BLACKBARN Joins the First NoMad Jazz Festival Food Market
On Saturday, August 8, BLACKBARN is bringing its kitchen out to the street. Chef Owner John Doherty's New American restaurant is one of nine neighborhood spots serving at the first NoMad Jazz Festival Food Market, a one-day pop-up on Broadway between 23rd and 24th Streets, steps from our home on Madison Square Park. Free live jazz, a warm afternoon in NoMad, and a short menu built to eat standing up with a drink in hand.
Why this Saturday
The NoMad Jazz Festival returns for its second year, August 2 through 8, with free performances across NoMad and Flatiron and two days of mainstage music in Madison Square Park. New this year is the Food Market: a single afternoon, noon to eight, when the neighborhood's restaurants set up along Broadway so you can eat your way through the district between sets. We said yes right away. This is our block, and this is exactly the kind of day we like to cook for.
What BLACKBARN is serving
Our stand is built for the sidewalk. A few things, done well, easy to carry.
Pork Belly Bao, $11. Two soft steamed buns with pickled carrots and chipotle aioli.
Braised Shortrib Slider, $12. Slow-cooked short rib with coleslaw, shoestring potatoes, and barbecue sauce.
Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Sandwich, $9. Blackberry and blueberry tea infused ice cream with dried cherries.
Watermelon Crush, $9. A cold, non-alcoholic watermelon drink for a hot afternoon in the park.
Everything is priced to keep the day easy. Come hungry, or graze across all nine stands and let ours be one good stop on the crawl. We’re also bringing signed copies of Chef Doherty's cookbook to the stand.
How to plan your visit
Here is what you need to know before you go:
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
Time: Noon to 8 p.m.
Where: Broadway between 23rd and 24th Streets, in NoMad
Cost: Free to attend. Food and drinks available for purchase.
Tickets: None needed. Walk right up.
Rain plan: The market runs rain or shine.
It is a family day, too, with programming and performances for all ages alongside the music. Bring the kids, bring a friend, bring an appetite.
The neighborhood behind the day
The Food Market is presented by the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, the nonprofit that looks after this stretch of the city. The festival itself is produced by The NoMad Alliance with The Jazz Gallery, the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, and the Madison Square Park Conservancy. Last year's debut drew tens of thousands of people into the park for a free public program, and this year it returns with the Food Market added to the mix.
We are proud of the company we are keeping on Broadway. AVO, Bear Donut, Brown Bag Sandwich Co., Eataly, Honeybrains, LenLen, Lola's, and Tacombi are all serving alongside us, which is about as good a picture of how this neighborhood eats as you will find on one block. On the mainstage, the festival's lineup features artists including Jose James, Ben Wendel, and The Jazz Gallery All-Stars. Time Out New York called it one of the city's best free summer outings, and now one of its tastiest.
The kitchen behind the stand
BLACKBARN opened in 2015 overlooking Madison Square Park, when John Doherty traded the ballroom for the barn after more than 25 years as Executive Chef of the Waldorf Astoria. The restaurant is New American and chef-owned, built on seasonal ingredients, regional farms, and the kind of hospitality that does not change whether you are at a table inside or standing at our stand on Broadway. What we bring to the market is what we believe in on the menu: honest cooking, done at the highest level.
One more reason to be in NoMad this August
If you are already planning to be in the neighborhood, there is a second reason to come by. BLACKBARN is part of NYC Restaurant Week through August 16, with prix fixe lunch, brunch, and dinner served at the restaurant. Think of the Food Market as the easy, walk-up version of what we do, and Restaurant Week as the sit-down one. You can see the full menu here.
Come find us on Broadway
Look for the BLACKBARN stand on Broadway between 23rd and 24th on August 8, from noon to 8 p.m. And when you are ready for the full menu, the open kitchen, and a table of your own, we are right around the corner on East 26th Street.
