To Market To Market To Buy Plenty Of Pig: A Sunday At The New Amsterdam Market

The New Amsterdam Market is a celebration of locally produced, artisanal foods. My plans to visit this market had been foiled on a few occasions but this time I was determined to get there and make sure I had ample time to shop, and shop I did!

We arrived at the South Street Seaport in search of great food and what we found far exceeded my expectations. The stalls offered up generous samples of all kinds. I couldn't think of a better way to spend this breezy autumnal day then sampling cheeses and pig products galore.

Izzy and I, along with our friend Y., made our way methodically past all of the stalls, examining the goodies at each stand along the way. We lingered at The Piggery, where after tasting the Rustic pate, had to bring home a slab to serve for dinner with salad and hearty bread.

Along the way, we nibbled on pork rillettes, smoked duck breast and grass-fed beef chili. We had a taste of sour cream from Hudson Valley Fresh and instantly grabbed a container. Cubes of grassy cheeses, tiny dollops of fresh ricotta were only a smidgen of the other samples calling out.

There was a sweet highlight that will definitely be added to our repertoire, Liddabit Sweets. I couldn't resist their barley tea/honey lollipops, a bit pricey but worth it, along with the sea salt caramels. They have many other tempting treats as well, but decided to save those for next time.

So many notable stops I must go on... The Porchetta stand, where I finally had a taste of the greasy, porky goodness I had heard so much about. Still need to make it to the East Village for the rest of their menu.

Then there was Edward Behr's table, with an eye-catching display of his noteworthy publication, The Art of Eating. He and his wife made it down from far off Vermont to make their presence known. And good thing since hopefully they will attract all of the Gourmet subscribers looking for a new food read.

And on it goes...In the two hours or so we were there, I still left having meant to try or buy something else. The biggest surprise there was The Bent Spoon from Princeton, an artisanal ice cream shop I had only dreamed of visiting. I hope that they were their testing the New York market. Their dark chocolate rosemary flavor is an incredible experience, one I am glad I didn't miss. And on that note...

The next New Amsterdam Market will be held on Sunday, November 22. Don't shop for a week before you go so your fridge is empty! Hope to see you there.