The Four Best Things to Eat at the Columbus Circle Holiday Market

Lauren Shockey

Mmm, indeed. A gul börek from Mmm ... Enfes.

After yesterday's dud of an exploration, we didn't have high hopes for the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. But the good thing about having low expectations is that you're almost always pleasantly surprised. The Columbus Circle market is teeming with good eats, both in terms of gift-worthy bites and on-the-go snacking. Behold your four best bets.

Gul Böreks from Mmm ... Enfes (pictured above): In between picking up overpriced soaps for your nieces and deciding which decorative Christmas tree ornament would be better for your office Secret Santa, carboload at Mmm ... Enfes, a Turkish food stand (also at Bryant Park) selling böreks and gözleme, a sort of stuffed, griddled flatbread. Our favorite is the giant, circular-shaped feta- and parsley-stuffed börek ($6). It's a floppy, cheesy mess to eat, but the exceedingly generous portion tastes of pure Turkish comfort.

Lauren Shockey

The good empanada

Empanadas from La Sonrisa: Two empanada sellers grace the Columbus Circle market, La Sonrisa and Sizzles. Go for La Sonrisa, which operates a food truck out of Jersey City. Their dough is crisper, the fillings are more flavorful and of seemingly higher quality, and they're cheaper ($3 versus $3.50, or you can get two for $5). Made to order, the golden pockets are stuffed with either beef, pulled pork, roasted chicken, veggies, or, our fave, coconut curry chicken. Wash one down with a coffee con leche ($2) and you're good for another hour of fighting off tourists.

Lauren Shockey

Empanada cross section