I spent the summer back at home on Long Island and kept hearing about Smorgasburg through social media platforms, so of course, I had to see what all the hype was about for myself. If you were skeptical about visiting, you'll definitely want to go after reading this.
Smorgasburg is a weekly food festival. On Saturdays, you can find the festival in Williamsburg, Brooklyn overlooking the NYC skyline, but on Sundays, it's in Prospect Park a smaller venue in Brooklyn.
The funky thing about Smorgasburg is each vendor puts a twist on the classic items you would want to try at a food festival. There are hundreds of foods to choose from however, it is pricey, so prepare your wallets.
My friends and I visited Smorgasburg on a Saturday, so we would have more options to choose from. Our plan was to first buy one item from vendors and then do a taste test. We decided to try the festival this way to avoid buying the same foods and getting full too quickly. Saving our appetites through these taste tests gave us the opportunity to try more.
1. Mozzarella Sticks
These mozzarella sticks were to die for. Standing in line to order was tedious enough because all you can smell was the deep fried oozing cheese that was pouring out of these sticks. One bite took us all to heaven and back. I highly recommend dipping them in the marinara sauce - they may have been the best mozzarella sticks I have ever tasted.
2. Bubble Waffle and Ice Cream
After seeing this all over social media, I knew I had to try it. My friends and I decided to get it last on our scavenger hunt through the vendors as our dessert portion of the day and it was definitely worth the wait. We stood in line for about 20 minutes and the order process goes as follows: First, pick an ice cream flavor (vanilla or surprise of the day), Then choose 2 toppings, and finally pick a dessert sauce. As everyone was waiting for their orders, all you can smell was the sweet aroma of the waffle cooking. Once it's ready, they fold the waffle and start topping it. Highly recommend!
3. Fruit Juices - Pineapple and Watermelon
If you like watermelon and pineapple juice, this is a must at Smorgasburg. The vendors cut open thousands of mini watermelons, pineapples, and dragon fruit and scoop out all the fruit. They put it all into a blender and then re-pour it back into the fruit with a ton of ice and straws for sharing. I loved the watermelon, but my friends raved about the pineapple juice.
4. Pommes Frites
I'm a sucker for good fries and these Pommes Frites did not disappoint. I ordered mine with queso on top, and the consistency of the fries was a mixture of crunchy and soft with a bunch of spices added in. Although it looks like a lot, I got the small portion and it was a perfect size to share with a friend. Other toppings are available such as beef and wasabi sauce.
5. Spaghetti Donut
I know this one sounds a bit bizarre, but it was actually a huge hit. This donut is made of mac and cheese flavored spaghetti. The vendors combine spaghetti with eggs and cheese, then fry the entire slice. The consistency was soft and chewy and other flavors included red sauce, bolognese, and carbonara. Overall, I wasn't a huge fan, but my fellow taste testers really liked it.
We tried a ton of other foods that were made for the Instagram photo opt. I definitely recommend going to Smorgasburg if you are looking for a day to feast because you definitely need to come hungry. So, grab a few friends and head out to Brooklyn (or now available in Soho!).