In its eighth year, Madison Square Eats, the trendy outdoor pop-up food market, is back. Open from May 1st through May 28^th, a diverse selection of 30 vendors are set up selling food and beverages from a wide range of cuisines. Some notable stands include Roberta’s Pizza, Momofuko Milk Bar, Bombay Sandwich Co., Uma Temakeria, and Macaron Parlour. Madison Square Park serves as the perfect backdrop for the event featuring a spacious dog run, a fun playground for kids, beautiful landscaping and a newly constructed contemporary art exhibit.

Lunch at Madison Square Eats

Two Tablespoons comes from the collaboration of chefs Katya Kosar and Gosha Danilov with a unique vegetarian and gluten-free menu created using only wholesome, high-nutrient ingredients. They also pride themselves on using as much locally grown produce as they can. Nestled among stands spewing out scents of deep fried and heavy foods, Two Tablespoons is a great healthier alternative. The stand offered an affordable lunch combo of two summer rolls and a small noodle salad for $11. I selected the Lentil, Beets and Goat Cheese roll and the Tofu, Quinoa and Almond Sauce roll on top of the Cabbage, Apple and Ginger Miso salad.

Getting to watch the skilled chefs prepare the rolls definitely added to the experience. After wetting the rice paper wrappers they put the fresh ingredients in the center, folded the wrapper over and served it cold in a tight wrap. Although the rolls were each incredibly fresh and light, coupled with the salad it was a sufficiently filling meal. The almond sauce in the tofu gave the wrap a somewhat smoky flavor, also providing the perfect texture to complement the soft tofu and crunchy cucumber. For a roll solely filled with vegetables, the beets and goat cheese roll was definitely not lacking flavor. The creamy fresh goat cheese and the shredded beets struck a great textural balance as well. Lastly, both rolls were served on top of the brightly colored cabbage noodle salad bursting with a fruity apple flavor.

Overall, I found Two Tablespoons’ unique selection delicious, as well as a fun way to experience vegetarian cuisine, even for a non-vegetarian like myself. Kosar and Danilov’s seem to have accomplished their initial goal of creating meals that are both nourishing and enjoyable to eat.

People’s Pops at Madison Square Eats

On one of the first warm spring days in New York this season, it seemed appropriate to cool off and finish the meal with a refreshing popsicle from People’s Pops. The flavor offerings at this small stand are constantly in rotation as they take locally grown fresh fruit and transform it into delectable handmade ice pops. Although their quirky flavor selection might not be for those looking for a classic popsicle experience, I found them to definitely be worth a try. I went with the Raspberry Rosewater pop, an incredibly flavorful frozen treat. The rosewater flavor, although somewhat subtle, added a nice boost to the raspberry sweetness. Other options included Rhubarb Basil, Strawberry and Ginger, and Cantaloupe and Tarragon. They also offer a selection of shaved ice, shaved right in front of you by the vendor on a large block of ice. On a warm day like today, People’s Pops is a nice way to enjoy a sweet treat with fresh, locally grown ingredients.

I am looking forward to going back to try more of the vendors at Madison Square Eats. Did you have a favorite vendor there? Let us know, we would love to hear about it.

For more information on Madison Square Eats check out their website