Food Market » Markets of New York

Weekend Market Picks for July 16-17, 2011

I am thrilled to feature the wonderful array of products from SchoolHouse Kitchen! I first tried their jams, chutneys, mustards and vinaigrettes at the New Amsterdam Market, and I cannot get over the flavors and the combinations they use. My current favorite is Cherry Blackberry Sage & Clove Spreadable Fruit, which is equally delicious on toast as it is as a marinade for chicken. They just brought out two new vinaigrettes that got rave reviews at the Fancy Food Show in DC last weekend: Poppyseed Vinaigrette Revival and the Coconut Citrus Vinaigrette. Yes, you read it right! They give a percentage of their proceeds to education charities, and all the products are made with high quality, natural ingredients. I have taken their motto to heart: Eat well, eat in moderation, and be adventurous.

And now for this weekend’s Market Picks for everyone who is staying in town this weekend of visiting New York City from far and wide:

Saturday & Sunday

Antiques Garage and the Annex: These two markets are located across 6th Avenue from each other, and it’s worth it to stroll through both locations. The Garage has two floors of diverse vintage and antique items, from books and prints to clothing and ship memborabilia, and everything in between. You know you love digging for treasures, and you should spend some time at the Annex – clothing, jewelry, records, and vintage everything. Manhattan

Essex Street Market: If you haven’t gone shopping at the Essex Street Market, go this weekend. And bring a tote bag! This market opened in 1940 when Mayor LaGuardia got all the street vendors off the street and into new market buildings. Today, you can find cheese, fish, meats, coffee, pastries, bread, handmade chocolates, and much more! Manhattan

Park Slope Flea Market: Have you been walking past this market for years, take the time to go inside and see all the wonderful things there. The Park Slope Flea is a classic flea market, with vintage clothing, homewares, furniture, and even artwork and sweet bonsai trees. Brooklyn

Saturday

Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket: The Grand Army Plaza Market is the largest one in Brooklyn, akin to the Union Square Greenmarket in size and variety of foods sold. But it’s a lot more laid back, with families, joggers from the park, and people strolling with their dogs, all browsing through the produce, bread, fish, and more. GrowNYC has textile recycling and compost collection every weekend too! It’s also a short walk from the Park Slope Flea! Brooklyn

Sunday

Greenflea: The Greenflea is back on the Picks List because it’s just so great. There are some amazing vendors there, including vintage, fleas, jewelry of all kinds, delicious market food, furniture, and this guy (Scott Jordan). Wander around the outdoor market, and then visit the vintage vendors inside the school cafeteria. Manhattan

It’s going to be a wonderful weekend, so head out to the markets and let us know what you bought and what you ate! And don’t forget to pick up something delicious from SchoolHouse Kitchen on Saturday at Smorgasburg and Sunday at the New Amsterdam Market!

Weekend Market Picks: July 9-10, 2011 + Cherries!!!

It is going to be a fantastic weekend to spend outdoors in New York City. If you are second homeless and therefore staying in town all summer, then come hang out with me at the markets. And if you are visiting New York City, definitely check out the fantastic food and buy all your souvenirs directly from New York’s finest artisans!

And stop by any Greenmarket to pick up plump, juicy cherries, like the ones in the photo from the Cheerful Cherry Farm!

Saturday & Sunday

Brooklyn Flea: I’m definitely feeling the need to visit the Brooklyn Flea, as it’s been a few weeks. Looking forward to seeing my usual favorites and checking out what’s new in food, artisans, and fleas! Saturday in the Ft. Green location and Sunday in Williamsburg.

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market and Sunday Gourmet Food Truck Bazaar: The Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market is one of the largest and best traditional fleas in the city, and they have invited members of the {NewNew} Etsy Artisan Group to add to the variety. The first Sunday of every month, they also host the Food Truck Bazaar, featuring some of the city’s fabulous food on wheels!

Saturday

Hester Street Fair: Gotta send you to the Hester Street Fair this Saturday! In addition to the well-selected vintage, flea, and handmade sellers there, they sent out the list of featured food vendors. Appetizers, main course, main course, dessert, dessert, dessert. Take notes and let me know what you ate!

St. George Greenmarket: This is a good weekend to hop on the Staten Island Ferry and visit the St. George Greenmarket. It overlooks the harbor and the New York City skyline, and it features premier Greenmarket sellers of fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, seafood, and more. This borough features amazing vistas, architecture, and even wildlife – more than 117 species of birds!

Sunday

Astoria Market: Yes! The Astoria Market is back this weekend. Handmade and vintage goods at this artisan market in the Main Hall of the Bohemian Hall — you know, the one with the Beer Garden! Check out some of the very cool products you’ll find there this weekend on the Astoria Market Blog!

New Amsterdam Market: The New Amsterdam Market is back this Sunday after a July 4th hiatus. This weekend’s food market lineup includes breads, meats, mead, lobster rolls, artisanal sodas, sweets, imported tea, and many more edible luxuries.

Take pictures and let us know your favorite finds and tastiest treats! Someone is making me a cherry pie on Sunday! If you have a great recipe, please share!

Weekend Market Picks for July 2-3, 2011!

I love staying in town when everyone else leaves because it feels like I have it all to myself. But I’ll share New York City with you this weekend if you happened to stay in town or come for a visit!

Here are my Artisan, Farmer, Food and Flea Market Picks for this Fourth of July holiday weekend:

Saturday and Sunday, July 2 – 3, 2011

Antiques Garage: It’s supposed to be a beautiful weekend, but if you’re just too darn hot, go stroll around the Antiques Garage. It has two full floors of antique and vintage dealers, selling clothing, memorabilia, furniture, jewelry, and many many more treasures. On the second floor, look through the amazing collection on the tables of Hobbit Rare Books and Prints.

Bleecker Street/Pompeii Artisan Market: To be honest, I walked by this market a thousand times on my way to or from Murray’s Cheese and Faicco’s on Bleecker Street for a prosciutto ball. But when I actually stopped to look, I was amazed by the wonderful handmade and vintage wares, as well as the sheer variety of styles. You can find Bakelite jewelry, handmade soaps, and sweet vintage hats here. Check out Monica Jean Davidson’s jewelry designs! (Bleecker Street between Carmine and Leroy)

Nolita Market: I bet you’ve walked right by this market on your way to or from Soho. I encourage you to stop and really check out all the amazing artisans there. Shaya hand-hammered jewelry, Grey 56 fine leather goods, funny tee-shirts and a whole lot more fill the tables along the beautiful brick wall that surrounds the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Smorgasburg: I know I’ve been going on about how great Smorgasburg is, and I’ll keep doing it! Go hungry and bring a totebag. You will find an incredibly array of prepared foods to eat then and there, and you will want to bring home fantastic artisanal products to cook with and eat later. Look for SchoolHouse Kitchen’s jams, mustards and Chutneys!

Williamsburg Waterfront Greenmarket: As if Smorgasburg wasn’t great enough, there is a big, wonderful Greenmarket on the site too with almost 20 farmers doing food demos and other family activities. So many delicious foods are in season right now!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Fulton Stall Market: There are loads of edible and artisanal treasures at the Fulton Stall Market this weekend down at the Seaport. Sweets and savories to eat while you shop, as well as produce, fresh fish, dairy, cheese, and baked goods. This weekend is the debut of Wooly’s Ice, selling shave ice flavored with special syrups and fresh fruits. Sounds perfect for a holiday weekend!

Have a wonderful Independence Day!

Weekend Market Picks — And Yona’s Gourmet Delights!

Yona's Gourmet Delights Provides the Perfect Snacks for Market Shoppers

I’ve been munching on Yona’s Gourmet Delights for several years now. It never ceases to delight me to find Yona’s delicious borekas and mini-quiches at a market. You can purchase a bag of three, and they make for the perfect snack. Her tables are always my first stop at the Greenflea, and recently saw Yona herself at the 9th Avenue Food Festival with Oreo Cookie Cake, Strawberry Shortcake, and Carrot Cakes. Gigantic and sweet – just the way I like my cakes!

Here are my Market Picks for this weekend – June 11-12, 2011:

Saturday and Sunday

Renegade Craft Fair: The Renegade is like heaven on earth for hand made craft lovers. From the most whimsical to the finest design, every artisan at this event is seriously dedicated and talented. This is a juried event, and it is highly competitive to get accepted into. So trust me when I tell you to set a budget for the day, even though I know you will exceed it with no regrets.

Crafts at Lincoln Center: This wonderful outdoor American crafts show runs this weekend and next. 400 juried craftspeople from around the country bring their handmade treasures to Lincoln Center. The event features continuous entertainment, craft demonstrations, exotic and natural foods. And if you’re driving into the city, you can get a $2 discount coupon for parking in the nearby indoor garage.

Saturday Only

Artisan Market at Fort Greene Park: This sweet market features local artisans who are there in the shade of the black walnut trees outside Fort Greene Park, bringing their work directly to you. It is in its 7th year, and it continues to provide a venue for some remarkable designers, from ceramics, fine clothing designs and hats to handmade soaps and children’s toys. I’ve seen some remarkable products in this sweet market.

Fort Green Greenmarket: I always tune into the happy vibe at this farmers market. It is a distinct and unique feeling based on the great relationships between the market vendors and the community, who find true value and pleasure underneath the market tents. Neighbors stop by for fresh juice and a muffin after a run in the park, or they’ll bring their kids to pick up produce for the week. So go to the Artisan Market and pick up some delicious fresh treats at the Greenmarket just up the hill.

Sunday Only

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Food Truck Bazaar: Don’t have time to chase your favorite trucks around the city? Then come to this one-stop food truck shop for all your favorite treats! Kimchi Taco Truck, Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, Kelvin Natural Slush Truck, and The Cavity Shoppe, as well as the HKFM debuts of Coolhaus, Red Hook Lobster Pound Truck and Two Pitas in a Pod!

Hester Street Fair’s Sunday Summer Picnic: The Hester Street Fair is devoting Sundays to special food events, and this weekend is the first one! They invited over 20 food purveyors because of their picnicky food. How awesome is that? The idea is to come, grab a bite of something delicious, grab a seat, and chat with your neighbors. You can play ping pong and enjoy live music too. Can’t think of a nicer way to spend a Sunday!

Enjoy the weekend! And don’t forget your sunscreen!

Belly Up to the TOASTbar for a Scratchbread MOZZwich

Scratchbread is a food fixture at the Brooklyn Flea, and now owner Matthew Tilden is trying out a new concept at Smorgasburg: TOASTBar, a wooden sandwich bar set up around his tent, where you can try delicious savory and sweet bread-based delicacies.

The Flea has been about food on the go, things you can eat while you wander around the market. The idea behind TOASTbar is to belly up to the bar, casually eat something that will blow your mind, and have a chat with Matt. I had a taste of the rich, sweet, mozzarella that Matt made two hours before, as I watched him make the MOZZwich. The Mozzwich is fresh pulled mozzarella, fennel seed, burgundy powder, lemon juice, and a dash of olive oil on Scratchbread focaccia. Yes, it was amazing!

And it was also nice not to have to grab my food and head straight back into the throngs. While I love to see a crowded market, sometimes it’s nice to take a moment, savor the flavors, and chat with a baker.

Market Picks for June 4-5 and Happy Birthday to My Sister Andrea!

It’s my middle sister Andrea’s birthday! I thought I’d post a picture of the two of us on the way to the beach in Cape Elizabeth, Maine sometime during the latter half of the 20th Century. She’s will be coming to New York in a couple of weeks, and we’ll definitely be hitting the markets. She loves markets as much as I do! Please tweet her a Happy Birthday message @AndyMike01!

I can’t help but go on about the beautiful weather we’ve been having, which couldn’t be better for strolling through this week’s Market Picks:

Saturday and Sunday

Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit: The WSOAE is back on the list for its second weekend. There are some fantastic works of art on the sidewalks of the Village, as well as beautiful handmade crafts. Saturday and Sunday

Artists & Fleas: This market is full of carefully selected fleas and fine handmade jewelry, accessories, soaps, art, photography, and much more. And I’ll fill you in on a secret: they also have fantastic local food vendors! Satisfy your inner foodie without spending valuable shopping time waiting in lines. Saturday and Sunday

Saturday Only

Smorgasburg: This market is such a brilliant idea for food lovers and for the talented and tasty food innovators in the city. For my own sake, I am hoping the lines have calmed down a little at the Brooklyn Flea’s new food market. For the market’s sake, I’m sure it will continue to be jam packed with eager eaters! Saturday only

Sunday Only

New Amsterdam Market: The market opens this weekend for a season of weekly events. They are promising the return of our favorite food vendors and also some new ones we will surely fall in love with immediately. Thankyouthankyouthankyou. Sunday only
Fulton Stall Market: Back for the season too, this market is a wonderful service to the Seaport neighborhood. It features a lovely, balanced mix of food vendors, farmers, artisans, and even fine artist, Naima Rauam, whose paintings feature beautiful scenes from the Fulton Fish Market. Sunday only

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Marketing!

New Video! Sodas and More at the New Amsterdam Valentine’s Day Market & Apothecary

Big Weekend for Markets in New York City!

Handmade Cavalcade, April 24, 2010 at Berry Park in Williamsburg

Market Season is definitely upon us! Here are some great events to help make this a spectacular weekend:

Saturday, April 24:

Spring Handmade Cavalcade – Sponsored by the NewNew Artists Group, featuring over 25 vendors selling their wonderful handmade designs. Berry Park in Williamsburg, 10am – 5pm

Saturday and Sunday, April 24 & 25:

Brooklyn Flea Annual Plant Sale – In partnership with GrowNYC, Greenmarket vendors will be selling “annuals, bulbs, herbs, perennials, vegetable starters, you name it.” Don’t miss this once a year event! Saturday at Ft. Greene location and Sunday at One Hanson.
Crafts on Columbus – The American Arts and Crafts Alliance, Inc. hosts this long-standing craft fair over three weekends through May 9. Make it a day by visiting the Greenflea and the Greenmarket on Sunday too! Columbus Avenue between 77th & 81st Streets.
Hester Street Fair - The Hester Street Fair launches this weekend. Loaded with artisans, farmers, food vendors, and flea vendors, Hester Street Fair brings the traditional markets of the Lower East Side back to life. Hester & Essex Streets, 10 – 6 pm

Also launching on Friday, April 23:

Homemade Brooklyn - Homemade Brooklyn opens a week-long pop-up store featuring artists, artisans, a film screening and more. 522 Metropolitan between Union and Lorimer, 12 – 8 pm

See you on the streets and lots in the city. Rain or shine, it’s all good!

Photo of the Day: March 31, 2010

Makhani Simmer Sauce from Calcutta Kitchens

Using traditional methods and spices combined with the freshest ingredients, Calcutta Kitchens make it easy for us all to enjoy wonderful complexities of Indian cuisine. The Makhani Simmer Sauce that I brought home took me no time at all to heat up with chicken, and it made for a sensational dinner! Calcutta Kitchens is a part of the Community Markets organization, and you can find their chutneys, simmer sauces and other Indian delicacies at these markets in and around New York City. (Market Schedule)

The chutneys and simmer sauces from is the perfect way to satisfy your frequent cravings for Indian Cuisine!

Community Markets

Photo of the Day: March 10, 2010

Need a taste of the Caribbean without the airfare? Go have lunch at Ramonita’s Restaurant at the Moore Street Market in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Try a plate of habichuelas (beans or peas) and a plátano relleno de carne (plantain stuffed with beef). Wash it down with a batido de papaya (papaya smoothie). And pick up some spices and other Caribbean ingredients for your kitchen at the food vendors while you’re there!