INDUSTRY CITY, SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN
The century-old Industry City complex — 16 buildings along the Brooklyn waterfront off the 36th Avenue D/N/R stop — is now home to a variety of art collectives, events and businesses heavy on design. But we especially love its Food Hall, and how we can watch the sausage being made in it — also, the cakes, tacos, truffles and more.
That’s because many of its 10 vendors — which are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays — have access to both retail space and commercial kitchens, where visitors can watch from behind windows as food is made from scratch.
“It shows people that we’re more than a sandwich shop,” says John Ratliff, stuffing coffeecured pork tenderloin into natural casing at his salumeria, Ends Meat ( 1) (254 36th St.; 718-801-8895). Some six sandwiches are on the small menu, but Ratliff ’s big lift is aging up to 10,000 pounds of meat at any one time, which he supplies to restaurants around the city. Also at 254 36th St.: bakeries One Girl Cookies (2) (212-675-4996), well known for its miniature cookies and whoopie pies, and the Fashion Chef (3) (718-369- 3003), selling elegant cakes and pastries; and pop-up Jianbing (4) (EatJianbing .com) with Shanghai-inspired street food. Small-batch chocolatier Li-Lac Chocolates (5) (68 35th St.; 212-924-2280) features a factory line of truffles (you won’t be the only one waiting for an “I Love Lucy” moment). Want caffeine? Extraction Lab (6) (51 35th St.; 718-704-0840) has high-end, rotating brews that range from $4 to $18(!) a cup.
The Friday and Saturday crowds can try Industry City Distillery (7) (33 35th St., No. 6A; 718-305-6951) for cocktails and a peek at its craft vodka distiller (4 to 10 p.m.; tours and tastings, Saturdays at 3 p.m.). The complex also has five courtyards, where you can hang out and eat your own food or one of the delicious meals purchased there.