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.
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($9.99) and a grilled-chicken salad with ricotta cheese dubbed The Big Italian ($10). Popular food truck The Cinnamon Snail parked its wheels and now tempts customers to its stall with exotic vegan spe- cialties like their gouchujang burger ($10.95), which features kimchi and sriracha mayo on a pretzel bun. The fresh lobster panini ($17) is the menu star at Marc Forgione's kitschy Lobster Press. On the beverage front, La Colombe operates a coffee bar, and The Pennsy Bar features New York–inspired mixed drinks (like the Pennhattan), wine, and beer on tap and bottled. The Pennsy's layout is all about casual comfort. Diners bring their purchases (including sweets and treats, which most of the vendors carry) to a central area with movable tables and chairs. At peak hours, things can get crowded, but never claustrophobic. When the weather cooperates, windows and doors along The Pennsy's north side open for semi-al fresco dining and people watching. Diners—many in groups, others on their own, perhaps passing the time while waiting for a train—seem relaxed and happy. And why not? With the arrival of The Pennsy, the Penn Station area can finally shake its reputation as a fast-food and dive bar wasteland. The Pennsy, 2 Pennsylvania Plaza, Manhattan. thepennsy.nyc. also drawn to Le District—including many from France, surely the highest seal of approval. Le District, Brookfield Place, 225 Liberty Street, Manhattan. ledistrict.com Midtown West: The Pennsy A new hall near Penn Station is a welcome addition to this former culinary desert. Thanks to this 8,000-square-foot celebrity-chef-led food court adjacent to Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, commuters and sports fans will no longer have to venture far to find creative, high-quality food in Midtown west. Launched in January 2016, The Pennsy features five fast-casual dining options in a cavernous, industrial-chic space. Top butcher Pat LaFrieda has opened his first shop here, serving carnivore fare like a black angus steak sandwich with caramelized onions and Monterey jack cheese on a ciabatta roll ($15). The Little Beet, run by Top Chef Masters' Franklin Becker, offers a mostly vegetarian menu of Asian-inspired bowls, rolls, and "beet boxes" such as a soba noodles and cabbage beet box ($11.94). Mario Batali is behind Mario by Mary; his twists on Italian home-style classics include a truff le honey grilled-cheese panini EVEN MORE HALLS TO COME Here are a few destinations New Yorkers are eagerly anticipating in the next year or two. Bourdain Market, Manhattan Anthony Bourdain's eponymous, international food hall won't launch until 2017. It's already creating major buzz and getting food lovers worked up over the planned 100-plus food stalls that will offer food from restaurant chefs as well as street food "legends." The market, which will incorporate the look and feel of great food halls across the world, will be located on Manhattan's Pier 57, in the Chelsea neighborhood. DeKalb Market Food Hall, Brooklyn This 30,000-square-foot mega food hall will be found underground in downtown Brooklyn. Fifty-five sellers will hawk everything from arepas to old-school deli sandwiches (courtesy of Katz's, which has signed on as a vendor) to Vietnamese banh mis to Brooklyn-made ice cream from Ample Hills Creamery. No official date has been announced, but expect a 2016 opening. Great Northern Food Hall, Manhattan This Nordic-themed food court is set to open in early summer in Grand Central Terminal's elegant Vanderbilt Hall. The brainchild of Danish chef and restaurateur Claus Meyer (of Noma fame), the court will lead to an adjoining restaurant called Agern and a food stand covering 16,000 square feet. Five food stations will offer delicacies such as open-faced sandwiches called smorrebrod, which are a popular street food in Denmark. Esther Crain is a freelance writer who covers health, food, and lifestyle. 134 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com