The Queens Night Market is a thing. I know, because I’ve seen it firsthand. Every Saturday night during the summer, throngs of food vendors set up tents adjacent to the New York Hall of Science in what I’ll describe as a food lover’s paradise. Music is pumping, mouth-watering scents fill the air and the market is brimming with both excitement and indecision about what line to wait in and what dishes to order. The cost of (most) food items is capped at $5 making this an affordable and accessible experience.
Our mistake was going after 8pm. Anything after dusk on a weekend night in NYC is going to have a high hipster quotient and be super crowded. Often, prohibitively so. We were ready to eat, share, experiment, and have a grand-old-time making food memories with our children but the hipsters had other plans for us. We were driven away by new iPhone release-like lines at EVERY food tent which was not jiving with our hungry bellies and impatient kiddos. We shall return in the future at the more sensible 4 o’clock hour which is fine because I’m all about early bird-eating these days. A tell-tell sign that I’m no longer hip (or young.)
Though I can’t tell you about specific dishes or make recommendations at this point, I can assure you that if you like ethnic food, let me rephrase that, if you like delicious food, fun, and a decidedly summery vibe you should make the trek to Flushing on a summer Saturday night. The market is a celebration of New York’s long-standing cultural diversity (specifically within Queens) and the accompanying cuisine that the city is blessed with as a result of said diversity.
Here are some of the dishes on the “can’t wait to try” list I’ve prepared for my next visit:
- Bstro (Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken)
- Arepalicious (Columbian Arepas)
- Los Almendros (Salvadoran Pupusas & Tamales)
- Nomad Dumplings (Tibetan Momos)
- Monday Dinner (Ukrainian Kasha Varnishkes & Kotletke)
- Bengali Street Eats (Samosas, Chotpoti & Fuchka)
And many more! This is truly just a sampling.
The Queens Night Market makes for a unique date night idea, serves as somewhere to take visitors from out of town, would be a nice early family dinner venue with options for everyone, or a simply destination for a group outing. It’s not just for the young and hip. It’s for anyone and everyone who cares to indulge in flavorful foods from around the globe. My only advice is to get there early if you have kids in tow. In addition to the food tents there are merchandise stalls and live music. Look at the cute t-shirt I got for my husband! Vendors and artists are posted weekly on the website.
I hope to update this post with recipes I try from the Queens Market cookbook that I just ordered and hopefully with reviews and recommendations from the actual market next time I’m in NYC. Bon Appetit!
FIONA FINDS 