Whether it’s an over-the-top entree stuffed with top shelf ingredients or a straightforward pizza, there are some dishes that could only be dreamt up (and devoured) in New York.
In a world full of smashed burgers, Minetta Tavern’s Black Label burger stands out. This is not your average thin patty but an oversized ball of dry-aged ribeye from famed butchers Pat La Frieda. There is no cheese but instead a pile of caramelized onions that gives a nice sweetness to the meat.
Chef Anthony Mangieri started wood-firing pizzas in New Jersey in 1996 before bringing his culinary talents to the city. At Una Pizza Napoletana, his Lower East Side shop, the crusts are charred and bulbous just like the true pies of Naples. The sauce (spiked with Sicilian oregano) and cheese (Campanian buffalo mozzarella) are a little soupy, so you need to eat it with a knife and fork (and plenty of napkins). In a city of thousands of slices, this pie stands out.
The pastrami on rye at Katz’s deli is perhaps the city’s most famous sandwich, and for good reason. First the meat is pickled in the restaurant’s secret brine for three weeks and then doused in a spice blend rub. Next, it’s slow cooked for three days. The meat is then boiled for three hours before being hand carved by some of the city’s most skillful butchers. The sandwich, with pickles on the side, will set you back $25 dollars but this is, as the owners of Katz’s will tell you, no ordinary pastrami.
See the other iconic dishes below.
Katz’s Pastrami Sandwich
One of the last-standing, old-time Eastern European spots on the Lower East Side, Katz’s is a true NY institution. Walk inside, get a ticket and don’t lose it (those guys at the front aren’t hosts—upset their system and you’ll get a verbal beating). Then pick up your food at the counter and bring it to a first-come first-get table; or opt for a slightly less dizzying experience at a waitress-served table.
Inspector notes: "Matzo ball soup, pastrami sandwiches, potato latkes—everything is what you’d expect, only better."
Russ & Daughter’s Café Bagel+Lox
From white-jacketed servers to that pristine counter, this updated yet model LES café channels the very spirit and charm of its mothership, set only blocks away. The adept kitchen follows suit, taking the original, appetizing classics and turning them on their heads to form an array of proper and profoundly flavorful dishes.
Inspector notes: "Regulars perch at the bar to watch the ‘tender whip up a cocktail or classic egg cream, while serious diners find a seat and get noshing on hot- and cold-smoked Scottish salmon teamed with everything-bagel chips."
Pizza at Una Pizza Napoletana
After rallying crowds on both coasts of the country, pizza maestro Anthony Mangieri has settled down into this airy, black-and white-tiled hall lined with canned tomatoes and eager diners. He is serious about his craft and is usually the one tending to the wood-burning oven, which yields glorious Neapolitan-style pies with fluffy edges, papery crusts and minimal toppings that hardly go beyond bubbly gumdrops of mozzarella di bufala and sweet tomato sauce.
Inspector notes: "There are no appetizers – unless you count marinated olives or a jar of beans – and the dessert is limited to sorbet or gelato."
Pork Belly Buns at Momofuku Noodle Bar
A honey-toned temple of updated comfort food, decked with wood counters and a sparkling open kitchen, the service here may be brisk. But rest assured, as the menu is gutsy and molded with Asian street food in mind.
Inspector notes: "Those steamed buns have amassed a gargantuan following thanks to decadent fillings like moist pork loin kissed with Hollandaise and chives."
Tiramisu at Don Angie’s
While the menu feels like an American story as told through an Italian lens, Asian elements also make guest appearances as in the spicy pepperoni fried rice gussied-up with tender grilled calamari. Playful aptly describes the combination of spicy veal tartare and tuna carpaccio.
Inspector notes: "Desserts, such as the fior di latte mochi with golden Taggiasca olive oil or black cocoa tiramisu garnished with feuilletine, are just the icing on the cake."
Black label burger at Minetta Tavern
While this circa 1937 watering hole has been restored, nothing here changes and that is its beauty. It is the quintessential New York City tavern and is still decked out with dark wood, checkerboard tiled floors, red banquettes and those caricature-lined walls. Like the throwback ambience, this menu reveres tradition and reads classic gastropub with dishes such as grilled oysters with pancetta in a Fresno chili butter; and a lusciously grilled beef filet dressed with a classic sauce au poivre.
Inspector notes: "The legendary burger is much-talked-about, and manages to lure the crowds."
Steak at Gage & Tollner
Vintage mirrors, cherry wood and brass chandeliers line the length of this historic restaurant, which first opened in 1892. There is plenty to eat here, as the team, headed by Executive Chef, Adam Shepard, is not content to merely let history and looks stand in for substance.
Inspector notes: "Seafood towers, big steaks, crab cakes and a superb platter of fried chicken with cornmeal fritters take their cues from the legendary Edna Lewis, who ran the kitchen in the late 80s and whose Southern cooking has inspired countless followers."
