A Chelsea Market Adventure

Chelsea is one of the hippest areas of New York. The well-known neighborhood is filled with art history, it was, after all, the original theatre district of New York City. It was also officially founded by Clement Clarke Moore who wrote The Night Before Christmas. Moving into the 1960s and 1970s Chelsea was famed for the rock stars residing in the infamous Chelsea Hotel including Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, and Janis Joplin among many others. Chelsea is known for being many things – gorgeous, artistic, gentrified – but mostly, Chelsea is just cool.

On my recent adventure to Chelsea, I explored Chelsea Market, a hub for local artists and vendors. Aside from great shops, Chelsea Market is filled with mouthwatering restaurants and food stands. These were some of my favorite stops in Chelsea Market:

Tuck Shop

Have you ever tried a meat pie from Down Under? If you haven’t, you’re missing out and I recommend you rectify this ASAP. Swing by Tuck Shop at Chelsea Market. I tried the Lamb Shank and Veg Pie & Thai Chook Curry Pie. Both were delicious. I was most excited for the Lamb Pie because I love lamb, but I was most impressed by the Thai Pie. Its spicy flavors had me dreading the final bite. If you’re in the area, stop by and try a pie. The prices are reasonable and the portion sizes are filling. I can’t wait to go back and try the other flavors.

The Tippler

I was quite stuffed after my pies, and it was only my first stop! I decided to take a break and go find the underground bar, The Tippler at Chelsea Market. Just the journey of finding this bar is an adventure. The hidden entrance is on the outside of Chelsea Market and once you find the entrance, you travel down a dark stairway filled with beautiful graffiti. There among the dim lights is a bar filled with delightful craft beers and specialty cocktails. Being that fall has arrived in New York City I tried a local Pumpkin ale and enjoyed every sip in this haven of coolness.

Takumi Taco

My favorite stop of the day was Takumi Taco. Honestly, the following day I was still daydreaming about the tacos at this Japanese Mexican fusion restaurant. I had a spicy tuna taco and I don’t use the term lightly, but it was like an orgasm in my mouth. The homemade taco shells were filled with flavorful spicy tuna and topped with radish, avocado, and spicy mayo, among other ingredients. I wanted to eat about five of these, but I had to continue my food adventure. But I’ll be back. This was unarguably the best taco I’ve ever had.

Creamline

After all this savory deliciousness, I was ready to treat my sweet tooth so we ventured down to Creamline: Farm to Table. Creamline is famous for their homemade ice cream and food made with all local ingredients. Since milkshakes are one of my favorite food groups I knew that’s what I had to try. Creamline has various flavors of ice cream that can be made into milkshakes, but what sets them further apart from other ice cream shops in the area is that they make Boozy Milkshakes. I tried the Girl Scout Cookie Boozy Milkshake which tasted just like a thin mint. You could hardly taste the alcohol, but boy did you feel it. These shakes are well worth the steep $11 price tag.

Num Pang

The final stop on my Chelsea Market adventure was a visit to Num Pang the south-east Asian sandwich shop. The first thing you notice when you step inside Num Pang is the colorful graffiti decorating the walls and the booming reggae music escaping the speakers. I tried the Peppercorn Catfish Sandwich with a house made Sweet Soy Glaze. The flavor exploded with each bite and even with a full stomach left me wanting more. Num Pang is a Must Try!

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I was surprised by all the goodness Chelsea Market had to offer. There was so much more I wanted to try, but my stomach just couldn’t accommodate. I’ll have to go in for a Round Two. In the meantime, I’ll continue salivating over those spicy tuna tacos and boozy milkshakes. If you find your way to Chelsea be sure to stop by the market and treat yo’ self.

Check out my full Chelsea Market Adventure here.