"Wancko" cookie - peanut butter chocolate chip and pretzel chunks
Of all the gatherings of “gourmet” food carts and street food vendors in Manhattan I think Madison Square Eats has the highest percentage of great vendors. On the savory side, there are too many to mention. Here’s a select few: Calexico Cart, Asia Dog, and Roberta’s (real wood oven) pizzas. On the sweet side there’s plenty of standouts as well. Some of my favorite picks are featured below.
Wancko cookie from Sigmund Pretzel Shop in the East Village
The Sigmund Pretzel Shop normally operates out of their Lower East Side store on Ave B between 2nd and 3rd St. They offer mostly savory pretzels like sesame, feta-olive and cheese and herb (all $3.00) but they also have a monster-sized, pretzel-based-cookie called the Wancko. It contains peanut butter, large pretzel bits and chocolate chunks. It’s $3.00 but since it’s so huge you could easily split it two or more ways.
Nunu frozen hot chocolate - one of the City's best.
NuNu chocolates has a bricks and mortar store on 529 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and sells their chocolates in over a dozen location in NYC, but for one more week you can enjoy one of the best frozen hot chocolates in New York City (really) at Madison Square Eats for $5.00. It’s a little sweeter than Jacques Torres or City Bakery. If the weather for the coming week is as hot as it has been, they will likely sell out before the dinner rush is over–so go early.
Pistachio cannoli from Artisan Stuffed Cannoli on Stanton St.
If you’re like me and you like cannolis but think they are often too sweet–do yourself a favor and try three of the Cannolis from Stuffed Artisan Cannoli for $5.00. Make sure you include a pistachio and salted dipped-chocolate flavor. You’ll become an instant convert to these not-too-sweet, ricotta-filled desserts. Dessertbuzz recently visited Artisan Stuffed Cannolis at their shop on 176 Stanton Street.
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Madison Square Eats is open from 11:00 a.m.- 9:00 p.m. every night until June 3. The market is centered in Worth Square on the west side of Madison Square Park between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, and 24th and 25th Streets.