Smorgasburg

Thanks to the weather, my parents' flight was delayed on Friday so they didn't arrive in NYC til 2 AM.  On the upside, they found a new hotel one block away from my apartment so I was still able to greet them upon arrival. Our plan for tapas at the neighborhood wine bar was now out of the question, but we still had to quell their stomach grumblings so we headed to the diner (my personal nearby fave = Ritz) for a late night snack.

Though 11 AM isn't late by NYC Saturday morning standards (most people are still sleeping off their Friday night), we made sure we were out the door by then so we could head to Williamsburg for a food fest.  I have written about the Brooklyn Flea and all the great food there, but I have yet to tell you about what happens in that very same location just one day prior to the Flea.  Why waste that great Williamsburg space on the day the flea market takes over a different Brooklyn location?  Furthermore, why not do away with the stuff and make room for more food, since that's the best part anyway?  While the flea market set up camp elsewhere on Saturday, the Williamsburg space is flooded by tents as well - but this time it's only food vendors.

After scanning the options, we split up so we could conquer as many vendors as possible before the lines got out of control.  I think the total came to around $45 and with that, we ate the following:

• Pork Pupusa (I wrote about this in my Brooklyn Flea entry and knew my parents would love it - I was right)
• Sunday Gravy: this is some guy who makes "gravy", which I know understand is a tradition in any self respecting Italian household.  It's basically pasta sauce that's been groovin all day and includes sausage, maeatballs, braised pork, and beef.  At this stand, you can buy a jar of it for $15, which seemed like a lot until I realized one jar is a full meal for at least four people.  If you wanted to eat it there, like we did, you could get it on a sandwich or over pasta with parmesan and ricotta.  We went with the pasta (homemade by another Smorgasburg vendor) and it was the best thing I ate all day.  If you buy a jar of this stuff, I guarantee you could compete with any Italian restaurant in the city.  
• Vietnamese Crepe: Crepe filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and other goodies.  It was served with greens so you could make a wrap and a sweet and spicy sauce that tied it all together.  I've never had Vietnamese street food, and although this was not the best dish of the day, it whet my appetite for Vietnamese food..
• Mac and Cheese with Dandelion Greens: good and creamy, but not as good as other mac and cheeses I've tried around the city, S'mac still coming in as the champ in my opinion.  I will, however, award points for presentation.  The mac was served in a bamboo paper cone - very cute.
• Chorizo Sandwich: Served on perfectly crusty bread and reminded me of the merguez sandwiches I used to eat in France.  The chorizo was good; the bread made it.
• Desserts
• Cupcake
• Frozen banana dipped in melted chocolate (which then froze on the banana) and rolled in nuts
• People's Pops (strawberry basil flavor)
• Drinks:
• Bubble Tea
• Arnold Palmer

We walked our food over to the little grassy area and splayed our finds on a bench, astonished by how much we were able to get for less than $50.  Go forth, my sons and hit up Smorgasburg, but make sure you go early enough to beat the crowds and get the best goods and go with a friend so you can try as much stuff as possible.