Greetings From the New Amsterdam Market

?Best eats at the New Amsterdam Market this weekend: Sunday gravy boat ($6) from Table Tales Cafe, featuring braised pork and beef, sausage, and meatballs lodged in a hollowed-out bread.

Gone is the extravagant New Amsterdam Market of last autumn, featuring dozens upon dozens of vendors and thronged with foodies of every stripe, occuring on a monthly basis. In its place, a more sober and sustainable weekly Sunday market, competing for the crowds with many similar markets around the city.

?The weekly New Amsterdam Market is a decidedly leaner affair.

Fewer stands sell fruits and vegetables, and the proportion of butchers and cheesemongers has risen. There are now around 30 stalls, with only six or seven selling prepared foods. Which is a shame, because those places selling hot food and cider were doing a land-office business, as the ancient expression goes.

Somewhat ironically, the stalls were all under the FDR in the shade, while the sun blazed not a few feet away, and a cold wind whipped off the East River. As with last year's market, the constellation of vendors was a remarkably good one, and there were some bargains to be had. Large 10 ounce wedges of cheese at Jasper Hill Farms were going for $5 apiece, which, according to our friend Amy Thompson of Lucy's Whey, was about half what you'd expect to pay at retail.

?Free cheese samples at Jasper Hill

Following are more pictures taken this afternoon at the market.

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