Have you tried the famous Ramen Burger or enjoyed a Mighty Quinn’s BBQ sandwich? If not, you need to head to Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn food market showcasing 100+ local and regional food vendors.
What attracts so many people to Smorgasburg is the wide variety of food vendors. I can start with lumpia for an appetizer and end with a handcrafted ice cream sandwich for dessert. The possibilities are endless! Good news for those of you who love food and visiting Smorgasburg — this popular food market is expanding to Queens starting this Saturday.
Smorgasburg crisscrossed the borough searching for as many exotic, ethnic and exciting vendors to represent Queens. My friend Joe DiStefano helped to organize the vendors and I must say, he’s done an excellent job. Joe is pictured below enjoying Papa’s Kitchen’s balut, which is a six-day-old fertilized duck egg. This Filipino vendor will also be offering a stingray sandwich at Smorgasburg.
Joe definitely has quite the line up of vendors prepared for the first Smorgasburg in Queens. Lucky for me, I had the opportunity to attend a press event yesterday evening to sample a few of the vendors’ Smorgasburg offerings. Of course, I started the evening off with a Smorgasbeer, created by KelSo Beer Co. in Brooklyn.
As the summer begins to get hotter, my cravings for lobster rolls get stronger. I tasted the lobster roll from Brine by Danny Brown, which is topped with tarragon-green-goddess dressing and duck confit. I’m sure this sandwich will be quite the hit at Smorgasburg in Queens.
After my recent trip to Thailand, I’ve been craving traditional papaya salad. This is a common street food sold by many vendors throughout the country. QI, a popular Thai restaurant in Queens, satisfied my craving. Their papaya salad was handcrafted right in front of me and the chef even put in two peppers for some extra heat! Absolutely amazing. They will be serving Thai papaya salad, grilled chicken and sticky rice at Smorgasburg in Queens.
I think it’s safe to say that the average person attending Smorgasburg probably hasn’t tried Georgian food. Marani Georgian Restaurant will be serving up a variety of favorites from Georgia like traditional meat dumplings, bean stew with pickled veggies, kebabs and humus. The great part about Smorgasburg is that you can try cuisines from around the world in one place.
Roosevelt Ave Fare is sure to be a hit amongst the crowd at Smorgasburg. Their Korean fried chicken wings and roti tacos are exactly what I’d have a hankering for on a Saturday afternoon. The wings are crunchy and have an excellent amount of spice.
If you’re a fan of tamales, don’t miss Son’s Ecuadorian hallacas. They are similar to tamales but made with raisins, capers and olives, then wrapped in cornmeal dough. If you’re feeling adventurous, try Son’s beef tongue tacos.
I’m sure the lines will be steady for Wooly’s Taiwanese shaved snow. This dessert reminded me of my childhood. “Party Rocks” is Wooly’s signature creation for Smorgasburg, which includes leche shaved snow with Pop Rocks, Fruity Pebbles and mochi for toppings.
Smorgasburg is stretching out into Queens with the Grand Opening this Saturday, July 11 from 11am-6pm in a combination outdoor lot and indoor building at 43-29 Crescent Street, Long Island City. I hope you’ll visit and try something new!
