For the 2nd time Chipotle’s Cultivate Festival took over Loring Park in Minneapolis last Saturday. Started in 2011 Cultivate is intended to get people thinking and talking about food and food issues, and how to create a more sustainable future. While many festival-goers came for the entertainment, the free festival also offers an experience for all ages to learn something new.
The organizers did not cut any corners. The brand umbrella was consistent from signage to the info booklet handed out to visitors. Entertainment featured national music acts (and a hot local band), as well a cooking demos by well-known Chefs including the Lord of liquid Nitrogen Richard Blais. True to their commitment to local and sustainable food the offerings were heavy on local breweries, artisans but also featured special Chipotle items and a glimpse at their new Asian restaurant concept ShopHouse. Judging by the amount or folks I saw with rice or noodle bowls ShopHouse was well received.
Cultivate also had 5 Experiences centered on responsible food. Attendees who visited 4 of the 5 received coupons for free food. In addition there were several partner booths with local and national food producers and a kids zone. Overall I found the festival to be very well organized. The crowd was massive but lines moved along at a decent pace (although there was some predictable grumbling on social media) and everyone seemed to have a great time.
The only complaint to be made goes out to Mother Nature who decided to accelerate the rain forecast for after 7 PM and caused the musical head liner Walk the Moon to miss their set. Judging by the amount of young fans with the bands signature face paint Mother Nature’s is in for an earful on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook. We have not seen any official numbers but Loring Park was quite busy for most of the festival.
On to the details. Check the gallery link next to each name for tons of pictures
Jim Christiansen – Heyday – GALLERY
Strictly from a cooking perspective, this was my favorite demo of the day. The chef showed techniques for a variety of vegetables and other ingredients. Being the first demo of the day also meant I had room to move around for photos and use the overhead mirrors for some cool images.
Hippo Campus – GALLERY
The Minneapolis band has been burning up the airwaves for the last year and is working on their next EP. This was by far the most “fun” show of theirs I have covered. Playing in front of their home crowd and their target audience (all ages, downtown & free) raised the energy level a few notches. As vocalist Jake Luppen put it: “We got our 3 favorite things, Music, Chipotle and our home state of Minnesota!”
Jamie Malone and Erik Anderson – Brut – GALLERY
Both chefs are staples in the Twin Cities dining scene. Their presentation of an upscale Chicken and wild Mushroom Pie will hopefully inspire many in the audience to step up their home cooking game. When asked about mushroom spots, Anderson relied on mushroom gatherers legendary need for secrecy while Malone directed the questioner to the DNR’s web site.
Anderson East – GALLERY
Southern Flair and accent and a great voice were this raising star’s introduction to Minneapolis.
Gavin Kaysen – Spoon and Stable – GALLERY
Having returned to Minneapolis to open his restaurant in 2015 Kaysen demonstrated one of the dishes on Spoon and Stable’s current menu a Pumpernickel Tartine with Salmon. He brought the Potash Twins on stage to lighten up the presentation. Check out the shot of his gorgeous knives in the Gallery.
X Ambassdors – GALLERY
We had covered this band a few months ago when they opened for Lights at Mill City Nights and were impressed. Since then their song Renegade has been picked up for a Jeep commercial and moved them into the spotlight.
Richard Blais – Juniper & Ivy, The Spence and Flip – GALLERY
The Top Chef All Stars Champion demo showed that he is a seasoned performer. His presentation kept the audience actively engaged with questions, jokes and gratuitous use of liquid Nitrogen. Blais is a serious chef and his set included bits of information woven into the overall presentation.
Atlas Genius – GALLERY
The Aussie band is a constant presence on alternative stations an their current single “Molecules” is in heavy rotation. They delivered a great set that included a plea to the gods of Rock’n Roll to hold off on the rain.
Andrew Zimmern – Canteen in Minneapolis – GALLERY
The rain threat caused organizers to kick off his demo early. He demonstrated a Mongolian lamb dish that featured many spices not normally used in Midwestern kitchens.
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