The second I started planning a trip to New York City I started looking at what restaurants and meals I needed to try. After eating my way through the Big Apple, I decided to compile a list of my own of places I think are worth checking out.
1. The Smoke Joint
The Smoke Joint was featured on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" years ago for their barbecue. The barbecue was great, but some of our favorite parts of our meal there were the side dishes.The fries, mac and cheese and corn on the cob are all worth a try. The corn on the cob is topped with jointrub, barbecue aioli, and green onions. All those flavors combine to make the best bite of corn I have every had—my mouth is watering just thinking about it again.
2. Levain Bakery
The picture literally says it all for these cookies. My friends and I waited in line for maybe 10 minutes outside of Levain before entering their bakery only to be overtaken by the delicious smell of freshly baked cookies. I opted for the chocolate chip walnut cookie when I reached the counter. When I sat down to eat my cookie it was still warm, doughy, and the chocolate was still soft and gooey. My cookie was flat out delicious and worth every bit of the $4 I spent on it.
3. Smorgasburg
Smorgasburg is this awesome "food festival" that is set up in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A giant parking lot is filled with around 100 different food vendors. The options are endless, there is truly something for everyone. The first thing I tried was the Ramen burger. Sounds kind of weird I know, but it was amazing! I also tried truffle fries and a wowful. A wowful is a fresh made waffle shaped like a cone and filled with ice cream and toppings of your choice. I recommend going with friends so you can share and bites of as many things as possible!
4. Black Tap
Black Tap is most popular for their outrageous milkshakes which are posted all over Instagram. My friends and I waited in line outside of Black Tap for an hour and a half before being seated. One of my girl friends and I split a burger and milkshake. We ordered the Mexico City burger, which was topped with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, chipotle mayo, and a crispy onion ring. Half of this delicious burger was just enough because it came with a side of fries and we had our huge milkshake still on the way. We ordered the Cookie Shake, which was both filled and topped with chocolate chip cookies. The shake and our meal was definitely worth our wait in line.
5. Carlo's Bake Shop
Carlo's Bake Shop is the bakery that the TLC television show "Cake Boss" is centered around. Carlo's original store is in Hoboken, New Jersey, but they have another location not too far from Times Square. I tried both the carrot cake cup cake and a classic cannoli. They were both amazing, but if you could only try one thing I recommend the cannoli!
6. Butter
Chef Alex Guarnaschelli is an amazing chef who can often be seen on various Food Network shows including "Chopped." Her restaurant, Butter, is located in Midtown Manhattan. It's definitely worth a visit if you don't mind splurging a bit on a good meal. I ordered the Crispy Scattered Acres Farms Chicken, which came with mashed potatoes and a wild mushroom gravy. There was a gnocchi mac and cheese on the sides menu that I couldn't pass up either. Every bit of my meal was perfectly prepared and outright delicious.
7. Sugar Factory
Sugar Factory can be found in a few U.S. big cities like Chicago, Hollywood, and New York. Celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Drake have celebrated their birthdays at the Sugar Factory. While the Sugar Factory does have a savory menu, they are more known with their sugary drinks and treats. My friends split a cookie sundae and they both got $30 goblet drinks. I opted for the elaborate $17 dulce de leche milkshake pictured above.
Both Black Tap and Sugar Factory had amazing milkshakes. But if I had to choose between one of the two to get again, I'd get the one I had from Sugar Factory.
8. Montague Bagels
The infamous New York bagel can really be found on just about any block in the city. My friends and I stopped into Montague Bagels in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. I was impressed the huge selection of bagels and cream cheeses. I had an everything bagel with low-fat scallion cream cheese, yum!
9. Los Tacos No. 1
I read about this place in a blog before coming and knew I needed to check it out. Los Tacos No. 1 is located in Chelsea Market along with many other vendors. On the left is a carne asada taco and on the right is an open face carnitas quesadilla. These tacos are not only the most flavorful tacos I've ever had, but without a doubt the most flavorful thing I've ever had in my entire life. I listed this one last so it is the last one read, because if anything when you are in New York you need to try one of these tacos.
