New York, a town bought by the Dutch for a handful of Ess-A-Bagel dough, has long since been a City Of Food, boasting the universe's finest pizza, hot dogs, steaks, bagels, and more. We've rounded up some of the city's best classic dishes, and note that while a number of the standbys stand strong, the twenty-first century has introduced quite a few new takes on old favorites, along with some original foods that have already made it into the canon. As always, tell us what we missed in the comments.
Courtesy American Cut
PORTERHOUSE AT AMERICAN CUT, $109: Cocktails served in brass pineapples, artsy gallery walls and recognizable CB2 furniture in the waiting areas distinguish the new American Cut Midtown (younger sibling to Marc Forgione’s American Cut Tribeca, just as indulgent, slightly more trendy), from your typical old school steakhouse. The 40oz Porterhouse (for two, but really for more if you pile your plate with sides like the buttery potato puree) is dry-aged in-house for 28 days and some of the greatest tasting red meat you can get between the Hudson and East River. Oh, and they take credit cards, unlike some places.
American Cut is located at 363 Greenwich Street between Harrison and Franklin Streets in Tribeca (212-226-4736, americancutsteakhouse.com); American Cut Midtown is located at 109 East 56th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues in Midtown East (212-388-5277, americancutsteakhouse.com).
PASTRAMI SANDWICH AT HARRY & IDA'S MEAT & SUPPLY CO., $17.50: Before you push pass the horde of tourists at Katz’s Deli, make a stop at this East Village deli counter with a sandwich just as hefty and arguably more delicious than its famed predecessor. House-cured pastrami is sliced to order and the steamy smoked meat layered into the welcoming pocket of bread, which is much lighter than rye. Caraway cracked rye berry tossed on top alludes to the classic carb, while buttermilk fermented cucumbers (i.e. fancy pickles), salina anchovy mustard and a sprig of fresh dill round out one of the best bites of sandwich you can have in New York. In true nouveau-gourmet fashion, that sandwich is also available as a gluten-free salad, if you swing that way.
Harry & Ida's is located at 189 Avenue A in the East Village (646-864-0967, meatandsupplyco.com).
Courtesy Mamoun's
PITA WITH FALAFEL AT MAMOUN'S FALAFEL, $3.75:
Skip the street meat and get in line at Mamoun’s, a young New Yorker’s cheap eats rite of passage. The gentle price-tag makes the Middle Eastern meal (or snack, depending how you play it), alluring to any budgeter, and with an West Village location open until 5 a.m. daily as well as a semi-nocturnal St. Mark’s location, this carb-heavy, deep fried pocket of goodness is perfect to sop up any downtown drinking antics. Beware before you load up on hot sauce, it’s seriously spicy.
Mamoun's Falafel has two locations in Manhattan: 119 Macdougal Street between West 3rd Street and Minetta Lane in Greenwich Village (212-674-8685); 22 St. Marks Place between Third and Second Avenue in the East Village; mamouns.com
Courtesy Grand Central Oyster Bar
MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER AT GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR, $6.45:Tell all your Boston transplant friends to give up their white paste-soup and head to Grand Central Oyster Bar, set of many a contemporary literary scene (see: “The Nest”, “Sweetbitter” etc.), for a retro gone trendy-chic vibe. Manhattan chowder's tomato-based broth is said to be inspired by Italian immigrants circa the 1800s, as well as by Portuguese immigrants to Rhode Island in the same era. Also known as Fulton Fish Market Chowder and Coney Island Chowder, the recipe was canonized in 1889 by Delmonico’s chef du maison, Alessandro Filippini, and now can be found in its most glorious form at GCOB.
Grand Central Oyster Bar is located at Grand Central Terminal at 89 East 42nd Street in Midtown East (212-490-6650, oysterbarny.com).
BAGEL WITH LOX AND SCHMEAR AT RUSS & DAUGHTERS, $10+: Amateurs will wait for hours on Orchard Street for a coveted seat at Russ and Daughter’s Café, but skipping the trendy brunch and opting for the ever-progressing weekend line at the original Russ & Daughter’s on Houston Street is the way to go. Load up on a dozen bagels, a pound of smoked fish and a tub of cream cheese to please a crowd or go a la carte with the sandwich menu featuring the iconic bagel with lox and shmear. Keep it classic with Norwegian smoked salmon with cream cheese on your choice of bagel, or upgrade to Pastrami Cured Smoked Salmon ($11), Irish Organic Smoked Salmon ($12), New Zealand King Salmon ($13), Loin Cut Smoked Salmon ($14) and beyond. The perfect combo of creamy, crispy, soft and salty, a Russ & Daughters sandwich hits the spot any time of day.
Russ & Daughters is located at 179 Houston Street between Allen Street and 2nd Avenue on the Lower East Side (212-475-4880, russanddaughters.com).
(Melissa Kravitz / Gothamist)
GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN AT SAMMY'S NOODLE SHOP & GRILL, $14.25: The dubious history of General Tso’s dates back decades before New Yorkers were ordering Chinese takeout in troves (i.e. the 1970s) though perhaps it goes back even farther. Hunanese-born Chef Peng Chang-kuei cooked up a sweetened version of the Chinese dish at his 44th Street restaurant, popular with then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and henceforth the fried, saccharine, salty, meaty Chinese-American dish was disseminated upon the city. A staple at pretty much any corner Chinese takeout spot or midtown steam table buffet, General Tso’s hits peak Tso-ness at massive West Village restaurant Sammy’s Noodle Shop. A platter of General Tso’s gleams with crisp fried chicken pieces coated in a syrupy red sauce freckled with spicy chilies. Just one bite reveals the crunchy, juicy, spicy and sweet flavors that make this dish so essential. Pro tip: Visit for weekday lunch, when $8 gets you soup and the opportunity to upgrade rice to noodles (do it) to pair with your General Tso’s.
Sammy's Noodle Shop is located at 453 6th Avenue in the West Village (212-924-6688, sammysnoodle.com).
CORNER SLICE AT JOE'S PIZZA, $2.75: Long before the dollar slice graced every block below 14th Street, the corner slice [Editor's Note: and H&H Bagels] was what made New York City the greatest place on Earth. A triangle of white bread topped with fresh sauce and oily cheese is a New Yorker's birthright, and Joe’s serves arguably the best slice in town. A resume-paper thin crisp crust folds in half with the weight of crushed tomato and melting cheese that mesh together into the perfect pizza bite.
Joe's Pizza has several locations in NYC: 7 Carmine Street between 6th Avenue and Minetta Lane in the West Village (212-366-1182, joespizzanyc.com); 150 East 14th Street between near 3rd Avenue in the East Village (212-388-9474, joespizzanyc.com); and at 216 Bedford Avenue at North 5th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-388-2216).
(Melissa Kravitz / Gothamist)
EGGS BENEDICT AT ABC KITCHEN, $20: Said to have been created for retired Wall Street broker Lemuel Benedict at the Waldorf Hotel around the turn of the 20th century, Eggs Benedict have brought an onslaught of poached eggs slathered in hollandaise sauce throughout the five boroughs over the past 100-plus years. Some may argue that the nouveau variation at spots like Café Orlin which always as a consistent wait for its sidewalk seats or the chef-y creations at Chefs Club, rule the brunch pack, but Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s rendition at pea-guacamole purveyor ABC Kitchen hails above the rest. Here, poached eggs with gloriously gooey yolks pour over juicy slices of country ham from upstate’s Flying Pigs Farm.
ABC Kitchen is located at 35 East 18th Street between Broadway and Park Avenue South in Flatiron (212-475-5829, abckitchennyc.com).
HOT DOGS AT GRAY'S PAPAYA, $5 RECESSION SPECIAL: Charles Feltman invented the official hot dog, i.e. frankfurter on Coney Island circa 1869, and soon New York City and tube meat were as inseparable as ketchup and mustard. The 1930’s brought Papaya King to New York City and Gray’s Papaya followed in the 1970’s, continuing a legacy of slinging out the best hot dogs in the city. The 2008 Recession Special at Gray's has increased in price over the years,as the stalwart has been booted out from two of its Manhattan storefronts, but the Upper West Side location is still a steady 24-hour purveyor of a pair of excellently snappy hot dogs paired with fruit juice.
Gray's Papaya is located at 2090 Broadway at the corner of West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side (212-799-0243).
Courtesy Juniors
NEW YORK CHEESECAKE AT JUNIOR'S RESTAURANT, $7.25: A slice of this magical dairy dessert is the perfect way to trick anyone who “doesn’t like cheesecake” because even those weirdos will eat one bite and be smitten. Made with cream cheese whipped with a substantial amount of sugar and additional cream and baked on a thin sponge cake crust, a spoonful of this decadent sweet is a simultaneous taste of history and New York pride because, yes, this dessert is a native New Yorker. Purists will opt for the No. 1 Original Cheesecake, but Junior’s flavored cheesecakes including a chocolaty devil’s food cheesecake and the strawberry cheese pie also stack up.
Junior's is located at 386 Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn (718-852-5257, juniorscheesecake.com).
Melissa Kravitz moved to New York City in 2009 and has been writing about food ever since. Her work can be seen on Thrillist, Mashable, Elite Daily, First We Feast and more. She eats mostly noodles and is working on a novel.
