I Researched and Ate 26 Foods That Have Helped Define My City 🗽

I Researched and Ate 26 Foods That Have Helped Define My City 🗽

– Eating my way through the
alphabet in New York City. A is for Arthur Avenue, a traditionally Italian
neighborhood in the Bronx. This area has been home
to tens of thousands of Italian immigrants since
the early 20th century. Ask any New Yorker and they’ll tell you this is the real little Italy, not the one down on Mulberry Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Today, the neighborhood has a
large Albanian, Puerto Rican, and Mexican population as well, but this is still the place to go for authentic homemade Italian food. Since we’re here, I’m gonna give you four of my favorite small shops to visit so you don’t leave the area empty handed. Calabria Pork Store. I think they have some of the
best sausages in the city. Look up and take home one
of their hot soppressatas. You won’t regret it. Ooh, perfection. (Beryl laughs) – Come on. You gotta get in the video. Say, this is Pete. He’s the owner.
– Hi, how are you? – This is Pete. He is the owner of Cabria. – He’s been here a hundred years. All right. – Wow. I mean, is this guy
your marketing manager? What’s happening here?
– Yeah, he’s the man- – Let’s try again. Casa Della Mozzarella, arguably some of the best
mozzarella cheese in the city, but don’t skip out on
their parmigiano reggiano or their homemade burrata. Borgatti’s Ravioli and Egg
Noodles which opened in 1935. Grab a box of their
spinach and ricotta ravioli to take home. And end your trip at Madonia Bakery, they have amazing breads, but also the best cannolis
you’ve ever had in your life. (upbeat music) Mm. B is for bagels. Bagels were brought to New York City by Jewish Polish immigrants in the 1870s. They quickly became a city staple and were made in airless basement shops in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The working conditions in
these shops were terrible, and quickly unions were established to fight for workers’ rights. The fiercest of these was Union 338. This union was not above
halting bagel production for the city entirely, and the New York Times on
multiple occasions reported bagel famines across the city. Today, the New York City bagel has become ubiquitous with the city. Some say it’s our water that
makes our bagels the best, but who’s to say? A classic New York City bagel
is boiled before being baked. The best bagel order to
get while you’re here is an everything bagel, not toasted with scallion cream cheese, lox, capers, red onion, and tomato. For a great bagel, there is
of course, Russ and Daughters, but be warned on weekends,
this place is a zoo. So let me alternatively recommend Zucker’s on 41st and Lexington. It is my go-to spot, and I
mean look at this beauty. C is for chopped cheese. Here’s what it is. Ground beef patties that are chopped up and cooked with a blend
of onions and spices on a flat top grill. American cheese is melted
on top, it is scooped up, placed on a Hero, and served
with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and ketchup. The sandwich shot to a wider cultural fame when it was featured on
Anthony Bourdain show, “Parts Unknown.” And from there, the rocky road of Food
appropriation took form. Whole Foods started selling its own very expensive version of it. Chef April Bloomfield started selling an improved version of it, but this is not a sandwich
that needs improving. You’ll find these at bodegas
across Harlem and the Bronx. But if you want a real authentic version, let me recommend Blue Sky Deli. This is the birthplace
of the chopped cheese. It’s on the corner of a 110th and 1st up in Harlem, New York,
formally known as Hajji’s. – Welcome to Hajji’s. – It was believed to
have been invented here by a man named Carlos Soto. (bright music) (Beryl chuckles) It’s so good. The bread is soft and
toasty, melted cheese, the mayo and ketchup
combo with the lettuce, and the, I mean, it’s a perfect sandwich
just like New York. D is for delicatessen. A delicatessen is a deli, but not the way we think of delis today. In the 1880s, German immigrants
arrived in New York City and some of them opened up
small specialty food shops that they called delicatessens. There they sold sausages and other foods from their home country. When Ashkenazi Jews
arrived in New York City, they did the same, only
their shops were kosher. In place of pork sausages, they sold pastrami and corned beef. These delicatessens were a place where the local Jewish
community could relax, hang out, eat their cultural food, and they became ubiquitous with
the New York City foodscape. According to the New
York Times, in the 1930s, there were over 1,500 of
these Jewish delicatessens. Today, however, there are less than 20. Some big hitters that still
remain are the 2nd Avenue Deli, and of course, Katz’s Deli
which was founded in 1888. My favorite place is Sarge’s
Deli on 36th and 3rd. When you come here, because you should, this is what you should order, pastrami on rye with mustard
and a half sour pickle, a side of coleslaw,
and a matzah ball soup. You will roll out the door,
but you will be happy. Oh my God. It tastes like heaven. Fatty, a little bit spicy. The rye bread is perfect. It’s a perfect sandwich. E is for egg cream. Whoa. Despite its name, the egg cream
has neither eggs nor cream. The basic ingredients
are chocolate syrup,, but it has to be Fox’s U-bet
chocolate syrup from Brooklyn, whole milk, and seltzer. So why is it called an egg cream? There are a few thoughts,
but an interesting one is that it’s the transliteration
of the Yiddish echt keem, which means pure sweetness, but it kind of sounds like egg cream. Echt keem, egg cream. Can you hear it? The drink was believed
to have been created in the early 1900s by a
Jewish candy shop owner named Louis Auster. Legend has it that he sold
3,000 egg creams a day. That’s crazy. A good egg cream has a
bit of the head on top, and the, it has a very interesting taste. I’m going to be honest. It’s somewhere between a
milkshake and chocolate seltzer. If you’re looking for a
great place to get one, I recommend Old John’s
Luncheonette on 67th and Amsterdam. It’s very close to Lincoln Center. Snap a photo in front of the Met, and then pop by here for
your first egg cream. I think I like it. F is for fried chicken and waffles. Fried chicken and waffles first
appeared in Harlem, New York at a place called Wells Supper Club. It was located here on Adam
Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard between 132nd and 133rd Street, and was opened in 1938
by Anne and Joseph Wells. It was located near the famous
Apollo Theater, Bill’s Place, where Billie Holiday was discovered, and the Savoy where Ella
Fitzgerald got her start. So when performers such as Duke
Ellington, Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole, and Billie
Holiday finished their sets, they headed to Wells. This breakfast dinner hybrid came about because they arrived around 2:00 AM, so this was the compromise of the fried chicken for
dinner that they missed and the waffles that they
would be having for breakfast. Since Wells shut down in 1982, I recommend this spot
Amy Ruth’s on a 116th and Malcolm X Boulevard. Come up to Harlem to learn the history and stop by Amy Ruth’s for
the best chicken and waffles you’ll probably ever have. Oh, yeah. G is for General Tso’s chicken. The story actually begins in China with a chef named Peng Chang-kuei. In 1949, when Mao Zedong came
to power, he fled to Taiwan where he invented General Tso’s chicken, or his version of it. But the version I grew up with, this version originated
here in New York City, with a man named Wang Tsung
Ting, but they are related. So it’s 1971 and Chinese food is taking New York City by storm. Wang Tsung Ting wanted to compete, but needed to do something different, so he went to Taiwan
because it had become a hub for classical Chinese cuisine. There he tried Peng’s
General Tso’s chicken, and surprise surprise, he loved it. Returning to New York City,
he adapted the recipe. He cut the chicken pieces
up smaller, fried them, and put them in a sweeter sauce, and he named it General Chang’s chicken. This was all fun and games until Peng arrived in New York City only to find his dish had preceded him. Both Peng and Wang’s
restaurants have since closed, but if you want a great serving
of General Tso’s chicken, I recommend Hunan
Delight on 78th and York, plus you’ll be close to Central Park to walk it off afterwards. Cheers. Mm. It’s sweet, it’s crunchy, it’s delicious. H is for hot dogs, an iconic
street food in New York City. It’s believed that these
were originally called dachshund sausages by German immigrants who sold them on the streets in the 1860s. In 1871, a German man
named Charles Feltman opened the first hot dog
stand on Coney Island. Unfortunately, in this case, being the first doesn’t
make you the most memorable. In 1916, a former employee of his, a Polish immigrant
named Nathan Handwerker, started his own hot dog stand. He called it Nathan’s Famous. Back then, hot dog only cost a nickel. He also started the 4th of
July hot dog eating contests, which continues to this day. The current champion Joey
Chestnut ate 63 hot dogs with buns in just under 10 minutes. Oof. Now you can find hot dogs
all over New York City. The best way to order it, in my opinion, is with sauerkraut, sauteed
onions, and spicy mustard. That’s it. As a self-proclaimed hot dog connoisseur, I wouldn’t say that Nathan’s is the best hot dog in the city, but it’s a solid 8 out of 10. Crap. (laughs) I is for Italian ice. Italian ice is like the
twice removed cousin of Italian granita. Granitas have a rougher texture, whereas Italian ice is much
more whipped and smooth. The dessert was developed
by Italian immigrants, most of whom came to New
York in the early 1900s. As a kid, growing up
here in New York City, Italian ice was always a
favorite summer treat of mine. There aren’t many spots
left in New York City making Italian ice the old school way, but one place in Corona, Queens is keeping the tradition alive. The Lemon Ice King has been on this corner making Italian ices since 1944. They are a true neighborhood legend. All of their ices are made with
water and fruit, that’s it. And they have tons of
flavors to choose from. Now, obviously, they are known for one. – Of course, it’s lemon. – Tastes like my childhood. The best part is when it’s all melted down and there’s the liquid at the bottom. That’s the good stuff. But if you wanna go rogue, we ask Mike, the current
owner, what he recommends. – [Mike] If you wanna
go rogue, peanut butter. – All right, let’s try peanut butter. There’s actual peanuts in it. You know what, Mike, you’re right. It’s pretty good. This is pretty good. I’m shocked. – [Mike] Should have
been more enthusiastic. – I was, I was ready, I was
ready to hate on this one. Lemon is still my favorite, though. – No mine, mine as well. – Lemon is still the way to go though. J is for Jamaican beef patties. In the early 1900s, New York
City saw a massive influx of immigrants from the Caribbean Islands, places like the Dominican
Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica. Today, New York has one of the largest Jamaican American populations
in the United States, and that’s where the Jamaican
beef patty comes from. It was brought to Jamaica
by Cornish traders who were dealing in sugar
enslaved people and spices in the 17th century. Over time, the patties evolved utilizing local ingredients and flavors, which is the dish we have today. The yellow color on the pastry
shell comes from turmeric and the inside is diced beef
with Scotch bonnet chilies and lots of other spices. The best place to try it in New York City is at Kingston Tropical Bakery
in Wakefield up in the Bronx. When you come here, you absolutely have to get
one of their beef patties, but don’t miss out on their Coco bread. It is soft, fluffy, and
tastes like a dream. Also pro tip, this place is
cash only, so come prepared. Oh my God. You can see the English influence, but this is a fully Jamaican dish. It is spicy and the meat
is packed with flavor. It’s perfect. K is for knish. A knish is a traditional snack from the Ashkenazi Jewish community. It is a dough that is rolled
out stuffed with fillings, traditionally potato, and then baked. You can find knishes all around the city, especially at push carts
outside of museums. But for a truly great
kish worthy of the name, you have to go to Yonah
Shimmel’s Knish Bakery. It’s located at the corner
of Houston and Forsyth on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The bakery was founded
in 1890 by Yonah Shimmel, a Romanian Jewish immigrant, and is one of the oldest
operational knish bakeries in the city today. If you come here, you of course have to
get the potato knish. It is a classic. Yum. Soft and peppery and potatoey. But let me also recommend
their Kasha Knish, which is stuffed with buckwheat. And if you wanna finish on a sweet note, get the apple and cheese knish. It is delightful. L is for lox. In letter B, I told you about
the best way to have a bagel, and that included having it with lox. While lox is technically
salt cured salmon. When we talk about lox in New York City, what we actually talk about is a type of smoked
salmon called nova salmon. In New York City, most
of the smoked salmon or lox that you’ll get
actually comes from here, Acme Smoked Fish. It’s been in one family
for four generations, and was started by a man
named Harry Bronstein, who was an immigrant from
Russia in the early 1900s. The smokehouse is located
in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and is the largest purveyor of smoked fish and herring in the country. If you live in New York City
and you’ve been to places like Russ and Daughters or Barney Greengrass
on the Upper West Side, you’ve eaten their fish. But if you live outside of New York City, you can get it at places
like Costco, Kroger, even Whole Foods. I spoke to one of the
current owners, Adam Caslow, the great grandson of Harry, about what he recommends
you try if you come here. – Probably the right place to start is by trying smoked salmon. It’s the classic adornment to bagels that you see people eating
all around the city. The next step would be to try
your hand at whitefish salad. Whitefish salad is a
great dip with crackers. It can be combined with smoked salmon. It’s creamy, it’s smoky, little salty, but it’s irresistible. Probably third for the
more, more adventurous smoked fish enthusiasts,
pickled herring is a classic. It’s available with like a wine sauce, more of like a vinegary,
sweet, salty brine, or a cream sauce. It’s an acquired taste. But for those people who love pickles, it’s definitely a can’t miss opportunity. – If any of those fishes interest you, an insider tip is to come here on Fridays for what they call Fish Fridays. You can buy all of the fish
directly from the smokehouse, super fresh and super delicious. Starting with some nova salmon. So creamy. This doesn’t have a fishy taste. It just tastes smoked
and salty and delicious. I have not had whitefish salad in a while. Super creamy, very light and delicate. Hmm, I should eat this more often. It’s good. M is for mofongo. Mofongo is a Puerto Rican
dish made of mashed garlic and fried green plantains,
which are mixed with pork rinds that you might know as chicharron. It is often served with a bowl of broth that you will pour over
the top of the dish. Puerto Rican food has a large
presence here in New York City as Puerto Ricans began immigrating in the early 19th century. New York City today is
one of the most culturally important cities outside of San Juan for the Puerto Rican community. The history of mofongo
has roots in Africa. Enslaved Africans were brought
by the Spanish to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean at large, and you can draw a clear
line from mofongo to fufu, a mashed plantain dish
common in Ghana and Nigeria. Fufu became mangu in
the Dominican Republic, mofongo in Puerto Rico, and
kept its name fufu in Cuba. So where should you get
mofongo in New York City? Let me recommend Casa Adela on
Manhattan’s Lower East Side. – My grandmother started
this back in the 70s. She’s been here since the 70s until her passing in 2018. The menu is still the same
as when she was alive. We sell traditional Puerto Rican dishes. It’s a family run business. We do have outside help, but they have been around for years, so it’s like they’re also like family. There’s not too many Puerto
Rican restaurants left. In New York City itself
we’re one of the few. That’s something we try to hold onto. – Here, order it with a side
of pernil, a roast pork dish, and pour the broth all over the top. You’ll be on your way to flavor town. Oh my God. My God. That is perfection. You can really taste the
garlic in the plantains. The broth is truly the magic sauce and the pork is just perfect. Yum. N is for nuts. New York City is not a city
that you wanna be downwind of anything unless it’s
the nuts for nuts cart. Unlike the hot dog, nuts
are a relative newcomer on the street food scene in New York City. They arrived in 1984 by way of Argentina. But they really took off
when this man, Alejandro Rad, started the nuts for nuts cart in 1993. – This is the best
product in New York City, honey roasted nuts. Here, it’s ready for you. – In Argentina. These nuts
are known as mani garripanada. Today they are ubiquitous with the New York City Street food scene, and you’ll find them in
carts all across the city. There are tons to choose from
peanuts to pecans, almonds, cashews, and they’re all
made fresh in copper pots. Deliciously sweet, crunchy and sticky, like stick in the back
of your molar sticky. My favorite are the honey roasted peanuts. I like to keep it classy when I’m standing on a street corner eating a bag of nuts by myself. O is for oysters, New
York’s original street food. When Henry Hudson first
came to New York in 1609, there were nearly
220,000 acres of oysters, accounting for nearly half of the oysters in the whole world. It’s hard to imagine today,
but in the early 19th century, oysters could be found on corner carts being shucked for a penny a piece. They were so common in fact that the poorest New Yorkers
lived on bread and oysters. As New York City grew, the Hudson River became a dumping ground for not only pollutants,
but raw sewage as well. And in 1927, the oyster
beds of New York City were shut down. They were too contaminated to be eaten. With the passing of the
Clean Water Act in 1972 and changing behaviors, by 2000 oysters were once again thriving in the Hudson River. A local group called the
Billion Oyster Project started to get more oysters back in the
Hudson River, and it worked. In 2010, whales were spotted
again in New York Harbor, and this past summer, a
pod of bottlenose dolphins were spotted swimming. The Hudson River today
is the cleanest it’s been since the 1860s. And while you can’t eat oysters
from the Hudson right now, there are plenty of places
around the city to get them. If you’re here in the
spring, summer, and fall, let me recommend Grand Banks. It is on Pier 25 on the Hudson River. It is a beautiful boat,
and the oysters, mwah. They’re delectable. P is for pizza. In particular, the dollar sliced pizza. Here in New York City, we
eat New York style pizza. That’s gonna be a thinner
crust, spiced tomato sauce, and a low moisture mozzarella cheese. In contrast, Neapolitan pizza
has a much chewier crust, non-seasoned sauce, and
fresh mozzarella cheese. Pizza in New York City was originally made in coal or wood burning ovens, but in 1934, an Italian
immigrant named Frank Mastro was part of the team to develop
the first gas burning oven. The temperature in gas ovens is much lower and it results in a drier pizza. So what does that mean? It means that pizza for the first time could be sold by the slice and reheated. In 2008, during the economic recession, dollar slice shops started
exploding around New York City. Sure, the pizza quality dropped, but these small shops were going through over 400 pies a day. Today in 2022, the dollar slices
is a bit of a dying breed. You’ll find mostly $1.25
or $1.75 slice shops, but near Grand Central
Station on 43rd and 3rd is $0.99 fresh pizza. Every slice is still just a buck. Is it the best pizza in New York City? No, but for a dollar it can’t be beat. Hmm. Q is for quahog, a type of large clam. The word quahog comes
from the Narraganset tribe who are descendants of
the indigenous people from the state of Rhode Island. The Narraganset would eat these clams, but also carve their shells into beads and use them as currency
that they called wampum. A popular spot for
clamming was Gowane Creek. Today it is called the Gowanus Canal. However, clams are no
longer sourced from here as it’s one of the most
polluted bodies of water in the United States. But for amazing fresh seafood, take a little road trip to City Island. Most New Yorkers have
never even been here. Located on the edge of the Bronx, it’s surrounded by the Long Island Sound and East Chester Bay, and
there is still a long tradition of harvesting shellfish here. My favorite place to go on
City Island is Johnny’s Reef. It’s also one of the most
affordable spots for seafood in all of New York City. They have an entire clam menu
where a half dozen is only $7, $13 for a full dozen. So you can really go clam here. This is my first time
having a raw quahog clam. Just a little. Okay, here we go. Cheers. It is salty, sweet, and very meaty. If you’re looking for an authentic place in New York City to have clams, City Island is the place to go. R is for rye whiskey. When Dutch settlers first
arrived in New York in the 1600s, they brought with them rye, which was well adapted
to the local climate and grew in abundance. And where there’s rye,
there’s rye whiskey. There are records dating back to the 1780s showing that men enlisted
in the US military got four ounces of rye whiskey as a part of their daily rations. By the 1820s, the Midwestern
and Southern states began producing bourbon, dropping the price of
whiskey 25 cents a gallon, making it cheaper than milk,
wine, beer, tea and coffee. But the heyday of whiskey came to a halt in the 1920s with Prohibition. The rye fields of New
York ceased production, and by the 1930s with the
repeal of Prohibition, it was too late for New York rye. Southern bourbon became
the dominant variety. Here at Kings County Distillery, one of only six distilleries
in New York state, they are reviving this lost tradition. – We’ve been making rye since about 2015. Rye whiskey died with Prohibition, hadn’t come back to New York state until a group of small New York distillers got together and said,
“We’re gonna bring it back, and we’re gonna call it Empire Rye.” – Empire Rye is made from
80% New York danko rye, and 20% English barley malt, and it’s aged for two years
in charred oak barrels. It has flavors like cinnamon,
nutmeg, maple, mint, and a bit of clove. However, if drinking straight
whiskey is not your speed, I hear ya, let me recommend
a Classic Manhattan. Two parts Empire Rye,
one part sweet vermouth, three dashes of bitters. Stir it well and serve
it in a chilled glass. I mean, rye not? (Beryl chuckles) Ooh, this is good. S is for soft pretzel. The pretzel dates back to 610 AD, but its arrival in New York City was not until the early 1800s. Brought first to Philadelphia, whatever, they were an instant hit amongst laborers along with other popular street foods like oysters and pickles. What makes a New York pretzel unique is that it is always salted,
has a hard, shiny exterior, and a soft, fluffy center. If you can get them with
mustard, I highly recommend it. Yeah. We got it. And a bottle of water, because these salt crystals are no joke. It’s so good. Classic New York Street food, huh? T is for to go, coffee that is. New York is iconic for many things. One in particular is our to go coffee cup. If you’ve seen a movie or a TV
show based in New York City, you’ve probably seen this cup. To understand the story of the cup, we have to understand the story of when Greeks arrived in New
York City in the early 1900s. They opened up among other
things, diners and coffee shops. This cup was designed by a
man named Leslie Buck in 1963. He was born in what is
today modern day Ukraine, survived Auschwitz, and came
to New York City looking for a new life. He got a job at the Sherri Cup Company and was tasked with designing a cup that would appeal to Greek
vendors in New York City, and he came up with this cup,
which he called the anthora, a mispronunciation of the Greek
word amphora, meaning urn. The cup is blue and white as
an homage to the Greek flag. It is framed with a Greek key pattern, has Greek style vases on the sides, and uses Greek lettering
to spell out the message, “We are happy to serve you.” The cup was a hit. It was bigger than a hit. In 1994, over 500 million
of them were sold. The New York Times called it, “the most successful
cup design in history.” It even has a spot at the
MoMA here in New York City. Today, the cup is less common. More often, you’ll find
cups that look like this. They’re a bit of a knockoff. But if you can find your
way to a Greek diner or find a Greek coffee cart on the street, you might be lucky enough
to get one of these. It’s a classic taste of New York. U is for a Ukrainian village. New York City has seen a few waves of immigration from Eastern Europe. The first was in the 1880s
when the Russian Empire started expelling its Jewish population. The second was in the 1930s,
and the third in the 1970s. Today, New York City has around 600,000 Russian speaking immigrants. Many of them live in Brighton Beach, on Brooklyn’s southernmost tip. The area is often nicknamed Little Odessa, a city that’s located on the Black Sea. This neighborhood is
similar in that its situated right on the Atlantic Ocean. In Manhattan’s East Village,
between 1st and 3rd avenues is little Ukraine. Here there are a number of spots to visit, including the Ukrainian national home that has a great little
restaurant in the back, Veselka, a very famous restaurant that’s been around since 1954, a Ukrainian Catholic church,
and even a Ukrainian museum. One of my favorite places here for authentic Ukrainian vareniki, which is a type of dumpling, is Streecha. You have to walk down underneath this chiropractor’s office so you know it’s gonna be good. Each weekend, the vareniki are
made by hand from volunteers, and all of the proceeds go to
the Ukrainian Catholic church that you saw just across the street. Get a plate of their potato vareniki with a side of sour cream. Mm. Say hello to the owner, Dmytro Kovalenko. He is a very kind man. – I would say this one of the
simply a dumpings to make. It’s very simple dough. It’s just water, flour, and salt. Vareniki is traditionally eaten
as a lunch or dinner food. It’s served with caramelized
onion and sour cream. The history of cooking was tough. We just used to utilize
the products that we had, like really simple products
like potato and dough. For us, we learned how to make a really delicious food out of it. Vareniki is comfort food for me and for every Ukrainian, I believe. – V is for vermouth, the
key to a perfect martini, which was invented here in Manhattan. It is widely believed that in 1912, the first dry martini was invented at the Knickerbocker Hotel by a bartender named
Martini di Arma di Taggia. The drink was made with London
dry gin and white vermouth. The Knickerbocker Hotel, which was built by John Jacob Astor, who by the way, died in the Titanic, was the height of
glamour in New York City, and really helped reshape Times Square into the tourist destination
that it is today. A fun little fact is that
underneath this hotel, in the subway at the Times
Square stop, on the S Shuttle, there is a door in the corner
that is very easy to miss. The door is gray with the words
Knickerbocker above the top. That door led guests down a long hallway into the hotel’s very famous bar. The hotel’s opulence was
short-lived, however, because when Prohibition
hit the city in 1921, the Knickerbocker closed along
with its secret subway door. The building was turned into offices, and only recently has reopened as a hotel. The roof of the Knickerbocker
has a bar called St. Cloud, and there order a martini
just like they did in 1912. Cheers. Ooh. Ooh, this is good. (chuckles) W is for white sauce. This is the sauce that comes from one of the most
famous street food vendors in New York City, the Halal Guys. What is white sauce? It’s one of the many
secrets of New York City. People believe that it’s
half mayo, half Greek yogurt, but the rest of it, no one really knows. For most New Yorkers,
Halal carts like this have replaced the hot dog as the go-to street food of the city. Some interesting research was done at Queens College here in New York City, where they found that in
1990, over 300 street carts were owned by German
and Italian immigrants. They did the research again in 2005, and found that Egyptian,
Bangladeshi, and Afghan immigrants ran over 560 street carts,
and German and Italians, none. The Halal Guys, which
was started in the 1990s by three Egyptian immigrants, Mohamed Abouelenein, Ahmed
Elsaka, and Abdelbaset Elsayed, they began with a hot dog cart and moved to serving halal
food because a large portion of the Muslim taxi drivers
here in New York City didn’t have access to the
foods that they wanted to eat. There are numerous carts
around New York City, even a brick and mortar, but if you wanna go to the original cart it is on 53rd and 6th. Here, there might be a
line, but it moves quickly. Make sure to get the white sauce. And pro tip, be careful
about the hot sauce. It is hotter than hot. (chuckles) It’s so yummy. Ooh, there’s the hot sauce. I don’t know what’s in this
sauce, but it tastes dang good. X is for Xi’an Famous Foods. It began in 2005 in a
200 square foot stall in the basement of a shopping
mall in Flushing, Queens. It was started by a man named
David Xi, who was from Xi’an the capital of Shaanxi
province in northwest China. They are known for many dishes, including their stewed pork burgers, their spicy cumin lamb
hand-pulled noodles, their spicy tofu, and
their spicy cucumber salad. Lots of spicy dishes. (chuckles) They rose to international fame in 2007 when Anthony Bourdain visited
their shop on his show, “No Reservations”, and loved the food. – This is great. – But Chinese food has shaped
the New York City foodscape for a while despite restrictive and racially biased immigration laws. While large numbers of
eastern and western Europeans were immigrating into the country. In 1882, Congress passed
the Chinese Exclusion Act limiting the number of
immigrants from China that were allowed in the country. Anti-Chinese rhetoric
was so high at the time that if an American woman
married a Chinese man, she would lose her US citizenship. It wasn’t until 1943
when the act was repealed that Manhattan’s own
Chinatown began to take off. And the Chinese food scene
boomed even more in 1972, when then President
Richard Nixon went to China and was seen on television enjoying traditional Chinese foods. New Yorkers rushed down to Chinatown seeking those same authentic dishes, and Chinese food solidified itself as part of New York City’s cuisine. Xi’an has a few locations. I am in Manhattan’s Chinatown
on Bowery and Bayard. When you come here, do not forget to get that
spicy cucumber salad. It is really fabulous. Yum. Y is for yaroa, a Dominican Street food. Yaroa is a dish of french
fries or mashed sweet plantains that are topped with spiced
beef, chicken, or pork, and then covered with
mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, and ketchup. If it sounds to you like
a late night food, it is. Dominican food has a long
history in New York City. Some of the earliest settlers here are from what is known today
as the Dominican Republic. In fact, the first non-native
resident of New York City was a Dominican man named Jan Rodriguez. In the 1960s, after the assassination of the Dominican dictator,
Raphael Trujillo, and the resulting civil war,
large waves of immigrants came to New York City from the island. By the 1990s, New York’s
Dominican population was at around half a million, and today that number has doubled making them the largest
immigrant group in New York City. There are a lot of
amazing Dominican dishes that I definitely think you should try, but for great Dominican Street food, let me recommend Antojitos
BK in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. – My name is Michelettias. I’m the owner of Antojitos BK. We sell authentic Dominican food. Over here in Brooklyn, we usually have a lot of rice and beans, and I feel like that’s Hispanic. It doesn’t really speak big
on the Dominican culture. So that also inspired me to
open up a place in Brooklyn because I was going to
the Bronx to get a yaroa or to get mofonguitos or to get mofongos. It’s been great to
present this kind of food to different kind of people
not only to Dominican people. When I opened, I thought
Dominican culture, they’re gonna be happy with this, but I was able to make
a lot of other people in this neighborhood happy. So they, it makes me happy. – Of course, order the yaroa with mashed plantains and spiced beef. Get it with one of their mofonguitos. They are delicious. And wash it down with chinola, which is a fresh passion fruit
juice that they make there. Get it to go so you can sit
on a bench in Sunset Park while admiring the amazing skyline and eating a delicious snack. Mm. Z is for Zabar’s. Zabar’s is a New York City institution, and was opened in 1934 on
Manhattan’s Upper West Side by two Jewish Ukrainian immigrants,
Louis and Lillian Zabar. The grocery store quickly
became known for two things, coffee and smoked fish. When you walk inside, you
will very quickly realize this is not like your typical
American grocery store, so let me help you navigate it. On your right, when you
enter is the cheese shop. Marvel at the ginormous wheels of cheese and don’t be afraid to
ask for a free sample. Follow the store to the right and you will see the smoked fish section. Zabar’s has some of the best
smoked fish in the city, but do not sleep on their
gravlox, a type of cured salmon. It is absolutely delicious. Up next is the bakery. Zabar’s is known for their
rye and their bagels, but I personally love their
homemade chocolate rugelach, and of course, there is the ever iconic black and white cookie
that they make fresh here. Finally, your nose will
definitely lead you to their coffee section. Zabar’s is known for their unique blends. You can grab a fresh bag
of beans to take home or a cup of coffee at their cafe to go. There’s obviously a lot to buy here. Either way, don’t leave empty handed. I didn’t. (chuckles)

All the spots I mentioned (and what you should get there) are listed here below. Check ‘em out!

Arthur Avenue
Where to go: Casa della Mozzarella, 604 E 187th St, The Bronx, NY 10458
What to eat: mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, homemade burrata
https://www.instagram.com/casadellamozzarella/?hl=en
Where to go: Calabria Pork Store, 2338 Arthur Ave, The Bronx, NY 10458
What to eat: hot soppressata
https://calabriapork.com/
Where to go: Borgatti’s Ravioli & Egg Noodles, 632 E 187th St, The Bronx, NY 10458
What to eat: fresh spinach and ricotta ravioli

Home

Where to go: Madonia Bakery, 2348 Arthur Ave, The Bronx, NY 10458
What to eat: breads, cannolis
https://www.madoniabakery.com/
Bagels
Where to go: Zuckers Bagels, 370 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017
What to eat: everything bagel (NOT toasted), scallion cream cheese, lox, tomato, capers, red onion
https://www.zuckersbagels.com/
Chopped Cheese
Where to go: Blue Sky Deli (Hajji’s), 2135 1st Ave., New York, NY 10029
What to eat: chopped cheese
https://www.instagram.com/hajjis110/
Delicatessen
Where to go: Sarge’s Delicatessen & Diner, 548 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016
What to eat: pastrami sandwich on rye bread w/ mustard, half sour pickle, bowl of matzo ball soup
https://sargesdeli.com/
Egg Cream
Where to go: Old John’s Luncheonette, 148 W 67th St, New York, NY 10023
What to eat: chocolate egg cream
https://www.iloveoldjohns.com/
Fried Chicken and Waffles
Where to go: Amy Ruth’s, 113 W 116th St, New York, NY 10026
What to eat: chicken and waffles

Amy Ruth’s Harlem Famous Soul Food & Chicken & Waffles

General Tso’s Chicken
Where to go: Hunan Delight, 1467 York Ave, New York, NY 10075
What to eat: general tso’s chicken
https://www.hunandelightmatsuyanyc.com/
Hot Dogs
Where to go: Nathan’s Famous, 1310 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224
What to eat: hot dog w/ sauerkraut, sautéed onions, and spicy brown mustard
https://nathansfamous.com/
Italian Ice
Where to go: Lemon Ice King of Corona, 2-02 108th St, Queens, NY 11368
What to eat: lemon or peanut butter flavors
http://lemonicekingofcorona.com/
Jamaican Beef Patties
Where to go: Kingston Tropical Bakery, 4000 White Plains Rd, The Bronx, NY 10466
What to eat: beef patty, coco bread
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kingston-tropical-bakery-bronx
Knish
Where to go: Yonah Schimmel’s Knish Bakery, 137 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
What to eat: potato knish, kasha (buckwheat) knish, apple & cheese knish

Home

Lox
Where to go: Acme Smoked Fish, 30 Gem St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
What to eat: smoked nova salmon, whitefish salad, pickled herring
https://www.acmesmokedfish.com/
Mofongo
Where to go: Casa Adela, 66 Loisaida Ave, New York, NY 10009
What to eat: mofongo w/ broth and pernil
https://casa-adela-puerto-rican-restaurant.business.site/
Nuts
Where to go: Nuts 4 Nuts carts, multiple locations
What to eat: honey roasted peanuts
https://nuts4nuts.com/
Oysters
Where to go: Grand Banks NYC, Park Pier 25 Hudson River, New York, NY 10013
What to eat: fresh oysters
https://crewny.com/grand-banks
Pizza
Where to go: 99 Cent Fresh Pizza, 151 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017
What to eat: dollar slice cheese pizza
https://www.99centsfreshpizzanyc.com/
Quahog
Where to go: Johnny’s Reef Restaurant , 2 City Island Ave, Bronx, NY 10464
What to eat: fresh clams

Home

Rye
Where to go: Kings County Distillery, 299 Sands St, Brooklyn, NY 11205
What to drink: empire rye whisky, a Manhattan
https://www.kingscountydistillery.com/
Soft Pretzel
Where to go: street cart, multiple locations
What to eat: salted soft pretzel w/ mustard
To-Go
Where to go: street cart, multiple locations
What to get: hot coffee to-go
Ukrainian Village
Where to go: Streecha, 33 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
What to eat: potato vareniki w/ caramelized onions & sour cream
https://www.instagram.com/streecha/?hl=en
Vermouth
Where to go: St. Cloud Rooftop at the Knickerbocker Hotel, 6 Times Sq, New York, NY 10036
What to drink: gin martini
https://theknickerbocker.com/dine/st-cloud/
White Sauce
Where to go: Halal Guys cart, multiple locations
What to eat: chicken platter
Xi’an Famous Foods
Where to go: Xi’an Famous chinatown location, 45 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
What to eat: stewed pork burger, spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles, spicy tofu custard, spicy cucumber salad
https://www.xianfoods.com/
Yaroa
Where to go: Antojitos BK, 412 45th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220
What to eat: beef yaroa w/ mashed plantain, mofonguitos, chinola
http://www.antojitosbkbrooklyn.com/
Zabar’s
Where to go: Zabar’s, 2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024
What to eat: cheeses, smoked fish, gravlax, rye bread, bagels, chocolate rugelach, black & white cookie, hot coffee, coffee beans
https://www.zabars.com/

Wanna mail something?
Beryl Shereshewsky
115 East 34th Street FRNT 1
PO Box 1742
New York, NY 10156
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