NOSH at Wicker Park Makes Saturdays Tasty

In what looks a little bit like the popular Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, a former New Yorker has quietly been running The NOSH at Wicker Park for the past three Saturdays, and I’m pleased to say this fledgling little eater’s market shows promise. From the Yiddish “to nibble,” this weekly market of sorts has been bringing a number of small restaurateurs, artisan vendors and food trucks together in a parking lot behind the Pritzker School, near Damen and Evergreen. You might be surprised to find out who is participating.

Just this past Saturday, I had an excellent lobster roll from Da Lobsta as well as a delicately steamed corn tamale with an ethereal poblano cream sauce, courtesy of the folks from Mixteco Grill:

I also had a fantastic breakfast sandwich from the Eastman Egg Company, a bottle of Filbert’s soda (from Bridgeport) and a country fried chicken rice bowl, served by Pecking Order‘s Christine Subido. Regulars from the Dose Market, like Karl’s Craft Soup were also on hand, offering samples and pints of soup for sale. Like Portland’s food cart “pods” the NOSH is set up in a similar fashion, with vendors in a circle around the perimeter, and a group of shaded picnic tables set down in the middle of the school’s playground. They’ll have live music every week, and will most likely rotate vendors, based on need, demand and requests. The goal is to get upwards of 30 vendors to come each week (there currently are only about a dozen).

I loved seeing the Gladwell Ice Cream man just outside the playground this week. Even though it was a little bit chilly outside, it didn’t stop me from getting a Wonderwich (the most delicious chocolate chip ice cream sandwiched between two delicate, chewy chocolate cookies):

The NOSH at Wicker Park runs every Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Pritzker Elementary (entrances at 2009 W. Schiller and in front, at Damen/Evergreen, and will most likely run through October.