New York is the one city where I went in with an actual spreadsheet of where to eat, and I’m not sorry about it. Here’s what made the cut, organized by how much effort it takes to get there.
Grab it and go
Joe’s Pizza: A plain cheese slice, folded in half, eaten standing on the sidewalk. It’s a cliché because it’s correct.
Levain Bakery: The cookie is the size of your palm and somehow still underbaked in the middle in the best possible way. Worth the line, every time.
Worth the wait
Katz’s Delicatessen: Get the pastrami on rye, take a number, and don’t be precious about sharing a table. It’s loud, it’s a little chaotic, and it’s exactly what you came for.
Los Tacos No. 1: A tiny stall in Chelsea Market that somehow outshines the sit-down restaurants around it. Get there before noon or brace for a real line.
Worth booking ahead
Via Carota: No reservations taken, so it’s really “worth the wait,” but the wait list moves faster than you’d expect if you put your name down early and wander the neighborhood. The pasta is worth every minute of it.
I ate more in three days here than I probably should admit, and I’d do the exact same lineup again without changing a single stop. This all fits into the full three-day itinerary if you’re mapping out a trip of your own.
