If you’re looking for the perfect place to spend an afternoon, look no further than the innovative Bow Market in Somerville. Modeled after an open-air bazaar in Morocco, the courtyard layout of small storefronts lends itself perfectly to leisurely exploration. The vendors are all local small businesses, a collaborative blend of food, art and entertainment unlike anywhere else in the Boston area.
Remnant Brewing was the first vendor to set up shop when the market opened last spring, and since then the options have only grown. The food merchants, many of which are getting their first opportunity to open a brick and mortar location, are a mix of hidden gems with flavors from all over the world — from Polish pierogis, French macarons, Latin American empanadas, to New England seafood. And in between the food and drink options, you can browse the creative retailers and enjoy a stand-up at The Comedy Studio. We truly believe it’s the perfect place to spend your day, and here are some of the places we recommend you grab a bite to eat at when you're there.
Courtesy of Audrey Wang
Fresh Seafood at Hooked Fish Shop
Don’t get distracted by the red tentacles encircling the freezer, the vibrant blue fish hanging next to the menu, and the unforgettable art by blindfoxart, because the real goods are behind the counter at Hooked Fish Shop. They boast a daily supply of fresh fish that’s locally caught and sourced from Boston-based seafood wholesaler, Red’s Best.
Not only can you buy fresh fish to take home and cook, but Hooked also offers an extensive menu of seafood dishes, and cured and raw fish for you to dine in. We recommend their Salmon Bacon BLT Sliders, made with salmon bacon (yes, salmon bacon), ripe tomato slices and aioli, and served on the fluffiest griddled brioche rolls we've ever had. And if you want to try a little bit of everything, you can order their Smoked and Cured Fish Platter assembled with a collection of salmon bacon, smoked bluefish paté, ceviche, shrimp cocktail and smoked haddock. It's delicious.
1 Bow Market Way, 617-684-5716, eathooked.com
Courtesy of Meghan Smith
French Fries at Saus
You can’t visit Bow Market and not get Saus’ award-winning French fries, made with aged potatoes that are hand-cut daily, and twice fried for texture. They come with your choice of 15 scratch-made dipping sauces. We love the truffle ketchup and the smoky chipotle mayo, and never pass up their secret fry saus. Saus also offers a large selection of menu items to compliment their fries, like the cauli-falafel sandwich with pickled cabbage and garlic-chickpea mayo, or the BBQ impossible burger with fried shallots, cheddar, scallion slaw, pickles and Sweet Bill's BBQ.
Unlike their Faneuil Hall location, Saus' Bow Market spin-off is all vegetarian, and every item can be made vegan upon request. Trust us, you won't miss the meat.
1 Bow Market Way, 617-248-8835, sausboston.com
Courtesy of Meghan Smith
Macarons at Maca
Save room for dessert so that you can visit this specialty bakery that has dedicated itself to perfecting the art of macarons (not macaroons, a different dessert). When you enter Maca you’ll notice the adorable interior, and then the colorful of display treats, all made in small batches daily, ensuring their ultimate freshness.
Owner Tamy Chung says she was drawn to creating the treat—known to be finicky—because they are highly customizable. Now, Chung has masterfully created over 100 flavors, all inspired by her global travels, and rotates 12 new flavors daily so patrons are encouraged to come in often, and with an open mind to try something new. We enjoyed the Cardamom French Toast, Blueberry Basic Cheesecake, Fruity Pebbles, Earl Grey, Bacon Whiskey, and Chung’s favorite, Lavender Honey. And you bet we'll be back soon to check out some new flavors.
1 Bow Market Way, 617-539-6227, macaboston.com
Courtesy of Meghan Smith
Empanadas and a Cortado at Buenas
Buenas wants to challenge your expectations of what an empanada is supposed to be. The Latin American specialty, with a name that means "wrapped in bread," is traditionally fried and made with chicken or beef. But at Buenas, you’ll find scratch-made, oven baked empanadas, with a huge variety of fillings, like ham and cheese, spinach ricotta and mozzarella, and even veggies roasted in maple syrup. Co-owners Sebastian Galvez and Melissa Stefanini are both first-generation Americans—who came to Boston by way of Miami and Los Angeles—that find their inspiration in the flavors of their parents’ homelands.
Buenas also offers an extended selection of take home goods, that of course include frozen empanadas. But you can also get pastry dough, dulce de leche, and a variety of other sauces, like chimichurri and the pebre (a Chilean table sauce), for your own creations. And oh boy, we couldn't be more thrilled that they have perfected the cortado, a Cuban delicacy that provides the perfect extra jolt of caffeine with (or after) your feast.
1 Bow Market Way, 617-394-1420, buenas.co
Courtesy of Audrey Wang
Pierogis at Jaju
You'll find nothing but the freshest, tastiest ingredients in these little pockets of joy (also known as pierogis) atJaju, a venture that is proudly bringing the best flavors of Poland to Massachusetts. All production is done by the acclaimed sister duo, Casey and Vanessa, and not only do they offer hot pierogis ready to eat, they also sell frozen ones that are super easy to take home and cook.
Jaju always has traditional options on hand, like potato and cheese, and kielbasa and red pepper. But if you’re craving something different, they also have special flavors that often make menu appearances, like the Meatball Parm. But for a more classic experience, try the Polish Plate, a mix and match of three pierogis, a boiled kielbasa, sour cream, and plain sauerkraut imported from Poland. It's incredible.
1 Bow Market Way, 781-513-8432, jajupierogi.com
Courtesy of Audrey Wang
Pizza at Hot Box
Whether it’s pizza, or a roast beef sandwich (served as a "three way"), or even little dime bags of oregano you're craving, Hot Box has got it all. Their specialty? A dill pickle pizza. It's an unexpected delicacy that's bursting with flavor. Pair it with their special honey mustard dipping sauce, and you'll fall head over heels in love forever.
In addition to the adventurous toppings, Hot Box has perfected an unusual, but welcomed, assembly technique. They spread the cheese, and the sauce, all the way to the edge of the dough, which creates a caramelized crust that's just as incredible (if not better) as the rest of the pie. We can't get enough of this place.
1 Bow Market Way, 617-284-9600, eathotbox.com
