Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/691740
Crown Heights: Berg'n This Brooklyn beerhall showcases some of the best offerings from Smorgasburg. Beer is the undeniable star at this hall, located inside a former Studebaker service station in Brooklyn's rapidly gentrifying Crown Heights neighborhood. But the five food vendors who have set up shop here alongside the main bar offer innovative small plates and meal-size options designed to go down deliciously with the curated list of beers and wine. Opened in 2014 by the founders of weekend market Brooklyn Flea and roving outdoor food hall giant Smorgasburg, Berg'n has carved out permanent space for some of Smorgasburg's best sell- ers. Filipino-cuisine purveyor Lumpia Shack offers build-your-own bowls and a rice bowl special called "pig face." Red meat fans are the target customers at new vendor El Meat Hook, with Southern California-Mexican inspired creations such as el cheeseburger, with pepperjack cheese ($8) and "BLTorta" filled with bacon, avocado, and beans ($8). Samesa creates f lavor-packed Middle Eastern bites with a health-conscious spin, like a roasted eggplant and chickpea pita sandwich ($12), and a chicken shawarma sandwich with tahini buttermilk sauce ($12). Newcomer Mighty Quinn's, a New York mini-chain barbecue joint, offers pulled pork ($8.55) and burnt ends ($9.15 per serving). Coffee, desserts, and ice cream sandwiches from Brooklyn's The Good Batch are available. For a 9,000-square-foot venue, Berg'n has an intimacy to it. Perhaps it's the crowd the hall draws: a mix of young families, groups of coworkers and friends, and solo eaters lost in their tablets and laptops (Berg'n offers free Wi-Fi). Maybe it's the old-school garage decor and the enormous glass doors that roll up and let in lots of light and air. There's a Brooklyn hipster vibe, but no one will feel out of place amid the modern picnic table-style seating and separate outdoor dining area. Just like the old-world beer halls of an earlier New York, everyone is welcome, and lingering seems almost encour- aged. Berg'n, 899 Bergen Street, Brooklyn. bergn.com Chelsea: Chelsea Market If you think you've already seen all this popular downtown Manhattan destination has to offer, you'll be in for a surprise. The granddaddy of all New York food halls continues to evolve. Launched in a block-long former Nabisco Factory in Manhattan's fashionable Chelsea neighborhood in the 1990s, Chelsea Market has recently remodeled its winding ground-floor retail space. There's now more room for new stalls, bringing the number of food vendors N ew York City used to be renowned for its standalone, reservations-only restaurants. Now, the hottest places to eat for residents and out-of- towners alike are the city's many food halls. More than a dozen are spread out across NYC, mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn—often in repurposed factories and garages that offer premium space and low costs for upstart chefs and small-batch makers. While new food halls keep cropping up (see sidebar, page 134), older halls continue to switch up their vendors and remodel their spaces to make room for new purveyors, who create even more playful, innovative menu options. Here is a look at one new food hall and four old favorites to see what they have on offer in 2016. Berg'n PHOTOS: ESTHER CRAIN SUMMER 2016 131