“We love Dick’s. We love it! Jennifer and Natalie, do you love Dick’s?” asked Trey before launching into Suzy Greenberg with the ladies on horns. Everyone loves Dick’s – the music from Phish, the mountains, the legal weed and the Phish food.
The first order of business was stocking up on canned goods for the Conscience Alliance food drive and finding a cake to celebrate my friends’ honeymoon. With some low-sodium black beans and a double layer, fruit-filled, crème Chantilly covered confection in tow, we set off for Commerce City.
The first treat on lot was “fire cider,” a concoction of vinegar, garlic, and organic honey, bottled up as a daily immune supplement. It was spicy, sweet, and sour. The next morning proved it’s also a magical hangover cure with a couple splashes in ice water. Late summer is prime stone fruit season in Colorado and one guy was hawking luscious, $1 peaches from a crate on his shoulder. It tasted like the culmination of all summer’s sweetness, juice running down my arm with each bite. The biggest favor you can do your body on tour is eating fruit and veggies daily, so be sure to eat a peach this weekend!
On night two the scent of smoked meat wafted over the lot, luring us to Baker’s BBQ. Pitmaster Blade was laboring over 5 pork butts for post-show sandwiches accompanied by his impressive array of sauces, including homemade ketchup, southern style and raspberry BBQ. Blade told us his specialty was BBQ sticky buns, stuffed with pulled pork and slathered in the raspberry sauce.
Kids were queued up on Shakedown for Phenominal Falafel from Steamboat Springs, delivering a sublime wrap of harissa, pickled carrots, red onion, spring mix and a drizzle of tzasiki over crispy chickpea fritters. I met my fiance at Phish when he offered to share his falafel, so this sandwich has a special place in my heart. The other frontrunner for superior savory snack was McDevitt Taco Supply from Boulder, advertising the “buy 4, get one dab free” special.
On Sunday we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Watercourse Foods, the original vegan restaurant in Denver. The pastry case was full of tempting treats, so I grabbed a hostess-style cupcake for the road. From there on out, it was a no holds barred sugarfest. Arriving at Dick’s, I had an organic strawberry margarita with a double splash of tequila, which was definitely the best cocktail of the weekend. Next up was a scoop of homemade strawberry compote over fresh whipped cream, garnished with short bread biscuits. The chef behind the berries had cooked in France for many years and wanted to share his passion for fine food with fellow fans.
We tried jasmine flower-flavored ice cream sandwiches made of hemp, and couldn’t resist a couple chicks wearing chocolate chip cookie costumes, selling their baked goods out of a pink wagon. At the show I headed to WaterWheel with the Hostess cupcake for my friend’s birthday. As luck would have it, his lovely lady brought the perfect pairing- a vegan Twinkie! Phish loves Dick’s and so does Fest Food, as every year it’s an all out smorgasboard.
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