New York City, Food Edition: The Main Dish

I LOOOOOVE food, about as much as I love NYC. So when I had my first opportunity to visit the Big Apple a few weeks ago, I dove right into the food scene. I had everything from massive meat sandwiches to exotic Asian fruits during my trip. So join me in a tour of all things edible found in the heart of NYC: Manhattan!

I'll just say it right now, pizza was by far my favorite NY food. I could eat it every day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even now, I still crave it. Some day I'll be back to get another slice of pie, but until then here are some of the best foods I had while hiking through the urban jungle.

This little slice of heaven was my first meal of the trip (not counting the cupcake). Ray's Pizza has a huge presence in the city so it was hard to miss it. Plus there was one just a few blocks from my hotel. It was destiny, as was this delicious slice of margherita pizza.

Stage Deli is located near the Broadway district and Times Square and also serves some of the best pastrami sandwiches in the world. I opted for this behemoth of a pastrami reuben topped with a ridiculous amount of cheese and an over-sized plate of fries. Luckily, my brother was with me and ate the other half. Be warned, these sandwiches are enormous, but also expensive (about $20 each). Clearly, they're meant for sharing. BTW, notice the deli mustard on the left. That's right, no yellow mustard here, only the good brown stuff with a bit of a kick.

Curiosity got the best of me so the following day I headed over to Carnegie Deli (Stage's rival, and only a block away) to give their pastrami a taste test. I had to find out for myself who had the best. Well, sorry Stage, but Carnegie wins this round. Sure, the plain pastrami sandwich doesn't look as amazing compared to the cheese and kraut covered 'wich from Stage, but their meat was insanely good and of better quality. Maybe it's in the meat making process, or the hundred's of celebrity photos staring back at me, but I was in pastrami bliss with this big guy.

When in Chinatown, dim sum is a must. These dumplings were teamed up with a few deep fried morsels as well, and a tall glass of sauvignon blanc. There's a lot of places to get your dim sum; Jung Fong, Golden Unicorn, Oriental Pearl, but these little pearls were consumed at the award winning Ping's Seafood.

If dumpling's aren't your thing, or you're looking for something a little more adventurous, I highly recommend ox tail curry. Instead of a side of rice, it comes with little mini fried bread loaves to soak up the juices. Boney and fatty, ox tail becomes a very tender and juicy meat in this unique dish.

Back for more pizza. I tried to get as much as I could before leaving. This time it was a slice of Hawaiian.

One last dinner before heading out so we decided to make a quick stop at Roxy Delicatessen at Times Square. I ordered a simple knish, but my travel companion, Kevin, opted for this hefty stuffed cabbage. It looked amazing and tasted just as good.

New York City, Food Edition: Sides and Snacks

Bagels are a must eat when in NYC. And if you can, grab a spot near Central Park, like right outside the Apple Store, and do a little early A.M. people watching.

When at the Carnegie Deli, instead of a basket of bread, I was given a plate of large pickles before my massive meat sandwich came. Yesss! Spicy and mild, they went great with the pastrami. And yes, we cleaned the plate.

I've never heard of a knish before, but I did notice it on many menus and at numerous food carts during my visit. I finally broke down and got a potato knish at Roxy Delicatessen. If I hadn't eaten so many meat sandwiches, I'm sure I would have gone for the meat knish, but the potato was substantial enough. With a side of sour cream, it was the ultimate comfort food.

After breezing through Toys R' Us in Times Square we stopped at the Candy Land candy store, and what is the one thing my brother manages to comes out with? Mexican Spice larvae and Salt and Vinegar crickets! Gross. I choked down a larvae, but that's where I draw the lines. Kevin, those crickets are all yours!

New York City, Food Edition: Bottoms Up!

All this walking and eating sure is exhausting. Rehydrate with a Brooklyn Lager from NYC's very own micro brewery, the Brooklyn Brewery.

Then, when you're in Chinatown stop in one of the many bakeries (there's practically one at every corner) to try a mango bubble tea. It's basically a mango slushy with large black tapioca on the bottom that you get to suck up through a jumbo straw.

If the idea of swallowing large, chewy, black balls freaks you out then reach for the lychee ice. Lychee is a super sweet Asian fruit that is a-ma-zing! Mmm, I'm feeling better already.

New York City, Food Edition: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

The moment I arrived in the city I bee-lined it to Magnolia Bakery, known for their yummy cupcakes. Some people call them the original cupcake trend-setters and credit them for starting the "cupcake craze" in the 90's. Some call them famous after their cupcakes and store front made an appearance on an episode of Sex and the City. I call them brilliant! Thank you Magnolia for giving me this chocolate cupcake, topped with the most luscious and fluffy frosting known to human-kind. This was a very good start to my four day food binge.

Macarons! The real deal straight from France. I nibbled on these sweet pastries at La Maison du Chocolate in the Rockefeller Center. The selection was vast but I somehow narrowed it down to the classic chocolate and a decadent caramel. Good 'ol chocolate is still my favorite.

You may be asking yourself what in the world is that in my hand. I'll solve the mystery now by telling you it's a tropical fruit called a rambutan and it's native to the Asian countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Where do you get these exotic little curiosities in such a faraway place as NYC? Chinatown! You'll find many a fruit and fish (both dried and fresh) markets in this exciting neighborhood. How did I eat it? Well, peel off the red spiky skin to reveal a juicy, white, fleshy fruit underneath. Then bite into it raw, it's the best, and only way to eat them. Just be careful of the pit in the center. How does it taste? Like a mild grape. Not too sweet, soft, and slightly chewy. More please!

While in Chinatown, you may as well head over to Little Italy since they are neighbors. It's amazing how one minute I feel as though I'm in Shanghai, then walk a block and I'm in Naples. Talk about high-speed travel. While in Little Italy you will be surrounded by the most delicious smelling cafes. It was hard to resist all the garlic and butter wafting in the air, until I came across a vendor selling cannoli's from her food cart. There's lots of characters and personalities in this neighborhood but this cannoli woman was my favorite (I love a bit of attitude with my afternoon treat). I insisted on the pistachio and immediately approved my decision with every bite I took. No regrets, except for the deep-fried calories I was packing onto my thighs. Eh, still worth it.

Well, I saved the best for last. New York style cherry cheesecake from none other than the famous Carnegie Deli. Words can not describe the heaven this cheesecake took me to. So, I will leave you to gaze at the image so you can indulge in your own fantasy. Love. *sigh*