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New York, United States

Top food to try in New York

6 dishes to eat in New York, what is in them, and where they belong.

Last updated 2026-08-08

1. New York pizza by the slice

New York pizza by the slice
Photo: Renjishino1 · CC BY 3.0 · source

Wide, thin, foldable slices from a counter. A dollar slice is a real institution, if less than a dollar now.

2. Bagel with lox and cream cheese

Bagel with lox and cream cheese
Photo: Kristina D.C. Hoeppner · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Boiled then baked, sliced and filled to order. Toasting a fresh bagel is considered a mistake here.

3. Pastrami on rye

Pastrami on rye
Photo: Charles Haynes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Brined, smoked and steamed beef navel, piled on rye with mustard. No mayonnaise, no lettuce.

4. Halal cart chicken and rice

Halal cart chicken and rice
Photo: Borntolandhard · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Spiced chicken over yellow rice with white sauce and hot sauce, from carts across midtown.

5. Dim sum in Chinatown or Sunset Park

Dim sum in Chinatown or Sunset Park
Photo: Tobyotter · CC BY 2.0 · source

Trolley service at weekends; Sunset Park in Brooklyn is where the food has migrated.

6. New York cheesecake

New York cheesecake
Photo: Evangeline 이벤젤린 · CC BY 2.0 · source

Dense, high in cream cheese, baked in a water bath and served cold and unadorned.

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