The Best Food Festival!!
Written: May 15 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Amazing food
Cons: Only once a year
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| gregbnyc's Full Review: New York City |
My favorite weekend of the year is late in May when Ninth Avenue in Manhattan is closed to cars and the International Food Festival takes over.
This year (2000) , Ninth Avenue will be closed from 11am until 7pm on Saturday May 20th and Sunday May 21st. The Food Festival goes from 37th Street all the way up to 57th Street.
New York City has way too many street fairs these days. Unfortunately they are all the exact same as each other with no local flavor. I remember when each street fair was filled with local vendors. But, these days large closeout chains have 4 or 5 of the exact same booth at each and every fair. The food is all commercial garbage.
Luckily, Ninth Avenue Food Festival is still a place where you can find a small stand selling Peruvian food directly in front of the small Peruvian Restaurant where the food originated. Portions are relatively small so you can walked up and down the avenue sampling food from around the world. Someday I would love to count how many nations have their cuisine represented here.
I find the southern end of the Food Festival the most authentic. Closer to 57th Street you find more of the stands that show up at the more commercial street fair.
My favorite places to grab a bite are:
Giovanni Esposito & Sons on the southeast corner of 38th Street has the best sausage and pepper hero that I have ever eaten. They have both hot and sweet sausages that will have you coming back for more each year. These sausages are much better than others you will find at the festival.
International Grocery, on the west side of 9th Avenue between 40th and 41st is a major stop for the adventurous. While I don't recommend the lamb's skull, my absolute favoite is the quail. You get a little bird stuffed with Greek spices and feta cheese that has been cooked in a pan of the fire. The meat is sweet and tender, and the spices must be very fresh since they in unbelievably tasty. I have to admit, it is a bit tough to eat this dish gracefully while standing. Luckily, after your third or fourth order you start to get the hang of it.
If you need a sweet bite, try the Little Pie Company. They set up a stand on the southwest corner if 43rd street. Try the carrot cake and the apple pie. This bakery is incredibly expensive, but here you can get a small slice for about $2.00.
After a piece if cake or pie, head over to Poseidon Greek Bakery on the west side of the avenue between 44th & 45th streets. Here you will find spinach (spanakopita) and cheese (tiropita) pies surrounded by the most delicate phyllo pastry that you will ever find. After that, treat yourself to a truly memorable piece of baklava that is dripping with honey, and filled with chopped nuts.
So, as I said before, start from the south and work your way north. The same stands are in the same places each year. Most of all, bring a big appetite!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
gregbnyc
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Reviews written: 139
Trusted by: 178 members
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