A Thrifty Adventure: Madison Sq Eats

This week a rehearsal brought me down to the Madison Square Park area. I never spend much time in that neighborhood, but when I do I am always slightly disappointed by the presence of affordable lunch/dinner options. Of course you can figure out something tasty and relatively cheap at NY mainstays Eataly or Shake Shack, but I’m talking about $10 ‘I’m so broke because pay day is a week away’ dinners. All of this brings me to one of my favorite NYC food events that’s happening right now through the end of the month: Madison Square Eats.

Usually two times a year, the plaza slightly above the intersection of Broadway and Fifth avenue is shut down by around thirty pop up restaurants with tons of cheap dining options. It’s absolutely possible to have a killer culinary treat within the $10-15 range. Of course there are the NYC treats like Momofuku Milk Bar($2 compost cookies that are to die for) and the Red Hook Lobster pound ($16 for a buttery warm lobster roll). Where Madison Square Eats succeeds the most are the outposts for the wildly successful food carts that don’t have brick and mortar shops usually. It’s a delight to be able to actually have a table and chair while enjoying tasty burritos and affordable beer from Mexicue. Last night I treated myself to a trio of street meat from Seol Lee Korean Bar B Cue- a first time pop up restaurant- which was so fresh and satisfying for under $10.

If you’re looking for an alternate to the usual penny pinching Subway sandwich, why not take a thrifty adventure down to Madison Square Eats and dine al fresco in the shadow of the flatiron building!

If You Go:
Madison Square Eats
Worth Square (at the intersection of Broadway, 5th Ave, and 25th St.)
Through Friday, May 31st
Open Daily 11am-9pm