Top Five Foods in New York City

I only stayed in New York for seven days so I know that I barely scratched the surface in terms of what the city had to offer. Amongst the food I ate I tried deli sandwiches, hot dog street vendors, and even the classic McDonald's. Looking back, though, there were definitely some meals that were more memorable than others. I thought I'd share those with you today. Normally I don't put these kinds of lists in any order, but today I'm making an exception - starting with my 'must try' and ending with classic quality!

1) Takumi Taco. I mentioned this briefly in my top five highlights, as this glorious fast food shop has an outlet in Chelsea Market. When my tour guide mentioned the phrase 'Japanese inspired Mexican' I wasn't sure I fully understood what she meant. One bite of my Takumi Taco and I was sold! Mixing the flavours of Japan (think sesame, soy sauce, and ginger) with classic Mexican dishes (tacos, guacamole, tortilla chips) is a match made in heaven! In fact, even thinking about this dish is making my mouth water... I went for one of their Bento boxes, which included two tacos of my choice and a side. It also comes with a salad and a serving of tortilla chips - all for just over $11 (plus tax). That might sound a lot for a lunch but in New York, for the amount of food you get, it's actually great value for money. 

2) Bare Burger. I am so glad I googled 'good places to eat' when we were sat in our hotel room deciding on food for the night! Offering a huge range of burgers, salads, and sandwiches, Bare Burger prides itself on its locally sourced and organically grown ingredients. What's more, if you're a meat eater there are tonnes more choices than the traditional beef or chicken. These include wild boar and elk. I'm always one to try something new, so I went for an elk burger. It was delicious! There were also a number of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu too (I'm actually planning a blog post discussing my views on veganism and how it fits into my cruelty free makeup ethos, as I know that for a lot of people my diet and values sit at odds with each other - but that is a story for another day). I got my burger with a side of fried pickles - which were divine - and my family shared a basket of fries too. My sister ordered a Mexican milkshake - honestly one of the most delicious drinks I've ever tasted (coming from someone who doesn't really enjoy milk that is very high praise). I could easily have eaten here another couple of nights!

3) Junior's. My next door neighbour had insisted we get cheesecake from here and it actually ended up being our last meal in the city! Dad and I shared a pastrami on rye and Mum and Becca a cheese and ham toastie. These came with pickels and beets, too, and fillings piled so high you had to deconstruct the sandwich before eating! We then made our cheesecake choices... Dad and I went for the New York classic whilst mum and Becca chose a Devils Cheesecake (essentially a cheesecake with a chocolate fudge cake on top). Thank goodness we shared - how on earth anyone eats a whole slice is beyond me! They were massive! Hands down the best cheesecake I've ever eaten, though.

4) The View. This is another crossover from my top five highlights. If you have a bigger budget and want a spectacular meal then I'd really recommend it. Like I said in my other post, we went for the Sunday Mimosa Brunch. This was a full buffet with four sections: 'breakfast', cold cuts, 'lunch', and desserts. The options where almost limitless and all the food was constantly being restocked. I started with a classic all American pancake, had a lobster mojito shooter, ate cheeses and meats, and finished with some delicious desserts! All of this glorious food was topped off with sparkling mimosas! The waiting staff were all excellent and the view as the restaurant rotated was wonderful!

Dad enjoyed the beer too - Brooklyn Lager.

5) We stumbled upon this cute Italian place after a long trek to Central Park - and I can't remember the name of it! I've searched high and low on google maps with no luck. It was somewhere between Central Park and W. 49th St, but that's as good as I can get. All I know is that the food was delicious. The meal started with free garlic bread, I ate a seafood linguine, and the wine was perfect. Although it was nothing 'special', it was exactly what we all needed after a very long day on our feet!

Have you been to New York? Any food places that I didn't get to try?