Street food mania at Eat Real Festival

Street food is all the rage now with the economy still in recession and diners getting more value-minded than ever. Gourmet food trucks that tap into the increasingly sophisticated American palate are popping up across the country from New York to Portland, OR. The Bay area is busy catching up on the trend with two hugely popular events over the last two weekends - San Francisco's Street Food Festival and Oakland's Eat Real Festival.

Not a big fan of San Francisco's hippie crowd in the Mission district where the festival took place, I decided to check out Oakland's event instead (it's bigger anyway). The Eat Real Festival brought together 50+ local vendors to sell street foods from cuisines around the world, all for under $5. The focus was on using local, sustainable ingredients whenever possible, and proceeds benefited several food-related non-profits that promote healthy eating and economic development.

Food and music at Real Food Festival on Oakland's waterfront

As expected, thanks to free admission and perfect weather, there were LONG lines everywhere when I arrived at the festival. The people in line all seemed to be mellow and cheery, but I was super hungry and couldn't bother to wait. My immediate reaction was to go for the shortest lines, and fortunately my picks were decent if not excellent.

Always desserts first, I tried Nieves Cinco de Mayo's Mexican elote (corn) ice cream and Gelateria Cici's basil and salted almond gelato. They tasted and smelled like what they say they are (a sign of freshness), and were smooth and creamy as any good ice-cream. Both purveyors brand themselves as "all-natural," and I believe them as there's no aftertaste if artificial ingredients were present. I'd buy from them again definitely.

Nieves Cinco de Mayo's ice cream stand, with the purveyors explaining the many exotic Mexican flavors to customers

Gelateria Cici's ultra-creamy gelato

On the savory front, I had Soul Cocina's vegan bhel puri (Indian puffed rice snacks) with mint chutney and heirloom tomatoes. The tangy chutney and tomatoes complemented the heat and crispness of the bhel puri very well. Served in a cone, the bhel puri looked unconventional, which might explain why there's hardly a line for it. But it's a great idea to bring such lesser-known Indian street food to the public.

Soul Cocina's vegan bhel puri sampler in a cone

Although each item was affordably priced, the cost quickly added up when I sampled from more than a couple of vendors. I agree the festival was very "Oaklandish" in the sense that the pricey and the economical, the high-brow and the plebeian, fused together in a slightly incongruous way. But the huge amount of traffic should have at least helped the vendors and kept their business running, and I look forward to seeing how the street food scene will unfold in the months ahead.