*Update 7/2017 – Gansevoort Market has moved to 353 W. 14th Street. Stay tuned for updated food information!
Gansevoort Market: A Brief History, Past & Present
The 200-year-old Gansevoort Market opened up its doors to the public in October 2014 after somewhat of a rocky start. Despite the delay in opening, the market, which used to be the largest open-air market in the country, is quickly becoming one of the hottest food markets in New York City!
Located on the edge of the Meatpacking District, Gansevoort Market is also the newest competition of the neighboring Chelsea Market, which is located a mere couple of blocks away on 15th Street and 9th Avenue.
One advantage that the Gansevoort Market has over Chelsea Market, however, is its location. Even though there is a short distance between the two markets, Gansevoort is more centrally located right near all of the bars and nightclubs and serves as the perfect place to grab a bite to eat before enjoying a night on the town.
Gansevoort Market: The Food & Space
You may be wondering why I love covering markets and food halls in New York City so much, and the answer is quite simple: I can be gluttonous without being judged. Try four, six, or eight restaurants in one sitting? No problem! Food markets are a no-judgment-zone where I can eat to my heart’s desire.
One thing that I really loved about Gansevoort Market is that it has a great line-up of different food vendors from well-known restaurants throughout the City. I was able to squeeze in five different vendors before my stomach told me to give up for the night, and I was pretty pleased with all of them.
Notes about Gansevoort Market: if you come hungry, you better come with a full wallet, the food here is on the higher end of other food markets that I have visited around the City. Another thing to note is that unlike Gotham West Market and Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place, there is very limited seating at Gansevoort Market.
Gansevoort Market entrance
Lobster Roll at Ed’s Lobster Bar
I have always loved seafood and I became a little addicted to it after my trip to Cape Cod last winter. Unfortunately, I do not get to eat lobster in New York City as much as I like (the last time I had any was when I stopped by Luke’s Lobster in Brooklyn during the spring), so anytime I can get a little fresh lobster, I am in for a treat.
Luckily for me, Ed’s Lobster Bar had a stall at Gansevoort Market and I was able to order their most popular item: the lobster roll. Although a little pricey for the portion, the lobster roll was amazing! The freshly toasted bun lightly battered in creamy butter and stuffed with chunky slices of lobster was the perfect introduction to the market.
Greek Yogurt at Yiaourti
Yiaourti Greek yogurt at Gansevoort Market
Yiaourti serves up 100% authentic Greek yogurt. I ordered their best seller: the plain Greek yogurt topped with monastiri Greek sour cherries and walnuts. Their yogurt by far was the best Greek yogurt I have had in my life.
‘The Greek’ at The BRUFFIN Cafe
The Greek Bruffin from The BRUFFIN
Keeping up with my Greek food theme, I headed over to The BRUFFIN Cafe, a food stand that became famous at the annual Smorgasborg in Brooklyn for serving up their combined brioche-muffins (because in New York City we always like to experiment with new things like the well-known Cronut or Brooklyn’s very own Cragel).
I ate ‘The Greek’, which was a combination of spiced beef, feta cheese, spinach, and kalamata olives. In all honesty I was a little skeptical about the idea of this Bruffin (as I am with most created foods in New York City), but somehow the Bruffin just works. The top of the dessert-like snack was a little too hard for my liking, but the inside was soft, flaky, and delicious.
Tacos at Tacombi
Tacombi takes their restaurant back to their roots by operating out of a VW truck in Gansevoort Market
Tacos from Tacombi
Tacombi, a Mexican eatery that actually originated in a VW bus in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, has made a long journey across both the border of Mexico and the continental United States, and into the hearts the of New Yorkers.
I ordered the pollo (chicken) and picadillo (beef) tacos, which were reasonably priced at $3.95 a piece. Tacombi is very generous with the portions of meat that they put into their tacos, which is a plus, however, I was not a huge fan of the extremely soft taco shells.
Sushi at Sushi Dojo
Salmon roll from Sushi Dojo
Sushi Dojo is another one of the affordable places that is not worth missing at the Market. For $4, you can get one piece of sushi or for $6 you can get an entire roll, which is nearly unheard of in New York City, which is known for having the highest priced sushi in the entire United States!
It is pretty obvious that the latter is a much better deal, so I ordered the salmon roll, which came nicely packaged in a black box with a Sushi Dojo engraving – pretty fancy stuff. The sushi was quite good for the price, however, there were little pieces of wasabi inside of the roll which gave me quite a surprise.
I have been to the Gansevoort market! And shockingly, my tiny dining companion was able to somehow eat all five of those dishes! Excellent report. ps I saw the Bruffins today at Fairway for $3.99– a little less than the $6.50 we were charged! : )
Haha thank you 😀 Cheaper Bruffins at Fairway?! Good to know!
This place looks great! Will have to come check it out 🙂
It is awesome! You should definitely check it out!
Those look like tortillas. They are not supposed to be hard???
Hey Jose 🙂 They were soft tortilla (taco) shells, but I usually like them a little more toasted. One of the people I was with loved them, so it’s all a personal preference 😀