New York City is magical during the holiday season. Store windows come alive with vignettes of gingerbread and snowmen. Beautifully adorned trees pop up in parks, lobbies, and the windows of luxury West Village brownstones you always try to peek into when walking by. And festive holiday markets spring up everywhere you turn, giving us the ultimate gift: the chance to eat and shop.
The Union Square Holiday Market officially opened on November 16th.
This year, there are over 100 stalls selling art, jewelry, puzzles, clocks, candles, and everything in between. And you don’t have to worry about getting hungry while you shop, because there are nearly 20 spots to grab some grub.
Which is where I come in….
I was invited to check out the eats in exchange for social media content. (Being an influencer has it’s perks!)
Here’s everything I tried in the order of which I tried it, and what I recommend at the Union Square Holiday Market.
1. Palenque Arepas and Empanadas
Palenque Arepas and Empanadas serves up authentic Columbian fare. I tried out the arepa grilled cheese, and it did not disappoint. The corn dough had a nice texture with just enough sweetness, and there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of cheese. It’s light and tasty, and a good choice if you want a snack.
Cost: $8
Worth It?: It’s one of the few eats you’ll be able to snag for under $10!
2. Bao Tea House
Right next door is Bao Tea House where we got a pork belly bun, chicken bun, taro bao, and salted egg yolk bao. I tried their bao at Japan Fes over the summer, and it’s not too shabby! Fluffy bun. Nice pork belly. Flavorful sauce.
At the Union Square holiday market, I also tried the sweet bao, which were almost good. They rushed the steaming process and unfortunately the bao didn’t quite get warm enough, and the centers were cold. However, I imagine the taro bao would be delightful.
Cost: Savory buns are $13 for 2, and the sweat bao are $12 for 2.
Worth It?: I’d recommend going to their physical shop instead!
3. Gunther’s
Gunther’s is a Brooklyn spot with a cool story. Sarah Khoshaba started making soup in bulk during the pandemic for family and friends. She eventually started selling it on Instagram, and it became total hit. The business continued growing, culminating in Gunther’s, a trendy Brooklyn cafe dishing out delicious bites.
Luckily, you don’t have to travel deep into Brooklyn because there’s a stall serving up soups and sandwiches at the Union Square holiday market! We got a small cup of tomato basil soup and half a grilled cheese, and it was utterly delicious. The soup was vibrant and aromatic, with an exciting freshness from the basil. And the grilled cheese was crunchy, gooey, and everything you want in a grilled cheese.
Cost: Small soup $6, grilled cheese $12
Worth It?: Is that a lot for grilled cheese and soup? Duh. But you’re at a holiday market in NYC… prices are going to be inflated and it’s about the experience.
4. The Truffliest
This spot specializes in, you guessed it, truffles. It’s gotten a cult following over the years, and I have always been too frugal to try it… until now! We got the mozzarella sticks and fries with goat cheese and truffle honey.
The mozzarella sticks didn’t do it for me. While fried cheese is always tasty, I couldn’t taste any truffle and they weren’t anything special. I quite enjoyed the curly fries, however! The goat cheese and truffle honey meshed together beautifully with the salty, crunchy fries.
Price: I didn’t document the price of each… but I’m sure they were expensive.
Worth it?: I think splitting the fries amongst the group is the move!
5. Babka Bailout
You’ve never seen babkas like these. We tried the ube babka donut, and I’ve never had anything quite like it. There was a subtle ube flavor, and the texture was just like a babka. The real gem, however, was the hot chocolate.
It was made with oat milk, which made it just creamy enough without being too rich. A pure delight!
Price: Didn’t notice… whoops
Worth It?: The hot chocolate is worth it! And a unique loaf is the perfect treat to take home for the holidays.
6. The Boiis Co
The Boiis Co is a filipino owned mochi bakery that shape shifts mochi into unique treats that’ll blow you away. You can’t pass up one of the mooks– which are mochi filled cookies. We snagged a salted caramel that had a deep caramel flavor and amazingly chewy texture. Next up was the ube butter mochi (mochi made like a brownie). I loved the texture, but, I can’t believe I’m saying this, it wasn’t sweet enough.
We also got to sample the new mochi banana bread which was chewy, yet sweet, yet bready…. and totally tasty!
Cost: Mooks are $5, ube butter mochi was $7.
Worth It?: Snag one of the mochi cookies for sure! They are super unique, and the owners are kind and hardworking– the type of people you want to support.
7. Casa Tuscana
And the best for last, this nutella bomboloni from Casa Tuscana. The doughnut is nice and fluffy without being dry and bready. And they heat it up so that the nutella gets nice and oozy. It’s well executed and decadent, and was my favorite eat of the Union Square Holiday Market.
Price: $6
Worth It: Yes!
Can’t make it to the Union Square Holiday Market? Don’t panic!
This year, you can buy from all the vendors on Kewl Street online! Perfect for out of towners and indecisive shoppers who need to think on those $60 earrings.
