New York may be known as The Big Apple but it’s not fruit that defines its foodie scene. You’d be remiss to visit the city without eating a pretzel in Central Park, ordering a bagel in a deli, or tucking into a slice of New York cheesecake in an old-school diner, but as well as the obvious choices there are a number of other foods to try in New York.
In the past few years, the city has only upped its game as far as iconic foods are concerned. Wheels have been reinvented, and there’s a whole new list of one-of-a-kind treats to sink your teeth into while you’re on a trip here.
Here are just a few of the foods that fuel the city that never sleeps…
Cruffs
In summer 2017 The New York Post reported that cruffs were the latest dessert craze sweeping New York. Made by Stuffed Ice Cream in the East Village, cruffs are essentially ice cream sandwiches. They’re made by squishing ice cream flavours like green tea and lychee between two sides of a warm donut.
Where to go: 139 First Avenue
Go here after: Mooching around Greenwich Village
Cheese tea
No, it’s not a typo. Cheese tea is the latest drink to be served at Happy Lemon tea shop. The drink’s origins can be traced back to the street food stalls of Taiwan and it’s made by topping a beverage like green tea with whipped cheese.
Where to go: 133 to 135 Roosevelt Ave
Go here after: Visiting Queens Museum and Queens Zoo
Chick n cone
Waffle cones full of fried chicken fly over the counter at Chick n Cone in Gansevoort Market. The hashtag #socluckinggood has been coined for the new novelty food, which can be ordered with your choice of sauces – from Kick’n Ranch to Cinna-Maple.
Where to go: 353 W 14th Street
Go here after: Ground Zero Museum Workshop
Cronuts
It was 2013 when New York caught cronut fever. Locals queued up for hours outside the Dominique Ansel Bakery to get their hands on the sweet treats. The cronut is a hybrid of a croissant and a donut. A new flavour is put on sale every month and never repeated. Options like rose vanilla and lemon maple have all been available in the past.
Where to go: 189 Spring Street
Go here after: Taking a photo of the Friends apartment
Cookie Shots
The bakery behind the Cronut is also responsible for the Cookie Shot. Served every day at 3pm, cookie shots are chocolate chip cookies, moulded into the shape of shot glasses, served with milk inside.
Rainbow bagels
The bagel store refers to its rainbow bagels as ‘the bagel that broke the Internet’. Instagram was clogged with images of them in early 2016. The name says it all with these guilty pleasures. They’re bagels made with dough coloured in yellows, pinks, purples, oranges and blues and when it comes to foods to try in New York, they’re essential.
Where to go: 754 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn
Go here after: Seeing the First Calvary Cemetery
Super slice pizzas
New York has always had a reputation for great pizzas, but The Pizza Barn has taken things to the next level. Its Super Slices are more than two feet long. You could wear one like an apron if you wanted. Flavours range from traditional margarita to mac n cheese.
Where to go: 70 McLean Avenue
Go here after: New York Botanical Garden
Spaghetti donuts
For one of the weirder foods to try in New York, head to Pop Pasta – the brains behind the spaghetti donut. The snack is made by baking a Neapolitan spaghetti pie into the shape of a donut. They’re available in a variety of flavours that resemble traditional Italian pasta dishes like bolognese and carbonara.
Where to go: Follow Pop Pasta on Facebook for pop up locations.
Unicorn Latte
Even Starbucks has tried its hand at selling New Yorkers Unicorn Lattes. The original product, however, is said to have been born at The End café in Brooklyn. The drinks are made with live blue-green algae, which gives it a shimmery look, and the café’s owners claim it gives drinkers the confidence to #flyhigh all day.
Where to go: 522 Metropolitan Ave
Go here after: Visiting Manhattan Bridge
If it’s food tours of New York you’re after, check out our review of Nice Guy, a street food walking tour which is rated #1 on TripAdvisor.
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