Smorgasburg 1: Birria & Bao
Truly the apex of taco/burrito meat — Birria L.E.S.
Of the many benefits that come with living near Prospect Park, Sunday Smorgasburg provides another key reason to go outside and smell the roses—so that I may follow that rose-laden scent until it eventually transitions to one of smoke and griddle grease. Like a cartoon character whisked away by the smell of a fresh-baked pie.
In any case, since my standing soreness from this past Japan Fes wasn’t enough, I figured it was only appropriate that I check out the open-air food market for the first time since it reopened this April. And although the cloudy skies and brisk air were less-than-picnic-friendly this time of year, that wasn’t going to stop me nor my friends from getting our due eats before cozying back up in our apartments.
The move for Sunday Smorgasburg from its previous location to Prospect Park came in August of 2015, where it has run for a limited period of time every year since. This year’s weekly market runs from April 3 to October 30. That still leaves me a considerable amount of time to check out all of the vendors before both the event and I (presumably) hibernate until next spring.
For this first excursion I kept things relatively under control (according to my own standards), hitting up fewer than five eateries(!). There’s no medal for my feat of restraint, but I’ll take the calories and try not to think about the corresponding holes in my wallet. I also will take a medal if anyone is offering.
The primary takeaways from this outing were from Birria L.E.S. and C Bao.
It’s a mystery to me how I’ve gone this long without having had birria before, as both one of my roommates and my brother rave about the stuff whenever the word comes up. Let’s just say this…I get it.
Never has slow cooked, seasoned stew meat been bad, or should I more accurately say, never has it been anything less than exquisite. Those rich, stocky strands of succulent meat, dressed up with the freshest of cilantro, diced onion, and a good squeeze of lime really makes for an irresistible experience. All of that of course comes on warm corn tortillas. I couldn’t ask for more.
Big. Beautiful. Bao. Baby. — C Bao
And the fact that I got more food from elsewhere was a diplomatic decision, because it’s important to give the time, respect, and stomach space to every vendor that catches my attention.
It really doesn’t get much easier to entice me than to say “bao buns” (or the name of any member of the bao family really), and you’re only doing yourself further favors when your menu includes fillings like pork belly and peking duck.
What made me particularly happy about C Bao’s delicious, pillowy steamed breads was that they don’t skimp out on their sizes. Too long have I been duped by places offering bao buns and serving me paltry little finger foods instead of what my heart truly wants. Whole hand sandwiches. As Confucius, famously said: More bun = more filling = more happy. I don’t make the rules.
This is but the start of an ongoing foodie quest of mine. I’ve still got plenty of vendors to try out, plenty of room, and dwindling funds. I already have my sights on a couple of businesses for my next go around. And then after that we still have the Williamsburg location. Oh my.
P.S. In a bit of dramatic irony, it turns out that all three of the food stalls which I waited hours for during Japan Fes have stations specifically at Sunday Smorgasburg…at least I know for the future.
