Restaurant debuts New Orleans-inspired muffulettas at Outside Lands
SAN FRANCISCO -- One of the biggest highlights of Outside Lands at Golden Gate Park is the food. Among the 90 eateries represented was one booth bringing a taste a New Orleans to San Francisco.
Sandy's, which started as a pop-up in San Francisco, is debuting it's version of the muffuletta, a popular New Orleans staple, at this year's festival.
It's a giant sandwich shaped like a burger and cut like a pizza.
"My partner and I both lost our jobs during the pandemic and so we're not somebody that just sits around. We're always trying to be creative. We like to work hard," said Sandy's owner Peterson Harter.
Harter, a New Orleans native, started selling muffulettas at his house in the Haight and it was a smashing success. Sandy's eventually moved into a temporary space in Pacific Heights.
"To go from a year ago selling sandwiches out of our windows to being at Outside Lands and now looking for a brick-and-mortar is kind of unbelievable," he said.
Harter said they've already sold 1,000 muffulettas this weekend. Compare that to a busy day in the city, where he would normally sell 90 sandwiches.
At Outside Lands, Sandy's also offers a vegetarian version and specialty cookies.
"I went to culinary school. I worked in really great restaurants around town. I actually got out of the kitchen before the pandemic started. I was bartending at the Progress and I think for me to come back to making sandwiches from New Orleans is something I never envisioned, but I couldn't tell you. I'm so happy doing it," said Harter.
Most of Sandy's customers at Outside Lands are first-timers.
"Outside Lands is all about trying new things. We saw the sign and it sounded really good so we tried it, as you can tell I actually hated it... no," said Judge Washer of San Francisco, pointing at his nearly empty paper tray. "Never in my life have I tried this before, but I'm definitely going to come back for seconds next time I'm here. So amazing."
