As Anna wrote earlier this week, the Columbus Circle Holiday Market is going on now, and there are several great options for lunch. She sampled the empanadas from both Sizzle and La Sonrisa, as well as cider things at Breezy Hill Orchard. Plus, there’s Wafels & Dinges, German Delights Bratwurst and the Turkish pastries from MMM … Enfes that Brownie was a big fan of from the Bryant Park holiday fair. Shamefully omitted from the previous writeup was Red Basil Thai Kitchen, which hails from Astoria and has a stand between the Brats and the Turks.

There are lots of appetizer options available here. I tried the veggie dumplings ($5.95) listed in the “vegetarian snacks” area of the menu, thinking they would be akin to the appetizer portions one would get in a Thai restaurant. Instead of the usual 4-5 pieces per order, I received double that amount with a sweet soy dipping sauce, plus it came with salad topped with a delicious peanut dressing. The dumplings were more dough than I would prefer, but that made them more filling, making this dish feel like a meal in itself.

Unlike the appetizers, there are just two lunch options. The first is a red curry with jasmine rice that comes with your choice of protein — shrimp ($8.00), chicken or veggies (each $7.00). I ordered the other option: grilled chicken over yellow rice served with peanut sauce on top and the same salad as the dumplings ($8.00). The chicken had a really nice flame grilled taste to it and reminded me of satay, but larger pieces. The yellow rice was pretty standard until I hit a patch covered in peanut sauce from the chicken — that was good stuff.

To wash it all down, I highly recommend the hot ginger tea ($2.00). Made of real ginger pieces, the tea is warm, spicy, sweet and wonderfully reminiscent of the holidays. The perfect Asian alternative to cider from Breezy Hill Orchard!

Columbus Circle Holiday Market, Columbus Circle

Last month, On Tap at Whole Foods Market opened at their Columbus Circle location. Beer at a supermarket? Sounds kind of weird, but considering Whole Foods is the best generic Midtown deli, the food at On Tap may be worth a look-see.

Although the food menu focuses on bar snacks, like nuts and pretzels, as well as local meats, cheeses and pickles, they appear to also serve heartier fare. Hot dogs ($5.00, or $6.00 with toppings), chili ($6.00 vegetarian or $7.00 with meat) and pulled pork sandwich ($10.00) are all in the ML budget; however, the brisket sandwich will push you over at $12.00 (as will ordering alcohol). Good news for the thrifty — there’s a sign informing customers that the establishment doesn’t accept tips, which is a refreshing change of pace for New York City, and they’re open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays (with similar hours on weekends).

On Tap at Whole Foods Market, Time Warner Center, Columbus Circle. 212-823-9600

The Columbus Circle Holiday Market is going on now through December 24th. According to their website, it is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm, and Sunday from 10am to 7pm. There are stalls with gifts and goodies, as well as food and dessert vendors.

Lunch’er Jill mentioned it in the forums the other day, and seemed pretty excited about Pies & Thighs (which was at the market last year). Sadly, I don’t think Pies & Thighs is back. But I did manage to drum up some other tasty treats.

After perusing the different food options avaiable (they were plentiful), I decided to try one empanada from each of the two empanada vendors: a Chicken Garlic Parmesan ($3.50) from this lovely gentleman at Sizzles, and a Coconut Curry Chicken ($3.00) from La Sonrisa.

The Chicken Garlic Parmesan was indeed very garlicky and had a distinctive parmesan flavor. It was actually very tasty and different from any empanada I’ve ever had, but the pureed texture of the innards and lukewarm temperature were a little bit offputting.

Despite the smushed appearance in the photo, the La Sonrisa Coconut Curry Chicken empanada was the clear winner of the empanada-off. The exterior was fried to a deep golden brown, the interior was piping hot, and you could easily distinguish the shredded chicken pieces, onions, and curry spices, which came together in a delicious flavor explosion.

And of course, you can’t go to a holiday market without getting one of these bad boys:

Apple cider and an apple cider donut from Breezy Hill Orchard (Cider: $3 for 12 oz, $4 for 16 oz. Donut: priceless 3 for $3.50).

Other food options at the market include Wafels & Dinges, German Delights Bratwurst, MMM Enfes, and many more. There are tons of booths selling everything: jewelry, clothes, art, and even a stand selling DIY Kombucha Tea kits. Definitely check out the Columbus Circle Holiday Market for a little holiday cheer, gift shopping, and culinary delights before it’s gone!

Columbus Circle Holiday Market, Columbus Circle

I love the chicken biscuit from Pies ‘n’ Thighs. Made up of a hot sauce decked fried chicken cutlet sandwiched between a honey buttered biscuit that would make Paula Deen blush, it’s nothing short of spectacular in my book. When I saw in Chris’ post that Brooklyn based Pies ‘n’ Thighs was holding court at the Columbus Circle Holiday Market, I had to go check it out for myself.

I was sorely tempted to get the chicken biscuit which as Lunch’er b-eats noted “is definitely in the ‘holy crap I cant believe how good this is!!!’ category of foods” but when I saw that Ham Biscuit ($7) and for the good of the Midtown Lunching community, I sucked it up and tried something new.

The sandwich is reminiscent of something you might have for one of those Christmas leftover meals–slices of carved ham, a thick slice of cheddar cheese, a thin slice of Granny Smith apple and some kale for greenery sandwiched between their buttery good biscuit. If you like ham sandwiches, this is a very good one. I wolfed down half on site and headed back to my office where I temporarily removed the apple and popped the remains in the microwave for a few seconds. The bit of microwave time was definitely worthwhile in my book, for the melty cheese/warm biscuit factor. While this was a good ham sandwich, if you love fried chicken, I would make the chicken biscuit your first priority here; it’s a buck cheaper and a really awesome sandwich that you can only get on the fringes of midtown until Christmas Eve when the market folds up.

If you’re feeling a little splurge-y, go for a slice of their pie for $3 (which is actually cheaper than in Brooklyn where they go for $4.50 a slice). I’ve had their Key Lime Pie before and while I was intrigued by their chocolate peanut butter, the guy behind the counter had good things to say about their pumpkin pie with a molasses graham cookie crust. The slices aren’t huge, but the filling was very pleasant as was the spiced crust.

Good news for Downtown Lunch’ers is they can get in on their own Pies ‘n’ Thighs lunchtime action starting on Friday, December 17th at The Big Social Holiday Market brought to you by the creators of The Hester Street Fair.

The Big Social Holiday Market will run daily from 11:00am until 8pm until 12/23. And The Columbus Circle Holiday Market will be operating from 10am – 8pm until 12/24.

I generally don’t get excited when a major establishment sends me a glossy press release about an upcoming special event. The ersatz nature of the Columbus Circle pop-up Holiday market smacks at my general preference for hole-in-the-wall places and secret spaces, whether they be in Midtown, the Village or Brooklyn. So I was more than excited to see some of my far flung favorites make an appearance, like Crif Dogs, Fatty Crab, and Pies n Thighs among others. Lingering questions remained though – would the quality of food be as good as the original? And is it possible to construct a $10 Midtown lunch in one of the most opulent areas of the city, right on the doorsteps of the house of Per Se?

The answer is Yes and Yes.

There are plenty of hearty, moderately priced snacks to assemble a filling lunch, such as Crif Dog’s Chihuahua dog ($5). There’s apparently a transportation cost of moving this bacon wrapped and avocado studded dog from Alphabet City, where they’re normally $4.50. But flavor wise, the Cardiologist’s worst nightmare is close to the original. Add a side of tater tots (S-$3 / L-$4) and you’re in for a filling lunch.

Cascabel Taqueria’s UES location has always been far out of bounds for me, even during non-lunch hours, so I applaud Columbus Circle for bringing yet another far flung food item for grateful Midtown lunchers. I sampled a carnitas taco ($3), three of which would easily make a hearty, meaty lunch. However, there were textural issues as my single wrapped corn tortilla disintegrated when I tried to pick it up. The meat was also on the dry side, but generously applied.

You don’t expect value for money or authenticity when dining at Fatty Crabs or Fatty Cue (West Village, UWS, So. Williamsburg). Instead, it’s all about the big and bold flavors, such as their Asian riff on a steak sandwich ($9). Though small in stature, the flavors in this sandwich are out of control from the creamy cheese, richness of the braised beef, and a good background heat from chilis. I would gladly break the $10 mark for another round of this sandwich, supplemented by their chicken and dumpling soup ($7).

It’s a hike and a half to travel from Manhattan to the original Pies n Thighs in South Williamsburg, but it’s a journey I’ve made in the past without hesitation. Having a Pies n Thighs in our own backyard is simply too good to be true. The Columbus Circle spin-off does justice to the original chicken sandwich ($6) – my biscuit was flaky, dense, and rich, while the chicken is slightly crispy with a Buffalo chicken like exterior. Be prepared for a bit of a wait as they fry the chicken biscuit sandwiches to order. You’ll be glad you did.

Collard greens ($3) at Pies n Thighs is another success. This soul food favorite is perfectly braised and tender, with a satisfying twang of hot sauce and vinegar. Don’t let the suspiciously healthy cruciferous appearance fool you, as there are nubs of pork fat to add richness and body.

In short, the Columbus Circle market has done an admirable job of giving tourists and Midtown lunchers an eclectic taste of New York flavors from every corner of Manhattan and beyond. If one orders wisely, it’s easy to assemble a filling, delicious and cheap meal with endless iterations. Even though Columbus Circle is out of bounds and mobbed with tourists, I’ll certainly be back for another round of Pies n Thighs and Fatty Cue – it almost beats taking the hel(L) train to Williamsburg.

The Columbus Circle Holiday Market will be operating from December 1 – December 24, 2010.
Open every day from 10am – 8pm
Official Website

The kick off event is a free dessert tasting this Friday at 5:30pm with free desserts from Bouchon Bakery, A Voce, Landmarc and more (hello double truffle brownies!) That one is completely open to the public, but in the future events will only be open to members. You can get more info and sign up now at www.circleoftaste.com