Foodies in New York City, our favorite places
This is certainly not a secret for you anymore, we are definitely foodies! Sweet, salty, spicy, we like to try new flavors and test our taste buds whenever we are travelling. And that’s exactly what we did in New York City, known for its impressive quality and quantity in terms of food choices. Let us tell you a little bit about our New York City trip through our stomachs …
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Burgers, hot dogs, pizza…american style!
You have to know that while preparing of our trip to New York City, the meals were part of our itinerary. We wanted to test a lot of things we had heard about from France and there was simply no way we would miss them. As we are huge fans of burgers, we had to try out the famous Shake Shack burgers and it was a completely new experience! We went to the restaurant located in the Grand Central Station (there are a dozen around New York City) and the least we can say is that we almost fainted when we saw the impressive waiting line. It takes at least 45 minutes to reach the counter and place your order then again about 15 minutes to finally be served. What is good is that the system is very well established. During the wait, staff members hand out menus in the line so you will be enable you to make your choice and once your order is placed and paid, they give you some kind of pager that will buzz when the order is ready. You must think we’re crazy for having waited so long for a simple burger, but let me tell you that the wait was largely justified, it is simply the best burger we ever ate! It was literally a gustatory orgasm at first bite! And even if the check was pretty hefty ($35 for two), we still salivate at the mere thought of biting into one of their generous burgers or have one of their crunchy fries accompanied by cheese sauce. Similarly, we also recommend Five Guys, which makes the best burgers in the world according to Obama, or Wendy’s which is also really delicious and where you can customize your very own sandwich! Do not make the mistake of confining yourself to McDonald’s which is at the bottom of the scale in this field in the USA!
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If your budget is tighter, we advise you to let yourself be tempted by a slice of pizza or a really good hot dog. It is at Joe’s Pizza, a Greenwich Village institution, that we were able to enjoy a huge slice of a typical New York City pizza for only $3. From the outside, this small restaurant does not really catch the eye but it completely deserves its fame and has even been seen in movies! For a good hot dog, we went to Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island which is also an institution in its field. This is where the famous hot dogs eating competition takes place each year and it wouldn’t bother us to participate! Their hot dogs are yummy, generous and very affordable and it’s also very nice to sit on their terrace in the sun just a few steps away from the sea. Again, you should try the fries with cheese sauce, they are to die for!
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Orgasmic sandwiches
You have certainly heard of Kat’z Delicatessen thanks to the “When Harry met Sally” movie. This is indeed where Meg Ryan faked her famous orgasm and the restaurant served as a film location many times after that. However, Kat’z Delicatessen is also known for its delicious sandwiches that are absolutely worth eating! As good foodies, we had a sandwich each and opted for the pastrami and corned beef sandwiches after a quick tasting at the counter. You’ll see, the sandwiches are very simple (bread, meat and a little mustard) but are still very tasty. The juicy meat, sweet mustard and the big pickles make a perfect mix together for a pretty delicious result. Delicious but very filling! Do not make the same mistake we did, one sandwich for 2 would have been more than enough! We also loved the family atmosphere that reigns in the restaurant and the waiters were smiling and gave us good advice, to try absolutely!
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Food markets
During our stay in New York City, we unfortunately didn’t really taste street food despite the fact that the city is famous for it. If this is your case too, we advise you to go to one of the many food markets scattered throughout the city which proved to be a good compromise. We tested Smorgasburg which is held every weekend in Brooklyn and it was a real favorite! It is simple, we didn’t know where to look as the stands were varied and all more attractive than the other! Grilled meats, burgers, fruit juices, American, Mexican, Jamaican, Japanese food, salty, sweet … there REALLY is something for everyone! We loved the very spicy chicken wings from Dan and John’s Wings, the succulent ramen burgers from Ramen Burger or homemade french fries from Home Frite although the wait is sometimes very important. In Manhattan, you can also go to the famous Chelsea Market, which requires a bigger budget or the Gansevoort Market where the atmosphere looked super cool but we couldn’t get in because of a private event.
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To start off the day on the right foot
There is nothing like a good gourmet brunch to start the day off right and enjoy the day on the weekends. On the good advice of our friend Marie from the blog Plus Belle New York, we took our brunch at Five Leaves, a trendy restaurant in Brooklyn, after having wandered in the neighborhood, and it was a success! Again, and as often in New York City, you’re going to have to be patient. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations so you will have to go early and just wait. We had to wait a good 30 minutes in front of the restaurant, sitting on a bench nearby, and it was so justified !! It is a very eclectic and inventive menu that is proposed there and everything looked delicious and healthy. On the good advice of our charming waitress, Nath had a Moroccan scramble and Seb tried the Big breakkie along with 2 large hot drinks. If you’d rather take a simple typical American breakfast, we can advise you the very charming Good enough to eat restaurant located on the Upper West Side. This time we were tempted by the Lumber Jack served with delicious organic maple syrup and strawberry butter! Feel free to roll your mouse over the names of our dishes to know what they were made of.
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If you want more infos to help you set up your New York City trip, don’t forget to check out our New York City handy guide!
