BottleRock is a culinary feast for festival attendees
May 23-It wouldn't be the taste of summer without the taste of culinary cuisine.
Along with the copious amounts of wine flowing and beer pouring throughout the weekend, BottleRock festival-goers are treated to meals and snacks of Napa Valley's finest.
According to a statement released by BottleRock, 45,000 festival-goers attended opening day on Friday and more than 1,300 lobster caviar corndogs were consumed.
Other than white sturgeon caviar-slathered lobster corndogs, there are more than 70 global cuisine options from bao buns and street tacos to wood-fired pizzas and paella.
One option offered to guests in the VIP section included Carabao, a Filipino establishment that honors traditional Filipino cuisine while blending contemporary ingredients.
Carabao has made milestones as the first Filipino restaurant in Napa Valley and first Filipino establishment at BottleRock's VIP section.
While many people may associate Filipino cuisine with only lumpia and adobo chicken, Chef Jade Cunningham and co-owner Eric Gonzales have made it their mission to elevate and treat diners to a visually colorful and flavorful experience.
"We're not trying to change the food or the culture. We're going with the new generation," said Cunningham.
Cunningham, born and raised in Bulacan, Philippines, said she first began her culinary career at an international training program as a Culinary Assistant in Cincinnati, Ohio.
After the pandemic, Cunningham volunteered at the French Laundry and worked alongside iconic chefs Thomas Keller and David Breeden.
Then, after rising to Chef de Partie, and having launched a prior Filipino pop-up, she decided to leave the French Laundry to found and nurture Carabao.
Cunningham said that her experience at the French Laundry and its daily menu inspired Carabao's own menu.
"The menu changes seasonally because we cook with ingredients according to the season, as fresh as we can get it. If people want mango, where am I going to find mango in the winter?" Cunningham said with a laugh.
Her experience at the French Laundry also forced her to get out of her comfort zone.
In Filipino culture, cooking is a way to connect and celebrate with friends and loved ones.
At the French Laundry, however, cooking is all about "keeping your head down, doing your job and staying focused."
Cunningham calls herself a carabao - a domesticated swamp-type water buffalo known for its hard work and perseverance.
It is also the national animal of the Philippines.
"When I met Chef Jade, she called herself a carabao. Her story is incredible," said Gonzales. "She's all about tenacity and resilience. It's like the Filipino-American dream."
Gonzales' roots extend to the Filipino community in Vallejo. His grandmother opened Vallejo's third Filipino restaurant, Pat's Lumpia and Seafood, in 1981.
"Vallejo is my hometown and the Filipino community in Vallejo has always been so strong," said Gonzales.
Since its opening last June, Carabao was met with "overwhelming support and positive reviews" from the Filipino community in Napa Valley and around the Bay.
During BottleRock's opening day, Carabao sold 150 pounds of pork lumpia.
Each order of pork lumpia comes with nine pieces along with a house-made sweet chili sauce.
After day one concluded, Cunningham said she didn't go to bed until 4 a.m. and woke up at 6 a.m. this morning to prepare additional lumpia for Saturday and Sunday.
"I thought it was going to be enough for the whole weekend. But apparently Sunday is supposed to be the busiest day," said Cunningham.
Although Carabao is the first Filipino restaurant in the VIP section, Cooked by Gio -a Filipino food truck that specializes in pork and tofu sisig and chicken BBQ rice plates -was the first Filipino focused cuisine offered at BottleRock.
Cooked by Gio has two food trucks located in Napa and American Canyon.
"We're grateful and humble to be here, but I gotta give a shoutout to Cooked by Gio for being the first ones here," said Gonzales.
The Williams Sonoma Stage kept the Culinary Garden sizzling with excitement as the chef-celebrity cooking matchups continued throughout the day.
The lineup for Saturday and Sunday include chefs Antoni Porowski, Jose Andres, and Masaharu Morimoto joined by various celebrities including John Stamos, Fred Armisen, Dave Grohl and Ashley Graham.
Saturday night headliner Foo Fighters are scheduled to close out Prudential Stage with a two-hour performance from 7:45 to 9:45 p.m.
Additional headliners Zedd, Maoli and DJ Pauly D with America Rose close out the T-Mobile, HelloFresh and NorthBay Health stages.
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