Coachella 2014: Good food -- bacon sticky buns, Baco wraps and more -- joins the show

1/17

The shrimp Baco wrap from Baco Mercat. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

2/17

Ice cream from Salt & Straw in the Terrace food area. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

3/17

Festival-goers sit at the pop-up sushi bar in the Rose Garden VIP area. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

4/17

Baco Mercat sets up near Semi Sweet bakery. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

5/17

A macaroni and cheese empanada from Semi Sweet bakery. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

6/17

Bacon sticky bun from Semi Sweet Bakery. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

7/17

A line of people wait to order food at the Beer Belly stand. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

8/17

A fried Oreo with Nutella from Beer Belly. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

9/17

A plate of messy wings from Beer Belly. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

10/17

Deep fried pork belly from Beer Belly. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

11/17

Honeycut, Seven Grand and more set up bars at the Rose Garden VIP area. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

12/17

Papaya salad from Night + Market Song. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

13/17

Donut Friend sells doughnuts inside the Heineken tent. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

14/17

Full of Life Flatbread pizza in the VIP area. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

15/17

The food trucks in the VIP area. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

16/17

One of the tents set up in the festival Terrace area. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

17/17

Eveleigh and Goldie’s set up in the VIP area. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

By Jenn Harris

April 14, 2014 8:47 AM PT

Some of Los Angeles’ hottest restaurants popped up at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival over the weekend in Indio, providing concertgoers with some welcome new food options.

In the Rose Garden VIP area, downtown restaurant Baco Mercat set up shop serving a limited number of its signature flatbread sandwiches along with wraps (burritos), blistered wax beans, caramelized cauliflower and more.

Next door was downtown L.A.’s Semi Sweet Bakery, which served its macaroni and cheese empanadas, bacon sticky buns and chocolate chip cookies. And one of the most coveted spots at the festival wasn’t the front row at the Coachella stage, but a seat at the Kazu Nori (coming soon to downtown L.A.) pop-up sushi bar, where you could sit down and order from a sushi chef.

In the revamped Terrace area, Mexicali Taco & Co., Crossroads, Night + Market Song, Beer Belly and Mohawk Bend all set up shop behind wood-paneled facades. At Mexicali, you could grab its famous vampiro (huge meat-filled quesadilla) or a plate of asada tacos. Crossorads offered up a selection of its signature vegan fare with a kale salad and pasta bolognese. At Night + Market Song, you could get chicken larbgai, papaya salad, pad Thai and more.

The rumor of deep fried Oreos topped with Nutella and fried pork belly quickly spread through the festival, resulting in a long line at the Beer Belly pop-up. People also huddled under the festival’s new yurts with Salt & Straw ice cream cones and doughnuts from the Donut Friend stand inside the Heineken House.

There were plenty of food trucks in a grassy corner of the main VIP area, and nearby, Hudson House served a menu of smoked jalapeño mac and cheese and fried chicken sliders. And if you were in the mood for pizza, Full of Life Flatbread brought a wood-burning oven to cook all its pies.

The biggest struggle at Coachella remains choosing among bands playing at the same time. This year, revelers could make those decisions after a satisfying meal.

Still hungry? Follow me on Twitter: @Jenn_Harris_

ALSO:

Our love-hate affair with favas, and six recipes you’ll adore

The Capitol Records building and more L.A. landmarks in the form of cake

Stuffed quesadillas, Milanesa tortas, margaritas and more at El Condor in Silver Lake