A culinary journey through New York City
New York City is undoubtedly the number one city trip destination in the world. The city has a wealth of fascinating museums, unparalleled architecture and top attractions that will keep you busy for several days. The object of my visit to the insanely exciting city? Going on a foodie tour and discovering NYC's tastiest spots. Are you up for it? Here are 4 not-to-be-missed experiences.
Experience 1:
The Chelsea Market
My first stop is the Chelsea Market. Located in the heart of the NYC Meatpacking District, this bustling indoor market is one of the largest culinary halls in the world. Every day more than 22,000 visitors flock here to buy fresh fish, a beautiful piece of meat, cheese or vegetables freshly brought in from the fields. The well-informed traveler comes to taste. The numerous food stalls and restaurants offer a large range of delicious preparations. I sought out a few of those gems.
Birthplace of the Oreo cookie
Located on the banks of the Hudson, the Chelsea Market area played a crucial role in bringing food to the city throughout history. It began with the Algonquin Indians bartering with the settlers. Later, the district became the center of meat processing. In 1890, the National Biscuit Company, now known as Nabisco, built an industrial bakery on the plot of land between 16th and 17th Streets, from Ninth to Tenth Avenue. The company produced on the premises its popular saltine crackers, vanilla wafers, fig cookies and animal-shaped sugar cookies. In 1913, it became the birthplace of the world's best-selling Nabisco cookie: the Oreo.
In the late 1950s, Nabisco moved to a new and larger production site in New Jersey, and the area fell into disrepair until Irwin B. Cohen bought up the buildings 30 years ago. He created the Chelsea Market in the central cookie factory building.
The entire area around the Meatpacking District is now a hip neighborhood with art galleries, fashion stores, numerous restaurants and bars.
Seed+Mill
At Seed+Mill, the brainchild of Lisa, Rachel and Monica, you'll find only sesame-based products. Here, you buy tahini, the widely known sesame cream, and halva, a flaky dessert made with sesame seeds from Ethiopia. The products come in a variety of packaging and flavors. I am tempted by the successful combination of halva with cardamom. You can find Seed+Mill's products at https://www.seedandmill.com
Filaga Pizzeria
Fancy a slice of pizza-on-the-go? Then be sure to stop by Filaga during your visit to Chelsea Market. Here you can buy separate portions of generously topped pizza and focaccia. The preparations that caught my attention the most? Dolce inferno pizza with pepperoni, nduja, soft gorgonzola, caramelized onion and tomato sauce. I also recommend the Milanese focaccia with breaded chicken, candied tomato, mozzarella and basil.
Los Tacos N°1
With Los Tacos N°1, three close friends from Mexico and California brought authentic Mexican tacos to the East Coast of the United States. And we’re talking seriously delicious tacos! The freshly made tortillas are filled with your choice of grilled steak or chicken, marinated and roasted pork al pastor or grilled cactus. As a finishing touch, just ask "con todo," which means with chopped onion, fresh cilantro, tomato salsa and guacamole.
The Mexican team prepares with knowledge and passion the delicacies from their homeland fresh for you. The long line of hungry fans is a sign of Los Tacos N°1's success. Other outlets in NYC and the menu can be found at https://www.lostacos1.com/.
Fancy trying to prepare Mexican tacos yourself? Check out Los Tacos N°1's authentic recipe for carne asada tacos.
La Devozione
La Devozione, the concept of the di Martino family from Napoli is an ode to pasta. Here you will find restaurant, pasta bar, shop, coffee and cocktail bar all-in-one.
The Oval
Pièce de résistance of the restaurant is The Oval. In the open-kitchen pasta bar, Michelin-starred chef Peppe Guida and chef Alessio Rossetti get creative with pasta. The experience is 100% interactive, and the chefs prepare each dish in front of guests. One of the top dishes on the menu is spaghetti al pomodoro. Thanks to a unique cooking technique, Peppe and Alessio fully bring out the intense flavor of Sorrento tomatoes.
The Oval is No. 20 on the list of the world's best Italian restaurants outside Italy.
Not a fan of elaborate tastings? Then enjoy a plate of delicious pasta in the casual "A Tavola" area or a spaghetti-to-go.
Pastificio di Martino
After all that deliciousness, you can get started at home with a pack of pasta from the shop. You can choose between 126 unique shapes and sizes, all produced at the parent company Pastificio di Martino in Gragnano, Italy, with 100% Italian, non-GMO, durum wheat semolina. The good news is that you don't have to go to the United States to enjoy the di Martino family's products. You can visit their online shop or buy locally in Bologna and Napoli, Italy. There, the Sea Front Pasta Bar awaits you. It is the di Martino family's first pasta experience restaurant overlooking the Bay of Napoli. All info and reservations at https://www.pastadimartino.it/
Miznon
Miznon is Mediterranean street food invented by Israeli chefs Eyal Shani and Shahar Segal. Here you will find everything New York City stands for in a pita sandwich. The setting is casual and the service friendly. The chefs buy locally and emphasize fresh seasonal produce. The menu offers a nice selection of vegetarian options. You can also find Miznon outside the United States, notably in Tel Aviv, Paris, Vienna, Singapore, London and Melbourne, and soon in Barcelona, Prague, Amsterdam and Berlin.
The Lobster Place
The Lobster Place is a unique experience. You will find everything the sea has to offer, various types of fish and seafood, as well as related products. In the food hall, you can also taste all kinds of preparations at the numerous bars. These include the oyster bar, the sushi bar, the lobster bar and the restaurant Cull & Pistol. Do you like lobster? The Lobster Place is one of the best spots in NYC to sample Atlantic lobster. Their top take-out dish is lobster roll. I love this luxurious roll and you can read all about it in the blog.
Experience 2:
Tin Building by Jean-Georges, culinary hotspot in Manhattan’s Seaport
The newly restored Tin Building by Jean-Georges is the new culinary hotspot in Lower Manhattan and a tribute to the rich history of the Seaport area. The Tin Building dates back to 1907. For 100 years, it was home to the Fulton Fish Market, one of the largest wholesale fish markets in the world. After 2005, the vacant building fell into disrepair. It was ravaged by frequent storms, and the passage of Hurricane Sandy was the final blow.
Chef Jean-Georges reopened the Tin Building in 2021, after a meticulous restoration that took 8 years. Located next to the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, NYC's new culinary epicenter is a feast for the senses. You'll find a central marketplace with fresh produce, six restaurants, multiple fast-casual counters, bars and a grocery corner spread over two floors. The whole is divided by theme or cuisine. The dosa and pancake counter caught my attention in particular.
Would you like to know more about the fascinating world of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten? I tell you all about it in my blog.
Experience 3:
Dominique Ansel's bakery
I don't want to miss a visit to world-famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel during my NYC city trip. His shop in SoHo is the first and best-known outlet, but I step inside his studio on 27th Street just around the corner from 5th Avenue.
Who is Dominique Ansel?
With a passion for pastry and a large dose of hard work, French-born Dominique Ansel joins the legendary pastry house Fauchon in Paris at the age of 19. Over a period of 7 years, he emerges as a valuable pastry chef and opens several international branches for the house. His career will eventually take him to New York as executive pastry chef on the team of Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud. Driven to make his own mark on the City That Never Sleeps, he opens the Dominique Ansel Bakery on Spring Street in SoHo in 2011. It was an immediate success, and Time Out NY named it the best new bakery in the city in 2012.
The Cronut®, a legendary pastry
Two years after opening his bakery, Dominique Ansel is shaking up the world of patisserie with his new creation: the Cronut®. The Cronut® resembles a deep-fried croissant shaped like a doughnut. The pastry is filled with cream and covered with icing. It takes 3 days to make a Cronut®. The hybrid-dessert became wildly popular overnight and hungry aficionados willingly wait in line for hours to get their hands on a Cronut®. TIME Magazine named the Cronut® one of the "25 best inventions of 2013" and the pastry became a hit on social media. The Cronut® changes flavors every month and the combination is never repeated. Even though Dominique Ansel has multiple locations, you can only buy the Cronut at his SoHo store. Are you curious to know the version I tasted? A Cronut® with coconut cream and blackberry glaze.
Dominique Ansel Workshop
I open the door and step into a world of fragrant butter and crispy pastries. I am in luck. The maestro himself is present in the bakery and he is willing to take time out of his busy schedule and talk with me for a moment. I discovered at the Workshop another one of Dominique Ansel's top hits: the DKA. The creation Dominique Kouign Amann is his personal version of the famous Breton pastry. At the Workshop, the DKA is made with brown sugar. This gives the caramelized croissant a light aroma of molasses, combined with notes of coffee and cinnamon. A true feast!
Dominique Ansel has already written three cookbooks. You will find the original recipe for the Cronut® in his first book: The Secret Recipes.
I discovered at the Workshop another one of Dominique Ansel's top hits: the DKA. The creation Dominique Kouign Amann is his personal version of the famous Breton pastry. At the Workshop, the DKA is made with brown sugar. This gives the caramelized croissant a light aroma of molasses, combined with notes of coffee and cinnamon. A true feast!
Dominique Ansel has already written three cookbooks. You will find the original recipe for the Cronut® in his first book: The Secret Recipes.
Experience 4:
A tasting at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery
The location
Next to Chelsea Market, two large glass doors give access to the impressive world of premium coffee: the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Make no mistake, this is not just your neighborhood Starbucks. The Reserve Roastery is a total experience where you approach coffee as art. The barista gets creative with the processes of brewing, aging, infusing and blending and comes up with surprising creations around coffee. You can taste and experience them at one of the impressive bars, each of which is a work of art in itself. Furthermore, you can participate in the roasting process. Master roasters combine time and heat in specific proportions to extract the finest aroma from the beans. Are you hungry? Then visit the Princi Bar where bread, pizza, sandwiches and pastries from Milanese baker Rocco Princi await you. Finally, return home with a pack of your favorite freshly roasted premium coffee beans packaged for you at the Scooping Bar.
Whiskey barrel-aged coffee
I taste a whiskey barrel-aged cold brew, a super trendy cool drink made from Guatemala coffee beans with notes of whiskey, vanilla and chocolate, but without the alcohol.
How it works
Guatemala coffee beans are fermented in old whiskey barrels for 7 months. The aroma from the barrels envelops the beans, so to speak, during this process. The alcohol disappears during the roasting process. With the ground coffee beans you make a cold brew, not an iced coffee. To do this, you mix the ground coffee with cold water and let it steep for 12 hours. Then you filter the coffee. Add some vanilla syrup to the drink to accentuate the aromas of whiskey and chocolate. Serve the cold brew on plain ice in a nice glass.
Oleato: coffee meets olive oil
Combining olive oil from Sicily with coffee. Have you ever thought about it? At Starbucks, they did just that. In 2021, CEO Howard Schultz was vacationing in Sicily where he visited Tommaso Asaro's Partanna olive grove. Tommaso convinced Schulz that consuming a tablespoon of olive oil every morning is very beneficial to one's health. Combining this good habit with the morning coffee ritual presented a challenge for Schultz and his team. The result is the concept Oleato, CEO Schultz's latest major contribution to the world of coffee.
Oleato tasting experience
I am signing up for the Oleato experience, an immersion in the alchemy of Starbucks Reserve coffee infused with Partanna extra virgin olive oil. The tasting experience happens in 5 steps. First, you experience coffee and olive oil as separate flavor elements. Then follows the Oleato Deconstructed that allows you to experiment with coffee, oil and citrus on your own. An Oleato constructed is prepared by the barista to compare taste with your own creation. Finally, the barista prepares an Oleato Iced Cortado, followed by an Oleato Golden Foam Espresso Martini. Both drinks are surprisingly delicious. The golden foam is made of lightly whipped cream and passion fruit puree and gives a cappuccino-like experience to the espresso martini. The Oleato Tasting Experience is a distinct experience where you learn to push the boundaries of taste.
You'll find a Starbucks Reserve in Seattle, Chicago, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Milan.
