New York Tales : Chelsea Market

2 years ago when we were first in New York returning from our year in Colombia, we found Chelsea Market and loved it.

It was relatively unfrequented back then, and finding somewhere to eat was not a problem. Rolls on 2 years, and all this has changed. Chelsea Market is definitely one of the more popular places to eat on this side of Manhattan.

We’d eaten at the Green Table before and we were very keen to eat there again. The daily changing menu reflects their ethos of farm to table, with all the ingredients coming from local farms and the Greenmarket.

They have expanded since our last visit so thankfully there are more wooden tables to sample their wonderful fresh food.

As in New York I wanted to sample some good mac n cheese and the journey began here.

It was warm and comforting as a good mac n cheese should be. For me personally it could have done with a stronger cheese sauce, but that’s just my preference. The accompanying salad was light fresh and well dressed.

The wife had the chicken potpie, and I so wished I had ordered this. It is how chicken pie should be. The sauce was light and had a great chickeny flavour to it. The chicken itself was moist and juicy and the taste is how chicken should taste. I think we’ve all had to much processed chicken over the years, that the real taste of the bird has been bred out, but the farm they get their chickens from are bred for flavour. Brilliant.

The Green Table produces well cooked simple food with the emphasis on the ingredients. A real favourite of mine.

Literally next door you have the Lobster Place, it’s basically a fishmonger, that also doubles up on producing a montage of fish and seafood meals, ranging from sushi to salads, all using great seafood products.

We were tempted but somehow never got around to it was to have a whole steamed lobster for lunch. Looking back on it I wish we had made time, but sightseeing always gets in the way.

We instead tried several of their salads, which I must commend them on their salmon Asian noodle salad. The soy based dressing, with toasted sesame seeds combined with that great fresh salmon and the egg noodles. Wow, really good.

The array of fish on sale was even more impressive as well. When visiting markets or shops like this, I always wish we had a kitchenette so I can buy some great fresh fish and then being able to cook. Still wishing.

Frank’s the butchers not only sells great looking meat, but they also do great hot dogs as well. The sausages are proper sausages, not the processed things that are normally associated with a hot dog. These are the real deal.

But my favourite is the Ninth Street Espresso, a small stall in the middle of the market just in front of the fountain.

Over the years they have perfected their approach to making a cup of coffee and they have a menu showcasing the coffee.

So on their menu they have an espresso, and espresso with milk in 3oz, 6oz, 9oz and 12oz cups, along with an urn brew cup as well.

They source their coffee from selective farms around the world, which means they can give us the consumer the best cup they can.

I have to say this approach is brilliant I wish more coffee shops would be a little more selective in their approach to choosing the coffees they serve.

We literally could have spent our entire week eating in Chelsea Market, but with its popularity it is jammin’ all day, everyday with tourists and local office workers alike.

Also just behind the market is the High Line. A disused railway line that stretches from West 12^th Street up to 30^th Street.

An urban park above the streets of New York, where you can wander slowly appreciating the greenery that has been planted to pay homage to the wild plants that were there before it was redeveloped. An odd concept that one. But it’s a great place to wander anyhows, except on weekends when you are playing dodge with families and prams.