Rendering of the future Essex Street Market.
Essex Street Market today named some of the vendors that will join the market when it moves to its new home in the Essex Crossing complex. Among them: Samesa, the popular Middle Eastern takeout spot with a location in Williamsburg, and Flower Power Herbs and Roots, a longstanding East Village herbal apothecary. Also in the mix will be Saffron, a Fort Greene florist, and Josephine’s Feast!, a regular at the Union Square Greenmarket.
The four new vendors will join existing ones when the 78-year-old market moves to a 24-story building at 115 Delancey Street in the fall. According to its website, the new market will accommodate a demonstration kitchen/events space, two new restaurants, and 11 new food vendors, and will be “situated directly next to a beautiful, light-filled mezzanine space which will host a variety of community events, including nighttime talks and vendor tastings.”
Samesa– launched by Max Sussman (formerly of Roberta’s) and his brother Eli Sussman (formerly of Mile End Deli)– popped up inside of Smorgasburg’s Berg’n food court and at the Riis Park Beach Bazaar before opening a standalone spot on Lorimer Street in 2016. Samesa’s menu includes Middle Eastern specialties such as chicken shawarma, beef kofta meatballs, or zucchini fritters, served as a pita wrap or on a plate.
Flower Power, an East Village fixture, celebrated its 24th anniversary earlier this month. Today, owner Lata Chettri-Kennedy said she was eager to “introduce the community to the wonderful and healing virtues of plants.”
This will be the first year-round outpost of Josephine’s Feast!, which makes jams, fruit butters, chutneys, spice rubs, and the like. Head chef Laura O’Brien is familiar with the market, since she often accompanied her grandmother there while growing up in Williamsburg. “In fact, my mother never missed an opportunity to tell me how she sold shopping bags for a penny at the market,” she said in a statement. “So it is with a great deal of excitement and pride that we are able to build out our business under the New Essex Street Market Roof.”