A Taste of GoogaMooga

Reviews from festivalgoers were mixed at the end of Day 1 of . While some left the Nethermeade of Prospect Park with full stomachs and happy hearts, others exited in a huff, having spent most of their day on long lines for what they deemed "exceptionally small portion sizes."

So what did the people on the other side of the food stalls have to say? Carroll Gardens Patch asked a few local businesses that were vending at the food and music festival what their impressions were of the inaugural event.

"We had to shut down temporarily and wait for more supplies to come from our shop in Boerum Hill," said Katherine Beto, general manager at . "We didn't realize how popular it would be." 

For the most part, however, she said patrons had been understanding and that she hadn't experienced any negative exchanges. "The first time you do anything there are going to be hiccups," she said. "People get that."

Over at the food stall, serving open-faced asparagus tarts with fresh ricotta, the staff said they had enjoyed themselves despite not leaving the food stall to watch any of the performances. 

"We could hear the music from both stages from where we were located, " said cashier Jonelle Mannion. Her coworker Olivia Camemga said they had been consistently busy all day: "Even though we weren't stationed along the main wall, a lot of people came by because we were one of the few vegetarian friendly food stalls."

In fact, those who had paid for Extra Mooga tickets were at a disadvantage inside the VIP area if they did not eat meat, as there were no alternate dishes available.

In the Pizza Experience area of the park, pie-slingers at the food stall were one of the last to shut down for the night, with lines of still-hungry festivalgoers snaking their way up to the front to order a slice for the road.

"We figure we're here to make money, so we might as well stay open as late as we can," said one worker, who acknowledged that The Great GoogaMooga food stall was his first day working for the pizza restaurant.

"Considering people are still here, I think I'm pretty good at this," he said.