After hearing numerous raving reviews about Smorgasburg from family and friends, I decided to attend this food festival myself to see what all of the hype was about. While I usually don't like following trends, I wanted to visit Smorgasburg to try different foods which are out of my comfort zone.
What Is Smorgasburg?
Smorgasburg is an open-air food market that has a variety of different food and drink options. Smorgasburg has over 100 vendors selling various types of cuisine in a both delicious and photogenic way.
Where Is Smorgasburg?
Smorgasburg is held on Saturdays and Sundays in Brooklyn. While they both occur in Brooklyn, Saturdays festivities are held on the Williamsburg waterfront and Sundays event is held in Prospect Park. Smorgasburg occurs every weekend and is open from 11am-6pm. While Smorgasburg happens in the rain or sunshine, it is good to note that some vendors might not appear in dangerous or unpleasant weather conditions.
Types Of Cuisine
Smorgasburg is home to different types of food ranging from waffles and donuts to lobster nachos and stuffed crepes. Some of the vendors include: Jianbing Company, Big Mozz x Do, Bonsai Kakigori, Lobsterdamus, Tramezzini, and many more.
Jianbing Company is home to the popular Shanghai street food known as Jianbing which consists of a four grain crepe, eggs, scallions, 13 sauce, chili, and a cracker. I had the opportunity to try this while I was at Smorgasburg and it was delicious. It took the crepe to a whole new level with its crispy and savory inside. This is definitely not something I would normally try, but I do not regret it because it is one of my new favorite dishes.
Big Mozz x DŌ is home to not only jumbo mozzarella sticks, but also fried cookie dough. For $12, you can get a tray of 6 cookie dough bites in three different flavors: classic, birthday cake, and brownie batter. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the taste of these as the fried outside took away from the flavor of the dough. While it was a neat treat to try, I don't think I would get it again because there are other ways to enjoy cookie dough that do not take away the flavor.
Pricing
While the pricing varies based on each vendor, bringing $20-30 is a smart amount to have as each item typically costs around $10. Most vendors accept cash only, but there are some that accept debit and credit cards. There are ATM's available on site to take out money if necessary. While the food is eccentric and tasty, I do think that the prices are a little high. Prices being high does not seem to deter people from attending Smorgasburg and will not prevent me from visiting in the future.
Final Thoughts
Smorgasburg is something you should definitely consider attending next time you are in Brooklyn. While it can be hot and crowded, just looking at the different food creations and trying some for yourself is worthwhile. I would recommend going with friends so you can try different foods without spending a fortune.