New York City has always been known as the Big Apple or the City That Never Sleeps, but it is also a city with some amazing food. In fact, you have probably heard about New York Style pizza, cheesecake, and hot dogs as well as their famous bagels and pastrami. But there are many more important NYC dishes.

New York City is full of fantastic eateries, fine dining establishments, and food trucks where you can get anything from apple pie to zucchini. And according to the locals, everything tastes better in New York. So, ditch your bags at a suitcase storage facility in New York and get out there and taste some of NYC’s finest.

• Pizza

New York-style pizza is different from other pizzas. Each of the pieces is twice the size of a typical pizza slice and the crust is thin with thick crispy edges. The dough is made soft enough so you can fold the slice in half to eat it, which is important since it is so large. The most common New York-style pizza is topped with just cheese and tomato sauce. 

This style of pizza came to NYC in the 1900s as a type of Neapolitan-style pizza. Joe’s Pizza was opened in 1975 by Joe Pozzuoli, who came from Naples, Italy. They have meat toppings, but their #1 seller is cheese. Today, Joe’s Pizza has five locations in NYC and one in Michigan. But the original is still open on Carmine Street.

• Hot Dogs

Although the hot dog may not have been invented in New York, it was made famous there. It is not clear why, but most believe that it started at Coney Island at Nathan’s Hot Dogs. They started serving the famous dogs for five cents each in 1916 when Nathan Handwerker opened the first hot dog stand.

In 1939, President Roosevelt served Nathan’s hot dogs to the King and Queen of England. But Nathan’s really became famous when they started selling them in supermarkets in 1983. And it didn’t hurt when they became the official hot dog of major league baseball. And they are still made with Nathan’s wife’s secret recipe. 

• Bagels

The reason why the NYC bagel is so good may have something to do with its history. The bagel originated in Poland in 1683 to celebrate Poland’s victory in the Battle of Vienna. The bagel came to the US in the early 1800s when Jewish immigrants grew in number. But it was not until 1960 that they came to NYC.

But why are NYC bagels the best? Some say it is the water, some say it is how they roll their dough, while others claim it is the boiling process. Although you can get a fantastic bagel at many places in NYC, some of the best come from Sadelle’s in Soho, Baz Bagel in Little Italy, or Murray’s Bagels in Greenwich Village. 

• Pastrami Sandwiches

Another delicious food we can thank NYC for is pastrami, which was originally discovered by Jewish immigrants when finding ways to preserve meat. But the pastrami sandwich was first created in 1887 by Sussman Volk, a New York butcher from Lithuania who got the recipe from a friend who was also from Romania. 

So, whether the pastrami sandwich came from Romania or NYC, it became famous in New York. One of the most popular places to get one of these yummy sandwiches is at Katz’s Delicatessen, serving them since 1888. The deli has a line any time you go there, and everyone is getting the pastrami sandwich. 

• Street Meat

You may have never heard of street meat unless you have been to New York. To the locals, the food carts and trucks serving fast meals of delicious meats are legendary. The meat these carts and trucks serve? Halal meat. Halal is an Arabic word meaning permissible. In other words, the meat is humanely prepared.

Although it is not clear if all meat served on halal cart and trucks are legally prepared in the Muslim fashion, it is all considered to be delicious. The best place to get street meat depends on who you ask, but the most popular is the Halal Guys. They have carts and restaurants all over the world with five in NYC.

• Cronut

The cronut is a combination of a donut and a croissant, made by Dominique Ansel, a chef from France who calls himself the Willy Wonka of pastries and desserts. In 2013, Ansel was trying to make breakfast food for his restaurant that was like a donut but lighter like a croissant. So, he made a cronut. 

What makes these delectable desserts so famous is that only 350 of them are made per day and it takes three days to make each batch. And they are each hand-decorated too. Many New Yorkers claim that the cronut is the best dessert in New York, and you can decide that for yourself at Ansel’s Bakery in Soho. 

• Cheesecake

The cheesecake was not invented in New York, but it was a New York dairy farmer who discovered it when he was trying to make Neufchatel cheese. Not long after, cream cheese was sold in stores and used in making the original cheesecake made with cheese in the 1700s taste more like the cheesecake we now love.

But the New York style of cheesecake is different and was actually invented by the man who made the Reuben sandwich, Arnold Reuben. But the cheesecake he created was made with extra egg yolks and no toppings, larger and richer than other styles. Go to one of Junior’s three locations for the best in NYC.  

• Black and White Cookie

This famous NYC food is exactly what the name says. A black and white cookie. But it is actually a cake made from cupcake dough that has extra flour to make it thicker. These delicious cookies have been around since 1902 when Glaser’s Bake Shop in New York made them and are thought to have a German background.

The cookies are famous now. In 1994, on Seinfeld, Jerry tells everyone to “Look to the cookie” when talking about racial unrest. And President Obama nicknamed them Unity Cookies in 2008. Then, in 2017, the cookie was seen on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. They are still served at Glaser’s as well as many other delis.

You have to try at least one of these New York favorites while you are in town, but it would be great to try them all. And while you are visiting, be sure to check out some of the major attractions. The Empire State Building is a must-see and you have to at least get a look at the Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial.

If you’re a new mom looking to travel, be sure to check out Taking A Trip With Your New Baby Is Good For The Soul