It's no secret that New York has a lot of food options. From hot dog carts to five star dining, the city offers almost anything you can think of. Some are not entirely economically or nutritionally viable (like these artery destroying milkshakes that require waiting in a four hour line), while others are as universally familiar as the slice of dollar pizza from around the corner. Whatever your taste, there is a way to find something that suits you, and secure your place in that community. It's inevitable that the woman making your french vanilla latte three times a week might start recognizing you four months in, and that's totally ok. You're surrounded by other people who also obsess over food. The most accurate visual representation of the inhabitants of Manhattan is a rat carrying a slice of pizza down the subway steps. It's called "The Big Apple" for a reason.
The city draws crowds of people who are willing to wait in line four hours for a milkshake. Hundreds flock to Brooklyn when they hear that they can buy a bagel that looks like it was made from Play-Doh. Food has the magical ability to bring people together like not many other things. Friendships are broken over which kind of pizza by the slice is the best and, perhaps more importantly, which place carries the best garlic knots.
People have the wonderful tendency to invest themselves fully in what they like to eat, where they are getting it from, and what their eating habits are. To fight over what the proper brunch time is and when it's officially too late to have cereal (correct answer: never) is to be human. New York especially saturates residents in so many different cuisine options, it's a wonder anyone gets anywhere. The city spoils patrons with offerings ranging from 24 hour Ukrainian diners to Fresh & Co, so the idea that you are using food as a means of self expression isn't really too difficult. Grabbing a bubble tea while your friends grab smoothes shouldn't cause too much of a riff.
Of course, paying attention to the actual food you are putting into your body is extremely important. Being conscious of your diet, even if that simply means you drink enough water every day and eat vegetables with every meal, is a vital skill you need to have. Not much question about it. And if you care about what you are putting into your body, it will show in the foods you eat. Sometimes, though, it's beneficial to take a step back and think about what you are eating through the lens of self expression and cultural analysis. What does it mean that you take it to heart when someone doesn't like the restaurant you suggested? Why is it so hard to decide where to eat for dinner?
You get to know a culture by eating the food. When you are looking to get to know someone a bit better, you invite them for coffee. If you want to show your appreciation, you send chocolates. Food has it's own language and the more you are willing to branch out, the more fluent you will become.
So try something new, and if you don't like it ... try it again.
