A Food Vendor Walk-Through Of Gotham Market at The Ashland
Gotham West Market has proved a true Hell’s Kitchen oasis, providing non-franchised fast food options in the midst of an Arby’s-branded desert. And while the needs of Atlantic Yards passerby aren’t nearly as dire (everyone’s angling for those Barclays crowds, after all), a concentration of un-corporatized eateries will always be welcome.
And what Gotham Market at the Ashland lacks—compared to its predecessor—in high profile inclusions (we’re still sore over that prematurely dangled carrot, Mu Ramen), it makes up for with variety, from a rotisserie chicken eatery from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que’s John Stage, to a pizzeria from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que’s John Stage, to a late night bar and early morning café, courtesy of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que’s John Stage.
Mason Jar & MJ Station
Ironically, one of Gotham’s few non John Stage projects specializes in beer, bourbon and barbecue. An offshoot of Manhattan’s southern-styled sports bar, lunch and dinner options include pork rinds, brisket grilled cheese, shrimp and grits and a selection of meats from the smoker (pulled pork, grilled sausage, baby back ribs), complementing 30 craft beers, almost 50 whiskies, and a lineup of original and classic cocktails.
Boqueria
Located in the comfiest sector of the market (ringed by high, squashy booths set against soaring glass windows), this counts as the fifth U.S. location of the Barcelona-inspired tapas spot. Its collection of graze-y, sharable bites (such as pan con tomate, ham-stuffed croquettes, plancha-grilled octopus and lamb albondigas), make it an apt choice for the BAM and Barclays crowds, but it’s also a natural fit for brunch, featuring tortilla espanola, egg-crowned paella, churros con chocolate, and carafes of red, white and rosé sangria.
Flip Bird
Instead of arranging whole pigs over fire pits, John Stage is spatchcocking chickens over rotisseries and plunging them into deep-fryers at his new, poultry-focused destination. Order your bird served by the piece, in family-portioned buckets, or incorporated into salads, bowls or sandwiches like the Mr. Flip: pulled chicken and crispy skin topped with harissa honey, coleslaw and sambal mayonnaise.
Egg@The Bird
Though it should have preceded The Bird, this soon-to-open space serves as the market’s sole coffee and breakfast vendor, supplying residents and commuters with seasonal frittatas, bialy sandwiches, housemade baguettes and pastries, and freshly roasted java from Devoción in Williamsburg.
Apizza Regionale
Demonstrating sizable cojones, Stage has thrown his hat into Brooklyn’s formidable pizza ring as well, offering wood-fired, Neapolitan pies crafted almost exclusively from regionally-sourced ingredients—including 48-hour fermented dough made from organic stoneground wheat from upstate New York, as well as house-made mozzarella and soppressata from the Bronx.
Bar Granger
Stage consummates his day-to-night Gotham Market dynasty with 14 craft beers on draft, 14 wines by the glass or bottle and a range of house-made cocktails.
Crabby Shack
Crown Heights’s shellfish joint is the first to occupy Ashland’s revolving pop-up space, fusing their signature crustacean into everything from rolls, tacos and BLT’s to mac n’ cheese, chowders and tots.
Gotham Market at The Ashland: 590 Fulton St., located at the base of The Ashland apartment complex
