Wake up and Smell the Chelsea

Evermore, I have been yearning for my hometown of Pittsburgh. My love-hate relationship with New York has slowly tilted towards the latter, and aside from a few shining moments of "only in New York" glory, my outlook of late has been rather glum. Then comes a day like this, and makes me realize how much I love my love-hate relationship with this impenetrable and penetrating city of ours.

Even better, it whispers--or rather smells--of Pittsburgh. Allow me to expound. Pittsburgh smells of many things, among them rivers, pierogies, molten steel, and Heinz ketchup. My most salient olfactory recollection, however, is that of the Nabisco factory, which produced cookies and crackers until it was closed in the late 1990s. On my way to Sunday school or basketball practice, I would often roll down the windows to take in the sweet aroma permeating the air.

When I stepped into the Chelsea Market for the first time, I was greeted by that very same smell. Formerly a Nabisco factory, producing what were then called "Oreo crème sandwiches," Chelsea Market is now a budding urban marketplace, rife with action and aroma. This time, however, the smell came not from Nabisco, but rather from two bakeries conveniently stationed near the entrance.

The second of the two, The Fat Witch, enticed customers with free samples, and an overwhelming variety of brownies. I tried the standard namesake brownie, as well as the blondie (Blonde Witch), before settling on the Breakfast Witch, a mixture of oatmeal, walnuts, brown sugar, and coffee atop a standard brownie layer. Then, I meandered down the roughshod corridor--left intentionally raw to recall the building's history--and passed by the Chelsea Wine Vault. Its voluminous collection and free wine tasting sign (Friday from 4-7 and Saturday from 1-5) were displayed proudly in the storefront.

The building's designers had hoped for transparency in the market, and to that end, nearly all walls are made of glass. Patrons can view large vats of bubbling bisques and bouillabaisses fogging the windows of Hale and Hearty Soups. Or, at Amy's Bread, they can stop to watch a team of seven mix, pound, flatten, and braid the various breads offered. Likewise, butchers such as Frank's hang menacing chunks of beef in full view of passersby to entice the carnivores and threaten the vegetarians.

Quality throughout the market is consistent, as indicated by the perfunctory Zagat awards hung at each shop. My meandering taste-test confirmed this observation, as I was struck by both the variety and depth of the market's offerings. The bemused looks of other New Yorkers, reinvigorating their love of the city, provided a better testimony than any award or recommendation.

Couples and children pranced from business to business, passing now the granite waterfall, now the pumpkin patch. Coffeehouse types sat with their laptops, utilizing the free wireless Internet offered throughout the building. Others meticulously constructed their meals, purchasing sushi at The Lobster Company, noodles at Chelsea Thai Wholesale, creamy milk (by the glass bottle) straight from the RonnyBrook Farm, and pastries from Eleni's bakery.

The New York buzz was energizing. The New York food was satisfying. And the Pittsburgh smell--more than anything else--made me feel at home. You too are sure to find a piece of home at the Chelsea Market, as home-baked goods reign supreme. While there, be sure to take a whiff of the air and, as I did, fall in love with New York once again.

Chelsea Market is located on Ninth Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets.