Hundreds of people have said it before me, but I’ll say it again
anyway: The Gilroy Garlic Festival is all about the food.
Gilroy – Hundreds of people have said it before me, but I’ll say it again anyway: The Gilroy Garlic Festival is all about the food.
With this in mind, I faced the festival bright and early Friday morning with a list of foods, from A to Z. That’s right – 26 different foods at the festival, spanning the alphabet, and I planned to taste every one.
I started the day with beignets and dipped fruit (B and D!), two of the few nongarlic foods at the festival. My insider tip on the beignets is to hit up this stand first thing in the morning. They’re still warm from the fryer, by far the best way to eat this Louisiana treat.
After getting a few more letters under my belt, I headed over to the garlic ice cream booth, where they hand out free samples to brave souls willing to give it a try.
Joey Graff, 9, of Modesto took one lick of his garlic ice cream before handing the mini-cone back to his dad, Don, shaking his head and making a face that clearly said, “Never again.”
“I like it,” said Don, who lives in Dublin. “I don’t mind having to eat both cones. I’m a garlic fan, and this is just another way to eat it.”
Don was interrupted by Joey tugging on his shirt.
“Can I get a corn dog? I want to get the ice cream taste out of my mouth,” Joey says, eyeing the remainder of his cone warily.
Unlike Joey, I’m a fan of the ice cream, although many people would call me crazy. Maybe it’s an acquired taste.
After garlic ice cream, I was feeling like a hard-core garlic lover, so I went whole hog on the letter U and got some uncooked garlic from the ConAgra Foods/Gilroy Foods Garlic Grove stand. I peeled a clove of the stinking rose, took a bite … and instantly regretted it. Garlic in it’s purest form is spicy and intense, so think twice before following in my footsteps. When I talked to my mom after the raw clove, her hands flew to her face, covering her nose. I immediately ditched any plans I had for flirting with boys later in the day.
For the more adventurous eaters, have some legs for L – frogs’ legs, that is. These were surprisingly juicy and full of flavor. The less adventurous can skip kangaroo when they get to K and try the kettle corn instead. Both the regular and the garlic are good – I promise.
Be forewarned about the crawdads. They’re incredibly spicy and tricky to eat if you have no experience with them.
“Rip them in half first, then get the meat out of the tail,” said the nice man in front of me in line. “Then you’ve got to suck the heads. It sounds bad, but that’s where the juicy stuff is. It’s really good and if you don’t get the good stuff out of the head, you’re missing the best part.”
I followed his instructions and it was good advice.
My favorite nongarlic letters of the festival were probably the beignets and frozen yogurt (B and Y). The top garlic letters were O and M, the barbecued oysters, which were huge, perfectly cooked and smothered in butter and garlic, and the marinated mushrooms at Gourmet Alley, which were perfectly seasoned and delicious.
I absolutely recommend getting out there and tasting as many foods as you can at the festival. Put aside your squeamishness and try some things that may seem intimidating and, especially if you eat your way through the alphabet, pace yourself.
Cheers!
Festival ABCs
Artichoke hearts, booth 59
Crispy and big with Parmesan.
Beignets, booth 2
Fluffy, light, fabulous.
Cajun crawdads, booth 51
Super spicy, juicy, messy but tasty.
Dipped fruit, booth 47
Sweet and refreshing on a stick.
Eggroll, booth 30
Big, crispy with a perfect sauce.
French fries (garlic), Gourmet Alley
Excellent seasoning and crispy.
Gator, booth 51
Lots of batter, but still good.
Hawaiian barbecue chicken kabobs, booth 8
Made with tasty homemade sauce.
Ice cream (garlic), booth 24
I like it, but it’s subject to debate.
Jelly (garlic), booth 15
Try with cream cheese or on toast. Yum!
Kangaroo, booth 51
Mellow with a slightly sweet flavor. Good!
L emonade, booth 27
Refreshing, perfectly sweetened.
Mushrooms (stuffed or marinated), Gourmet Alley
Both are great, but marinated gets the top spot.
New Orleans-style buffalo, booth 51
Tender with a spicy barbecue sauce.
Oysters (barbecue), booth 52
Surprisingly big and delicious.
Philly cheese steak, booth 28
Juicy, cheesy and filling.
Quintessential calamari at Gourmet Alley
Cooked just right with spicy sauce.
Rattlesnake, booth 51
Mostly just tastes like the batter …
Scampi, Gourmet Alley
Perfection.
Turkey drum, booth 64
Massive, delicious and juicy.
Uncooked garlic, Garlic Grove
Not for the faint of heart (or taste buds).
Veggie wrap, booth 36
Huge, with feta and some spice.
Wine margaritas, booth 13
Cool, light and served by lovely volunteers.
X-treme wild boar, booth 51
Fatty, but with a flavorful sauce.
Yogurt (frozen), booth 35
Excellent – try the mocha java flavor.
Ztrawberry funnel cake, booth 54
Give me a break. I couldn’t find zucchini …
