FLATIRON DISTRICT — Madison Square Eats is returning to Worth Square for its 10th year next month, bringing in eight new vendors including one that specializes in new interpretations of the grilled cheese sandwich.
The outdoor pop-up market will open with 30 vendors on May 3, with the return of popular favorites like Nunu Chocolates’ hand-dipped caramels and Roberta's Bee Sting Pizza, which is made from mozzarella, tomato, sopressata, honey and chili.
“It does amazingly well every year, and it’s a wonderful experience for the community,” said Rachel Van Dolsen, a spokeswoman for Urban Space, which partnered with the Madison Square Park Conservancy to coordinate the event. “This year, we’ve really upped the ante on quality. We really encourage our vendors to stay seasonal and local.”
New vendors this year include Dreamscoops, which serves locally sourced and locally made ice-cream, Seoul Lee Korean Bar B Cue, and Third Rail Coffee.
“We thought we were missing some great espresso, so we brought in Third Rail to fill the void,” Van Dolsen noted.
In addition, new vendor Mrs. Dorsey’s Kitchen will be offering new twists on the classic grilled cheese.
“The main goal of Mrs. Dorsey’s Kitchen is to maintain the integrity of comfort food, in our case, the grilled cheese sandwich,” said owner Ron Johnson.
Mrs. Dorsey’s will be serving three interpretations of the traditional grilled cheese for the occasion, including a grilled cheese made with smoked gouda and honey mustard, and another with strawberry preserves, fresh mint and goat cheese.
“The first part that makes our sandwiches special is that we toast our bread with extra virgin olive oil, our own fresh herbs and garlic,” Johnson explained. “Most of us are used to American cheese, white bread and butter, [but] our garlic-herb olive oil adds flavor to the bread and complements the entire sandwich.”
Madison Square Eats is open daily May 3 through May 31, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Worth Square is located next to Madison Square Park at the intersection of Broadway, Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. For more information, visit www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/2013-eats.
