MadParkNews.com, covering New York City's Madison Square Park & Flatiron

The Madison Square Eats food stands are up and running, and we intend to try and review as many of them as we can over the next month. It’s hosted by the Madison Square Park Conservancy and serves food daily from 11am to 9pm until October 21st in the Worth Square area just west of Madison Square Park (@ 24th and 5th Avenue).

First up, we tried Junoon’s (27 West 24th Street) offering, which is using the name Kulinary Kraft to distinguish their catering from the core Junoon restaurant. But I asked and the food is made right in the Junoon kitchen. At Eats they are serving up probably the four most popular Indian dishes in America: Chicken Tikka Masala ($8), Samosas ($1.50), Saag Paneer ($7), and Chana Masala ($7). You can also get a veggie combo for $8.50 or a full combo (Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer, Chana Masala, rice) for $9.50.

We went for the full combination and it is really good and a nice portion size. If you are craving Indian food, this is a must while the market is there. (Actual photo right)

Everybody’s favorite local food stands will be returning are back now as Madison Square Eats sets up shop again from September 23rd to October 21st from 11am to 9pm daily in the Worth Square area just west of Madison Square Park.

It’s hosted by the Madison Square Park Conservancy and the following restaurants are there:

Almond: Pastrami sandwich ($8), Moroccan Meatball Hero ($8), JB’s Jalepeno & Cheddar Brat ($8), Marinated Octopus ($8), House smoked almonds to go
Asiadog: (Beef/chicken/veggie hot dogs with Asian toppings such as bahn mi style, sweet&spicy ketchup, Chines bbq pork belly, kimchi, Thai Mango and more)
Bar Suzette: Savory crepes including Ham & Cheese ($8), Truffled Mozzarella ($7), Thai Satay Chicken ($10), and sweet crepes including Nutella ($5), Nutella-Banana ($6), Chocolate ($5), Chocolate & Coconut ($6), Lemon & Butter & Sugar ($6), Butter & Sugar ($5), Nutella-Coconut ($6), plus a Cheeseburger ($10). It seems the crepes can be made gluten-free too.
Calexico: California/Mexico style tacos and burritos with steak, pork, chicken, veggie. Get the crack sauce.
The Cannibal: Pig’s head Cuban ($10), Curried Egg Salad ($10), Sloppy Lamb ($10), Herr’s Chips ($2), and beer (Six Point Crisp, Hennepin, Nebraska Brunette, Allagash Black)
Fatty Snack: BBQ Pork Buns ($3/$5), Veggie Bun ($3/$5), Potato Salad ($3), Black Eyed Peas Salad ($3)
Graffiti /Mehtaphor
Hong Kong Street Cart: Beijing Ya Bun (Roast duck, minced shrimp, scallion, and cucumber in a steamed bun), Green Mango & Soba Salad (with Lemongrass chicken OR soymeat), Ginger & Chicken Soup, Chili Salted Shrimp, Spicy Edamame, Vegetarian Peking Bun, Ginger & Vegetable Dumpling Soup, and a Vegetarian ‘chicken’ Skewer.
Hot Blondies Bakery
ilili: (pressed chicken sandwich, sumac fries, roasted lamb shawarma, chicken shawarma, falafel Beiruti, kafta arayess, manushe, beer, wine, green lemonade, baklava)
Junoon / Kulinary Kraft: Chicken Tikka Masala ($8), Samosas ($1.50), Saag Paneer ($7), and Chana Masala ($7). You can also get a veggie combo for $8.50 or a full combo (Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer, Chana Masala, rice) for $9.50.
The Milk Truck: 5 kinds of gourmet grilled cheese including the Milk Truck Classic (aged grand cru gruyere, cultured butter on a Balthazar Levain Pullman with tomatoes), the Classic with a Twist (aged grand cru gruyere, champagne vinegar pickled onions, whole grain mustard on Blue Ribbon Jewish Rye), the Three Cheese (aged gruyere, NY State Cheddar, domestic bleu), The Ham & Cheese (apple wood smoked ham and coleman’s mustard), plus Milk Shakes
Momofuku Milk Bar: compost cookie, corn flake cookies, crack pie, corn cookie, etc
Nunu Chocolates
Perfect Picnic
Red Hook Lobster Pound: Lobster Rolls ($16) in either Maine style (cold lobster) or Connecticut style (warm lobster), Shrimp Roll (sweet Maine shrimp and homemade tarragon mayo for $9), New England Clam Chowder ($7), Shrimp & Corn Chowder ($6) and Lobster Mac & Cheese ($9)
Roberta’s Pizza: Margherita, speckenwolf and bee sting wood-fired pizzas, plus a seasonal pizza.
Robicelli’s
Sigmund’s: Pretzels including Salted, Feta-Olive, Truffle-Cheddar, Cinnamon Raison, Garlic Parsley, Seeded, plus Hot Dog on a pretzel Bun, the Uber, and Wancko Cookies
Spices & Tease
Stuffed Artisan Cannolis
Wafels & Dinges: Waffels including the Brussels Waffle (light and crispy), the Liege Waffle (soft and chewy), de Throwdown Waffle (with spekuloos sauce and whipped cream) and the de Verdekke (ice cream sandich), with all of the dinges (sauces) of course.

The Madison Square Fall Market may be gone forever, but they took the best part, the food stands, and created Madison Square Eats. It starts Friday, May 6th and runs through June 3rd just west of Madison Square Park in the “Worth Square” area between 5th and Broadway and 24th Street and 25th Street. It [...]

Fans out there of the food stands and crafts vendors that have come to Madison Square Park the last two years as part of Madison Square Mark’t take note. DNA info reports that the Community Board 5 Parks committee voted to reject the seasonal event this coming year, and it will go to a full Community Board vote on Thursday, January 13th (6:00 pm at St. Xavier High School at 30 West 16th St. in the 2nd floor library).

The event apparently brought in $150,000 for the Madison Square Park Conservancy this last year but Community Board members allegedly feel it is too similar to other street fairs and blocks pedestrian traffic.

Personally at MadParkNews we love all of the amazing food vendors (browse through the food photos here) that come to a pretty much unused section of concrete just west of Madison Square Park. We also don’t think it is anything like the typical summer street fairs that have the worst of the worst cheap goods and fast food.

We would hate to see the event go. Not sure what can be done but the January 13th meeting is open to the public we believe, and you could always contact Community Board 5 as well with your concerns.

We are getting to the last days of Madison Square Mark’t, so get down there today and Saturday if you can for some awesome lunch options and artisan gift shopping. MadParkNews tried to hit a bunch of the food stands and take photos of the offerings, so here click through to any of the following [...]

While famous for their fried chicken, after taking a look at them (see photo here), we had to try to the chocolate peanut butter and key lime pies from Brooklyn’s Pies ‘n Thighs at Madison Square Mark’t.

Madison Square Mark’t is currently open daily through Saturday October 23rd with popup shops and a food square from 11am-8pm on the west side of Madison Square Park.