Eat Here Now: Broadway Bites

Once again, I've complied a list of some of the best bites at one of the food markets by Urban Space- Broadway Bites. I have to admit that one of the best feelings in the world is walking down through one of these food markets. With one step you experience the incredible smell of warm, spicy, sugared doughnuts, and with the next step you are taken over by the heat radiating off of hot, cheesy pretzels, and then the sight of chocolate chip cookies bigger than your head or dozens of mini fried rice balls, waiting for you to bite into their crispy exterior. If you have any interest in experiencing what I'm trying to describe here, I suggest you get to Broadway Bites immediately. 

Sigmund's Pretzels

The perfect snack for walking around in search of more food to eat were these warm, pillowy, pretzels from Sigmund's. The churro pretzel, coated in not-too-much-but-not-too-little cinnamon sugar was doughy, soft, and incredibly addictive. I contemplated buying another after I reached in the brown paper bag it was served in to find that I had finished the entire pretzel. Equally delicious was the cheddar-truffle pretzel on the right. Sprinkled with a heavy dose of cheddar cheese and a rich truffle flavor, this pretzel left me feeling like I was indulging in something from an elegant restaurant rather than a tiny pretzel cart on 34th Street. 

Macaron Parlour

Offered at the Macaron Parlour booth, this corn macaron stood out as the perfect balance between the traditional flavors like salted caramel or vanilla bean and the stranger ones like Cheeto or sour cream and onion. The delicate exterior shatters beautifully as soon as your teeth touch it and gives way to a chewy, corny interior. Next you reach the slightly sweetened white chocolate corn buttercream, which has a flavor reminiscent of the heavenly corn ice cream from Cones in the West Village.

Two Tablespoons

As the winds grow stronger and the air starts to bite, ordering a bowl of chili or mac & cheese from Two Tablespoons is the best way to keep warm. The sweet potato chipotle chili was hearty, spicy and loaded with chunks of sweet potato, chickpeas and both light and dark red kidney beans. Each forkful of the smoked gouda mac & cheese was loaded with melty, stretchy gouda, a prominent smoked flavor, and a hint of paprika. While both dishes were rib-sticking and perfect for the brisk weather, they still managed to feel clean, light, and actually good for you. 

Bar Suzette 

The crepes at Bar Suzette seem basic, but are perfectly cooked- a subtly sweet batter that was crispy around the edges, yet soft and sturdy enough in the middle to hold spoonfuls of nutella and warm banana slices. 

Doughnuttery

These hot, sugary, crispy bites are far from your average doughnut. Each batch is freshly fried and rolled in a flavored sugar of your choice. I opted for the pumpkin pie brûlée sugar, which was a mix of brûléed sugar, pumpkin, graham cracker and fall spices. The crunchy bits of graham cracker were unexpected yet gave each bite a deeper texture that kept me coming back for more. 

Breads Bakery

Breads Bakery is rightfully famous for their chocolate babka, but I wouldn't blame you for mistaking the almond croissant for their speciality. The crispy caramelized edges are heavenly to bite into, and the sliced almonds piled on top are sprinkled with a light dose of powdered sugar. With each bite you're treated to the flaky, crunchy exterior which gives way to the softer-yet still incredibly flaky- inner dough, followed by what I can only describe as a bed of almond paste just waiting for your teeth to sink into it. It truly was the best almond croissant I have ever had- and I have eaten far too many almond croissants in my 18 years of life.