Tomorrow afternoon, for the fifth year running, big–name artists like Foster the People, Pretty Lights and Girl Talk will invade the Liacouras Center for 48 hours. But this time around, POPPED! Music Festival will stimulate more than just our ear drums; it'll take care of our stomachs, too, from 3–9 p.m. at the Piazza. Here’s what the curators are drooling over, and where we’ll be picking up on their suggestions.
Ask Alexis: Alexis Rozensweig is POPPED!’s executive producer, co–founder and the manager of the Philly–based, Grammy–award winning band, The Roots. What’s on her mind? “There’s a lot of vegetarian food, which I’m really excited about. Most festivals don’t have a lot of vegetarian options.” Street's top meatless picks: –Cantina Dos Segundo’s Vegan Mexican Hot Dog –Hardena’s Tempe Lodeh
Ask Drew: Drew Lazor is an Associate Editor and Food Columnist at Philadelphia City Paper and a writer for the Philly must–read food blog, “Meal Ticket.” Critics choice? “I’m really excited to have Nomad Pizza there. I have not had the pleasure of trying their pizza yet, but everyone who tries it, like, freaks out!” Why Street agrees: Originally based just in Hopewell, N.J., Nomad started in the back of a converted REO Speedwagon. Now they’re opening a spot where Horizons Vegan restaurant used to be. A mobile kitchen finding a home just off of South Street? It couldn’t get more Philly than that. Though the Hopewell menu’s got every slice from Shiitake to Spicy Sausage, according to the owners, the truck will be sticking to Margherita and Pepperoni this weekend. We’re disappointed, but we can’t say no to a teaser.
Ask Corey: Corey Fair is the man behind the foodie blog, “The Modern Farm Table,” and is involved with Philly Homegrown and the Food Trust. Corey's mantras are sustainability and local sourcing. “I call [Pennsylvania] the Napa Valley of farm country. As a chef, I spend a lot of time working with local farms here. For the longest time at music festivals you would find typical festival food — corn dogs or something like that. We didn’t want to do that. We felt like Philadelphia had so much more to offer.” How Street will go locavore: –Made in the Shade’s “Cranberry–Red Raspberry Lemonade”
If you tend toward exclusivity: Don't miss the Philly debut of Roots drummer Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson’s “Signature Korean/Soul inspired ‘The ? Drumstick,'" available only in the VIP section. If the chicken is as good as the curators promise, it may just be worth the extra ticket price.
