The Little Island on the Hudson
Plus Vegan Options

Last time I was on Chelsea’s Pier 54, it was to see Guided By Voices‘ “last” show in 2004. Now the pier is Little Island, an innovative public space that was all the rage when it opened this Spring. With several attempts to check it out thwarted by various reasons, I got there today to join the tourists in an exploration of the grounds. To follow are some shots from my brief stop.

The Little Island website claims that reservations are required during peak hours (12-6) and so I booked my entry time. However, no one was scanning tickets and they did not seem necessary. It was very crowded, especially at The Overlook, its highest point.

Visitors adding nice color pops to my pictures.

Nice views, but I wanted a higher vantage point to capture the whole park.

Empire

The Amphitheater

It was a nice place, an accompaniment to the nearby High Line–which offers much more in my opinion.

As with most new spots, food offerings embrace diverse eaters with ease and transparency. The Bites & Sips menu clearly marks vegan options, which include an Impossible Pambazo (see below), French fries, sweet potato tater tots, fruit, a salad of diced mangos, cucumbers, tomatoes, and salsa macha, Buffalo cauliflower, as well as soy, oat and hemp milks for coffee concoctions. Unclear is if the Avocado Toast can be veganized by omitting the cheese and egg and whether the classic New York bagels are vegan though most usually are.

The Impossible Pambazo is Impossible™ chorizo, potato wedges, cashew cream, pickled red onion, guajillo sauce on a telera roll. It was a satisfying option in spite of my not being a big fan of engineered food.

I appreciate that there were several thoughtful components to the sandwich including two sauces and flavorful garnishes. I found the bun a bit suspect, perhaps because the bun component is often unscrutinized by omni-eateries.

Chorizo was crumbly and a bit dry, so thank goodness for the sauciness!

Colorful cross-section

Chowing down in the ampitheater

I skipped a latte at Little Island as I was already sipping on one from Think Coffee. I appreciate their not capping it so I can see the pretty oat milk heart.