SAMPLING SUNFEST
Four new foods to try at this year’s
Captive audience needs to eat: 4 new things to try
When hunger hits you, it’s always harder and louder than any beat drop at SunFest, which kicks off Thursday.
That’s why the four-day music festival is keeping dining options as varied and satisfying as its lineup (hello, Pitbull, Cake, Ice Cube).
You’ll find Asian noodles, mac and cheese, St. Louis ribs, Mexican food, gyros, fried chicken, smoothies and more. They even offer gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.
During a SunFest food tasting preview last month at the Cheney Brothers headquarters in Riviera Beach, we tried four new dishes to taste at this year’s SunFest.
The Slider Joint’s Wagyu Beef Sliders
For $15, you get three prime meat sliders topped with caramelized red onions, melted pepper jack cheese and Sriracha sauce. Wagyu (of which Kobe beef is a variety) is heavily marbled, and we all know how a little fat can take flavor a long way.
“Sliders are meant to be shared, and at SunFest, people want to try different things,” said chef Michael Morris, of San Francisco Puffs & Stuff, one of the main vendors at SunFest this year. “There are so many steps to make these, but very easy to eat and share.”
Find them at eatery No. 19.
The cheesy Chicken Dippers
The Chicken Dippers are a thing of fried food dreams: marinated with butter, garlic, paprika and other spices, then breaded with cheesy potato chips and Parmesan cheese and, finally, deep fried. You get a cone with 9 ounces of chicken for $10 and two dipping sauces, honey mustard and spiced tomato. But, before you dip, take the chef ’s advice:
“This is one of those items that you need to use both hands. But I always tell people ‘bite into the chicken first, open up the chicken and then dip it in the sauce,’” Morris said.
Find them at eatery No. 18.
The hand-pulled, Hawaiian Chicken Sliders
These $13 chicken sliders are made with thigh meat because of the natural fat running through that part of the chicken. And again, fat means flavor. The chicken is marinated with Hawaiian flavors such as Asian spices, soy sauce, pineapple and brown sugar. Topped with crushed pineapples and sealed with melted provolone and a dab of Hawaiian barbecue sauce, you may opt to keep these for yourself.
“We slowly braise the chicken where it becomes like pulled pork. It’s not been chopped; it’s been handpulled. And you can’t have anything without that Hawaiian bun,” Chef Michael Morris said.
To take it up a notch, the Hawaiian buns (which have a bit of sweetness) are coated with butter and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, then toasted in the oven.
Find them at eatery No.19.
The Smooth Move’s build-your-own bowls
Choose your base, fruits and toppings to create your own fruit bowl, one that will keep you cool in that perfect SunFest heat. These $8, 8-ounce bowls offer a variety of ingredients: berries, peach, mango, greens, piñacolada mix, candy, M&Ms, chocolate syrup and others. You can make them as healthy or sweet as you want.
All bases are a combination of your choice of fruits and vegetables with either cow’s milk, almond milk or coconut milk. And if you can’t make up your mind, here are three signature bowls offered:
Summer Delight: A mango, peach, pineapple and (nonalcoholic) pina colada base (with the milk of your choosing), topped with tropical fruits. This one is very “resort-y” and tropical.
Berry Dream: For those of you who like strawberries dipped in chocolate, this might be your jam. It’s more citrus-y and less sweet than the Summer Delight. The mixed berries’ base (acai, blueberries, blackberries, bananas and blueberries) is a tad bitter, but the chocolate drizzle on top takes it to the next level.
Healthy Hulk: To keep things completely natural, opt for this green bowl. The base contains mango, green apple, spinach, cucumber and banana, topped with more fruits. It’s quite good, and still has sweetness to it, but you can definitely taste the green goodness.
Find them at eatery No. 30.