Anthony Bourdain plans Street Market in NY

[Jenise]

Per Eater.com:

Parts Unknown host Anthony Bourdain is getting into the retail game and planning a massive market in New York City. The theme of the market will be international street food, and the New York Post reports that Bourdain has signed a deal to open the market with entrepreneur Stephen Werther. At this point no location, opening date, or name has been confirmed, but apparently Anthony Bourdain World Market is a possibility. If the market is a hit, it could expand to other cities.

Eater NY gets more details from Bourdain on the market. He says: "I am indeed working on this project—carefully assembling a dream list of chefs, operators, street food and hawker legends from around the world—in hopes of bringing them together in one New York City space ... As the greatest city in the world, I've long felt that we should have the kind of delicious, diverse food centers that Singapore ( for instance) enjoys."

Velly, velly innnnnnnnnteresting!

Could be really neat. I just hope the Genuine Ensenada Fish Taco doesn't cost $14.

"I've long felt that we (NYC) should have the kind of delicious, diverse food centers...."

Wait - has he been to New York City? "Delicious and Diverse Foods" is actually a line in the City's by-laws. If you can't find a good place to eat within 10 minutes of wherever you are, you got off the train in Jersey. Granted there's no concentrated Jemaa El-Fna type market (unless you count something like Eatlaly, or all of Chinatown, I suppose). But of all the cities in the world, I think the above quote least applies to New York.

Which means it's going to succeed wildly, of course. Name recognition and media hype trump everything.

The theme of the market will be international street food...

...none of which will taste the same here, frankly, because you're not on vacation.

As the greatest city in the world...

He means, "As a place where I can easily charge high prices..."

...I've long felt that we should have the kind of delicious, diverse food centers that Singapore ( for instance) enjoys."

{ insert what Tom said here }

...none of which will taste the same here, frankly, because you're not on vacation.

Ain't that the truth! To misquote somebody or other, "Vacation is the best sauce".

The theme of the market will be international street food...

...none of which will taste the same here, frankly, because you're not on vacation.

As the greatest city in the world...

He means, "As a place where I can easily charge high prices..."

...I've long felt that we should have the kind of delicious, diverse food centers that Singapore ( for instance) enjoys."

{ insert what Tom said here }

I'm gonna dissent here. Having spent time both in NYC and S'pore, I do feel that there's a niche for the sort of hawker fare that exists throughout SE Asia. The tricks will be: a) getting the Board of Health to sign off and b) keeping prices low enough to be appealing. I'm sure that in the boroughs, food carts aren't a rarity, but last time I checked they weren't easily found on Manhattan.

Mark Lipton

[Robin Garr]

... in the boroughs, food carts aren't a rarity, but last time I checked they weren't easily found on Manhattan....

One of the most memorable amenities of Astoria, Queens, was the amazing souvlaki stands that stood outside just about every (elevated) subway station.

I take exception to the notion that a national dish cannot be replicated outside the country of origin. I've had Chinese food in New York City that was as authentic as any found in Taiwan or Hong Kong; this according to the Chinese I was dining with and my own experience. I could give many other examples from different places.

Mark, I can already go to Smorgasburg http://www.smorgasburg.com/

I don't need candied scorpions on a stick.

Mark, I can already go to Smorgasburg http://www.smorgasburg.com/

I don't need candied scorpions on a stick.

But, Jeff, you're talking about Brooklyn, the acknowledged culinary epicenter of the US. Don't you think that there's a niche for such a place in outlying boroughs like Manhattan?

Mark Lipton

p.s. Whatcha got against candied scorpion on a stick anyway?