smorgasburg

This past Saturday we decided to go check out the brand new food flea market Smorgasburg. By the time we got there around 11:30 there was already quite a crowd and we were all hungry. I wanted to walk through the whole thing before deciding what to buy but was overruled by a hot hungry family.

We started with rather intriguing teriyaki balls, and I loved watching them being made as we waited on line. From there the kids decided on Mexican so we got some tacos and quesadillas. Then they spotted the pasta and wanted to try that too. I chose bahn xeo (a vietnamese crepe served with a gorgeous pile of fresh herbs and lettuce - this was my favorite dish of the day) and vietnamese noodles with pork, for Adam and I to share. I saw many people eating things that looked equally delicious but only got up the nerve to ask if I could take a picture once...see the pulled pork with asian slaw in the grid above. There are tables set up but they were all full so we took our picnic blanket and found a nice patch of grass. After we polished off lunch we wanted to sample a few of the desserts: we tried the frozen banana dipped in chocolate and a choice of toppings, homemade popsicles and shaved ice (the rhubarb shave ice was deliciously refreshing), and ice cream from blue marble (a family favorite).

The market is located on a strip of waterfront that has been developed recently - there are grassy stretches and urban artifacts mixed in with the new construction and a great view of the city skyline. On our way in we noticed a playground that the kids were very excited by so we spent some time playing there before returning to the market to try out a craft project at the moomah table. My friend Andrea made it to the market earlier than we did and found things I did not even see during our visit...to hear about her favorites, and get a more grown up version of this experience, visit her stunning blog Hungry Ghost.