Four dollar tacos at Madison Square Market
When I see a roast pig, it just makes me really happy that a there will be deliciousness ahead. Since the pig was being roasted right next to Madison Square Park, it made it an even cooler sight. Although it's bit of a tease if the pig being roasted in front of you is 4 hours from being done and you can't just stand there and wait for the result. Good thing was that they had other food available that didn't require a 4 hour wait.
They had a couple of tacos and sliders for sale, with each being either $4 or $5 dollars. Since the prices definitely was on the high side, I decided on the taco al carbon and the Fatty slider, each sold for $4.
The taco al carbon had these little cubes of steak that was cooked perfectly and the thing was a simple work of joy. Unfussy, the taco stood out without too many toppings. It's refreshing to taste the meat in a taco. The price is still a bit crazy though so while I enjoyed this taco, it wasn't an unabashed love affair. Just more of a mild case of a middle school crush.
The fatty slider was exceptional. It was a great surprise to get an Asian flavored slider. My experiences with sliders is limited to White Castle but I know from the internets most aren't like the xo fatty slider. I definitely wanted seconds of this.
The funny thing is that I bet at a restaurant you could put three of these things on a plate and sell it for $13 and people would just eat it up. I would. But as a slider from a street stand that cost $4 dollars, the experience can be a bit jarring. How do I marriage the idea of restaurant quality food at inadequate quantity for street food standards? Shit that sentence made no fucking sense. The point is, sometimes the food is really good, but since it's high quality, they don't serve you as much. Now, at a normal street vendor, this would be crazy, but since it's a pop-up street vendor that's really a restaurant doing promo, many people are cool with this. The only thing is, my friend Ming just came back from two weeks in Singapore and told me that he could fill up for $3 dollars. It's just not the same here.
It'll work out better for me when I either win the lottery and $4 dollar tacos feel like pennies, or I just accept that $4 dollars should be three bites. Honestly, the chances of me dying in a plane crash is better than me winning the lottery or believing $4 street food should only be three bites. I can't help but to be envious of people who can walk up to the Fatty Crab/Cabrito to just drop $30 on a full meal. Then again, I'm not chasing death via plane crashes. So as delicious as it may be, no thanks.
Madison Square Market
Broadway and 25th St.
New York, NY 10010
Man, you cannot even buy a breath of air in Paris for $4! Celebrate that cheap price, my friend. As far as Singapore, yes - it's ridiculously good AND cheap. I love the coffee shop coffee for 65 cents....
FN
October 27, 2009 6:33 am
there's something very cartoonish about that roasted pig butt.
Jonathan
October 28, 2009 10:01 am
Yeah, those pop-up vendors are such a tease. At least be a proper tease and be cheap.
bionicgrrrl
November 2, 2009 1:06 am