What to Do in NYC This Weekend: Holiday Market Time, Beer/Wine Tastings, and a Few Holiday Gifting ideas

With the holidays fast approaching (we still cannot believe it's December already!), we bring you a couple of places to go (and a few gift ideas) for holiday shopping this weekend.  Whether you're looking for homemade gifts or liquid hostess gifts, we show you the Gifted from Brooklyn Flea in Manhattan, Union Square Holiday Market, and a few beer and wine events happening this weekend.

 

Though the Brooklyn Flea Gifted pop-up store has little food items, we did spot these ingredients that would be perfect for the homebrewer on your list.  Brooklyn Brew Shop sells a home brewing kit that features a glass gallon jug, a three-piece air lock, and an auto siphon for pouring the beer into bottles.  The kit also includes your choice of grain, yeast, hops and sugar in a variety of flavors ($40) so you can get started right away.

Other food items at the store (that were so good, they never had a chance to be photographed!) included beautiful mini cupcakes from Kumquat Cupcakes, sweet treats from Liddabit Sweets, spicy garlic pickles from McClure's Pickles.

The Gifted by Brooklyn Flea pop up store is located at 20 E. 4th St. (at Lafayette St.) in NYC.  It continues until Dec 13th, and then runs again from Dec 16-Dec 24.

Then we were off to the Union Square for the Holiday Market.  We spotted these lovely wine carriers ($28) from The Vintage Box (booth #C2) by Advah Shani.  We think these would make lovely hostess gifts and would be beautiful as part of a table centerpiece.  If you are interested in her creations but cannot make it to the market, she can be emailed at advashani@gmail.com. 

 

Holiday shopping can take its toll, so happily there are a few vendors on hand to satisfy our hunger pangs. We were intrigued by the helmet-wearing vendors of Viking Cuisine.  We ordered the aebelskiver ($6, warm danish pastry) with chocolate sauce on top.  It was piping hot and rich because it was made out of buttermilk.  Not the most graceful small bite to eat (yes, we had chocolate syrup all over our mouths), but a good hot quick bite on a cool day.     

Walking around with the crowds, we also spotted Vendy winner Wafels & Dinges, a few coffee spots, a number of German sausage kiosks, a delectable brownie chocolate bar, and this creperie stall which was making both sweet (nutella was on hand, of course!) and savory (sausages were grilling on a nearby pan) crepes.

The Union Square Holiday Market is located at Union Square Park (Broadway to 4th Avenue, East 14th Street to East 17th Street) and runs until Christmas Eve (Dec 24).

Though we found these charms recently at an artisan event, we thought our fellow foodies would appreciate these designs by Californian artist Jack Incherdchai of Chicztudio.  Some of his designs are available online or you can email him at jack@chicztudio.com.

And if you're looking for a liquid gift for a party host or hostess, taste-test the goods beforehand at these events:

All this weekend, Rattle n Hum is celebrating its 1st anniversary with over 20 craft beers (domestic $5, imported $7).  Rattle n Hum is located at 14 E 33rd St (btwn 5th Ave and Madison Ave).

On Sunday, City Winery is hosting an afternoon of New York wines (from more than 35 wineries), New York foods (like cheeses and ice cream) , and live jazz music.  Tickets are $45, which includes a souvenir tasting glass, and are available online.  City Winery is located at 155 Varick Street (between Spring and Vandam Streets).

New Amsterdam Market: November Edition

This past Sunday, we went back to the New Amsterdam Market and despite getting there just after it opened, it was even more crowded than the last time we were there!  We were actually happy to see more people enjoying the market - the more people out there supporting the vendors, the more likely the New Amsterdam Market will continue beyond December.

As it was last month, Luke's Lobster was the most popular booth with the longest line for their fresh lobster rolls.  We went straight for The Bent Spoon - after all, what's better than ice cream for breakfast?  We got a scoop of Bourbon Sea Salt Caramel ice cream (made with Hudson Valley Bourbon) with a scoop of Sweet Potato-Pecan ice cream.

Cheese please!  Ricotta, Cheddar, Mozzarella...

Beautiful mushrooms, pumpkin soup, bacon peanut brittle, and cucumber sandwiches.

One of the new vendors this month was Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea .  Based in Chicago, Intellisgentsia is known for some of the best coffee in the country.

At the market they were demonstrating their Celebration blend with each of the component beans (from Kenya and Ethiopia).  Though the Celebration blend was fresh, balanced, and fragrant, we ended up buying the Kenya beans for their stronger, richer flavor.






Stumptown Coffee was the other new popular vendor.  We have enjoyed their coffee before in the Ace Hotel and so we knew it was wonderful, rich coffee.  Many others did too, with one woman declaring Stumptown the best coffee in the world, while others waited patiently (despite being told there were already 10 people on the waiting list for cups of hot coffee) while individual coffees were being brewed.

As expected, there were lots of fresh produce, jellies, and dips.  The brussels sprouts on the stems were quickly sold out.

We ended our day at the market with a New York wine tasting.  One vineyard even provided the Riesling grapes that would be used in the wines. 

It was another fun outing to the market and hope to see it pop up again in the new year!  The next market is scheduled for Sunday, December 20th - just in time for Christmas!

{Sweet Treats} Union Square Holiday Market

We love this time of year:  crisp cool weather, colorful Autumn leaves, and the holidays right around the corner.  I especially love all of the holiday markets that pop up around the city.  Yesterday, I walked around the Union Square Holiday Market and found plenty of great foodie gifts for my husband (and me!).

I immediately spotted these homemade cookies ($2 each).  I loved all of the interesting varieties including Hoi An (the cookie version of Vietnamese coffee with chocolate).  I ended up getting the fragrant Ambrosia with sundried pears, figs, sage, walnuts, and honey.  Make sure to check out this booth as they're not available in stores.  

For my husband's birthday (yes, he's a Thanksgiving baby - which explains his love of turkey!), I bought him his own brewing kit.  The Brooklyn Brew Shop was started by an industrious couple:  Stephen Valand and Erica Shea.  These two local entrepreneurs came up with this easy, at-home brewing kit that fits in tiny NYC apartments.  The kit ($40) comes with both equipment and your choice of mix.  The Gingerbread Ale and the Chestnut Brown Ale both sounded great, but I ended up buying the Chocolate Maple Porter.  My husband was so excited when I gave this gift to him.

So dangerous! Momofuku Milk Bar has a stand here too selling their popular cookies and pies.

I was so happy to discover these fanciful cannolis made by another enterprising couple, Anthony Fontana and Brielle Dahan.  They opened Stuffed Artisan Cannolis in the LES and sell all sorts of cannolis at the market ($2 each or 3 for $5).  Chatting with Anthony, I loved hearing about his passion for fresh ingredients.  His ricotta cheese is made with milk from grass-fed cows.  He also uses valrhona chocolate.  There were so many flavors and I wanted it all, but controlled myself and just bought the Banana Cream Pie cannoli, Pumpkin Pie cannoli, and a Peanut Butter cannoli.  So good!

Ooh! Here's the Sigmund Pretzelshop we tried out at the Hester Street Fair!

My last discovery was a good one.  nunu chocolates was tucked away from the other food stalls and I'm so happy I found it.  I met Andy Laird, who co-founded this Brooklyn-based chocolate company, with his wife Justine Pringle.  They started making chocolates to sell at Andy's concerts (it was something more memorable than t-shirts!) and people couldn't get enough of these artisanal treats. 

I loved all of the different chocolates, but for my husband, zoned in on the craft beer and liquor creations.  Amarula Ganache (memories of my trip to Kenya), Absinthe Delight, and Espresso Brandy all looked amazing.  But I decided to buy the Craft Beer Six Pack ($12) which combines a variety of craft beers with ganache.  The assortment changes all the time based on the fresh craft beers that have in their Brooklyn cafe.
My husband's eyes lit up when he opened this chocolate box (and he's not even a dessert fan!)  Our assortment contained ganache combined with his favorite craft beers:  Allagash Curieux, Founders Porter, Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA, Harpoon Munich Dark, Ballast Point Victory at Sea Imperial Porter, and Two Brothers Cane & Ebel Red-Rye Ale.

The Union Square Holiday Market continues until Dec 24th (11am - 8pm) and is located on 14th St at the south end of Union Square. 

New Amsterdam Market - NYC

Yesterday, we went to the second installment of the New Amsterdam Market at South Street Seaport.  From seafood to sorbet, pastries to pate, and tea to kimchee, we sample to our hearts' content and meet many friendly local vendors in the process.

These beautiful flowers make tea time both elegant and sophisticated.  Dynasty and Ceremony sells these blooms that makes a light and refreshing white tea.  Just steep the buds in hot water and watch the different flowers appear.  We met with owner Alicia who mentioned that these will be available online in the next couple of weeks.

Not one, but TWO kimchee vendors.  We love the spiciness of this Korean dish of pickled cabbage.  We sampled Mama O's Kimchee's five kimchee dishes:  vegan, classic, extra fermented, daikon, and kimchee salsa.  Loved the variety of kimchee options.  We also tried both the classic (mild) and the spicier daikon kimchee from Mother in Law's Kimchi.

 

Shucked oysters - we couldn't resist.  NYC restaurant Stella offered 4 oysters for $5, but we wanted to try somewhere new so we opted for the shellfish at Brooklyn-based W&T Seafood instead.  We had the steamed mussels ($2) and happily tried each of their oysters (including their top seller, Island Creek oysters).  All of the shucked oysters ($1.25 ea) were fresh and plump.

 

Oh, Bent Spoon, we're so happy you came down from Princeton with your delicious ice creams and sorbet.  We enjoyed scoops of their Roasted Pumpkin Cocoa Nib (made with organic pumpkins, like the ones seen above, from NJ's Oak Grove Farm) and Dark Chocolate Rosemary (made with 61% chocolate and organic NJ-farmed rosemary) ($3.50 for 2 scoops) plus a tasting of their third flavor, Heirloom Cranberry Cider sorbet (made with NJ heirloom cranberries and NJ apple cider).  Because these ice creams and sorbet are made with organic, local products, the taste is natural and saturated.  Eating these frozen treats is like biting into a cooler version of pumpkin pie, fancy chocolate bar, and fruity cider.

Lots of fresh vegetables on hand from McEnroe Organic Farm (we tried their award-winning kale salad, blue potato salad, and bought the leafy Boston lettuce for $2).  We were also amazed by the gigantic mushrooms from Wild Gourmet Food.

We offset our hot chocolate ($1.50) with a healthy tofu sample provided by Basis & Farm to Chef. 

 

Lots and lots of meat products and samples including rich and tasty pate from the farm with the best name, The Piggery (We ended up buying a $5 jar of the pate).  We loved the head-wear on the boys from The Meat Hook and devoured Jimmy's No 43's beef brisket with mustard on crusty bread.

 

Chili ($5) from Marlow and Daughters, poultry from Bo Bo Poultry (we were tempted to buy the $12 black silky chicken, thinking it would make a great Halloween dish), more pate, and sausage and white beans ($5) from Bklyn Larder.

 

Nothing like a nice substantial tasting of hot chicken pot pie soup from Spoon on a brisk, but sunny day.  We also enjoyed trying their fruity and flavorful jams.  Other comforting foods included apple-cheddar-rosemary galettes from Sweet Deliverance and crusty loaves from Balthazar Bakery. 

 

No food market would be complete without a few sweet treats!  We salivated over Liddabit Sweets' caramel apples, beer and pretzel caramels, and their top-selling sea salt caramels.  Taste-testing chocolate is always a fun thing to do, so we enjoyed a few of the products by Taza Chocolate and then checked out the baked goods from Williamsburg’s newest bakery Saltie.

 

We ended our day with some wine sampling from various local wineries (Atwater Estate Vineyards, from the Finger Lakes region and Long Island's Paumanok Vineyards and Wolffer Estate Vineyards) as well as some more pate.  The longest line of the day seemed to be for Luke's Lobster, and after a couple of hours, some products from Hudson Valley Duck Farm (tasty duck prosciutto) and Bo Bo Poultry were starting to sell out.  We're glad we came to the market when it started at 11AM and look forward to next month's market.

New Amsterdam Market is located in South Street Seaport, on South Street (btwn Beekman Street and Peck Slip), on the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan.  The next market will be held on Sunday, November 22, 2009 (just in time for Thanksgiving!)

{Food Events} Grub Street Food Festival at Hester Street Fair

It's been a while since we returned to the Hester Street Fair, so we figured what better time to return than for Grub Street's Food Festival.  We arrived by 11AM and the market was already crowded, but manageable (few lines, seats available for dining, ample time to try a lot of food).  By the time we left at 12:30PM, we had to squeeze through the long lines just to escape.  Despite the brisk weather, it seemed  like every foodie in NYC was there - including Real Housewives of New York's Bethenny Frankel causing some walking traffic jams with her camera crew.

We're so excited for Ditch Plains to open on the UWS (in the old Bar Bao space) that we had to taste a preview.  (The new location does not open until December)  We chose the Ditch Dog ($5) which was a hot dog smothered with mac n' cheese.  Like the mac n' cheese pizza I've had before, combining comfort foods is a winning recipe!

My husband saw Char No 4's sign for Smoked Short Rib and Pork Shoulder Chili with hominy ($6) and headed straight to that table.  It was hot and hit the spot!

We've had Brooklyn's Pies 'n' Thighs on our "must-try" list for a while, so we eagerly lined up for their Chicken Biscuits ($3 each). The biscuits were flaky (though cold) and the sweet/spicy sauce on the chicken was tasty.

The longest lines were for Purple Yam's ribs and pork buns.  I chatted with Chef KianLam Kho (who also writes the blog Red Cook, a great resource for cooking Chinese food).  I told him how his pork for the pork buns reminded me of my grandmother's cooking.  Chef Kho, who unfortunately does not have his own restaurant, is available for private catering. 

My husband liked tasting the new Spicy Bacon Marmalade (one jar for $9).  Smoky, meaty, and slightly spicy...forget the bread, he would just eat the whole jar with a spoon.

We love Mile End's smoked meats.  For $5, we enjoyed all-natural Creekstone Farms black angus brisket that has been dry-cured for 11 days, smoked over oak, then steamed and sliced over orwasher's rye bread with mustard. 

Despite following Kelvin Natural Slush Co. truck on Twitter, I had yet to track it down.  So I was pleased to find it stationary at the fair.  So even though it was so cold because of the wind (that was strong enough to knock down signs and food at the fair), I ordered a small slush ($3.50).

After thinking through all of the possible combinations, I chose a Citrus base with Caramelized Pineapple mixed into it.  I liked how this slush was not syrupy sweet and did not taste artificial (given the natural ingredients).  

We ended our lunch with a Panna Cotta topped with 10-year old aged balsamic vinegar ($1).  Though I was tempted by Melt Bakery's Deep Fried Pumpkin Pie ($5), I was happy to choose this lighter, cheaper dessert. 

Despite trying to keep warm, we had a good time trying a variety of eats from vendors.  We're glad we went early because food was running out by the mid-afternoon (just as crowds and lines were swelling beyond the enclosed space). 

Le Fooding 2010: NY vs SF

Let the SF vs NYC food battle begin! We've eagerly anticipated the event, Le Grand Fooding 2010 New York vs San Francisco, for a while and it finally happened this weekend.  Held to benefit Action Against Hunger, this event featured celebrity chefs from both coasts offering tastes of their cuisine.

After attending last year, we were ready for the long lines.  Unlike last year, we bought VIP tickets this year that, in addition to unlimited Veuve Clicquot champagne, got us entry an hour before general admission.  Buying the upgrade was definitely worth the price as we were able to try everything (some more than once!) without too much of a wait.

We were amongst the first in line at 5:30pm for the 6pm entry.  Talking to others in line, we thought we had everything planned out.  We would head straight to the burger and pizza tables, get a couple glasses of champagne, then check out more tables. 

The best laid plans often go awry, right? We got in at 6pm, and found many tables (including the pizza and burger tables) unready for service.  So instead, we headed to any tables ready with food.

Our first stop, and one of our favorites of the night, was Blue Hill's Dan Barber's Beet and Pork sausage with condiments.  It was rustic, creative, slightly sweet, and nicely grilled.  The beet sausage went especially well with the grain mustard.  And being personally served by Dan Barber himself was the best treat of all.

Another favorite was Melissa Perello's, of Frances in SF, Suckling pig with summer fruit mostarda.  The pork was juicy and we loved the sweetness of the seasonal peaches.  My husband said he'd be happy eating this moist pork dish all the time if he could.  This was another dish we returned to have again and by the end of the night, the line was so long it snaked around like a snail's shell. 

Up on a platform, Coi's Daniel Patterson was making a variety of inventive vegetable snacks.  Since my hubby missed out on my dinner at Coi, he was eager to try out these bites.  Chef Patterson was painstakingly assembling so many snacks, that once a full platter was available for service, everyone clamored for a taste making it difficult to enjoy and savor.  It was a beautiful display nonetheless. 

Despite other samples available, people were waiting for the Black olive, Fresh cheese from Andante Dairy, Tomato jam, and Cilantro.  My husband and I also really enjoyed the Potato chicharrones (tasted just like pork!).  Also available was Popcorn with Escabeche powder (a lemony/spicy Peruvian powder) and Vegetable Leathers of beet/Niabell grape and burnt onion/fig with Almond crisps (adult Fruit roll-ups).

More Coi samples!  Smoke Roasted Roots including Kohlrabi (with romaine, garum - a salty fish sauce, and parsley crumbs), Carrots (with hay and wild garlic), and Beets (with pistachio and wood sorrel).  Vegetable and Seaweed Salad (lime, seaweed powder, mushroom dashi, and seaweed from Monterey, CA).  Plum Consomme (wild mint and sassafras, not pictured)

db Bistro Moderne offered its Camem Burger (grilled sirloin, Camembert cheese, caramelized red onion, toasted black pepper bun).  My husband loved the burger - especially how rare it was!  (It was a little too raw for me)

Though people were lukewarm about Nate Appleman's (Pulino) Beef cooked in beef fat, anchovy crostone, parsley and fried garlic, it was one of the most efficient tables.  My husband liked Pulino's toast (beef over crostini) more than I did, finding it tasty, simple, and enjoying the anchovy and basil.

Brian Leth, from Vinegar Hill House in Brooklyn, made Octopus with charred lemon, yogurt, and tagglasca olives. 

Grilled Octopus

Mourad Lahlou (Aziza, SF) offered Squab with a farro salad.  It was an interesting dish with tons of root vegetables and fresh sorrel.  The squab was properly cooked and my husband thought it would pair well with wine.

Even at 6:45 pm, the event was getting crowded.

We finally headed to the pizza stand and waited patiently in the longest line of the night.  It was strangely ticketed (the only food station that allowed only 1 tasting) and paired with French Cotes du Rhone wines.

Despite the long wait, the staff including Charlie Hallowell, Pizzaiolo's chef, were very friendly and interactive.  We did enjoy watching the pizzas being made and cooked in Pizza Moto's portable oven.

Roasted peppers were passed down the line to satiate the hungry crowd.  Day turned into night when we finally got our tiny slice of pepper pizza.  Though pretty and colorful, it was good but not worth such a wait.  Instead of pairing it with French Cotes du Rhone wines, my husband would have liked would have liked a NY vs. SF craft beer sponsor, since both have such good breweries.  (Of course, he had just gone to the Get Real NY craft beer/food event earlier that afternoon, so I'm not sure how much more beer he needed to taste!)

The SF vs NY battle even extended into cocktails.  We watched Erick Castro from Rickhouse in SF make a Bella Fragolla (raspberry, basil, and vodka).  Very fresh and fruity!

My husband enjoyed meeting Jim Meehan from PDT and preferred his Parkside Fizz (less sweet, crisp, and refreshing).  I also tried a vodka cocktail with vanilla that was pretty tasty and not syrupy at all.

The area ended up getting even more crowded (we went on Sat and heard that Friday's session was even worst).  Again, we were so glad we sprung for the VIP tickets because we left very full and had the time/opportunity to chat with many chefs.  Can't wait for next year!

Reminder: Our Black + Blum Giveaway ends 9/30/10! Click here to enter to win one of their cool products!

Also, our 50% off sale in our HLFD store also ends 9/30/10.  Use coupon code FIFTYHILO at checkout to get your discount on everything in your cart!