In honor of the anniversary of 9/11/01, the Girls on Food are dishing on our favorite New York foods. Some of us are locals, some of us aren’t, but we’re all united as lovers of food in NYC. Here are our top picks:
Marcie – Motorino Pizza
349 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003
When in New York City, one MUST eat pizza. My favorite pizza comes from a tiny restaurant nestled in the East Village called Motorino. Motorino serves up some awesome neapolitan style pies, my go to is the Brussel sprout pizza; Fior di latte, fresh garlic, smoked pancetta and gorgeously charred Brussel sprout leaves from their custom made wood fired oven. The other would be the soppressata picante with burrata, which is a spicy pepperoni from Italy with a San Marzano tomato sauce, red pepper, fresh 
basil and torn up chunks of cool burrata on top. The delicate creaminess of the burrata works with the heat of the soppressata for an amazing harmony of temperature and texture.
During summertime they also feature an heirloom tomato pizza with fresh basil, fior di latte and olive oil. The heirloom tomatoes sourced locally as well. Pair that with a lovely glass of Grangano or Rose and you have a perfect way to wrap up the summer.
Megan – Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleeker Street, New York, NY 10014
Tucked on the corner of Bleeker Street in NYC’s West Village exists the flagship location of one of my favorite bakeries in all of Manhattan: Magnolia Bakery. Known for it’s prominent product placement on Sex & The City and their famous cupcakes, which most recently made a cameo in SNL’s digital short Lazy Sunday, this patisserie hot spot now has five locations throughout the city as well as one in LA and Chicago. Founded in 1996 by Jennifer Appel and Allysa Torey, the two ladies began making cupcakes with leftover cake batter and the rest is history.
However, the NYC dessert, which I simply MUST highlight for you to try, is Magnolia Bakery’s amazingly rich, creamy and phenomenal banana pudding. There are no words to explain the flavor explosion that one simple spoonful catapults on your tongue. If you ever find yourself in NYC on a dayscursion, always opt for a cupcake, do yourself a favor and take a bite out of one of their famous and rich concoctions.
Samantha – Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs
1310 Surf Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11224
I love the New York City food scene. You can go around the world in eighty blocks, so to speak, in terms of unique restaurants and food items that both locals and tourists alike love to spread the word about. There are a plethora of items that NYC is known for, from amazing pizza, to the best bagels you’ve ever had. However, despite their notoriety, they are not quite the number one item that instantly comes to mind, not for me, anyway. Hot dogs hold that spot and have been near and dear to my heart for my entire existence thus far.
Nathan’s Famous hot dogs are probably one of the most widely known and consumed hot dogs in the country, if not the world. Hell, it’s even right in the name! Nathan’s first opened in Coney Island nearly a century ago, in 1916, by a Polish immigrant named Nathan Handwerker. Nathan’s occupies a prime corner spot along the iconic Coney Island Boardwalk on Surf Avenue. This epochal eatery has lured in millions of eaters and gained worldwide attention, especially due to the popularity of the annual hot dog eating contest, always held on the Fourth of July. You don’t live in or close enough to Brooklyn? No worries, Nathan’s franchises can be found throughout all the fifty states and in ten international countries! Whether you want it classic with just ketchup and/or mustard, or you feel like getting fancy with a chili cheese dog, find the closest location to you and try one. You’ll howl in approval.
Julianne – Katz’s Deli
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
After a year of living in Seattle, I had a choice of moving to LA or NYC. I went the practical route and chose LA, since I’m a Cali-bred, but I’ll always wonder what my stint in NYC could’ve been like. I’m not sure I could handle the cold winters and muggy summers, but I always appreciate NYC when I’m visiting. I had one trip visiting Marcie where all I did was eat. It was a total Fat Girl trip. I tried all the spots I’ve read about in magazines and my last meal ended up being quite climactic.
Katz’s Deli. Yes, this is the place where Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in “When Harry Met Sally”. Yes, you will have the same reaction when you bite into the pastrami Reuben – only you won’t have to fake yours. This sandwich is a gigantic gooey mess that I could only eat half of in one sitting. The tenderness of the meat and softness of the bread sets it apart from other deli sandwiches. The house made pickles were crispy, sour and fresh. Marcie’s turkey sandwich with Russian dressing was also very good. It seems expensive when you look at the menu, but it’s worth it. The staff hooks you up with samples prior to ordering the sandwich of your choice.
Alyssa – Baked by Melissa
1585 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
I discovered Baked by Melissa on one of my pilgrimages to New York, where my main goal was two fold: see as much amazing theatre as possible, and eat as many delicious meals as possible. Such a tough to-do list, right? Anyway, one evening my parents were out having drinks, and my brother Erik and I, woefully underage at the time, decided to head out on our own. We had seen what appeared to be a very small, very cute little bakery just a few blocks from our hotel, off of 8th and 47th, and though we ought to make a trip. And, holy tiny cupcakes, Batman, I am glad we did.
Baked by Melissa offers the teeniest, most adorable mini cupcakes you ever did see, in a variety of amazing flavors. When I say that they’re bite-sized, I really mean it – but there’s so much flavor packed into that one little bite, you hardly remember to care! Not to mention, they’re affordable: my brother and I purchased the pictured dozen and stayed well within our considerably small budget. We mixed and matched flavors – Baked by Melissa does different ‘collections’ for each season, like the Peanut Butter Cracker flavor released this summer, as well as a ‘Mini of the Month’ – in order to try as much as possible. My personal favorite had to be the ingenious Chocolate Chip Pancake mini cupcake, which tastes exactly like its namesake. I could probably eat my weight in them, easily. Baked by Melissa now has myriad locations all across the city – so the next time you’re in NYC, you have NO excuse not to try these tiny treats!
