Korean pop-up Yooeating?! returns to Passenger Bar on Saturday for the next phase in "kicked up comfort food" with the After School Special Bunsik, with snack-type eats from creator Irene Yoo's childhood. On the menu, portable version of Korean rice cakes (dbuk-bokki) in Spicy Gochujang (bacon, mozzarella, house aioli) and Royal Court Soy Sauce (brisket and scallions); plus Kimbap (rice and yummy stuff wrapped in seaweed) with seasoned tuna fish or Spam, egg and American cheese (among other things). The cooking kicks off at 6 p.m. but note that lines do form, so head over a bit early to grab a drink and get ready for your meal. (Cash only)
Though not strictly vegetarian, pretty West Village newcomer Cafe Clover believes vegetables to be the bedrock of any healthy diet. This weekend, chef David Standridge introduces a very vegetable brunch, chock full of hearty eats like a Quinoa Pancakes ($14) with baked apples and syrup; Soft Baked Eggs ($15) with avocado, salsa, rye berries and crunchy corn; and yes, even a Pasture-Raised Beef Burger ($19) on a sweet potato rosemary bun topped with pickles. Most intriguing is a new cocktail, the Bloodless Mary, made with celery bitters, worschire, carpano bianco, and organic tomato vodka.
It's finally the return of Smorgasburg in Williamsburg's East River Park (at North 7th Street) on Saturdays, and at Pier 5 in the Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sundays. Many of the fest's favorite vendors are returning this year, but the real clamor will be for the large list of rookies, including the not-to-be-missed french fry burritos from Best Buds Burritos; beer-batter-fried cheese curds from Curd's the Word; and hangover-blasting breakfast sandwiches at the Rise and Swine. The markets open at 11 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. on both days.
