Every single year around summertime, a joyous occasion occurs in New York City.
What could it possibly be? High school or college graduation? A time for family appreciation? A barbecue?
None of that, of course! I’m talking about Smorgasburg, the famous food festival that happens every Saturday and Sunday in East River Park and Prospect Park respectively.
Smorgasburg is known for bringing the best of the best of New York City’s smaller pop-up food chains all to one place, and it attracts hundreds of people every week to have their mouths blessed and their stomachs filled with some of the greatest food.
I only recently found out about Smorgasburg from a trip with friends last year, and went again this year; these are some of my personal favorites from this year’s Smorgasburg.
1. Truffle Fries (really, all fries) - Home Frite
The hit fry shop from last year has returned again this year and provides some of the highest quality fries I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying. These fries will make sure you never want to eat another McDonald’s processed fry ever again; yes, they’re that delicious. However, they’re very large, so if you want to fully enjoy the festival, I recommend splitting with one or two other friends. My friends and I ordered truffle fries with the chosen sauce of buttermilk ranch, and it was the perfect size to make sure all three of us got to enjoy all that Smorgasburg had to offer.
The fries contain the perfect amount of aioli, parmesan, and other seasonings to make sure that your mouth is filled with all of the crisp and savory flavors. The initial crunch you get when you first bite into a fry dipped in one of the delicious sauces is a sensation that is unforgettable. If you don’t mind waiting in a typically long line, you should definitely put in the time and effort to taste these delicious fries!
2. Venetian Sandwiches - Tramezzini
Tramezzini has a booth at Smorgasburg where it sells authentic Venetian sandwiches. On its website, it claims that all of its fresh olive oil bread is imported from Veneto, Italy, and this is verified by the simply unforgettable taste of one of these sandwiches. Served in a similar style paper ornament to Home Frite, Tramezzini’s sandwiches are shown to have a touch of style as seen by the addition of a small purple flower for those aiming to eat and live for the aesthetic. Dramatics aside, Tramezzini absolutely delivers on serving sandwiches filled with flavor and taste.
Though my friend had the benefit of having the sandwich, I will say that it must be great to have such a profound man of few words actually say, “Wow, this is good.”
3. Sando Calrissian - Heroes & Villains
New York is known for its food, especially its sandwiches. It’s hard to find a place that truly stands out above the rest in dealing with both chicken and sandwiches, but Heros & Villains with its signature Sando Calrissian takes the sandwich game out of this world (Star Wars pun intended). The chicken is so juicy and tender to bite into, and combined with the lettuce, pickles and tonkatsu sauce, it creates a sandwich that is absolutely unforgettable. Do yourself a favor, and go just for the sake of getting this sandwich; make sure you order the full sandwich, and not the half, and let your stomach feel fulfilled and satiated. After all, life is about indulging; why not indulge?
(Plus, the sandwich manages to never get soggy, which is always a great bonus!)
4. Chili Mango Flower - Vaqueros Products
The famous Chili Mango Flower is the embodiment of the wonderful combination of spicy and sweet. Though at times the flower may seem a little bit overpowering on the taste buds, there are those moments where everything synchronizes and the sweet blends with the spice to create a good mix of hot and cool for the nice summer location. Plus, it’s quite pleasing to look at; just imagine yourself on the rocks at East River Park looking on over at the Brooklyn Bridge and the rest of the city. If that isn’t heaven, I don’t know what to tell you.
5. Mozzarella Sticks - Big Mozz
The seasoning and added truffle touch to the sticks give them a unique flavor you really can't find elsewhere in NYC; it's a classic New York twist on a famous food.
The marinara sauce is absolutely fantastic with the sticks as well, making it an incredibly worthy buy at the food fair. They're also made entirely fresh; there's a line to order, and a quicker line where you can pick up the food and literally see the mozzarella sticks being fried and given by a wonderful person who should basically be seen as an angel for offering such a delicacy.
I had gotten these mozzarella sticks last year, and because I was so impressed with them, I knew I had to get them once again this year, as well.
Overall, if you haven’t gone to Smorgasburg yet, don’t fret! The food festival’s said to go on until around October, which means there’s still plenty of time for you West Coast NYU kids to spend a Saturday or Sunday just enjoying the delicacies! Just remember; if you’re feeling you’re gaining a few pounds from doing it, you’re doing it right!
