Chelsea Market: Chelsea Thai, Ronnybrook Milk Bar, Amy’s Bread, Fat Witch Brownies & a Secret Sandwich Shop

May 28, 2008

If you haven’t been to Chelsea Market, on 9th Avenue between 15th & 16th street, then its questionable whether you can be called a New Yorker. The building which houses Major League Baseball.com and the Food Network is also home to some of the best and spiciest Chicken Pad Thai I’ve ever had. And if fulfilling your sweet tooth is the goal, you can choose from brownies, cupcakes, milkshakes, gelato and more all under one roof. Naturally, there’s a secret sandwich shop in here as well, so read on to find out what you need to know.

Hard to believe, I know, but I haven’t eaten at every shop in Chelsea Market. I will make several suggestions but only one strong endorsement:

Chelsea Thai Wholesale’s Chicken Pad Thai

Chelsea Thai Wholesale provides Thai food ingredients but when I go, it’s for their excellent Chicken Pad Thai. The noodles are always cooked perfectly, and while the chicken is nothing special, I enjoy the cubes of sauteed tofu which absorb the perfectly balanced sauce. I order my Pad Thai extra spicy and this used to mean additional scoops of spicy Thai peppers, but the recipe has changed and extra spicy now equates to the addition of chili paste. This new version is harder to regulate but a lot more fiery especially when the dish is fresh out of the wok. I never ate bean sprouts until I needed them to dilute the heat. I’ve eaten this dish many times at a regular heat level and it’s equally delicious if not more. Some of the best Pad Thai I’ve had in NYC.

Watching the cooks work the woks over blazing flames is always a great way to pass the time, if you know what to watch for you’ll see them effortlessly creating your dish.

Lunch/Dessert Options

Amy’s Breads

Always reliable, particularly when it comes to cupcakes and cookies. They make a Kitchen Sink Cookie with chocolate chips, nuts, and oats. The yellow cake with icing and the coconut cake are also tasty. Their flatbread pizzas and all of their breads are baked fresh on premises, visible to the public next door.

Ronnybrook Milk Bar

Chocolate & coffee milk, heavy cream, and a shot of espresso combine to create the Moocachino, a deliciously rich, creamy alternative to a frappacino. I’ve never eaten here but they offer a standard brunch weekday mornings until 11:45 AM and all day on weekends. Their lunch menu ranges from a Free Range Roast Chicken sandwich with cheddar, spicy aioli, avocado, and bacon on flauto bread to Chilled Ronnybrook Yogurt Soup with cucumber noodles, chives and fried chickpeas. Desserts range from Milkshakes to egg creams and the always classic two fresh baked cookies with a glass of milk.

Fat Witch Brownies

Fudgy and decadent while maintaining a light cakey-ness, Fat Witch Brownies won’t satisfy that primal urge for chocolate the way a Levain cookie would, but it’s still buttery and delicious. I like the classic walnut brownie.

Secret Sandwich Shop inside Bowery Kitchen Supply

How can any NYC establishment take pride in its craft if there isn’t an insider angle to make it a little better. At Chelsea Market you have to walk for your prize, all the way to the back of the market past the Manhattan Fruit Exchange, past Chelsea Thai, and then when you pass the L’Arte del Gelato stand, glory is a few steps away inside Bowery Kitchen Supply. It’s the only place where you can buy a whisk, a wok, and a Fresh Roast Turkey sandwich. The deliciousness of Chelsea Thai has prevented me from trying these sandwiches myself but I’ve heard great things and will report back on them soon.