2016’s KAABOO festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds brought with it legendary musical artists, famous comedians, elegant relaxation, and upscale food. While only in its second year, KAABOO has quickly made a name for itself by created a more luxurious festival “mixperience.” Eat Drink Be SD was tasked with determining the Best Food at the Fest and while the culinary offerings were all well above the standard festival fare, the top restaurants and vendors were:BEST OF THE FEST: S&M Sausage & MeatS&M Sausage & Meat took home the gold for KAABOO’s Best Food at the Fest in 2016! With Bacon Fat Deviled Eggs topped by honey Sriracha bacon, smoked paprika, and wasabi aioli accompanying venison meatballs and bacon topped cold slaw, S&M was a carnivore’s dream at this year’s KAABOO! Layers of spice heated up flavorful ingredients, making the local restaurant our top choice for Best Food at the Fest 2016. Best Cocktail: Ciroc CoconutBranded with Ciroc logo on one side and KAABOO logo on the other, the Ciroc Coconut cocktail was not only the best looking drink at KAABOO but also the tastiest. With fresh coconut water rehydrating festival goers and Ciroc coconut vodka providing a powerful kick, this cocktail was the most loved at KAABOO.Best Dessert: So Rich! ChocolatesTo add to the decadence of KAABOO, So Rich! Chocolates offered up hand dipped chocolates made in California. Classic flavors like caramel and toffee are crowd favorites while innovative flavors of chipotle, ghost chile and other unique ingredients combine to create sweet and spicy chocolates.Best Pizza – NaPizzaOut of several classic and gourmet pizza options at KAABOO, NaPizza was by far the best pie. The long, low-temperature aging of the dough for up to 72 hours enable the yeast to work slowly with high-protein flour sourced from a small family mill in Italy. The Truffle Porcini combined flavorful mushrooms with drool-worthy truffle pate for an exceptional slice.Best Cure for a Hangover: Poutine Your MouthWith bacon, maple syrup drizzle, and a sunny side up egg topping the crispy fries and cheese curds, Poutine Your Mouth is the hands down winner for the best cure for your KAABOO hangover. After one too many craft cocktails, dig into this surprisingly delicious sweet and salty Canadian comfort food. Best Sushi: Saiko SushiThe hand rolls at Saiko Sushi topped our list for best sushi at KAABOO. Fresh tuna poke rolled right in front of you is an elevated treat that is cool, quick, and full of flavor.Best Seafood: BeerfishSeafood was top fare at KAABOO, complimenting the seaside setting. Beerfish’s popular clam toast was served by Executive Chef Aaron Obregon with bacon, grilled onion, salsa verde and lemon mayo on sourdough.Best Sandwich: Meltdown GourmetWith a lot of great grab and go sandwiches and subs, Meltdown Gourmet was the undisputed winner for tasty lunch food. A grilled cheese loaded with avocado, tomato and bacon was perfectly toasted, gooey and full of flavor. Best Mexican: PuestoLocal favorite Puesto shined through refined tacos. Sustainable Ahi poke on blue corn tortillas loaded up with guacamole took home this year’s award for best Mexican food at KAABOO.Best Wake Up: Swell Coffee Co.More than your average morning cup of Joe, the artisan coffee at Swell Coffee Co. was the best way to start KAABOO mornings. Top treat was their cold brew with lavender, a fresh version of the trendy cold brew cup.Best Cool Down: CoolHausIn the San Diego sun, the best cold treat was CoolHaus, handcrafted ice cream sandwiches with an edible wrapper. Lucky Charms ice cream with a hint of whisky was a unique combination of nostalgic and adult.Best For Vegans: Beaming Organic Superfood Cafe Best healthy option at KAABOO was Beaming’s organic, gluten and dairy free salads, entrees, smoothies, cold pressed juices, elixirs and power shots – delicious without the guilt! The Beaming Cookie was a must-try, totally vegan cookie, made with apple sauce instead of butter. After a fun weekend, Beaming is the perfect spot in Del Mar, La Jolla, and La Costa to help you reset and get back to feeling your best. Best Cut of Meat: J SixChicken oysters, the two small, oyster-shaped pieces of dark meat that lie on either side of a whole chicken’s backbone, is arguably the best part of the chicken. Tender and full of flavor, the chicken oysters at J Six with barbecue sauce and blue cheese wins best cut of meat at KAABOO.Best Use of Bacon: Mallow MallowThe Bourbon Bacon Marshmallows from Mallow Mallow was the best use of bacon, adding a smokey flair to the nostalgic campfire treat.Best Pop Up Shop: Dylan’s Candy BarThe largest confectionary emporium created a fantastical pop up shop at KAABOO. With a mission to awaken the creative spirit and inner child in everyone, Dylan’s Candy Bar surrounds customers with the most imaginative, state-of-the-art decor and product mix. Their candy experience at KAABOO did not disappoint their high standards.
