The hottest accessory in New York is not a pair of rose-coloured sunglasses or a pistachio green Rolex. It is something more affordable, more versatile and messier: a patty.
Purveyors of interesting patties – handheld pastries filled with things like meat or vegetables – are popping up everywhere in the Big Apple. Think Caribbean patties. Think Latin empanadas. Think burekas, samsas, char siu bao, polsehorn and pasties.
They are the perfect snack and, often, the perfect meal. New Yorkers cannot get enough of them right now.
“In our culture, this is our slice,” says Ben Siman-Tov, co-owner of Buba Bureka, which specialises in Israeli-style burekas. He describes them as “if a spanakopita and a croissant had a baby”.
Buba’s flaky burekas are offered with four fillings: feta cheese, black-pepper-flecked mashed potatoes, spinach and artichoke, and corn and cotija cheese. All are priced at US$18.
The shop, which opened in April, drew crowds from the jump, fuelled in part by social media. “No matter how much I make, it’s selling out,” Siman-Tov says.
Buba Bureka specialises in Israeli-style burekas and offers them with four fillings. Photo: Buba Bureka