the Brooklyn Schmorgasburg

It was Saturday morning at 9:30 and I woke up from a solid slumber to my phone buzzing on the bedside table next to my head. Normally I would be irritated by someone texting me on a Saturday before 10:00, however when I looked to see what all the fuss was about, I found a text from Marybeth awaiting me in my inbox. And the message was all good.

"Whatcha up to? We should go to Brooklyn's schmorgasborg! Check it out online- its like a mini food market!" Brooklyn- yes. Market- yes. Food???- yes.That was all I needed to hear. I was in.

I had no any set going-ons on my agenda for this beautiful and slightly scorching Saturday, so I was thrilled when Marybeth informed me of her plans and invited me to accompany her. I had yet to visit Brooklyn and had been hoping to get over there at some point, and this wide open Saturday turned out to be the perfect opportunity.

I met MB and her friend Allison on the L train and we zipped right under the water over to the other side: Brooklyn. When we emerged from the steamy subway, we found ourselves smack-dab in Williamsburg, a part of Brooklyn that reminds me of one of my favorite places in Nashville, Hillsboro Village. But on steroids. A very hip vibe, endless cute and quirky ships, delicious restaurants, and trendy people clad in fedoras and skinny jeans, carrying non-Starbucks coffee and snacking on organic, farm-raised, low-calorie, high-flavor, soy, hand-mixed, brick-oven baked scones--or something like that--were the visions that bombarded my wide eyes, which were luckily hidden by my sunglasses. I was in love. This is my place.

We walked towards the waterfront in the blazing heat and were thankfully greeted with a nice breeze as we landed at the Brooklyn Schmorgasburg, also known as the Brooklyn Food Flea Market. This foodie paradise runs from about 10 in the morning to 5 in the evening, so by the time we arrived at 2:30, the crowds had already pounced, and vendors' selections were dwindling; we marched forward undeterred and filled our bellies with the best of what was left. Heck, I was actually glad to see items crossed out on certain menus--it made my options fewer, and therefore made my selection a bit easier.

Concho's Fish Taco 

The Brooklyn Schmorgasburg hosted many traditional food stands which sold the likes of doughnuts, lobster rolls, tacos, pizzas, ice cream, and hot dogs, however I also spotted vendors selling delicacies like crepes made out of everything-soy, traditional tempeh, sweet kale juice, and my personal least favorite Bon Chovi, an anchovy stand. Those were easily passable. Although I was drooling at the lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound, I couldn't quite stomach the $16 for a sandwich, so I held out for something a little closer to my price range. I crushed a fish taco from Conchos which very much reminded me of my beloved fish tacos from Baja Burrito in Nashville. The taco--at $5 a pop--was made of beer-battered cod on a corn tortilla, served with red cabbage, cilantro, white sauce, and a lime. Delicious, but I think I prefer Baja's 3 fish tacos for $6.25. I tried a bite of Marybeth and Allison's café olé doughnut from Dough, which was the size of a small tire, yet had a light and fluffy cloud-like inside, and a coffee glaze on the top. Oh baby. I decided that my treat would be a milkshake from the Grilled Cheese people but they were already sold out; I turned to ice cream but wasn't really in the mood for cardamom ice cream, as that was all that remained. Thus, I did another round, re-read the menus, and decided on something completely different: a pupusa.

Traditional Bean Pupusa

What on earth is a pupusa (poo-POO-suh) you ask? I didn't know either. A traditional food from El Salvador, pupusas are grilled corn masa patties that look similar to a tortilla, but are hand shaped and also stuffed with various fillings like meats, beans, cheese, or veggies, and accompanied by homemade salsa de tomate, and pickled cabbage called curdito. Yum! I asked the pupusa vendor which to try, and he told me that any of the traditional ones would be my best and most delicious bet. I opted for the bean pupusa, stuffed with both beans and cheese, and accompanied it with "all the fixins." When my pupusa was presented, I was handed a perfectly golden-brown patty with peeks of black and brown beans popping through and oozing out the sides, turning brown and caramelized, and adding a bit of tasty crunch. The bright pink cabbage, plus sour cream, jalapeño peppers, and tomato salsa definitely added a necessary pop of color, brightness, and zip to what I originally thought might be a rather beige snack. After taking pictures of my pupusa (obviously), walking through the windy grounds to find a shady spot to eat, and being shooed away from our original spot by a police officer, I was able to eat my pupusa in peace.


The pupusa was reminiscent of a bean empanada in flavor, but seemed kin to a heavy, cheesy cornbread in its texture. It was crispy on the outside, slightly gooey on the inside, and the cabbage and salsa added both a freshness and a nice contrast in texture to the dish. My pupusa would have tasted even better had it not undergone the endless photo shoot and a long, windy journey to find shade, however I enjoyed it nonetheless, and was glad to have tried something completely new. Not to mention I got probably double the amount of food I received for my one taco, and this only cost me $4! Score.

Of course there were about a zillion other things I wished to have a taste of at the Brooklyn Schmorgasburg, but while my pants were ripping at the seams, my wallet was certainly not. A lose lose situation for me, but a happy camper I remained. I wish I could save up my weeks earnings (wait what??) and head back to the Schmorgasburg this weekend with $16 in my pocket for that divine lobster roll, or $9 for one of those artisan milkshakes, but alas I am leaving the city. Therefore I urge you city dwellers to step out, go across, and venture into Brooklyn for the Food Flea Market. Make your mark, and make the mark I wish I had time to make.