STREET FOOD CITY
Overview
Can you imagine New York City without street food? For centuries, immigrant street food entrepreneurs have shaped the city’s flavor and culture, one hot dog and halal plate at a time.
MOFAD’s next exhibition celebrates the city’s smallest food businesses, revealing the hidden world behind the iconic NYC food cart, recognizing the ways in which street food vendors and the foods they sold have shaped the city’s foodways, and tracing the challenges faced by street food entrepreneurs of the past to today’s fight for vendor rights.
Exhibition supporters
Special thanks to Bloomberg Philanthropies, Goya, and Midtown Equities for making this exhibition possible.
Museum of Food and Drink
55 Water Street, 2nd FlrBrooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Opening December 6, 2025
Thursday - Sunday 12PM - 6PM
$10 - $17
Free for children below 5. Tickets start from $10
Interested in bringing your class to MOFAD? Send an inquiry to schoolgroups@mofad.org
Museum of Food and Drink
55 Water Street, 2nd FlrBrooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Opening December 6, 2025
Thursday - Sunday 12PM - 6PM
$10 - $17
Free for children below 5. Tickets start from $10
Interested in bringing your class to MOFAD? Send an inquiry to schoolgroups@mofad.org
Museum of Food and Drink
55 Water Street, 2nd FlrBrooklyn, NY, 11201, United States
Opening December 6, 2025
Thursday - Sunday 12PM - 6PM
$10 - $17
Free for children below 5. Tickets start from $10
Interested in bringing your class to MOFAD? Send an inquiry to schoolgroups@mofad.org
Highlights/Installation Images
Exhibition Advisors
Jennifer Berg
Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University; author of “From the Big Bagel to the Big Roti? The Evolution of New York City's Jewish Food Icons,” in Gastropolis: Food and New York City.
Eric Demby
Co-Founder, Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg
Jenny Dorsey
Professional chef, author, and speaker based in Singapore. Currently a Fulbright-National Geographic Research Scholar studying the impact of government policies on hawker centres.
John Gaber
Ph.D., AICP. Chair for the Department of City Planning and Real Estate Development at Clemson University. Dissertation and research at Columbia on street food vending in NYC.
Sarah Gordon
Historian, curator, and teacher. Member of the research and curatorial team at the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation and a faculty member of the CUNY School of Professional Studies Museum Studies program, where she teaches History and Theory of Museums and Contemporary Issues in Public History.
Andrew Gustafson
Vice President of Turnstile Tours, a tour company working with non-profit and cultural institutions around New York City to research, develop, and operate tours and public programs that highlight sites and stories that are underrepresented in the public record.
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez
Deputy Director at the Street Vendor Project, bringing experience in policy development, restaurant kitchens, and community organizing for immigrant economic justice. She has previously held positions at NYC Small Business Services and the Community Service Society, and holds a Masters in International Affairs and Urban Social Policy from Columbia University.
Robert LaValva
Founder of the former New Amsterdam Market and designer/placemaking consultant with experience in sustainable infrastructure, food systems, and economic development.
Paul van Ravenstein and Monique Mulder
Co-Founders of MattMo creative branding agency and authors of the upcoming book, The Pickled City, An illustrated history of the ever-popular New York pickle told with amazing archival images.
Ariel D. Smith
Associate Curator, Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Jennifer Berg
Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University; author of “From the Big Bagel to the Big Roti? The Evolution of New York City's Jewish Food Icons,” in Gastropolis: Food and New York City.
Eric Demby
Co-Founder, Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg
Jenny Dorsey
Professional chef, author, and speaker based in Singapore. Currently a Fulbright-National Geographic Research Scholar studying the impact of government policies on hawker centres.
John Gaber
Ph.D., AICP. Chair for the Department of City Planning and Real Estate Development at Clemson University. Dissertation and research at Columbia on street food vending in NYC.
Sarah Gordon
Historian, curator, and teacher. Member of the research and curatorial team at the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation and a faculty member of the CUNY School of Professional Studies Museum Studies program, where she teaches History and Theory of Museums and Contemporary Issues in Public History.
Andrew Gustafson
Vice President of Turnstile Tours, a tour company working with non-profit and cultural institutions around New York City to research, develop, and operate tours and public programs that highlight sites and stories that are underrepresented in the public record.
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez
Deputy Director at the Street Vendor Project, bringing experience in policy development, restaurant kitchens, and community organizing for immigrant economic justice. She has previously held positions at NYC Small Business Services and the Community Service Society, and holds a Masters in International Affairs and Urban Social Policy from Columbia University.
Robert LaValva
Founder of the former New Amsterdam Market and designer/placemaking consultant with experience in sustainable infrastructure, food systems, and economic development.
Paul van Ravenstein and Monique Mulder
Co-Founders of MattMo creative branding agency and authors of the upcoming book, The Pickled City, An illustrated history of the ever-popular New York pickle told with amazing archival images.
Ariel D. Smith
Associate Curator, Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Jennifer Berg
Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University; author of “From the Big Bagel to the Big Roti? The Evolution of New York City's Jewish Food Icons,” in Gastropolis: Food and New York City.
Eric Demby
Co-Founder, Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg
Jenny Dorsey
Professional chef, author, and speaker based in Singapore. Currently a Fulbright-National Geographic Research Scholar studying the impact of government policies on hawker centres.
John Gaber
Ph.D., AICP. Chair for the Department of City Planning and Real Estate Development at Clemson University. Dissertation and research at Columbia on street food vending in NYC.
Sarah Gordon
Historian, curator, and teacher. Member of the research and curatorial team at the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation and a faculty member of the CUNY School of Professional Studies Museum Studies program, where she teaches History and Theory of Museums and Contemporary Issues in Public History.
Andrew Gustafson
Vice President of Turnstile Tours, a tour company working with non-profit and cultural institutions around New York City to research, develop, and operate tours and public programs that highlight sites and stories that are underrepresented in the public record.
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez
Deputy Director at the Street Vendor Project, bringing experience in policy development, restaurant kitchens, and community organizing for immigrant economic justice. She has previously held positions at NYC Small Business Services and the Community Service Society, and holds a Masters in International Affairs and Urban Social Policy from Columbia University.
Robert LaValva
Founder of the former New Amsterdam Market and designer/placemaking consultant with experience in sustainable infrastructure, food systems, and economic development.
Paul van Ravenstein and Monique Mulder
Co-Founders of MattMo creative branding agency and authors of the upcoming book, The Pickled City, An illustrated history of the ever-popular New York pickle told with amazing archival images.
Ariel D. Smith
Associate Curator, Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Jennifer Berg
Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University; author of “From the Big Bagel to the Big Roti? The Evolution of New York City's Jewish Food Icons,” in Gastropolis: Food and New York City.
Eric Demby
Co-Founder, Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg
Jenny Dorsey
Professional chef, author, and speaker based in Singapore. Currently a Fulbright-National Geographic Research Scholar studying the impact of government policies on hawker centres.
John Gaber
Ph.D., AICP. Chair for the Department of City Planning and Real Estate Development at Clemson University. Dissertation and research at Columbia on street food vending in NYC.
Sarah Gordon
Historian, curator, and teacher. Member of the research and curatorial team at the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation and a faculty member of the CUNY School of Professional Studies Museum Studies program, where she teaches History and Theory of Museums and Contemporary Issues in Public History.
Andrew Gustafson
Vice President of Turnstile Tours, a tour company working with non-profit and cultural institutions around New York City to research, develop, and operate tours and public programs that highlight sites and stories that are underrepresented in the public record.
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez
Deputy Director at the Street Vendor Project, bringing experience in policy development, restaurant kitchens, and community organizing for immigrant economic justice. She has previously held positions at NYC Small Business Services and the Community Service Society, and holds a Masters in International Affairs and Urban Social Policy from Columbia University.
Robert LaValva
Founder of the former New Amsterdam Market and designer/placemaking consultant with experience in sustainable infrastructure, food systems, and economic development.
Paul van Ravenstein and Monique Mulder
Co-Founders of MattMo creative branding agency and authors of the upcoming book, The Pickled City, An illustrated history of the ever-popular New York pickle told with amazing archival images.
Ariel D. Smith
Associate Curator, Smithsonian National Museum of American History
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About
Contact Us
Visit
Plan your visit
Buy Tickets
Student Tours
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What’s going on
Exhibitions
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Donations
Membership
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©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.
Stay updated on food culture with us
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
MOFAD
Home
About
Contact Us
Visit
Plan your visit
Buy Tickets
Student Tours
Bloomberg Connects
What’s going on
Exhibitions
Programs
Get Involved
Work with us
Newsletter
Volunteer with us
Influencer Program
Membership
Donations
Membership
Social
YouTube
TikTok
©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.
Stay updated on food culture with us
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
MOFAD
Home
About
Contact Us
Visit
Plan your visit
Buy Tickets
Student Tours
Bloomberg Connects
What’s going on
Exhibitions
Programs
Get Involved
Work with us
Newsletter
Volunteer with us
Influencer Program
Membership
Donations
Membership
Social
YouTube
TikTok
©2025 MOFAD. All rights reserved.