What if we told you that you could satisfy all of your sweet and savory cravings, all in one place, regardless of the weather? Foodies, take note. If you haven’t been to the Midnight Market in Jersey City yet, you’re actually missing out on a very big deal. On what, you might ask? Well only the area’s first indoor night market — located in the Harborside Atrium which takes place once per month on a Friday night {most of the time} from 6:30-midnight. This food + nightlife experience for adults features a variety of food and drink vendors from around the Tri-State area to enjoy as you make your way around the large space {right by the Harborside lightrail stop in JC}.
But because the lineup changes monthly and there’s only one event per month, we thought we’d share a few of our favorite vendors in the hopes that when they’re there when you come through. But even if they’re not, each spot’s dish is something to write home about. Here goes:
Moffle Bar {Moffles}
^The Moffle, in all its gluten-filled glory
Hailing originally from Flushing, Queens, Moffles, not to be confused with waffles, are a foodie mashup of mochi {is Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice} and waffles aka gluten-free friends need not apply. The dessert delicacy comes in a crispy waffley exterior with an ooey gooey mochi center served up warm on a stick. And it definitely doesn’t disappoint.
Baonanas {Banana Pudding}
Let’s just say banana pudding and ‘dessert’ in Jersey City will never be the same. An HG favorite for a while now, Baonanas was founded in JC by college students Trisha & Lloyd, in what started as a fundraiser to fix the young couple’s car — which has now blossomed a serious dessert craze. Baonanas is composed of bananas which are frozen-then-whipped into alternating layers of cakey wafers and fresh fruits, and has caught the attention of websites like Buzzfeed, Thrillist, Gothamist, and Business Insider {and HG, obviously}.
House of Gains {Poke Bowls}
For a more health-conscious approach to your Midnight Market escapades, House of Gains is a great pick. The healthy meal delivery service hailing from Jersey City offers a variety of menu items, and when we rolled through {or should we say waddled at this point?} their tent at the Midnight Market, House of Gains was serving up some poke bowls with cucumbers and other healthy-but-delish ingredients mixed in. They also recently rolled out VEGAN french toast {aka egg + milk free}, and we can’t wait to try!
Juicy Spot Cafe {Rolled Ice Cream}
Though rolled ice cream is a trend that we’re seeing often, it never hurts to sample some — and famous ice cream at that. Juicy Spot Cafe, featured on the Cooking Channel’s Unique Sweets season 6 is a mainstay in Chinatown, NYC, and recently graced JC with its presence at the Midnight Market.
Kimchi Smoke {Chonuts}
^The Chonut. Your life will never be the same.
Move over cronut, it’s time for the chonut. Hailing from Westwood, NJ, this Southern Texas-style BBQ joint with a Korean twist boasts a 12-hour smoked brisket, bacon, cheese, and smoked kimchi {spicy pickled cabbage} atop a doughnut. Hence the chonut. If you haven’t tried and they’re not at Midnight Market the month you go, you need to get yourself to Westwood STAT-cakes.
A Taste of Poland {Pierogies}
An authentic Polish spot in Jersey City, A Taste of Poland offers mouth-watering pierogies and other traditional fare from Eastern Europe. They’ve recently opened a pop-up inside Legal Grounds in JC every Weds-Friday from 5pm-8pm {dinner spot on poiiiint}. Other comfort food musts are the sauerkraut and sausage, golumpki {stuffed cabbage}, and the cheese and potato-stuffed pierogies, of course.
While these are just a few of our favorite vendors from Midnight Markets past, there are a variety of different ones depending on the month you go. The market takes place every few weeks, and it just so happens to be occurring this Friday, April 14, with a special “Dessert First” theme {we’ll leave it to you to discern what that entails}. FYI entry is $5, and food varies in price but is usually $5 or less per dish inside. For a full list of vendors participating this time, check out their Facebook event here.
Have you been to the Midnight Market? What was your favorite foodie spot?
