“A public market is one where all who choose to buy may have free access… [Public markets] furnish luxuries to the wealthy, the first necessities of life to the laboring classes, and a rich variety suitable to the tastes of all.  They are objects of City Pride.” – Thomas DeVoe, 19th century public market butcher

We no longer need to visit the public market in order to fulfill our needs and fill our bellies, however its precisely that lack of necessity that makes them so darned enjoyable in the 21st century!  The New Amsterdam Market has created a perfect pocket of edible delights, ranging from freshly-thrashed crop, to readymade fare.  The unifying thread amongst all purveyors at the market is the deep dedication to local, sustainable, earth-growth goods.  And, delicious nibbles.

While there are many markets across many neighborhoods here in New York, there are none that can pull off the charming, riverside experience of a Sunday afternoon visit to the cobbled streets of the old seaport neighborhood.  On my last visit (which was an achingly long time ago), I enjoyed shucked-before-me oysters aplenty, lemon curd & biscuits homemade by Spoon, a heaping bowl of Marlow & Daughters’ chili, which held me over during my lengthy wait for one of Luke’s lobster rolls, and a decadent scoop of Bent Fork ice cream for my finale. Thank goodness it was a long walk home…

The New Amsterdam Market returns in June. www.newamsterdammarket.org

~lauren