10 Food Dishes That Are Absolute Symbols of New York City

Pizza

Getting a “New York Slice” ranks right alongside seeing the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building on your first trip to the city. First baked in the city by Neopolitan immigrants from Italy, True New York slices are pretty thin, yet sturdy and flexible enough to fold as you cradle the melty cheese and sweet, tangy red sauce.

Bagels

Not only do the bagels themselves have a reputation for tasting better in New York; but bagels with cream cheese and lox remain a staple brunch menu item or daily breakfast regime for many in the city. This Jewish-rooted traditional food has become a nationwide favorite, but the originals in New York are can’t-miss eating attractions. For example, Russ & Daughters in the Lower East Side has served the menu item for over 100 years. 

Pastrami or Corned Beef Sandwiches

The Romanian Jewish immigrants of the nineteenth century added two staple sandwiches to the neighborhood delis many New Yorkers still enjoy today: pastrami and corned beef.

Pastrami gets smoked and double-seasoned while corned beef is usually boiled. For either sandwich, delis like to pile both on top of two slices of crunchy, tasty rye bread. Also notable but less iconic in New York is the Reuben sandwich — which uses corned beef.

Cheesecake

Despite “New York Cheesecake” actually being invented in Chester, not New York City itself, the culinary scene of the Big Apple debuted at two restaurants in Midtown in 1929. The extra egg yolks in the cream cheese differentiate it from the Italian version and is almost always served without toppings to let the flavors of the dense, creamy cake take center stage.

Matzo Ball Soup

Similar to bagels and pastrami, the Jewish communities in New York significantly influence the culinary scene with another comforting addition: matzo ball soup. The Ashkenazi soup, found on the menu of most delis in the city, has tasty chicken stock, thick dumplings, and fall-off-the-bone chicken to warm more than your hands and stomach on a cold day in the city.

Hot Dogs

Whether from a sidewalk vendor or on Coney Island, hot dogs are absolute staples of New York City’s culinary scene. The classic New York-style hot dog is a link topped with sauerkraut, sauteed onions, ketchup, and mustard. 

Nathan’s remains the most iconic type of hot dog — selling for just a nickel in its heyday of 1916. If you get a Nathan’s on Coney Island, you can enjoy another New York City staple: the chili-cheese dog.

Chinese Food — Specifically, General Tso’s

General Tso’s might seem like Americanized Chinese food — because it is. When a chef from the Shun Lee Palace (which was in New York) traveled to Taiwan, he discovered a version of General Tso’s chicken. When he came back home, he sweetened the recipe to suit American palates. The rest is delicious modern history.

Egg Cream

Did you know that New York City’s Lower East Side is the birthplace of egg cream — a milkshake-like treat that includes neither cream nor eggs in it? 

Egg cream is a mixture of chocolate syrup, seltzer, and milk. It has a frothy top and a fizzy pop amid the chocolatey goodness of the drink. While egg creams have waned in popularity, it remains a staple drink only found in a few places in the city.

Chop Cheese

A “chopped cheese” sandwich, or “chop cheese,” is a staple of the corner bodegas in New York City. Created by thinly chopping ground beef and onions together, chefs top off the simmering mixture with cheese, slide it into a toasty bun, and add the customer’s choice of toppings. Chop cheese has become iconic not only for its simplicity and deliciousness; some criticize the gentrification of the food dish. While it was once an affordable meal, some spaces now charge upwards of $10 for the sandwich. 

Food Trucks or “Street Meat”

Apart from Nathan’s Hot Dogs, a new player has entered the New York City lunchtime arena: the Halal Guys and street meat. First popularized in the 1990s when the Halal Guys on 53rd and 6th offered the simple meat-on-rice dish in their food truck, the craze of food trucks selling meat dishes has burgeoned into a massive trend still going today.