It’s your first time in New York and you don’t know where to start… There are so many different things to eat in NYC. Here are 10 places to eat at.
1. Smoked Salmon Bagel at Best Bagels & Coffee- The one thing we wanted to try is a New York Bagel. We stopped by Best Bagels & Coffee on our way to the Empire State Building for some Breakfast. We knew we found a good spot because the line was out the door when we got there at 9am in the morning but don’t let the line scare you away the line moves fast. Order a smoked salmon bagel, Everything Bagel, Scallion cream cheese, tomatoes, and red onions, and OMG the Bagels are different in New York! It’s much softer and fluffier than bagels in Los Angeles. What to expect? Lines are long but move fast. You can also call in a phone order and pick it up (which we did). Website Address: Midtown 225 W 35th St A, New York, NY
2. Pastrami Sandwich at Katz Deli- We weren’t believers, what is so special about a pastrami sandwich? After one bite of pastrami, we were hooked. This is probably why Katz’s serves 15,000 pounds of pastrami. Walking into Katz Deli can be a little bit confusing, here is the step-by-step. When you enter Katz someone will give you a ticket, DON’T lose the TICKET! The ticket is your food receipt and if you lose the ticket you’ll have to pay $50. Walk in and fall into one of the many lines, order your food, and then find a seat. Seating is first-come, first-serve. Once you’re done, go to the cashier and give them your ticket, even if you didn’t eat anything give them back the ticket. Full Bar Available. Kid-Friendly- Yes, it's loud in there so if your baby is crying no one will notice lol If you love the pastrami, shipping is available nationwide. Website Address: Lower Manhattan 205 E Houston St, New York, NY
3. Pork & Chive Dumplings at Shu Jiao Fu Zhou Cuisine Restaurant- We actually stumbled into this place walking around Chinatown. This place is a hole in the wall and probably has the best dumplings in Chinatown. Their menu is simple, it includes noodle soups and handmade dumplings. The Pork & Chive Dumplings come in small (6 pieces) or large (10 pieces) and the biggest surprise 10 dumplings are only $3.50, where can you get those prices in Manhattan? So what to expect? Seating is very limited, don’t be surprised if you are sharing a table with strangers. Cash Only. Order at the counter and your order will be called once it’s ready. Kid-Friendly? sort of... we brought Riley there but there is no room for a stroller or a high chair. Website Address: Chinatown 295 Grand St, New York, NY
4. Bee Sting Pizza at Roberta’s Pizza- Anyone who has visited New York knows that a visit isn’t complete without having a slice or two of New York Pizza. Roberta’s Pizza started in Brooklyn and now they set up a couple of shops around Manhattan. The Bee Sting Pizza is what Roberta’s is famous for tomato, mozzarella, basil, soppressata, chili, honey. Honey on a pizza is our new favorite topping, we know it’s a little different but in an amazing kind of way. We visited the location at Urbanspace Vanderbilt NYC, located next to Grand Central Sation, it is very kid-friendly but very busy after work and during lunch. What to expect? Order food at the counter then they’ll call you when your food is ready about 5-10 minutes. Beer and Wine are available for purchase. Website Address: Midtown Urbanspace 230 Park Ave, New York, NY, Brooklyn 261 Moore St. Brooklyn, NY
5. Grilled Corn Mexican Style at Café Habana open in 2007 it has been a staple in NYC for 20 years. Today, Café Habana is open all over NYC and around the world. Many people come in for a Cubano sandwich but what we think you should order is the Grilled Corn which is covered with mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime. The sweet corn is perfectly grilled and they are super generous with covering the corn in cotija cheese and chili powder. What to expect? No reservations, lines can be long during peak hours. It is a small restaurant so not good for groups of more than 4-5 people. Take-out is available. Kid-Friendly? Not Really. Very small restaurant, no space for a stroller, no changing table in the bathroom. Website Address: Nolita 17 Prince St, New York, NY
6. Shroom Burger at Shack Shack- Open as a hot dog stand in Madison Square Park in 2001 is now a billion-dollar business. Yes, there are Shake Shacks all over the world but there is something about New York Shake Shacks, we feel it just tastes better. Shack Shack services delicious burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, and shakes but my favorite thing there is the Shroom Burger. What is a Shroom burger? It is a deep-fried Portobello patty stuffed with melted cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, and special sauce! A mushroom lover’s dream! What to expect? Order at the counter, find a seat, and they’ll call you when your order is ready. Expect the lines to be long during peak hours, sometimes even non-peak hours can be busy. Kid-Friendly? No Kids Menu and we don’t remember seeing high chairs but there is a changing table in the bathrooms. The restaurants are small so no stroller space. Website Address: Madison Square Park E 23rd St and Madison Avenue Madison
7. Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand Ripped Noodles at Xi'an Famous Foods- A 200 square food "hole-in-the-wall" stall in Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing introduced New Yorker to Xi'an food, a providence in Northern China known for "spicy and sour" and "fragrant spicy" dishes. Their Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand Ripped Noodles is mixed with sauteed slice of spicy cumin lamb and their special sauce consisting of soy sauce and black rice vinegar. No need to make your way to Flushing, Xi'an Famous Foods has open restaurants all over Manhattan. What to expect? Order at the counter, find your seat, and they'll call you when your order is ready. Kid-Friendly? Not really. There are a few food options that aren't spicy, we got the Stewed Pork Burger and our daughter loved it. We don't remember seeing any high chairs but enough room for a stroller. Website Address: Chelsea 96 8th Ave., New York, NY; Upper East Side 328 E. 78th St., New York, NY
8. Lobster Roll at Luke's Lobster- A family-owned Maine seafood business that began as a tiny shack in New York City. We have been wanting to try this place for a while and when we did on our last trip, we loved it. This tiny shack has turned into many shacks all around New York and the United States. They serve up the best Lobster Rolls, Crab Rolls, and Shrimp Rolls. What they are famous for is Lobster Roll but you can always order the Luke Trio's. What to expect? This is fast food restaurant. Order at the counter, find a seat, they'll call you when your order is ready. Kid-Friendly- Yes friendly, no kids meal, but my daughter loved the lobster roll. Website Adress: Midtown 207 E 43rd St, New York, NY; Financial District 26 S William St, New York, NY
9. Banana Pudding at Magnolia Bakery – Opened in 1996, Magnolia Bakery offers classic American baked goods to the West Village. Classic Cakes, Cupcakes, Cookies, and of course the Banana Pudding made this place famous. Locations are all over the United States and the world but we suggest when in New York, you have to try the original location. Their world-famous Banana Pudding is made with vanilla wafers, bananas, and creamy vanilla pudding. We suggest sharing this delicious treat but order a medium or large. What to expect? Lines aren’t too bad since there are magnolia bakery’s scatter through Manhattan. No place to sit so order from the counter and enjoy your treat at a local park. Still, craving Banana Pudding? Magnolia offers nationwide shipping. Website Address: West Village 401 Bleecker Street, New York, NY; Upper East Side 200 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY
10.Cereal Milk Soft Serve at Milk Bar- Even at 10 degrees in New York, we had to try this cold treat. The Milk bar was opened in 2008 by award winning pastry chef Christina Tosi (She is a Master Chef Judge!). Over 10 years later, the Milk bar has expanded to locations all over the United States. The Cereal Milk Soft Serve is literary morning cereal in a cone, made with milk, cornflakes, and brown sugar. It is so delicious even if it’s freezing in New York. What to expect? Order at the counter and then take your delicious treat to go. While you are enjoying ice cream, grab some of their amazing cookies for gifts or snacks on the plane. If you forget to grab the cookies, no worries they have national wide shipping, check their website. Website Address: Chelsea 220 8th Ave, New York, NY; West Village 74 Christopher St New York, NY
Parent Tip: Sometimes it was hard finding a high chair, let alone a clean high chair at some of these places in NYC. So we brought our Portable High Chair from Ingelsina that can attach to any table. Also included are some other brands that have Portable High Chairs.
Comments