So we admit it. We are a bit biased when it comes to food from New York. I cannot recall a time that Brooke and I have visited New York, where these five NY Food Groups have not been a culinary requirement : New York Pizza, New York Cheese Steak, New York Family-Owned Restaurant Italian Food, New York Desserts, and of course New York Bagels. And we are happy to say, all have amazing gluten free options! While we enjoy a plethora of other iconic treats from NY, here are our top five must haves on every trip when we return to the Big Apple:
1.New York Pizza
Nothing compares. If you want to meet to debate this, we’d love to chat! We are open-minded pizzaterians. After two trips to Italy, we thought for sure New York Pizza would drop in rankings, but to no avail. Just like New York bagels, it must be something in the water that makes a mouth watering crust like no other on the planet. If any other pizzerias around the world want to convince us otherwise, we’re up for the challenge!
—-Apologies to our Chicago Deep Dish Fans:))
Our Top 5 Pizza Choices in New York in no particular order:
- Gino’s in Monroe, New York
- Marina’s in Harriman, New York
- Kinchleys in Ramsey, New Jersey
- John’s Pizzeria, Bleeker St. NYC
- Any pizza place in Brooklyn:)
Pizza by the Slice from Marinas Pizzeria in Monroe, New York
2. New York Style Cheese Steaks
Hands down the best cheese steak we’ve ever eaten is at Ginos in Monroe, New York. Sorry Phillie, but you just don’t compare. The warm crispiness of the home made bread against the oozing provolone cheese, juicy steak, caramelized onions and succulent peppers is to die for. We must admit, we’ve had cheese steak marathons in the past-believe our record is nine consecutive days. And there’s nothing better than a cheese steak with pizza slice chaser!
Gino’s Monroe, New York
3.New York Family-Owned Italian Restaurant Food
Apologies to all of you Olive Garden Fans, but really? There is no comparison to a meal with home made pasta and sauces, freshly caught seafood and organic farm to table vegetables. Angelos, in Harriman, New York, is the perfect example of the high quality family-owned restaurant we are talking about. Their menu changes frequently depending on what fresh ingredients are in stock. Nothing is frozen, nothing is processed–just high quality deliciousness.
Zuppa De Pesce at Angelos in Harriman, New York
Chicken cutlet in basil pesto, melted mozzarella and homemade ricotta cheese at Angelos in Harriman, New York
Villa Positano
Now moving on to Brooke’s favorite on our list:
4. New York Desserts
Hi, it’s Brooke and I’ll take care of this portion of the blog. Where do I start? With ice cream of course. Whenever we visit New York, we head to Bellvale Farms Creamery in Warwick, New York. Not only is the ice cream made fresh everyday, the views are spectacular. And they were ranked The #2 Ice Cream Parlor in the US in 2015 according to Tripadvisor!
Photo by http://www.briozone.com/living/foods/americas-10-best-ice-cream-shops-according-tripadvisor/
Homemade Cannoli’s at Villa Positano are amazing.
Zeppolis filled with Cannoli Cream and topped with Nutella at Angelos in Harriman, NY
5. New York Bagels
While hard water has something to do with it, there is another reason New York bagels are the best in the world.
According to Harold McGee‘s On Food and Cooking, traditional bagels that Eastern European immigrants introduced to New York in the early 20th century were always boiled, a step that is skipped in modern baking methods–but not in New York. New York Bagel Shops always boil their doughy rings, which, in turn, lock in the liquid and make the bagels full of chewy deliciousness.
And a big thank you to Nicole Cappola for the awesome rainbow bagels from Bagel World in Brooklyn!
Where in the world are your must-eats? Would love some awesome foodie suggestions!
Pedis-n-Passports 