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New York Times
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Eating Frog Legs During Charli XCX's Coachella Set
On Saturday night, as Charli XCX performed the hottest album of 2024 and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont spoke to young Clairo fans, about 300 people were eating frog legs and beef tongue inside the sweltering V.I.P. Rose Garden of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. The sold-out dinner, hosted by Outstanding in the Field — a roving restaurant of sorts known for white-table cloth meals in unexpected locations — has become one of the flashier options at Coachella, where the food has been steadily improving for years. It is the group's 10th year at the festival, and they expect to host about 1,800 guests over the course of the festival's two weekends. 'Most people are waiting for the schedule to come out to see who's on the lineup for the shows and I'm always like, 'Well, who's the lineup for the chefs?'' said Diane Leeds, a frequent attendee who retired from a career in finance and now describes her lifestyle as nomadic. At the hot, dusty desert festival, temperatures regularly break 100 degrees and it's easy to spend a full day wordlessly waiting in traffic and bathroom lines with the other 125,000 daily attendees. Outstanding in the Field's dinner offers a rare chance for cold drinks, comfortable chairs and friendly strangers. The family-style, four-course dinners take place from 6 p.m. until about 8:30 p.m. and are prepared by different chefs each night. Each seat costs $350, which is a hefty price to tack on after buying a pricey festival pass that start at around $600 for general admission and $1,200 for V.I.P. access. But a ticket to the dinner also grants general admission attendees access to that V.I.P. section for the day, which includes air-conditioned restrooms and special food vendors like KazuNori, a popular chain of hand roll bars in Los Angeles. 'I'm here solo, and I thought it was a good opportunity to meet other people and just enjoy myself and get good food,' said Sarah McLamb, 40, who traveled from Seattle, where she works for the real estate website Zillow. Every seat at the table was set with a mismatched colorful and ornate plates, complementing the roses that grew in the lush garden. Attendees sipped gin and grapefruit cocktails as they found a place to hunker down for the evening. Saturday's dinner was prepared by Diego Argoti, a Los Angeles-based chef known for hosting Estrano pasta pop-ups in city streets and creating Poltergeist, a popular restaurant inside a (now closed) Echo Park arcade. His staff included an eccentric mix of buzzy local chefs — like Carlos Jaquez, who runs a pop up called Birria Pa La Cruda, and Danny Rodriguez, the head chef at Echo Park's Butchr Bar — and miscellaneous friends and family. 'My mom's cooking with us,' Mr. Argoti said earlier in the day, wearing four thick braids and a bit of shimmering glitter on each temple. 'We came to Coachella together when I was like 14 and snuck into Rage Against the Machine.' With a reputation for crafting chaotic yet tasty dishes, Mr. Argoti's menu included an endive and frog leg salad, a duck confit with hibiscus toum, grilled beef tongue with strawberry puttanesca and a pandan-flavored mochi cake. Each course came with a wine pairing or nonalcoholic alternative. 'I've almost created, like, a vanity culinary escape room,' he said. 'Like, all right, cool, you paid this amount for this experience. Beautiful. But now we're gonna have you eat frog legs and gizzards and something that is luxurious to me.' Since guests can't see what's being served before they arrive at the dinner, Mr. Argoti's menu naturally caught some diners a bit off guard. A handful of people walked out after the first course was served. (One woman said the salad was very good, although she didn't want to try the frog legs.) But many attendees said they were delighted by the unpredictable yet communal nature of the dinner. Taking place in a manicured garden that's tucked next to the Mojave tent, the dinner comes with a list of local purveyors who provide the vegetables, meat and wine pairings each evening. As people dined on Saturday, David Retsky, a farmer from Thermal, Calif., who grew many of that night's salad ingredients, walked individual diners through the greens and blossoms on their plate. 'If you're a picky eater, it'd be hard to try the food,' said Lelna Gwet, 27. 'If you're not a picky eater, this is like a foodie in heaven. You have so many flavors at play here, and the farmers come to the table, which is amazing.' Ms. Gwet, an electrical engineer from Washington, D.C., arrived with her sister, Mata, and one of their friends. By the end of the night, the three of them were chatting with people sitting nearby and adorning new friends with roll-on body glitter. 'This is what makes Outstanding in the Field outstanding,' Ms. Gwet said, as they finished glasses of wine. Jim Denevan, the artist who founded of Outstanding in the Field, said that while he believes the dinner functions as a 'social glue,' it was invited to Coachella in 2014 for another important reason: the festival needed more food choices. 'At that point, there were limited options at music festivals: Burrito, hot dog, burger, taco,' said Nic Adler, the vice president of festivals at Goldenvoice, who's often credited for making music festival food more interesting and Instagram-able. 'Quick food, that was it. No brands, no restaurants, very generic signage.' Now, Coachella has more than 75 food vendors, including a $350 Nobu omakase experience and plenty of $20 burgers, sandwiches and baskets of loaded fries. 'To have these elevated chefs doing their craft, and the local farm ingredients with the farmers here walking along the table, it costs more than a slice of pizza,' said Mr. Denevan, 63. 'But in a sense, it's just choices among choices.' And though a few dozen people left the dinner early to catch the end or start of various performances, which included Charli XCX and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, about half of the long table lingered after dessert to continue chatting with their tablemates. 'In the sea of however many people are here, you don't have a conversation with any of them beyond like, 'I'm sorry I bumped into you,' or 'excuse me,'' said Jonathan Wadell, who was at the dinner with his wife, Sarah-Sue Wadell. 'So it's nice to have a conversation here.' Mr. Wadell, 46, and Ms. Wadell, 45, traveled to the festival from Santa Barbara to celebrate their 21st anniversary. They described the sit-down meal as a welcome break from the intense heat. 'It's always fun to be out there, but this is a really nice respite,' Ms. Wadell added. 'Now we're ready to party.' 'By that she means watch a show, or an act, and then go out of here early, and go to bed,' Mr. Wadell added. Anna Wood, 52, attended the dinners on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, with her partner, Glen Mason. The couple has come to Coachella from York, England, for the last three years, and the dinners are usually part of their itinerary. 'We met a couple from Palm Springs the first time we were here,' Mr. Mason, 63, said. 'We stayed in touch with them and we see them every time we come to Coachella.' As veterans, they've also become pretty good at shaking off the inevitable feeling of festival FOMO. 'It's always got to be a balance,' Mr. Mason said. 'Sometimes we miss somebody who we would like to see, but then there's probably more benefit in having a delicious dinner with delicious wine.' 'Charli XCX we actually would have liked to have seen tonight,' he added, 'but we've had those gorgeous frogs' legs.'
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Coachella 2025 Festival Foods You Need To Try
The food and drink at Coachella is top-notch. getty Look, we all know Coachella brings the music. But let's be real—the food scene is half the reason many of us go. And this year? They seriously leveled up. With over 75 food and drink vendors at Coachella, it's hard to choose. From fine-dining eats to hidden speakeasies to late-night noodles that'll save your life between sets, here are some of the best food and drinks at Coachella 2025: Think of it as a giant foodie wonderland under one tent. It features 15+ food vendors serving up everything from tacos to Korean corn dogs. Here are a few to seek out: If you've got VIP access, don't sleep on these spots: Need a break from the heat or just want to sip something fancy while pretending you're in a music video? Say less: These vendors are already viral, but in real life they hit even harder: If you wanna go full foodie, hit up Outstanding in the Field in the VIP Rose Garden. Returning for its 10th year, the experience is a four-course, family-style dinner for 200 guests with rotating chefs, twinkly lights, and major date-night energy. You'll need a ticket (and probably stretchy pants). Come hungry. Leave full. Post everything. Coachella 2025 isn't just a festival—it's a food tour with a killer soundtrack. Whether you're scarfing tacos or sipping mezcal in a secret lounge, your taste buds are in for a wild ride. Related best Coachella food picks and stories: Coachella 2025 food picks here. The Zenyara Estate's Exclusive Nightlife Series During Coachella 2025
Forbes
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Coachella's VIP Food Scene Is Basically A Festival Of Its Own
Coachella 2025 marks the 10th year of Outstanding in the Field VIP dinners at the festival. Allow me to go out on a limb here: I'm guessing that if you've got a VIP wristband for Coachella 2025 over the next two weekends, you're not just going for Lady Gaga, Green Day and Megan Thee Stallion, am I right? You're there for the moments—and some of the best ones happen with an herbaceous cocktail in one hand, a Wagyu slider in the other, and your chunky iridescent statement boots kicked up in a pillowed VIP lounge somewhere. We're talking $1,400 tickets, after all! Judging from the lineup (and I mean the menus not the music), Coachella's 2025 VIP food program is a festival all its own. Never mind that you're inside a giant equestrian ring in the middle of a desert; the year's dining options are highly curated, supremely impressive, and tempting enough to lure you away from whatever's happening on stage. From exclusive omakase pop-ups to caviar-topped nuggets, here's everything Coachella VIPs will want to savor before, between — and, okay, fine, maybe during — the music sets. Outstanding in the Field at Coachella: Long tables, big flavors, VIPs only Let's start with the culinary crown jewel. Tucked inside the retreat-like VIP Rose Garden, Outstanding in the Field returns for its 10th year, turning the dusty polo grounds into one of the most sought-after dining tables in California. That signature long, linen-draped communal table snakes through the artificial turf, as Aperol spritzes clink and the sun dips below the grandstands. On the weekend one: Chef Diego Argoti brings the chaos one bite at a time. Known for his stint as chef-in-residence at Poltergeist in Echo Park (described as 'the most manic, unchecked, and wildly envisioned cooking in L.A.'), Argoti's menu should be loaded with nostalgic flavors remixed into tastes both surreal and delicious. (He's the chef who plated Flamin' Hot chicharrones with ice cream, lest we forget). Expect bold presentations, unexpected heat, and a vibe that feels like a punk show masquerading as fine dining. Tara Monsod, Executive Chef of ANIMAE and Le Coq in San Diego, draws on a decade of experience and her Filipino heritage for inventive dishes like Tuna Kinilaw, Kare Kare Short Ribs and elevated versions of Filipino classics like dinuguan. Monsod was San Diego's first James Beard Best Chef California finalist in 2024. Weekend two, it's a three-pack culinary extravaganza featuring: Each dinner starts with a welcome cocktail, then moves through four generous, family-style courses paired with local wines. I attended one of these in the same location for Desert Trip years ago, and it definitely feels like a bucket list adventure. Wear something breezy, and come hungry. Camphor brings its Michelin pedigree to its burger menus at Coachella. Hidden in the sleekest corner of the fest, the 12 Peaks VIP area is an elevated food court of scrumptious menus and cocktail chemistry that could make you swear off General Admission passes forever. There's something for meat eaters, vegans, sugar addicts and the California sober. The idea here is to provide some space away from masses of sweaty Charlie XCX dress-alikes in a chill zone of comfy seating, cool shade and, lo, flush toilets inside air-conditioned rest rooms (never underestimate this). New for 2025, there are also VIP areas adjacent to the Outdoor Theater and Sahara. What's on the menu? Le Burger by L.A.'s Camphor is Michelin-pedrigreed but still burger forward. The Wagyu cheeseburger with crispy pommes frites is the go-to order but you can splurge (because, why not at this point?) on their caviar box, served with your choice of chips or chicken nuggets, crème fraîche, and chives. Chubby Club is Coachella's uni universe, where you can also enjoy some Wagyu tartare. The acclaimed LA pizza spot Ronan is making its blistered Neapolitan pies fresh onsite. On the healthier end, Monty's Good Burger + Good Boy Matcha are your plant-based heroes, with with Impossible patties, crispy fries, and creamy vegan shakes. As always, my man Nicely from Menotti's (a former national barista champion) is serving all types of caffeine deliciousness. And non-alcohol drinks are available from The New Bar, known for its zero-proof cocktails, beers, wines, and the occasional fancy soda. KazuNori is Coachella's first handroll bar. Let the good times roll! Even if you're not dining at Outstanding in the Field, the Rose Garden VIP is an ultra-lush escape. It's got shade, champagne, and a rotating cast of pop-up vendors. You'll find everything from juicy smashburgers at Love Hour to birria from Birrieria Michi, Korean comfort food from Inssal, and cult-level wings from Woodfire Wings. Other standouts include: In its Coachella debut this year, Mixteca by Please Don't Tell (PDT) is hosting a desert speakeasy inspired by agave traditions. I would anticipate mezcal-heavy cocktails, secret menus, and a New York-gone-Indio vibe. Yes, yes, Coachella is technically a music festival. You're going to see Missy Elliott and perhaps Lola Young and maybe FKA Twigs. But if you're in VIP, the food is an actual attraction. I am old enough to remember the 'grab a slice and keep moving' ethos of earlier festivals. But Coachella 2025's VIP food scene has evolved into something more like 'pause everything, I'm eating birria ramen under a eucalyptus tree and rethinking my life choices.' I respect that. You can still catch the music—but don't be surprised if the uni hand roll ends up being the real headliner.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Outstanding in the Field Releases Lineup of Award-Winning Chefs for Coachella 2025
Outstanding in the Field, a roaming restaurant concept by land artist Jim Denevan, has reached 24 countries across the world and all 50 U.S. states, and this April, it'll be setting its communal table at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the 10th year in a row. Outstanding in the Field reinvents the classic dining experience, reconnecting diners to their food by curating a menu centered around local ingredients and farmers. At sunset every night, festival-goers worn out from a day of fun can re-energize with a four-course meal in the festival's VIP Rose Garden, where this 'restaurant without walls' will serve up full-service, family-style menu, curated by a lineup of award-winning chefs. Each chef's menu is a celebration of the cuisine and produce of Coachella Valley farms, paying respects to the local growers that make each meal possible. Here are the chefs bringing diners this unique experience. Friday, April 11th: Silvia Barban was born and raised in Northern Italy. After a childhood spent cooking alongside her beloved grandmother, she worked her way up to become executive chef at Brooklyn's Aita. After going on to compete on Top Chef Season 14, she opened the award-winning LaRina Pastificio e Vino. Just this past September, her newest eatery, Briscola Trattoria, debuted in Crown Heights, named a New York Magazine 2024 Top 10 New Restaurant. Saturday, April 12th: Diego Argoti is a James Beard Award-nominated chef and a Los Angeles local. Starting as the son of a grocery store supervisor, he rose through the ranks to become sous chef at Bavel, then opened the innovative pop-up restaurant Estrano in Downtown L.A. His iconic Poltergeist residency at the Button Mash was a smash hit that garnered him plenty more industry accolades. Throughout his culinary career, he's strived to bring some of his 'lucha libre swagger' to his dishes. Sunday, April 13th: Tara Monsod's years of experience and cultural ties to her Filipino background have been a source of inspiration for her cooking. As executive chef of ANIMAE and Le Coq, it's no surprise that her inventive, flavor-packed dishes have led to her being named San Diego's first James Beard Best Chef California finalist in 2024. Friday, April 18: Eric Greenspan trained in Paris under culinary icons like Alain Ducasse and Ferran Adrià before he went on to found The Foundry on Melrose, a James Beard Semifinalist eatery. Now a respected TV personality and cookbook author, he's also launched Virtual Dining Concepts and co-founded New School American Cheese. Saturday, April 19th: Byron Lazaroff-Puck, Los Angeles local and son of chef Wolfgang Puck, had an early start to his career in the kitchen when he began working at Spago as a 12-year-old. He returned to Spago after years of training to lead the front-of-house. Now a staunch farm-to-table advocate and champion of sustainability, he oversees Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining's global operations. Sunday, April 20th: Danielle & Alessandro Zecca both have extensive and award-winning backgrounds in the culinary field. The pair moved to Los Angeles together to launch a catering business, and eventually formed their pop-up restaurant, Amiga Amore. The standout cuisine quickly turned into a permanent spot, drawing visitors from all over and earning Alessandro a 2024 James Beard nod. Coachella festival passes and advance tickets will be required to attend the dinners provided by Outstanding in the Field and their roster of chefs. Each night is sold separately. Tickets can be purchased here for $350 and will cover not just the price of a four-course dinners, but a welcome drink and exclusive access to the VIP Rose Garden.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Day After Tomorrow: A Night to Rebuild, Reconnect, and Restore
Outstanding in the Field Sets Communal Table to Benefit Communities of Altadena and the Pacific Palisades LOS ANGELES, Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As a step towards the redevelopment and long-term revitalization of the communities impacted by the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Fires, Outstanding in the Field will produce a special Day After Tomorrow community table at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday, March 8, 2025, to benefit the Altadena Community Fund and the Palisades Community Fund. With a focus on resilience and the power of community, supporters, first responders, and impacted community members will share a family-style, farm-to-table meal prepared by the city's most beloved chefs. 100% of the proceeds from the ticketed dinner will be distributed between the two community funds, which were established as vehicles for both immediate relief and long-term community restoration and stewardship. "This is a powerful act of kindness by the food community to nourish the people of Altadena and the Palisades," said Outstanding in the Field Founder, Jim Denevan. "We feel privileged to set this healing table just miles from where the Eaton Fire burned with the participation of the farmers and winemakers that care for our land. The Day After Tomorrow dinner was envisioned as a call to action and an opportunity for the community to rally around those impacted by the wildfires. Supporters can cement their place in the unprecedented restoration of Los Angeles by purchasing event tickets, making cash donations, or bidding for items and experiences during a live auction at the dinner or online through Charitybuzz. Donors are urged to "buy one and gift one" to seat a first responder or affected member of the community at the table. Mickey Segal, chairman of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and Founder of NKSFB, said, "I am honored to be part of this amazing team that is driven to help those families that lost their homes in the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire. Our event at the Rose Bowl, America's stadium, will be a giant step forward in raising funds to help those who lost their homes. Sam Bakhshandehpour, Pacific Palisades Resident, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of José Andrés Group will provide additional support for the event. "In the spirit of community and resilience, I'm proud to work alongside Outstanding in The Field to support rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles. The power of food to connect, heal and inspire is what our city needs, now more than ever. While our neighborhoods may be devastated, our community has never been stronger," said Bakhshandehpour Tickets for the event are on sale at Outstanding in the Field. Additional details, including more ways to contribute to relief efforts, are available at and Auction coming soon at The Community Funds were founded by a group of local residents who saw an opportunity to empower Altadena and Pacific Palisades residents to have agency over their own fundraising and rebuilding efforts. Fund founding members include Kate Fishel and Bill Fishel, an Executive Vice Chairman with Newmark and current Chairman of the Board for Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles; Paul Fuhrman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Miramar Capital, Sam Bakhshandehpour, Global CEO of José Andrés Group; Mickey Segal, Founder and Managing Partner, NKSFB and Lindsay Petersen, Associate, Miramar Capital. The Altadena Community Fund has been established to provide emergency-support to the Altadena community following the devastating 2025 wildfires, including to victims and their family members, as well as to support the ongoing economic, cultural and environmental revitalization of Altadena and the greater Los Angeles County region. The Fund is being operated as a fiscally sponsored project of the Edward Charles Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity which incubates charitable programs. The Fund intends to raise tax-deductible contributions to advance its vital mission, which includes grantmaking and establishing an enduring nonprofit which can support the well-being and redevelopment of the Altadena community. The Palisades Community Fund has been established to provide emergency-support to the Pacific Palisades community following the devastating 2025 wildfires, including to victims and their family members, as well as to support the ongoing economic, cultural and environmental revitalization of the Pacific Palisades and the greater Los Angeles County region. The Fund is being operated as a fiscally sponsored project of the Edward Charles Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity which incubates charitable programs. The Fund intends to raise tax-deductible contributions to advance its vital mission, which includes grantmaking and establishing an enduring nonprofit which can support the well-being and redevelopment of the Pacific Palisades community. Outstanding in the Field is a roving, outdoor culinary experience founded by renowned land artist Jim Denevan in 1999 to connect people to the land and the origins of their food. A radical reconceptualization of the dining experience, Outstanding in the Field was at the forefront of the sustainability movement and has achieved global cult status. Its iconic communal table has been set throughout the US and in 25 countries, and continues to expand internationally. More than 700 of the world's most notable and award-winning chefs have accepted the challenge of helming the field kitchen. MEDIA CONTACTS Denise SullivanOutstanding in the FieldChief Communications Officerdenise@ Lauren RenschlerWilliam Raymond Communicationslauren@ 310-463-0863 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Community Funds
