Smorgasburg - May 12, 2012

This past weekend, my parents were visiting. I made sure to take them to local food market Smorgasburg, as a visit there is quickly becoming a near-weekly tradition. So, what did I eat this week?



Mighty Quinn's pulled pork sandwich (the "big" is $9). The sausage that is supposed to be included on this sandwich wasn't quite ready at 11am, when I arrived at Smorgasburg. That's no big deal. I knew I was taking that risk when I got in line. This was my first eat of the day because the line gets long quickly. I'm not sure I'd have the patience to wait in it as long as some people do, no matter how good these are. And they are good. I especially liked the flavor of the bbq sauce used.

Beware! If you don't ask for a small sandwich, you get the big one.  Also, the guy who made it told me the sandwich would be a dollar off because of the missing sausage, but no one told the guy taking the money. I'm not mad about any of that, though. It was delicious and I'm glad it was big.



Hash browns with Grafton cheddar and pickled jalapeños,  accompanied by bacon mayonnaise, from the Egg Hash Bar. From what I could see, fried eggs were not listed on the menu, but several people ordered them alongside the hash. These hash browns are an excellent new addition to Smorgasburg. I'd visit this booth again and again.

Not Pictured: The Stand Rhubarb Rose limeade. Wow! The baby made an awesome sour face when he tried it, then asked for more. It was really tasty.


Olive breadstick from ?? Dan bought this for the little guy, but we shared. Anyone recognize it? [Update: reader Mechanic says they're from TomCat. Update2: They're actually from Commerce.]


Margarita Sandwich from The Good Batch. The cookies outshone the ice cream, but the whole package was really tasty.

I looked everywhere for horchata, to have as a parting beverage, but didn't see a stand selling it this week. I miss you, horchata!!

Have you been to Smorgasburg? What should I try next?

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Tortaria on University

Despite not having many vegetarian-friendly menu options (I eat meat, but not at every meal), I thought Tortaria had potential. And I still think that.  But I went in hoping to have a new favorite lunch spot (though I can't afford to eat there every day), and that's not quite how I feel about it.  After finishing my lunch I'm underwhelmed, yet hoping to try again and, perhaps, like it more.

The Mexican grilled cheese sandwich I was served had good flavors.  It simply, and seriously, needed to be grilled longer.  The bread (why challah, by the way?) was too soft and the whole thing fell apart.  But the chicken chicharrones added for crunch tasted great in there.  My good-sized side order of platanos (sweet plantains) weren't hot enough, and I wasn't a fan of the "piloncillo cascabel and tequila pepper sauce" served alongside, but I thought the tomatillo sauce available near the front counter was pretty good on them.  My horchata was fine, but perhaps watered down?  It seemed thinner than some I've enjoyed at other restaurants.  I was also mildly alarmed when the person serving drinks behind the counter (not the bartender at the bar) didn't know what horchata was.  I guess they call it "agua fresca" there.

I'll return, but cautiously.

Tortaria
94 University Pl
(between 12th St & 11th St)
Manhattan, NY 10003

More Work To Be Done...

I'm trying my best to eat my way through the vendors at Smorgasburg, the local Saturday "flea market" for food. Here are some highlights of my trips there this summer:


Doughnut holes from Dough


Landhaus maple bacon on a stick


Landhaus BLT


Brooklyn Soda Works blackberry-mint artisanal soda


Nana’s (made by Cecile Dyer of Pies ’n’ Thighs) frozen banana with nuts and sea salt

Okay, so I haven't really made a dent.  Smorgasburg closes for the winter on November 20th, so there's still time for me to visit a few more times. Have you been there? What do you recommend I try?

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Would you like bears with that?

I have a tricky relationship with the Union Square location of pasta/pizza chain Vapiano.  I've gotten pasta there a handful of times.  It feels too big for the neighborhood and kind of has a strange vibe -- sort of faux Tuscan lounge (for faux Tuscan lounge lizards?). Still, the pasta dishes I've tried are pretty tasty.  The noodles are made on-site each day and the sauces are prepared right in front of the customers, to order.   A couple of slices of nice chewy bread may or may not be included -- bread only seems to come with the pasta if you luck into the right line cook's queue, but this is a minor quarrel.

The fact that the food is a bit overpriced, but worth it for a splurge, is complicated by their tendency to overcharge me by about $2 (the second time, I was on the lookout and got it corrected).  That they use a convoluted "swipe card" ordering and payment system seems to be part of the problem.  Be alert as you're paying, friends!

The first couple of times I went there, they included an adorable and tiny cup of gummy bears with my take-out order. I considered this a definite plus. Lately, however, they've just had a self-serve bowl of gummy bears (with scoop and cups) next to the registers.  And I thought I caught a glance between two of the employees when another customer took and ate one as she exited while I was paying this last time.

Don't make me admit I want the bears and dig for them myself, Vapiano.  Don't call me a gummy bear glutton behind my back.  See what you've done now? You've made me paranoid. Just give them to me. 

Seriously.  Give me the bears.

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Shower Power!

Jeff and Michelle are having a baby (they beat me to it).  I felt privileged to attend one of their baby showers last weekend -- and not just because the food served there was excellent.



But it was.







The party was held in the back room of, and catered by, a charming local bar called The Richardson.  They laid out a great spread of grilled sandwiches/panini, veggies, pickles, cheese, deviled eggs, pretzels, and meats.



I believe I ate quite a bit. 





Seriously intense, moist, and attractive cupcakes (chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, and carrot cake) were provided by another local favorite shop, The Blue Stove.

Congratulations, Jeff and Michelle!  And thanks (also to Jeff's mom, who hosted) for the party!

Stuck on almonds

Dan's preparing for an installation at the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, NJ.  I went down to Flavor Paper, his main wallpaper distributor, yesterday to help with the "weeding" (removing the negative space from hundreds (thousands) of sometimes-tiny vinyl stickers.



These salted almonds (sent to us at Christmas by Dan's parents) saved the day.  Between them, a clementine, and some red raspberry leaf tea (good for uterine toning, I'm told!), I was able to get through multiple hours of picking away at sheets of vinyl with tweezers and my fingers.

When we were done, we grabbed some Tex-Mex at Lobo.  They start out by bringing the table a basket of what I judged to be above-average chips and salsa, in case you were wondering.  And I was hungry-but-not-ravenous, so my dinner of chicken enchiladas with verde sauce suited me well.


p.s. How's this for a bathroom?!

[Tiny Fashion Spread: Jeans and cardigan by Uniqlo, Tee from Forever 21, Onitsuka Tigers on the feet] 

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Happy Birthday, Kyle!

On Kyle's birthday, I was privileged to join the folks celebrating at local beer garden Loreley for sausages, fresh pretzels, and chats.

They had beer; I had Possmann Country Apple German Apple Juice.  There's no alcohol in there, but it tasted like a party.  And I don't like beer anyway, so I'd drink this any day.


p.s. Technically, it's Poetry Tuesday, but I haven't gone to bed yet (been up making cookies), so it's still Monday for me.

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Photo Essay: Crest Fest, 2010

I think it's awesome that this hardware store in my neighborhood wants to support and display local artists.  They hold an annual event that's part street festival and part gallery opening -- all centered in and around the Crest Hardware Store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Walking around the store, looking for artwork "hidden" among the merchandise (and often greatly resembling the merchandise), was like participating in a treasure hunt.  Actually, there was a map to the artistic treasures, but it wasn't available yet when we stopped by on opening day.  We spent an hour or more just wandering and trying to spot everything.

Read more about the Crest Fest here. 


Dan's tool wallpaper.









Smitty's saws.




 


Made of tires!  What?!









In the garden at the hardware store.





Extended festivities on Saturday included food, crafts, face painting, other vendors, bands, and more!

I was glad to see that the major beneficiary of this event was The City Reliquary Museum, another local institution that's been in danger of going out of business for too long.








Expect details on lunch in my next post!

What summer Saturdays should taste like:

Shortcake at the Goods Food Truck

Saturday turned out to be a great day to wander around the neighborhood semi-aimlessly.  It wasn't then as hot as yesterday became (that's a clunky turn of phrase, eh?), and there was a lot going on near our house.



The Goods food truck opened recently, and on Saturday around noon they declared their yard ready for seating. We took advantage of the special on strawberry shortcakes ($4 each) and sat in the back corner, with some construction still taking place and a crew of scurrying people going about their business



The truck was (on Saturday) only serving breakfast until 11am, so they were unable to serve us a biscuit and a breakfast sausage, but soon they will be serving breakfast items until 2pm.  They also had not received their iced coffee machine, but promised that would soon be available as well.

The lunch/dinner menu focuses mainly on burgers and fries.  I do wish they had a turkey burger or a veggie corn dog on there, but I'd take fish and chips or a fried green tomato sandwich.



The yard is a good size and pleasantly appointed.







The shortcake itself was just the thing. I didn't know how badly I wanted it until I took a bite. The thick, filling biscuit was still warm, but the whipped cream and strawberries were cooler.  I felt there was just the right amount of strawberry juice soaking into the base of the biscuit as I ate.  The last few bites of the "cake" were soaked with strawberry flavor.  Even better, the biscuit was slightly salty, in a way that might have seemed extreme if it were served alone, but was perfect for serving with a sweet fruit mixture.



This is summer.  I want another.

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