In the depths of the pandemic at this time last year, with customers afraid to venture out or barred from it by lockdown, restaurants and food venues were wondering if they would survive. After COVID restrictions were lifted across the country in the spring, these two new markets with different food hall concepts opened for business—and were met by eager customers happy to try new cuisines, dine with family and friends, and be part of a food-centered community again.
SMORGASBURG JERSEY CITY
Ever since the first Smorgasburg debuted in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood 10 years ago, this iconic outdoor food hall has expanded to a second Brooklyn location, Manhattan, and Los Angeles. Now Smorgasburg is bringing its global food festival vibe to Jersey City, New Jersey, operating a Saturdays-only open-air market at the Harborside development steps from Jersey City’s revitalized waterfront.
Like the other Smorgasburgs, the 30,000-square-foot Jersey City venue has about 35 vendors covering a daunting variety of cuisines and mashups, from New Orleans po’ boys at Parish to Peking Duck buns at C Bao to crab poutine at Angry Archie’s. Knead Some Love sells India-inspired cake donuts in citrus, chai, and other flavors; The Little Sicilian makes pizza, Philly cheesesteak, and spinach and mozzarella risotto balls. Confetti cake and oat vanilla fudge are at Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Kaarage (fried chicken) cones draw crowds at Tojo’s Kitchen. Lines were longest for the coconut drinks at Tradewinds II, the grilled corn at Bisska, and the crispy fish at Brooklyn’s Favorite Fish Fry.
Smorgasburg itself doesn’t offer seating, but it doesn’t need to. There’s an expansive lawn right beside the market where customers can sit in chairs; plenty of adults, kids, and dogs prefer to lounge on the grass. The Jersey City waterfront also has plenty of room for sitting, eating, and gazing at the Hudson River and Lower Manhattan skyline. The market can be accessed via a ferry, PATH train, and light-rail trolley.
Smorgasburg chose Jersey City for its newest location after being approached by Mack-Cali, the developer of Harborside, last winter. “New Jersey seemed to be on a better track to reopen than New York City, so we jumped at it,” Eric Demby, co-founder of Smorgasburg, tells SFA News Daily. Since opening on Memorial Day weekend, “turnout has been incredible; people are happy to be outside,” says Demby, who wasn’t sure at one point that Smorgasburg would survive the pandemic shutdowns. “We feel really welcome here.”
MANHATTANVILLE MARKET
Manhattanville Market calls itself a “local market with global flavor,” a nod to its West Harlem neighborhood as well as the globally inspired cuisine the market serves up. Led by chef Franklin Becker, a co-founder of vegetarian mini-chain Little Beet, this rare food hall in Uptown Manhattan has been attracting hungry and curious eaters since June.
Currently, four fast-casual options are up and running in the bright, airy space at Broadway and 130th Street, inside Columbia University’s new Harlem campus. “I have three concepts within the market, including Mediterranean-inspired Shai Hummusiya, Sicilian pizzeria Benny Casanova’s, and living salad concept, The Botanist,” Becker tells SFA News Daily. “In addition, I'm in partnership with chef Chris Scott, who runs Butterfunk Biscuit, which serves biscuit sandwiches. My full-service sit-down Spanish tapas restaurant, Oliva, will join the four fast-casual brands later this fall.”
The vibe inside Manhattanville Market is relaxed and friendly. Customers can get their eats to go or for delivery, or they can score a comfortable inside or outside table. Floor to ceiling windows offer views to the street, and plants are part of the décor. The most eye-catching visuals are The Botanist’s herb and vegetable “grow cabinets,” where Portuguese kale, green sorrel, Dolores chives, amaranth, arugula, and Genovese basil are all grown in purple-lit tanks, destined to be part of a salad order.
The counters are clean and open, and the food behind them hard to resist, especially the six varieties of Sicilian pies at Benny’s (which also offers arancini and “Brooklyn style” heros) and the Southern biscuits and fried chicken ready to be made into sandwiches at Butterfunk. Prices are in line with other food halls: a kale salad from The Botanist is $10; a fried chicken and biscuit sandwich at Butterfunk runs $12, and a hummus and falafel plate with salad and tahina from Shai goes for $13.
The development of Columbia’s new campus has been controversial, but Manhattanville Market is focused on being a good neighbor. “I wanted to bring something new to the campus that would showcase diversity and be a welcome addition to the general public,” Becker explains. The pandemic delayed the market’s opening, he says, but it hasn’t changed his overall vision of creating community through good food.
Related: The Goods Mart Prioritizes Supplier Diversity; Hy-Vee Opens Reimagined Store.