It is rather difficult to answer the question of what is the cuisine of New York, due to the fact that the population is as multicultural as possible. Which is naturally reflected in the cuisine and restaurants. On the other hand, the Big Apple has a good set of culinary traditions that belong primarily to it – from street hot dogs for a couple of dollars to the famous New York cheesecake.
Italian restaurants and pizzerias
In New York, in no case can one ignore the numerous Italian restaurants that are scattered not only in Little Italy, but in principle throughout the city and, first of all, Manhattan. Some of them have a truly important historical significance or are simply wildly popular with New Yorkers, which speaks of the quality of the institution better than any advertisement.
Grimaldi’s pizzeria
A trip to the Grimaldi’s area can kill two birds with one stone – visit under the Brooklyn Bridge and taste the best pizza in all of New York. At first glance, it seems that some kind of club is located here – a long line at the doors of an old unprepossessing building. However, the harsh truth is that this is not a club, but Grimaldi’s pizzeria, which is so incredibly loved by New Yorkers that the line accumulates there in a very short time after opening. Part of the queues are formed due to the fact that you can not reserve a table here. But as soon as Grimaldi’s branded pizza appears in front of you, all memories of waiting instantly disappear – it is unlikely that there will be a pizza tastier in New York than this one.
Pizzeria Franny’s
This quite modern and very noisy place near the center of Brooklyn and Prospect Park offers guests both the great atmosphere of a real New York pizzeria and equally great pizza straight from a brick oven. There are enough types of pizza here and you can choose any additions, although usually in New York they prefer not to overdo it in this regard, but to order something quite simple, but at the same time extremely tasty. In addition, in addition to pizza, Franny’s offers Italian pasta and various salads.
Pizzeria Artichoke Basille’s Pizza
This wonderful pizzeria is located in the East Village near Union Square, that is, in the most central part of Manhattan. It is held by two Italians from Staten Island, who, like no one else, know a lot about authentic pizza with a fried crispy crust, all kinds of toppings and spicy sauces. Like Grimaldi’s, queues here are quite common. The institution itself opens quite late, at noon or even later.
Pizzeria Lucali
One of New York’s best pizzerias is located in a not-so-intriguing location in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens, but Lucali has its own flavor. And, of course, great pizza, which is prepared right before the eyes of visitors in an open kitchen. Lucali is the realm of minimalism: the pizza here is only one size with a rather limited set of toppings. Moreover, apart from pizza and calzone, nothing can be ordered here. You can bring your own wine or beer with you. Not a pizzeria, but a student’s dream.
Pizzeria Lombardi’s
New York City’s very first pizzeria opened in 1897 and was originally a simple grocery store, becoming the world’s first pizzeria in 1905, quickly becoming the go-to place for local Italian workers. In 1984, the old Lombardi’s closed and reopened 10 years later near its previous location. The traditional interior with wooden floors, brick walls, red and white tablecloths and old-school photographs on the walls only adds to the charm of this place, where culinary traditions are observed with even greater care – the menu has not changed much over the past hundred years. The same delicious pizza cooked in a special charcoal oven, the same tomatoes, the same mozzarella and the same homemade meat balls – everything you need for a great culinary excursion into the world of New York pizza.
Babbo Restaurant
One of the best Italian restaurants in all of America, Babbo is located in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village district right next to Washington Park. Opened in 1998, this two-story restaurant was an instant hit and won several quality awards. Adhering to their strict philosophy, the owners of the restaurant, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, tried to ensure that their establishment absorbed the maximum of the culinary traditions of Italy – Tuscan, Sicilian, Neapolitan and others. The result is a brilliant selection of great Italian dishes and a relentless stream of guests. At the same time, it is worth adding that you should always book a table here in advance, because there is a high probability that there simply won’t be enough space. In addition, Mario Batali has several other restaurants of different types in New York,here .
Restaurant Il Bagatto
Unlike many fancy restaurants, this bustling corner of the Lower East Side offers great quality Italian food at very reasonable prices. In addition, this place is famous for its wine list and has its own sommelier, who usually invites guests to taste their wines. The staff here is very friendly, although it often happens that the wait is a little longer than in other places – but this is rather a specific feature of the Lower East Side. Among the main dishes are ravioli with cheese and spinach or gnocchi (Italian dumplings) in gorgonzola sauce and, as already mentioned, a more than decent selection of wine.
Restaurant Ferdinando’s Foccaceria
This restaurant still retains the spirit of the old immigrant Brooklyn, because its history began over a hundred years ago as a small Sicilian establishment. The interior seems to be taken from films about New York of the last century – old photos with views of Italy and with the owner of the restaurant in the company of celebrities on brick walls among Catholic statues. And at the same time, the culinary mystery does not stop for a second and the main “highlight” of the restaurant is being prepared – arancina: balls of rice and spicy beef, fried in breadcrumbs. Naturally, an incredible amount of different sauces and additives is attached to them. You can also order takeaway meals here. By the way, Ferdinando’s is not so expensive, so going here can be not just a pleasure, but also quite a budgetary pleasure.
Restaurant Angelo of Mulberry Street
This restaurant, located directly in the Little Italy district, has been serving excellent Neapolitan cuisine for over a hundred years. The local taste has already become such a legend that some of the restaurant’s sauces can now be ordered online. In addition, Angelo of Mulberry Street compares favorably with its authenticity from many other places in Little Italy, which are focused more on the many tourists that flood this historic area every day. The dishes here are both quite traditional Italian ones like spaghetti or scaloppini (these are thin slices of veal sprinkled with wheat flour and fried in fat; served with tomato or wine sauce), as well as more exotic ones, for example, fried salmon in mustard sauce or rabbit in Madeira sauce.
Slavic cafes and restaurants
Russian Tea Room
This is, without a doubt, the most famous institution in New York, opened by Russian immigrants. This event happened in 1927. The founders of this landmark institution were members of the Russian Imperial Ballet. The Russian Tea Room, located on 57th Street between Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Tower, quickly gained fame as a bohemian place, where all kinds of celebrities from the world of entertainment and art gathered. The Russian Tea Room changed its owners quite often, and in the mid-90s it closed for a 4-year renovation, however, having opened, it lasted only a couple of years. Fortunately, the traditions were not forgotten and the Russian Tea Room opened its doors again in 2007. The interior has not been changed and you can still see bright red sofas, crystal bears, chandeliers and stained glass ceiling, which were captured in more than one film. The Russian Tea Room menu includes traditional Russian dishes, such as borscht, pancakes with various fillings, Kiev cutlets, caviar and much more. By the way, Madonna worked here at one time.
Veselka Restaurant
This Ukrainian restaurant is considered to be perhaps the best in all of New York, the main explanation for which is the richest menu of more than 120 dishes of Ukrainian and, in principle, Eastern European cuisines. “Veselka” (from Ukrainian – “rainbow”) was founded in 1954 by the spouses Darmochval, who moved here after the Great Patriotic War. Today it is one of the last Slavic restaurants left in the East Village area. At one time there were a great many of them. For a long time, Veselka was known only within the East Village, which in the late 60s was a kind of East Coast Haight-Ashbury. In the 1980s, its fame began to spread rapidly throughout New York, and today, by the way, this 24-hour restaurant has become a truly iconic place for the city. In 1995, the restaurant was reconstructed, which, to the delight of local residents, did not touch the menu. Today, this Ukrainian family business continues to thrive, attracting many visitors with its delicious Eastern European dishes.
Coffee Spot Cafe
Cafe in Brooklyn, located on Sheepsehead Bay Road, where there are a huge number of other cafes. The usual interior, not conspicuous, but stands out from other Coffee Spots only by the kitchen. This cafe can be recommended for those who miss Russian cuisine. The chef, a resident of Kiev, occasionally serves guests himself. A significant minus of the institution is that it closes at 7 pm.