By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
BATTERY PARK CITY — The World Financial Center is inviting people to eat their way through the office complex on Thursday, with three separate lunchtime culinary events.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the EAT World Financial Center Restaurant Showcase will gather more than a dozen of the building's eateries in the Winter Garden, each selling tastes of their signature dishes for $5 or less.
The Grill Room will offer a shrimp and vegetable stir-fry for $5, SouthWest NY will dish out pulled-pork sliders, two for $5, and Devon & Blakely will sell a blackened chicken sandwich for $4. For dessert, Financier Patisserie will offer a black and white mousse cake for $3, while Godiva Chocolatier will sell two chocolate-dipped strawberries for $5.
Thursday also marks the return of Ed's Lobster Bar and Quality Burger, the food kiosks by the North Cove Marina that drew long lines when they debuted last summer.
This year, Ed's will bring back its $15 lobster roll, $6 grilled shrimp skewers and $2 grilled corn on the cob, while Quality Burger will offer freshly seared cheeseburgers for $5.25 and loaded-up chilidogs for $3.75.
Within the next couple of weeks, a third kiosk will open: Fatty 'Cue, an outpost of the popular Williamsburg barbecue joint by the same name.
"In combination with the other two, we think barbecue would be a great addition to the dining options," said Debra Simon, a vice president at Brookfield Properties, which owns the World Financial Center. "We think it will be enormously popular."
Ed's Lobster Bar and Quality Burger will be open daily from 11 a.m. through dinner starting Thursday, with Fatty 'Cue joining soon.
For those who prefer to cook their own meals, the World Financial Center Greenmarket is also making its first appearance of the season on Thursday.
The weekly market will feature nine vendors this year, including three newcomers: Cranberry Creek Farm in Pennsylvania will sell goat cheese, eggs and vegetables; Newgate Farms in Connecticut will sell plants, fresh herbs and scones; and Castello di Borghese Vineyard from Suffolk County will sell local wines (the vineyard will join the market April 14).
The market will also welcome returning vendors selling everything from black radishes and spiced cider to orchids and gluten-free pies.
After receiving requests from residents, the market will stay open later this year, until 7 p.m. The market, at South End Avenue and Liberty Street, officially opens at 11 a.m. on Thursdays, but some vendors will arrive as early as 8 a.m.
