Food Camps Past and Present

[DangerBunnie_JekJek]

I would love to hear about Burning Man food camps. ALL about them, existing still or not. I want to know how they started, why they started, why they ended and I would especially love to see pictures. To you food camps, what are some of your secrets on keeping food so well throughout the week? (like bread for instance!) Oh, also, I would like to know who started these food camps and if the camp unfolded the way they intended it to.

Thank you!!
Jek Jek

[theCryptofishist]

I have absolutely nothing useful to say, but it's good to see you on here again!

[DangerBunnie_JekJek]

I think they deleted my last profile. I couldn't log on for the longest time. It feels good to be back

[dragonpilot]

A camp called Birch Circle was a full service playa camp. Provided chef-prepared meals beginning on Wednesdays thru Sunday breakfast. I camped next to them in 2006 and was a welcome guest for dinner one night. Camp kept cold drinks in big coolers available 24/7, late night snacks. Camp leader was also a river rafting tour operator, so he had all the logistics skills to pull this off. Out-of-area Burners could order SFO to playa van ride, tentage, a bike, sleeping bags, etc for an extra fee. Base fee for just the meals and other camp amenities (shower/shade) was at the time $550.

They were there in '07, '08, and I think '09, but dissolved after that. He now runs a moving business full time, and, as I understand, voted one of the best in his area near SFO. Don't know why they stopped offering the camp, but my guess is that there's more money and more stability in the moving business.

You could contact Birch Circle Movers in the Bay area if you'd like specifics...ask for Paul. Awesome dude!

[portaplaya]

Well, the first thing to do would be to go to the Theme Camp archive (http://www.burningman.com/themecamps/) and look up the details for camps of yesteryear.

There are a few hundred food-based theme camps nowadays, including some that rove the playa, like the Dust City Diner (an artcar that serves coffee and grilled cheese). Making a comprehensive list in addition to the listing on the Burning Man website seems tedious and redundant.

Ones I remember eating at:
The Tuna Guys
Dust City Diner
Sunrise Coffee Camp
Shady Waffle
and the Black Rock French Quarter, which features a bakery, a brewery and (by invitation) a chef-catered restaurant. Yum!

[Savannah]

I was blown away by Spaghetti Western Camp in the year 2000. They wore red & white exclusively, especially red fur chaps, red fur vests, and white cowboy hats. They served spaghetti to crowds, and showed Westerns projected onto a big screen. I had dinner and watched part of A Fistful of Dollars, I think it was.

I'd had only two months to prepare for that first Burn and spent it all gathering and packing, rather than hearing stories about the culture. I knew little about the creative shenanigans that theme camps would get up to. I'm kinda glad. Everything was a surprise!

[Ugly Dougly]

Wayback Machine, baby.

Iglesia de Santo Pollo or Iglesia de la Sagrada Pollo
- some guy had vivid colored signs and I guess cooked up a shitload of chicken.

Bean King
- somebody else cooked up a shitload of beans and served them with tortillas and salsa.

McSatan's

[vargaso]

We camped next to the Bus Depot camp in 2009, a guy named Chili Man brought out a full chef's kitchen and served up the some of the best ribs and steak I've every eaten. Oh man, when he'd start to throw the meat on the fire, the smell would instantly attract a crowd.

[brushfire on the playa]

I've always been fortunate enough to be camped close to Nacho Mamas the past few years - those nachos have damn near saved my life on many an afternoon on the playa!

[Shawn til Dawn]

This year I made a food cart and will be giving out Jhal Muri at night on the playa on the 2:00 side and around the Man. I have a 200 watt bucket light on a 10 foot pole. Find me M-F for some healthy puffed rice snack! It's your Happy #1 Jhal Muri from Kolkata to Black Rock City baby!

[CarrieSnarf]

We are doing a mobile 50's retro kitchen that makes grilled cheese sandwiches. I came up with the idea after witnessing what could best be described as a grilled cheese riot on the playa in 2010. I like making food for people, grilled cheese seemed popular and easy, add in being able to rock a beehive and there you go.

[tffy]

^ Good! Burn City Diner's not coming this year!

[Katiebaby25]

This year I made a food cart and will be giving out Jhal Muri at night on the playa on the 2:00 side and around the Man. I have a 200 watt bucket light on a 10 foot pole. Find me M-F for some healthy puffed rice snack! It's your Happy #1 Jhal Muri from Kolkata to Black Rock City baby!

Excellent! I've always wanted to try Jhal Muri but thought I'd have to go to India! Very excited about this!

[StevenGoodman]

Various camps doing grilled cheese.
The french fries in the giant ketchup bottle.
Random Pizza Experience
Lost Penguin Lounge (wine, chocolate, stuff)
Pancake Playhouse
Dusty City Diner
Black Rock Diner
The Golden Cafe

Martini Steve

[Ugly Dougly]

There was a camp next to us doing grilled baloney sandwiches in the morning. Every morning there was a line.

[theCryptofishist]

Popcorn Palace count?
There was a cereal place in 09? I had breakfast there two or three times.

[maryanimal]

We are doing a mobile 50's retro kitchen that makes grilled cheese sandwiches. I came up with the idea after witnessing what could best be described as a grilled cheese riot on the playa in 2010. I like making food for people, grilled cheese seemed popular and easy, add in being able to rock a beehive and there you go.

I really LOVE your idea! I hope to have one of your delicios sammies!

[kellnoel]

Fried Baloney sammies at KFC: Kentucky Fried Camp 9-11am. We'll be back at 3:00 Plaza!

[seantildawn]

[quote="Katiebaby25"][quote="Shawn til Dawn"]This year I made a food cart and will be giving out Jhal Muri at night on the playa on the 2:00 side and around the Man. I have a 200 watt bucket light on a 10 foot pole. Find me M-F for some healthy puffed rice snack! It's your Happy #1 Jhal Muri from Kolkata to Black Rock City baby! [/quote]

Excellent! I've always wanted to try Jhal Muri but thought I'd have to go to India! Very excited about this![/quote]

Did you get some?

[Candybox]

Grilled Cheese Camp served grilled cheese at noon every day this year. Line moved fast too—you'd have a gooey grilled cheese in your hands within 5 minutes. We lunched there three days in a row, and sometimes went up for seconds. It was an awesome gift that was much appreciated.

Snow Koan Solar handed out snow cones. That was awesome.

We also had spaghetti once at the Twilight Spaghetti Theater.

The French Quarter, of course, was serving baked goods and food, but their lines were pretty intense due to their location.


Two years ago, I was near a camp that started serving soft serve ice cream mid-week... and continued serving it for days and days. It was like they never ran out.

[Milayna]

I heard of grilled cheese camp, but never found it!!!!

[nilasnake]

coming upon 'homojito bar' in the middle of the playa was a sweet surprise. they even grew their own mint which you could 'pick' and make a wish. yumll!!!

[Savannah]

There was a place called Midnight Poutine* in 2010, I think it was. Friends insisted on calling it Midnight Poontang. The line was an hour long, unless you were brazen or laden with bribes. I was neither! I skipped it. But I was impressed.

*Poutine = French fries with fresh cheese curds & brown gravy.

[graidawg]

There was a place called Midnight Poutine* in 2010, I think it was. Friends insisted on calling it Midnight Poontang. The line was an hour long, unless you were brazen or laden with bribes. I was neither! I skipped it. But I was impressed.

*Poutine = French fries with fresh cheese curds & brown gravy.

i'll have some midnight poontang sav. if its still there that is

[shroom]

I hope to find grilled cheese camp next year. I have read great reviews about it in several places online!

[ultratang7]

I found The Grilled Cheese Incident, sooo good. You could choose between Cheddar, swiss, or pepperjack.

I

[Box Burner]

There was a camp next to us doing grilled baloney sandwiches in the morning. Every morning there was a line.

That was KFC (Kentucky Fried Camp) I found them when I was looking for your camp on morning. Best baloney sandwich I ever ate. They were a group from Kentucky. While you were waiting in line they would serve you shots of Kentucky bourbon. They said that they like to move around each year.


Guess I should have read a little further:

Fried Baloney sammies at KFC: Kentucky Fried Camp 9-11am. We'll be back at 3:00 Plaza!

[Box Burner]

In the morning they start making pizza. Then they throw darts at a map of black rock city and wherever the darts land is where the deliver it. We got on at the Eplaya Bar on '06.

[theCryptofishist]

We got on at the Eplaya Bar on '06.

Yes, yes we did. The pizza was maybe a bit undercooked, but pizza out of the blue on the playa...Wow, I'll love those guys forever.

[9ah]

Miso Soup Camp was nice to wake up to.
Incendiary Intent offers a nice chili challenge. I highly recommend.
The PB&J cart is a yummy snack.
Popcorn Palace, they've got some great seasonings.
Champagne Lounge and The Lost Penguin were always nice stops.

I'm sure there are a ton I can't think of right now... I'm starving at this point.