Forget what you think you know about food festivals. By now, you're zeppoled-out, and you've had one too many snack foods tossed into the deep fryer. You need to think outside the Hostess box. Enter: Smorgasburg, the Brooklyn Flea's food baby, a mass picnic of sorts that's driving people who enjoy overeating into a state of delirium. Locavores will go loco over the Brooklyn-oriented lineup of vendors, and lushes can take advantage of the alcohol line-up, appropriately named SmorgasBar. There's something for every human here.
Eating local, ethnically diverse food outdoors has proved to be such a successful formula for Smorgasburg, as what began as a Saturday-only event on the Williamsburg waterfront has now expanded to Sundays in Dumbo's tobacco warehouse. The roofless space north of the Brooklyn Bridge is a perfect place to spend a Sunday gorging yourself.
Smorgasburg Dumbo runs through Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., so you need to get there soon. Our recommendation? Go this weekend and bring cash, an open mind, and pants with an elastic waistband. Once you arrive, consume the following: 10 Things You Need to Eat at Smorgasburg.
Forget what you think you know about food festivals. By now, you're zeppoled-out, and you've had one too many snack foods tossed into the deep fryer. You need to think outside the Hostess box. Enter: Smorgasburg, the Brooklyn Flea's food baby, a mass picnic of sorts that's driving people who enjoy overeating into a state of delirium. Locavores will go loco over the Brooklyn-oriented lineup of vendors, and lushes can take advantage of the alcohol line-up, appropriately named SmorgasBar. There's something for every human here.
Eating local, ethnically diverse food outdoors has proved to be such a successful formula for Smorgasburg, as what began as a Saturday-only event on the Williamsburg waterfront has now expanded to Sundays in Dumbo's tobacco warehouse. The roofless space north of the Brooklyn Bridge is a perfect place to spend a Sunday gorging yourself.
Smorgasburg Dumbo runs through Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., so you need to get there soon. Our recommendation? Go this weekend and bring cash, an open mind, and pants with an elastic waistband. Once you arrive, consume the following: 10 Things You Need to Eat at Smorgasburg.
Braised Pork Belly Buns
Vendor: Bite Size Kitchen
Website: bitesizekitchen.com
We've never met a pork bun we didn't like, but feelings for Bite Size Kitchen's braised pork belly bun passed into the realm of love. Add sliced cucumber, pickled jalapeno, scallions, and hoisin in a soft bun and you have yourself two bites of heaven.
Stroopwafel Ice Cream Sandwich
Vendor: The Good Batch
Website: thegoodbatch.com
Stroopwafels are thin, wafer-like Dutch cookies with caramel nestled inside. They're delicate, textured, and crazy delicious. Good Batch's stroopwafel ice cream sandwich bookends salted caramel and adirondack ice cream with two crisp cookies. Just get one, or else you might not be able to get up.
Fried Anchovies
Vendor: Bon Chovie
Website: bonchovie.com
Even the least adventurous eater will fall for the flavor of Bon Chovie's fried anchovies. The salty fishiness is balanced by sweet peppers and a delicious smoked paprika remoulade. Try them Jersey Style (heads and tails on!) if you're feeling wild.
Mini S’more d’oeuvres
These bite-sized mini s'mores are made with melt-in-your-mouth Madagascar vanilla bean marshmallows, and torched-to-order right before your eyes. We tried the Salted Sailor (vanilla bean speckled caramel spread), the Black n' White (chocolate ganache, dark chocolate grahams and toasted coconut marshmallow), and the S'morgasm (Callebaut semisweet chocolate ganache on cinnamon sugar and clover honey graham crackers). These tiny treats were s'more nostalgic than any other sweet we tried, and we loved them for that.
Classic with a Twist Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Vendor: Milk Truck
Website: milktrucknyc.com
Milk Truck's Classic with a Twist pairs aged Gruyere, tart champagne-vinegar-pickled onions, and white Dijon mustard on Blue Ribbon Bakery rye. It's the comforting grilled cheese of your childhood all grown up and gourmet.
Salted Caramel Macaroon
Vendor: Danny Macaroons
Website: dannymacaroons.com
If sweets are God's gift to man, a Danny Macaroon is the biggest present under the tree. Salted caramel cuts the coconut's sweetness, but not so much that you couldn't induce a toothache with too many.
The Bamburg
Vendor: Shnitz
Website: schnitznyc.com
Shnitz's Israeli-style shnitzel was the biggest bite of the day: fresh chicken thighs that are pounded, breaded, and then fried to order, served on fresh, slightly crunchy pretzel bread. Panko-pickled cucumbers, shallots, ginger, and a generous smear of caramelized onion mustard make for the ideal intersection between tangy (the killer mustard) and savory (that tender shnitzel). The shnitz, indeed!
Maine-Style Lobster Roll
Vendor: Red Hook Lobster
Website: redhooklobsterpound.com
This will be the longest line you encounter, and for good reason. Red Hook Lobster's sweet Maine lobster meat is mixed with homemade mayo and served on soft, split-top bun. Each cool bite is satisfying and rich, entirely worth waiting for.
Brisket Sandwich
Vendor: Mighty Quinn's
Website: N/A
Sometimes hype is just smoke and mirrors. Mighty Quinn's brisket sandwich has got the smoke part covered, but the dream is real: tender layers of brisket on a soft brioche bun, pickled onions and a ton of BBQ sauce. Hype fulfilled.
Dulce De Leche Almond Donut
Vendor: Dough
Website: N/A
Clinton Hill doughnut-maker Dough's dulce de leche donut is lightly fried and sumptuous; the bites nearly disappear the second it touches your tongue. The sticky-sweet glaze is adorned with thinly sliced almonds, adding a pleasant crunch to complement the lightness of the dough.
