By Ron Rossi
Ever visited the Bronx Night Market? Well, outdoor markets are outdoor markets. You usually find them on the weekend especially when spring arrives. Then it will run through the year until the fall is here and it’s time to close. We can find them all across New York. Every town and community seems to have one.
We are all used to them and they rarely change. So to find one that is relatively new is very different. Especially when it’s not for one occasion but is here for the community for a few seasons.
That is the BRONX NIGHT MARKET.
The Bronx Night Market: Outdoors For A Change
The Bronx Night Market is not your ordinary weekend market. This is not just a farmers’ market with fruit and vegetables. They might have some of that. And it is not just a market with clothing, lotions, or items for your home. They will also have some of this. What they are known for is the food. That is very special.
They originally opened 4 years ago. That is what was planned. The location was perfect here in Fordham Plaza just on the corner opposite Fordham University. That is ideal. The school is large and there are many students there. The community is large as well. This is not a small community.
Right now they have over 20 food booths available to choose from. When first opened a few years ago there were more booths and people who would be there. But times have changed. The plan is to still have visitors attend and enjoy what is available, but caution is taken. We each get brief testing as we prepare to go in. You can then visit the area and, if you order something to have for lunch, you can receive the meal and take it outside the area to the seats next to that and then eat. It is a smart thing to do at this time.
Yet, while you are in the area you can see so much available for you to consider and enjoy.
A VARIETY OF FOOD TO IMAGINE
Once you are in the area it is time to enjoy what is available. There is much to consider. And this is not just one item from one region. Instead, this is a meal from various parts of the world. All are different, and all are original. This is a meal that is like you have crossed the area and have decided to take your meal in the Caribbean, in Asia, In Spain, in the midWest, or even in Germany.
Everything here is original to the region. And everything is unique. Nothing is to taste as if it is American in taste or design. Instead, this will taste the way it is authentically made as if you crossed over to another country. There is a flavor and design that is special. It is cut the way it is over there. It has the spice and flavor from another place. It even has the area as if you were in another country.
This meal is wonderful to know it is made as if you have stepped into the home of someone in another region who has invited you in to have lunch.
One of the best connections here is that the owners of each booth that is making the meal for you are from those specific regions. There are people making a meal from Spain that come from that area. The chefs cooking the meal as if you are in the middle of Hamburg or Berlin are actually from there and making a meal for you. The cooks with the Asian meal are from the area and create a meal that tastes as if you were over there.
That is one of the special directions in the Bronx Night Market. The chefs and owners are from the local community in the Bronx. This is where they live and where they cook. It is as if you did step into their home to enjoy their company.
You can spend your time talking to them as they discuss the meal you shall have. The cooks and their members speak their special languages. There is Caribbean, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Asian. The people are friendly. And the meals are fresh, tasteful, spiced just right, and gives you a chance to eat a meal you will truly enjoy.
A FEW ITEMS TO EAT AROUND THE WORLD
Where to begin? When you have such a selection to choose from, it is a world out there. This was a big choice to have when you have over 20 booths to choose from.
Move to Maine and try the Fresh Maine Lobstah Rolls to start with. The lobsters are fresh and cooked. You can have it on a dish or you can have it made for a sandwich which is something we normally find in New England in the summer months. It is just the right consistency and you bite into it.
Or next move over and try your selection of Twisted Potatoes. It is as if you are having potato chips on a stick that was fried and roasted to perfection as you take a bite into it. This is a rare treat to enjoy as you walk around. Fresh and crisp as it should be.
For those who want a hamburger then it is time to request a freshly made hamburger. Visit the BX Burger Co. It is a fresh handmade burger that tastes as if you took it off a barbecue grill. It is moist and tasty with the correct flavor and spice. Topped with lettuce and tomato you can then select what else you want on it.
The next stop might be to move on to Spain when you stop by La Braza. Known as the “Spanish Addictions” this chef is marking the right meal for you to have when you are at home. There are chicken or pork kebabs. There are special Spanish wraps to select from. There is Arepa. There are Empanadas. There are Shish Kebabs. There is even a fresh ear of corn that has been grilled and is then topped with what you want with it.
Right next to this is the Wah Gwaan, a meal that will bring you a taste of the Caribbean you might not always have. The ginger rice and chicken is fresh and light. It gives you enough spice and flavor that will make you think and enjoy the meal with each bite you take. It is a good choice.
Finally, you can try a specialty you might know of when you are in Germany. Having worked over there I would see this all the time. But here in The Bronx, it is special. It is the German Bratwurst Pavilion booth. A grilled piece of bratwurst or chicken that is grilled properly then topped with mustard and a side of sauerkraut. If you want to be more adventurous then instead of the mustard you have the bratwurst topped with Curry Sauce turning it into currywurst. This is great. It is a special style in Germany. And if you had been there before then it is like being back there. This was home.
SOMETHING ELSE TO ENJOY
When you finish your lunch you might decide to walk around and see what other items were for sale. The opportunity always changes so you have to stop and look at what might be of interest.
Try a variety of lotions and oils to select from. BTOR (Back To Our Roots) is one that offers freshly made items to protect and protect your skin. There is Poppins NYC which offers some lapel pins that are based on old record albums and have a unique concept for you to wear. There is also the Truly Hard Seltzer if you need some time to soothe your thirst.
Every time you’re here there is something different. So it is worth taking a look each time you visit.
A TIME TO SEE, LEARN AND TALK
The Bronx Night Market is in the right location. Again being near Fordham University you meet a variety of students, residents and individuals. Everyone is here to learn and talk with each other.
Speaking with the owner, Marco Shalma, and the manager, Beatriz Torres-Martine, I heard about where they had been and where they hoped to go.
By the end of the summer in 2021, they hope to expand the area to include up to almost 75 different booths for various vendors from products to food. They also have students from the university who do work and participate to help the area grow and expand for other individuals who do attend.
The hope is that for 2022 it will open bigger and everyone will be able to visit once more. It is hopeful then, but right now it is wonderful as well. There are many local vendors to visit. Big markets to visit. Traditional offerings from different cultures and individuals.
A Place To Visit Again…
Bronx Night Market is a special place to visit. There are a variety of booths and vendors to select from. Prices are very reasonable no matter which one you visit. They are all reasonable for you to consider.
You might think of it as a regular outdoor market for the weekend. But once you step through the gate and start to smell the aromas in the air you know you are in the place you have been waiting for. This is the place where everything and everyone is waiting for you. The choices are there. The people are friendly. The team will help you with questions you might have or what you are looking to have at this time.
It is truly a great place to be at this time, and in the time to come. You have had a good meal and maybe met a few new places to eat or friends to know. It is like being home.
LOCATION:
Bronx Night Market
Fordham Plaza
45 Bruckner Blvd
Bronx, New York 10458
Hours: 12noon to 7pm. Saturday’s.
Want to read more of our posts? Check out our review of this iconic place in the Bronx Little Italy, or our kitchen Décor ideas for 2021.
“The Jaded Traveler”. Ron Rossi was born and raised in New York. A globalist at heart, Ron is a marketing director by trade, and has lived and worked around the world including Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. Food is one of the best ways to learn about a country, a people and a culture. So, Ron is always looking for the best in mid-range to budget and street food. He is always on the hunt for a good meal anyone can afford. It is the food of the average citizen that excites him. And with having visited close to 100 countries on 6 continents so far, there have been some pretty good meals.
