Mad for Madison Sq. Eats

by Ana Lopez

           The break in our local monsoons left me beyond eager on the first day of Madison Square Eats.  My guy and I dove in so promptly, most of the food vendors weren’t even open.

Our first stop in a long line of vendors, Asiadog.

          After a few hapless spins around the plaza, we found action at Asiadog. Even a steadfast hot dog skeptic like me will succumb to The Mash Dog with its spicy ketchup, jalapeño mustard and a sprinkling of crushed potato chips. But the wimpy Ginny Gog topped with kimchi left me craving more spice and otherwise unamused ($5 each, 2 for $9).

Crispy fried shallots and pickled onion compliment this monster sized pulled pork sandwich.

          Appetite charged, The Cannibal’s pulled pork sandwich ($15) won me with its crispy fried shallots and a tangy kick from banana peppers once I got through an excess of bread and dabbed the flow of juices running through my fingers.  Pig and Khao was still working to get their signs up but their Thai Curry Wings -- more peanut sauce than curry – made amends. I topped it off with the Arancini Bros ragu rice ball ($5 each). Loaded with rich saffron flavor, that made a delicious bite.

Make it an early lunch—or late dinner—if you want to beat this crowd.

          By noon, the crowds were thick and we struggled to find seats for our Mexicue meal. Tourists were overjoyed to have stumbled onto a foodie mecca overlooking the Flatiron building and the office lunch crowd was enjoying the change in the usual fare.  No big deal. We enjoyed a Chili Slider ($5) and Chili Mac and Cheese ($4) standing up.

The center of the square had a bright pop of spring color, making the outing that much more enjoyable.

          Dessert was a battle too as we wrangled some mini cinnamon sugar doughnuts from Doughnuttery (6 for $6) and an Elvis ice cream sandwich from Melt ($4) between shoves from the crowd and stepping on a few toes. I asked Macaron Parlour’s Simon Tung if he had any new flavors when I saw a bright yellow macaron with a smattering of cocoa powder. “Not yet! But passion fruit is making a comeback!” We took two to go ($2.50 each). Plenty of time to return. Eats runs every day till the end of May.

A rewarding treat at the end of a bustling day.

          Escaping the crush, we sat down in a bus stop across the street to share the Elvis, a deviation from the classic -- banana ice cream between peanut butter cookies. Then my guy persuaded me to squirrel away our other sweet stuff for our usual late night sugar cravings.