Australia likes to think of itself as a pretty multicultural country. Whether you think that’s true, one indisputable fact is that we’ve got a number of cuisines down. Chinese? You got it. Italian? Some of the best. Indian? Well, maybe not as good as the curries in the UK, but pretty decent. But as awesome as we are at our phos and pad thais, one thing that’s a little harder to hunt down at home is good Latin American eats. If you’re ever in New York and need a reference point to start out with, the hottest tip we can offer you (and also a New York magazine pick) is to head to Brooklyn’s Red Hook Ball Fields.

Tucked away amongst big factory buildings in what feels like a very industrial part of town is a soccer field lined with trucks offering some of the best food you’ve probably never had. The Latino vendors first started setting up shop back in the summer of 1974, giving sports-watchers and players a little pick-me-up during matches. Due to Department of Health crackdowns, the stalls are no longer as makeshift as they were before, but it’s still very impressive that the tradition has endured 36 years. And to us n00bs, the selection was as varied as we’d hoped.

We knew we were in the right place when most of the menu was in Spanish. The Salvadorian Pupusa (a thick fried tortilla filled with different ingredients) truck was heaving and was an obvious target for our hunger. We took the advice of our vendor and chose two Pupusas – one pork and cheese, and the other was Loroco flower and cheese. Feeling particularly adventurous, we also tried the Marañon juice (which is cashew juice, so we’re told), which was like drinking liquid candy and made us feel glad that we ventured into previously untouched culinary territory.

From the way that our tastebuds were hit with extreme waves of happiness, it’s easy to imagine this becoming an addiction. The good thing is that the vendors stick around every weekend from mid-May to October, meaning that if you get hooked on Pupusas, it’s pretty easy to find your fix.

Red Hook Ball Fields
Court St. at Bay St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231




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