In 1686, the area now known as Bryant Park was designated public property by New York Colonial Governor Thomas Dongan. The park was originally used as a potter’s field. Nowadays, Bryant Park is 9.6 acres of land that spreads across midtown Manhattan and offers a number of activities to the public year-round. If you’re feeling fun, festive and famished, go check out the culturally diverse food stops at Bryant Park’s Winter Village. The Winter Village continues to expand in vendors and patrons each year and offers ice skating, holiday shopping and delicious treats. 

Bryant Park’s Winter Village is open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and opens an hour earlier on the weekends. Admission to the park is always free, but the cost of food and gift shopping varies from vendor to vendor. Whether you’re looking for a Nutella hot chocolate delicacy or authentic Malaysian cuisine, there is food to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. With the numerous options for snacking, it may be a little difficult to decide what food is worth getting or not. Below are some of The Pace Press’ must-try food recommendations! 

Mrs. Claus Cheese Wheel Pasta                            

Mrs. Claus Cheese Wheel Pasta is what every cheese lover’s dreams are made of. To make things simple, there are only two items on this menu: pasta with alfredo sauce or hot chocolate. When preparing your dish, they spin the pasta directly in a cheese wheel, coating it to satisfy your cheesy cravings. The line for Mrs. Claus’ cheese wheel was a block long–that’s how you know it’s good! 

Pickle Me Pete

Pickle Me Pete is a personal favorite because of all the pickle varieties. For $8, you can try 6 different flavored pickles. The flavors range from least spicy to half sour, then all the way to the burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth super spicy wasabi pickle. Each pickle leaves you salivating for more. If you’re a pickle lover, this is the perfect stop for you. 

Frida’s Favorites Mexican Cantina

It can be tricky to find good Mexican food in the city, but Frida’s Favorites Mexican Cantina has got you covered. Named after the acclaimed Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, this is the destination for fresh and authentic Mexican food. Be sure to try the tortilla soup and corn in the cup for a mouth-watering experience! 

German Bratwurst

German Bratwurst sells classic German street food and may be the closest thing NYC has to genuine German cuisine. Bratwurst is a type of German sausage that is seasoned, cooked and stuffed into a doughy bread. If you’re feeling even more adventurous, there are various toppings and spices you can add to your sausage. 

Andie’s Eats Cake in a Jar

If you’ve ever wanted to eat an entire cake without any feelings of guilt, Andie’s Eats Cake in a Jar has the solution. They have several cake flavors to choose from–red velvet, salted caramel, cinnamon bun and triple chocolate being some of their most popular. All of the cakes come in a single-serving jar with a spoon ready to be enjoyed. Now you can walk through the holiday shops with cake in hand!