From spring through fall, about 100 different food vendors gather at the Williamsburg waterfront every Saturday for a food festival known as Smorgasburg. After learning of this food extravaganza towards the end of last fall, I decided to save it for a warm spring day. Turns out, you can take the water ferry there from Murray Hill.
I was told that the location of Smorgusburg was formerly a flee market and filled with food vendors but did not know what else to expect. Smorgusburg opens at 11am but I would hold off going until 11:30 to give the vendors time to set up (some weren't ready to go at 11am). Unless you are going to Smorgasburg for Dough, the BEST donuts anywhere in the world (try to prove me wrong readers, really). If you are there for Dough's donuts, arrive at 11am because Dough's sells out. I devoured the Dulce de Leche donut before I could even think to take a picture, which was the doughiest, sweetest, most perfect donut I have ever greedily scarfed down.
The food vendors line up their booths in rows inside of a gated in dirt area. There are picnic tables towards the back. Next time I return, however, I will opt for a spot on one of the grassy knolls surrounding the gated in area. I would recommend bringing a picnic blanket and finding space on the grass along the water. The views are stunning.
The thing that impressed me the most about Smorgusburg was the diversity of the food options. Like all food festivals, some staples appeared, like pizza and BBQ. But there were dozens of vendors offering specialized treats, like soft shelled crab with cornbread and Asian inspired tacos. I would definitely go back to Smorgusburg to try several vendors I didn't make it to.
What to Eat: In addition to Dough's donuts, the below vendors are a must....
Sunday Gravy
We tried several items but the one that stole the show for me was the braised meat sandwich at Sunday Gravy. Sunday Gravy serves the sandwich bread bowl style, cutting out some of the fresh bread in the middle of the thick slice. The chunky tomato sauce on top was filled with tender braised beef (and sausage, which I didn't realize but had somehow managed to eat around). The bread bowl is filling so share it to save room for other vendors.
Smores
As a kid, I made Smores with my best friend almost every Saturday night. We would put together graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate chips and marshmallow and melt our little sandwiches in the microwave. And it was tasty. But no where near as delicious as the Smores we had from Smores. The home made chocolate graham crackers are the right amount of sugary. A thick home made marshmallow is placed on the bottom cracker and then the top cracker is smothered in chocolate sauce. Finally, as shown in the picture below, the marshmallow is torched so it is charred on the top and melty in the middle.
Looking for casual outdoor dining options? Let the food festival season begin,
Your foodie friend
Insider tip: Do not purchase a Gilt voucher (or something similar) for Smorgasburg. The food vendors are unfamiliar with the process and financially you will end up paying more for less. Pay as you go.
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