The best things I ate at the inaugural Inquirer Food Festival

It was about 11:10 a.m. Saturday when I approached the bustling line of hungry food enthusiasts snaking down East Allen Street between Fishtown’s Fillmore and Punchline Philly venues. Folks patiently stood in line to enter the inaugural Inquirer Food Festival, where just under 50 Philly chefs and bakers awaited with demonstrations and exclusive treats.

Entering the food hall illuminated in colorful lights was a fever dream of Philly best and brightest in dining. Booths with chefs plating succulent oysters, mini kibbeh tartare sliders, and crispy Ethiopian wings for long lines of ticket holders filled the large space in front of the main stage inside the Fillmore. And across the street at Punchline, nine bakers displayed sweet and savory creations for the Great Inquirer Bake-off as Party Girl Bake Club and Midnight Pasta Co. offered hands-on classes.

Sounds of BWC Sounds, Snacktime, and other live performances echoed in the background as I canvased the array of dishes at both venues. Snacking between the two extravagant layouts, I collected a stack of plates and a list of favorites.

Here are the best bites I ate.

Basking in the spotlight, Kenan Rabah’s pistachio baklava mille-feuille made me pause my pastry pursuing. The airy, crispy phyllo dough layers were the perfect contrast to the silky pistachio cremeux.

Nothing could stop me from trying Kurt Evans and Diana Widjojo’s collab creation. The two powerhouse chefs came up with a delicious cornbread bao stuffed with beef rendang and slathered with sambal aioli. One bite and I was wondering how to convince these two to offer this exclusive festival dish on their menus.

Watching Dave Conn plate delicate oysters glistening with a bright green sauce compelled me to walk over to his table. Slurping up the grilled Barnegat Bay oyster with the garlic lager butter and a drop of the housemade hot sauce reminded me what separates a good oyster from a great one.

A shrimp sausage etouffee and champagne biscuit! That’s the genius dish I devoured from Liz Grothe and Paige and Zack Wernick. Joining forces, the trio made Italian shrimp sausage swimming in a Cajun-style gravy atop a fluffy biscuit the best thing I’ve eaten all month.

One thing festival bake-off judge Jordan Mailata and I have in common: we could’ve eaten trays of Dayna Evans and Sam Carmichael’s pickled long hots and cheddar biscuits. What made the dish stand out to us was the spicy sungold tomato jam we slathered on the incredibly flaky buttery biscuits. The combo was the winning baked good for Mailata.

What happens when two supper club kings unite? A slider that combines Miled Finianos’ Lebanese background and Timothy Dearing’s fermentation expertise. The duo’s kibbeh tartare on a bulgur milk bread was a delightful play of flavors and textures in one bite.

After an overload of savory, I found respite in Ange Branca’s comforting kaya toast and teh tarik. Bright green coconut custard-filled toast paired with the hot cup of the Malaysian pulled milk tea was the warm hug I needed in the bustle of festival goers.

Ending the day with a banger, I headed to Philly Hummus Girl for a mix-and-match quartet of dips. Beautifully plated, Miranda Stephen piled hummus with date-syrup brisket atop baba ghanouj with garlicky za’atar shiitake mushrooms, muhummara, and labneh mint in little bowls. Of course, there was soft pita for dipping and scooping.