MTG: A Full Course Experience
Music Tastes Good 2018 gave music and food fans alike a unique opportunity to experience their passions like never before. So it’s only fitting that we deliver to you a review of the event that highlights both the music and food equally. Let’s take a look at the menu:
Appetizer:
Shame with Za-atar Spiced Carrot Ribbons by Aliye Aydin (A Good Carrot)
Both things are sure to get you warmed up. Shame is an up-and-coming band from London with brute energy and an unrelenting stage presence. By far one of the most visually exciting bands at this festival and possibly anywhere. Not to mention they’ve also got the musical chops to stick around and hopefully get even better.
Aydin’s carrot ribbons were prepared with a parsley-mint pesto and goat cheese, paired with a delightful Turkish tea. This dish was unexpectedly refreshing and full of unique flavor combinations. The tea was a perfect match to balance out the savoriness of the pesto/cheese elements.
Main Course:
New Order with a Pork Belly Rice Bowl by Wesley Young (Pidgin)
It takes a certain amount of finesse to combine the exotic with a sense of comfort, and I believe this was accomplished by both New Order and Wesley Young on Saturday. New Order did not disappoint. They ripped through a stellar setlist of classics and underrated recent material, giving the audience a sense of nostalgia and surprise all at once.
Young’s bowl contained a few cuts of melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, served with Asian pear kimchi, bamboo shoots, and a ramen egg over rice. The combination of sweet and spice really hit home. The Asian pear kimchi was an exciting and successful take on a classic Korean staple.
Dessert:
James Blake with a Buttercake Berry Ice Cream Sundae by Dina Amadril (Long Beach Creamery)
Sweetness always seems to be accentuated in the late hours. Blake’s headlining performance Sunday night perfectly capped off an amazing festival. His soulful vocals and melancholy production tickled the heartstrings of everyone in attendance. His songwriting abilities showcase emotional honesty that compares even to his musical prowess.
Amadril’s dessert was rich and creamy, featuring a lemon-flavored butter cake to serve as a bed for a scoop of handcrafted vanilla ice cream, topped with raspberries and a berry sauce.
Photo by Pass the Aux
If you’re now wondering how it’s possible for anyone to be so lucky to experience all this and more in just two days, mark your calendars for Music Tastes Good 2019 next September, and we’ll see you there.
