Smorgasburg and Coppelia

Excited about one of the first weekends of spring, the Conde Crew decided to head out to Dumbo to check out Smorgasburg - a Brooklyn Flea Food Market.  Smorgasburg started out in Williamsburg (hence the clever name) and became so popular that they decided to do a second one in Dumbo within the ruins of an old factory by the bridge.  

Some of the best restaurants in the city take part in this fun event each week, giving foodies a chance to sample some delectable treats.  

Unfortunately, two things were not in our favor: time and weather.  We heard the vendors would be there until 6pm, but by the time we arrived in late afternoon a lot of them had run out of food and were packing up.  Lesson learned: get there super early.  At first we were determined to make the most of it and try samples from the places that were left, but the first weekend of spring proved to feel more like yet another weekend of winter.  After trying a few pork buns from Bite Size Kitchen (tasty!), we decided to pack it in and come back on a warmer day.

Our Plan B was to head to Bubby's right down the block.  But lo and behold - the Dumbo Bubby's CLOSED!!  :(  We really used to love that place (as you will see if you search "Bubby's" on this blog), so we needed a minute to mourn the loss.  We couldn't wallow for long though, because we were getting pretty hungry.  So after a few minutes of meandering around looking for a good brunch spot in the area, Brandon suggested we head back to Manhattan and try one of his favorite spots: Coppelia.  Brilliant!

Coppelia is a 24/7 Cuban diner in Chelsea.  Though it outwardly appears to be like any other diner in the city, the food and drinks are absolutely top notch.  Truly comparable to any fancy, white-tablecloth establishment but for a fraction of the price.  AWESOME!

 chips & guac (awesome smoky flavor) & mac and cheese (delectable!)

 fish tacos 

 Cubano sandwich

 empanadas

 Korean tacos

So even though Coppelia wasn't our original plan for the day, it turned out to be the perfect way to warm up on an unexpectedly chilly "spring" Sunday.