30 delicious NYC things

How has my life tasted so good?

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I wrote this almost exactly three and a half years ago! I was just about to get married. I was just about to publish my first book. Some of these places have closed and some are going strong. Since then, well, there’s been a pandemic and so many reckonings. My life has changed in a million small and profound ways.

Chris Crowley wrote a brilliant story about the abuse at Mission Chinese. Soleil Ho wrote a very smart piece about not using the world slutty to talk about food. AND this was before #MeToo and and and….Anyway, here’s a little blast from the past:

On the Cusp of my 30th Birthday, My 30 Favorite NYC Food Moments

The older we get, the faster time goes by. And meals go by. I’m nearly 30, and I think I may be the luckiest person alive to have eaten so many delicious things with people I love. Here are my top 30 most glorious food memories, in no particular order. I can’t wait for 30 and 60 and 100 more.  

1.     Summertime black sesame shaved ice at Grace Street in Koreatown, covered with chewy mocha (ice cream headache and all).

2.     Shack burgers and a concrete at the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.

3.     Cremini mushroom pizza with fior di latte, sweet sausage, and gaeta olives from Motorino in Williamsburg. Best delivered, so I can curl up on the couch with my fiancé Tony like the lazy pizza lover I am.

4.     A bowl full of Stracciatella from Roberta’s. It’s like swimming in a burrata bath.

5.     Spicy soup dumplings from Yaso Tangbao in downtown Brooklyn. There’s something so satisfying about sucking out that first tongue-burning broth.

6.     Korean fried chicken in Flushing. Worth a pilgrimage.

7.     The slutty grilled cheese at Foster Sundry. Slutty means a pile of caramelized onions and sweet tomatoes, and it’s a brilliant idea.

8.     Cumin lamb ribs at Mission Chinese--so fatty, so meaty, so damn good.

9.     Champagne from Air’s Champagne Parlor that tastes of fuji apples and possibility.

10.  Peaches from the Greenmarket on a hot summer’s day, juice on my shirt and everywhere else and absolutely worth it.

11.  Burnt beef rib eye at Del Posto which is not actually burnt at all, just charred outside and perfect medium rare inside and so perfect I’m happy to devour it even though I’m full from a million courses that just came before.

12.  The popcorn that comes in the big plastic bag at Fairway Market.

13.  The Roquefort covered burger at the Spotted Pig, even though April Bloomfield ruthlessly fired me.

14.  A “Member of the Tribe” from Shelsky’s. This is the best way to order: smoked salmon on a toasted everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, tomato, and red onion. I’m mostly sad to leave Brooklyn for this reason.

15.  But I’m excited to return to the Upper West Side so I can feast on shrimp-stuffed crispy chicken from Red Farm.

16.  And head-sized dark chocolate peanut butter cookies from Levain.

17.  And spicy tonkotsu ramen from Jin, which has magical powers to cure even the most stubborn colds.

18.  The brisket at Hometown BBQ. Then banana pudding for dessert.

19.   Tacos from Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona, followed by ices from The Lemon Ice King of Corona while watching old men play some serious bocce ball at the park outside.

20.  Flinstone-esque steak at M. Wells. And a giant cake from the cake cart for dessert.

21.  Peking duck from Decoy, the realization of all my wildest duck fantasies.

22.  Pierogis from Veselka. Best enjoyed tipsy somewhere around 2 AM.

23.  Chocolate babka from Breads Bakery. Also, chocolate babka from Dean & DeLuca.

24.  Pastrami and rye with mustard from Katz’s. I mean, how could I not?

25.  Chocolate cake at Casellula. One of the great parts of working here was getting to pour Battenkill Farm cream on top, and listening to the customers make groaning noises of anticipation.

26.  Chicken and rice with white sauce from the flagship Halal Guys. (Although my friend Ursula and I have ended up at the wrong cart and been totally happy, too.)

27.  The seafood tower and a bottle of rose champagne at Aquagrill with Tony.

28.  A baguette from Balthazar, topped with butter and/or cheese and/or more butter.

29.  Fried artichokes at La Vara, followed by

30.  An affogato from Farmacy. Did I mention how lucky I am?

(Here I am at Quality Eats with Sam and tomahawk steak!)