The Best New York City Eats

People make the mistake of thinking the Big Apple is about the bars, the fashion, the business and the music scenes... but I have news for you. It's about the food. From neighbourhood hole-in-the-wall eateries to fine-as-hell, $200 per head dining experiences to the kebab/hot dog stands around each corner, New York City has just about everything when it comes to keeping yourself satiated. I tried out a mere handful on my recent summer visit, making sure I had a tonne of food-stories to bring back and make people jealous with.

Caveat: I kind of lied up there. New York is also really great for the nightlife, fashion and music scenes. It's just so much more fun eating, don't ya think?

The Bagel Store, Williamsburg

Because when you've got a chance to eat something viral-worthy, you're gonna do it, right? These rainbow bagels have been all over the internet over the last few months, and with Broad City's Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer giving it their approval on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, I had to give it red-hot go on my first morning in NYC. The rainbow bagel itself - though stunning to look at - tasted like cardboard, but it was massively redeemed by that Oreo cream cheese. Unnngggghh.

Pies 'n' Thighs, Williamsburg

I got this recommendation from a colleague and man, I'm so glad I did. What I thought was a huge fried chicken chain was actually a homey little neighbourhood joint - hip waiters, cute menu illustrations and pie specials every day. I had the fried chicken with buckwheat waffles, topped with cinnamon butter and baked peaches along with a glass of homemade lemonade, but the Carolina pulled pork box was delish too. Definitely rate the fried chicken - it's not too greasy and has that Southern taste.

Bluestone Lane, various NYC locations

A mate of mine works in one of these cafes and she says its distinctly Aussie fare brings many celebrities to its counters (I heard stories of Helen Mirren, Zach Braff and Kristen Wiig just that week). Finding a slice of home when you're far away can be comforting, but the chilli flakes on top of the avo smash was like nothing I've ever had back in Sydney. (CHILLI DOESN'T BELONG ON AVO!) Even still, a mocha made by someone who can pronounce it properly was worth the wait and trek out in the rain.

The Milling Room, Upper West Side

Finding this classy restaurant was a happy coincidence in our effort to get in from the rain as we left the American Museum Of Natural History. With high ceilings, black-aproned wait staff and a rustic decor, this was one of very few modern American restaurants that offered us (fluffy, warm, perfect, delicious) freshly baked bread with some olive oil. Americans love to burn the crust of their bread slightly and the smoky taste is so damn great. The wild mushroom risotto with reggiano, black truffles and mascarpone I had was worth it just for the truffles, but I have to shout out the chilled spinach side with ginger, citrus and sesame seeds which was the real MVP. We could've eaten three of those instead of a main.

The Spotted Pig, West Village

Another big celebrity hotspot, this cosy pub has literally the greatest shoestring fries I've ever had. The whole place is warm, friendly and unassuming and the food matched the atmosphere perfectly - we split the famous chargrilled burger with roquefort cheese and the Cubano sandwich with arugula salad, all the while stuffing handfuls of the unbelievably good fries into our mouths. 

Buddakan, Chelsea Market

Known for being featured in the Sex & The City movie, Buddakan is built into a huge building with soaring ceilings, hundreds of creepy melting candles and a fuck-off big chandelier. It's Asian-fusion tapas pretty much, so we had dishes like the lobster fried rice, cauliflower stir fry with chilli-garlic sauce, pork and mint and tea-smoked black dragon chicken with crispy garlic. One of our entrees, the edamame dumplings, was a real standout. 

Joe's Pizza, Williamsburg

The New Yorkers' equivalent to the Macca's run, after a late night in the lively Williamsburg district we devoured slices of the famous Joe's Pizza sitting on the kerb (the best way to devour pizza while drunk, by the way). Then went back for seconds. It's no wonder New York's pepperoni pizza is legendary - the greasiness, peppery meat and stringy cheese just hits the spot like nothing else after one too many mojitos. Thanks to a wall of photos, we found out some of Hollywood's finest had soaked up their alcohol right there too (Anne Hathaway, Owen Wilson, Conan O'Brien, Sting, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray...).