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Apparently, the food hall trend in New York is still going strong: Shaver Hall is a new 35,000-square-foot culinary destination set to open on the ground floor of the iconic Lord & Taylor flagship Hank building at 424-434 Fifth Avenue by 38th Street, now owned by and home to Amazon’s corporate offices. 

According to Eater, Amazon is behind the project alongside a Texas-based food hall company. 

The outlet reports that the new destination will boast two full-fledged restaurants, a couple of bars and a total of 11 stalls, including one operated by F&F Pizzeria, the popular Carroll Gardens spot. 

6sqft also reports that Korean-inspired chicken eatery Chick Chick and Mexican street food outpost Taqueria Al Pastor will be taking over stalls.

As exciting as the gastronomic offerings will be, the historical significance of the venue will undoubtedly contribute to the allure of the new food hall.

The former Lord & Taylor flagship, in fact, stood tall at the address for over a century. It closed in 2019 and was purchased and renovated by Amazon a few years later. The food hall pays homage to that trajectory: Shaver Hall is named after Dorothy Shaver, the president of Lord & Taylor and a very big player in the department store game.

Although we’re a bit disenchanted with the whole food hall thing—there’s something to be said about going to a traditional restaurant to enjoy a meal outside of our apartments—we must admit that we have complete faith in Amazon, so we’re expecting Shaver Hall to really up the ante when it comes to the gastronomic form.

* This article was originally published here

It’s the season of the smashburger. Since gaining popularity in 2020, there are tons of new burger joints smashing patties on searing hot grills all over town. But what is the secret sauce to making a good smashburger? We caught up with Mark Mendaros owner of Smashed NYC, which just opened a kitchen at Time Out Market New York, for the details.

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What is the best fat to lean ratio for your smash burgers?

Mark Mendaros: 80/20

How thin do you smash your burgers? 

MM: We have to get them really thin in order to get the crispy caramelized edges.

What is the reasoning behind the smash?

MM: We need to smash them in order to create something called the Maillard reaction. It’s a chemical process that occurs when amino acids and sugars in meat are cooked at a high temperature. This reaction is responsible for the golden brown color, crispy crust and complex flavors.

When is the best time to add in seasoning for a smashburger? 

MM: We like to add the seasoning after we smash the patty on the grill.

Onion smashed in the patty, yes or no? 

MM: We prefer to add the onions after the patty is smashed in our version of the Oklahoma burger.

Tell me about sauce and what sets yours apart.

MM: To me, it’s all about the ingredients. I think what differentiates us is that we make our own sauces. If you try other smashburgers, most of them either use Thousand Island dressing or just ketchup. We’re in a totally different direction. We have our smash sauce, we make our own barbecue sauce, our own truffle sauce. One burger, our Bacon Jalapeño Burger, the bacon jam is made in house. Our cooking background is in fine dining French food that is heavy and rich in sauces. We use all the principles we learned in those early years and apply them to all our sauces. 

TO: What kind of bun are you looking for? Pillowy? Brioche?

MM: We primarily use [Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls] for most of our burgers. Their quality and flavor are consistent.  In a brioche bun, the primary ingredients are salt and butter—we look for the perfect blend of the two. 

Try it straight from the source at Smashed NYC’s Time Out Market (55 Water Street) location now.

* This article was originally published here

One of the drawbacks of living in a big city like New York is that it’s not always easy to take part in quintessential, wholesome autumn activities like apple picking or hayrides. 

But New Yorkers should consider themselves lucky because despite not having easy access to nature, there’s actually a corn maize in Queens that’s relatively accessible and will help you fully live out your rural fall fantasies.

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The iconic Amazing Maize Maze is back at the Queens County Farm Museum and is made up of three acres of giant corn stalks. The journey begins with a “Stalk Talk,” where a staff member will brief you on how to find clues, solve puzzles and eventually find your way to Victory Bridge. 

Each year, the maze’s shape changes and this year’s maze is in the shape of a Monarch butterfly, a species that starts their life cycle on the farm’s milkweed plants before they migrate nearly 3,000 miles to Mexico every year. Unfortunately, the Monarch butterfly population has decreased by about 90% in the past 20 years, in large part because of the decline of milkweed, which is the Monarch caterpillar’s main source of food, per the Oceanside Conservation Trust of Casco Bay. The maze is not only a fun family activity this year, but also an homage to a threatened species that we should all protect.

Getting through the maze can take anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes, if last year was a measure to go by. Once you’re done with the maze, Queens County Farm Museum also happens to offer hayrides that take you across the 46 acre property for $6 per person. You can also see a variety of animals on the farm, including sheep, goats, pigs and even alpacas. 

You can visit the Amazing Maize Maze every Friday through Sunday until October 26. The maze will be open on Fridays from 2pm until 5:30pm, with last entry being at 5pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 11am until 4:30pm, with last entry being at 4pm. 

The easiest way to get to the maze is by car and the Queens County Farm Museum offers free parking on site for visitors. If you can’t take a car, the farm is accessible via MTA buses Q46, QM6 and Q36. 

Tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for children ages 4-11. Entry is free for children under 3 years old. Online tickets are required before you visit and you can get them through their website. 

* This article was originally published here