer’s Guild bash). It was a very light and drinkable session beer with floral, honey notes and a refreshing effervescence. This should have been the beer I was drinking all day but there was so much else to taste.
We also got a sample of one of my favorite beers, Old Engine Oil. It’s a dark, smoky porter from Harviestoun Brewery in Scotland that tastes like delicious earthy, chocolatey mud. Seriously.
Overall it was a good time. We got our fill of food and drink for less than the price to Disney World. And we got to nostalgically listen to Hall & Oates as we made our way out of the park to beat the crowds on the subway home.
