While attempting to catch a breeze in Isabel and Helen’s “Take Flight” art installation with interconnected windmills during the first (scorching) weekend of Coachella, a mysterious purple structure caught my eye. As I approached it, I noticed the yellow Takis logo in the corner. Figuring that the enclosed space was at the very least shaded and at best air-conditioned, I quickly got in line.
The neon-lighted activation features interactive walls guests can “graffiti” using special pens and plenty of photo ops, but I was most interested in free samples of the rolled tortilla chips, including the new Blue Heat flavor that tastes like Cool Ranch Doritos but crunchier and with more heat.
This was the first freebie I nabbed in the festival that’s become as much a showcase for elaborate headliner stage sets as it is for dynamic (and often pricy) food options. If you’re heading to the Empire Polo Club for Weekend 2, here are my vetted recommendations for where to eat and drink.
In the same area as the Takis, find Korean spice brand Buldak along with Hi-Chew gummies, and don’t miss Travis Scott’s “Mad Max”-reminiscent activation. The headlining rapper was in charge of “designing the desert” this year (though his influence isn’t felt much beyond this pop-up) and partnered with Erewhon to give out free ginger shots.
Eating and drinking your way through various brand freebies is a hack for anyone who’s trying to save money at the three-day festival that costs upward of $600 for general admission tickets. If you need something heavier than a snack (and you will), there are still plenty of affordable options scattered throughout the grounds.
At Indio Central Market, Italian deli All’Antico Vinaio is offering its signature focaccia sandwiches, including the festival-exclusive La Coachella with prosciutto, stracciatella, sun-dried tomato and basil. At $14, it’s the most expensive item on the menu. The rest of the sandwiches are $12 each.
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Dallas-based Sandoitchi is just a few stalls down with a menu of Japanese sandwiches on fluffy white bread, including strawberry with chantilly cream, Spam and eggs, egg salad and chicken katsu. Most items are between $20 and $25, but if you’ve got money to burn, there’s an A5 Wagyu katsu and caviar sando for $250.
For a cool treat, stop by McConnell’s Ice Cream or Happy Ice, tucked on opposite corners of the food hall. You can also grab a fresh young coconut from Farmhouse Kitchen for $12 — get your money’s worth by scraping out the meat after you’ve finished the hydrating drink.
Near the Sonora Tent, Smorgasburg L.A. vendor Mano Po is bringing Filipino flavors to the festival, including longganisa lumpia that come six to an order for $14 (a veggie option is also available), a longganisa burger for $15 and garlic shrimp with rice for $22.
Butter garlic shrimp and rice from Mano Po, available near the Sonora Tent at Coachella.
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times )
In the same area, College Boy Cheesesteaks is an L.A.-based pop-up from former Philadelphians who got sick of traveling back east to satisfy their craving for Philly cheesesteaks. The squishy Amoroso’s roll is packed with finely shaved Black Angus beef, fried onions and melted American cheese — though mushrooms and halal chicken are also available as fillings. I followed the advice of the person who took my order and added sautéed mushrooms and pepperoncini to my sandwich, bringing my total to $25. Without those additions, the cheesesteak is $18 on its own or $25 with fries.
Across from the Gobi Tent, the Aperol Piazza is an excuse to soak in aperitivo culture. Lounge under the umbrellas, take photos in the marigold-tinted space and learn how to make the perfect Aperol spritz.
Behind the piazza, you’ll find Postmates’ Pizza Remix, featuring Prince Street Pizza’s signature Sicilian-style square slices topped with ingredients from local restaurants. I’m campaigning for them to add the slice from Bridgetown Roti, with honey-jerk chicken and mango chutney, to the permanent menu.
If Weekend 2 temperatures are similarly assaulting as they were at Weekend 1, you’ll want to seek out the tiki bar oasis in 12 Peaks VIP Area near Menotti’s coffee stand. Upon entry, you’ll find yourself under a cover of leaning palm trees, with a pond that laps up against a palapa bar serving tropical, fruity cocktails to a reggaeton-pop soundtrack that bounces between Sean Paul and Calvin Harris.
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A breeze flows through the windows, and shaded benches border the pond-lake. It’s tempting to wait out the afternoon heat in this clandestine watering hole, evidenced by the long line of festivalgoers waiting for more people to leave so they can finally make their way in. Visit early to beat the crowds.
This year, two dining experiences competed as the most luxurious at the festival. Outstanding in the Field returned to the VIP Rose Garden with a multicourse family-style dinner served every evening at sunset. Held at a long communal table, the dinner includes wine pairings and a welcome cocktail from Gray Whale Gin, plus all-day access to the rose garden for those who purchased the dinner but don’t have VIP wristbands.
On Saturday, chef Diego Argoti of the Estrano pop-up and former executive chef of now-shuttered Poltergeist, brought a sense of chaotic whimsy to the feast with platters of battered frog legs drizzled with Sichuan pepper buffalo sauce, grilled beef tongue with strawberry puttanesca and refried lentils, plus a pandan butter mochi cake with rum raisin boba that glowed green thanks to a dusting of lime leaf sour patch.
Battered frog legs with a side of blue-cheese labneh at chef Diego Argoti’s Outstanding in the Field dinner.
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Weekend 2 dinners will be prepared by Eric Greenspan, the newly appointed chef for Hollywood’s forthcoming Tesla diner; Wolfgang Puck’s son and protégé Byron Lazaroff-Puck; and Danielle and Alessandro Zecca of Highland Park’s Mexican-Italian restaurant Amiga Amore.
Coachella’s other opulent dining experience comes courtesy of global Nikkei restaurant chain Nobu, in partnership with Red Bull energy drink. Together, the brands have erected Red Bull Mirage, a multilevel playground across from the EDM-focused Quasar Stage. There are open-air booths facing the stage where guests can order bottle service with a la carte options from Nobu, while the interior features a chef’s counter with omakase service.
Those who have experienced the upscale restaurant might find the $350 tasting menu lacking — the fish is still fresh and high-quality, with popular items like rock shrimp tempura and yellowtail jalapeño, but not the signature black cod with miso.
Besides, reservations are already sold out for Weekend 2.
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For the second year in a row, 12 Peaks VIP Area was home to my favorite bites. Something Good was my first full meal at the festival, but the potato flautas proved memorable, with three, crispy king-size corn tortillas wrapped around garlic mashed potato and dressed with queso fresco, crema, cabbage, pickled red onion, cilantro and your choice of red or green salsa (I had mine doused with both).
Chubby Club comes courtesy of Chubby Group, behind Chubby Cattle BBQ in Little Tokyo, with a host of Wagyu and uni-filled options, including a savory uni ice cream with uni, sushi rice, soy sauce, wasabi and seaweed flakes piled into an ice cream cone. But it was the fried Wagyu and pork dumplings that stood out most to me. The chewy morsels come sopping in soy sauce and flecked with chile flakes, with a rich and juicy meat filling.
After attempting to order caviar-topped chicken nuggets at Camphor (they were sold out of nuggets), I found my caviar fix at Sumo Dog, a Japanese-inspired hot dog chain with multiple California locations. At $45, the wasabi and caviar tots are considerably cheaper than the $100 caviar nuggets served at Camphor.
The tots were crispy and well seasoned, topped with togarashi crème fraîche that carried a faint citrus taste with subtle heat. The wasabi sauce was sinus-clearing, with a generous portion of the black pearls gleaming on top. I found a grassy spot facing the Coachella Stage and waited for Megan Thee Stallion to begin her set, ready for some “real hot girl s—.”
Wasabi and caviar tots from Sumo Dog.
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
