Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1119718
Countless food and drink offerings, including those from José Andrés' much anticipated Mercado Little Spain, are delighting visitors to this massive new development. Hudson Yards: Manhattan's New Food Destination T he Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards, New York's hotly anticipated "vertical shopping experience," final- ly opened its doors on March 15. This sleek glass building is part of Hudson Yards, the $25 billion mini- city spanning 28 acres on the far West Side of Manhattan at 34th Street. Ground broke on the project back in 2013. Six years later, this first of 16 planned buildings was completed. Love it or hate it, New Yorkers seem to be flocking to its more than 100 retail destinations. An Ambitious Mix of Offerings Those destinations include roughly 30 food and drink offerings—a mashup of cuisines, price points, and styles that guarantee something for every palate and pocketbook. Among the eateries generating excitement are full-service restaurants such as Kawi, from David Chang/ Momofuku, and TAK Room, by Thomas Keller. Neiman Marcus, one of Hudson Yards' most prominent tenants, is welcoming custom- ers to its first New York store with its elegant eatery, The Zodiac Room. Buzzy fast-casual and takeout spaces have also launched, such as Northern California- based sustainable meat purveyor Belcampo and Fuku, also from Chang and Momofuku. Specialty grocer Citarella and other New York-centric brands like Van Leeuwen ice cream, William Greenberg Desserts, and Li-Lac Chocolates are all in the mix. Quirky concepts like Chang's Peach Mart and the cashier-less Drug Store are spread out through the one million-square-foot upscale mall. But perhaps the buzziest venture is Mercado Little Spain, a bright, welcoming food hall from chef José Andrés and his com- pany, ThinkFoodGroup, along with chefs Ferran and Albert Adrià. The space intro- duces New York to the rich and varied cuisine of traditional and modern Spain. Dubbed the Spanish version of Eataly or Le District, this 35,000-square-foot space has various stations where chefs and vendors whip up paella and other Iberian dishes before your eyes. BY ESTHER CRAIN PHOTO: ESTHER CRAIN SUMMER 2019 29 store tour