I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2024…
As I put together my list of the ten best dishes I tried in NYC, I realized just why I love this city. I didn’t purposely curated this list to be diverse in terms of neighborhood, cuisine, or price point. It just ended up that way.
New York is such a melting pot that it just comes naturally that the best food would be from everywhere: casual bakeries, high end hot spots, immigrant owned seafood markets, and include everything from an Asian vegetable to Caribbean stewed meat to a slice of pizza to every part of the pig you can imagine in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan (apologies to the Bronx and Staten Island – maybe next year).
Here now are my Top Ten Dishes of the Year:
NUMBER 10: GOONGURA CHICKEN BIRYANI at HYDERABADI ZAIQA
Hyderabadi Zaiqa is an exciting, relatively new Indian spot in a take-out type of dining room on a street in Hell’s Kitchen. Goongura are leaves in the hibiscus family that have a tangy, sour, and spicy flavor. They added a whole new level to a chicken biryani. This version of biryani originated in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and I was excited to find it on the menu.
While the biryani itself was incredible (tender and textured), the leaves added a surprising sour element. It was full-flavored and difficult to stop eating. I know I ordered correctly, but it made me want to work my way through the entire biryani menu. Now I know there are many more surprises to be had. Price: $15.99
| HYDERABADI ZAIQA |
| 366 West 52nd Street (between Eighth and Ninth Avenue), Hell’s Kitchen (646) 952-0066 |
| hyderabadizaiqa.com |
NUMBER 9: SURTIDA TACO at CARNITAS RAMIREZ
Carnitas Ramirez is not your typical taco joint. The owners of Taqueria Ramirez opened this small house of pork in the East Village earlier this year. The menu consists of almost every single part of the swine from the ribs to the belly, the cheeks, the snout, tongue, and skin.
Meet the Surtida taco, which translates to “mixed”. This is one taco that has a little bit of everything: chewy ear, fatty jowl, lean shank, meaty butt, and more.
With one of their housemade salsas and a very important squeeze of lime (to break up the grease), this was one of the more heart-stopping tacos I’ve ever tried. Price: $5
| CARNITAS RAMIREZ |
| 210 East 3rd Street (between Avenue A and Avenue B), Alphabet City |
| carnitasramirez.com |
NUMBER 8: PRETZEL BEAR CLAW CROISSANT at RADIO BAKERY
I had been dying to find a reason to come to Radio Bakery since they opened this past summer and when I did, I ordered two pastries.
I had convinced myself the stellar everything spice focaccia, with a nutty dark crust and a soft chew, slicked with the right amount of scallion cream cheese ,was going to be the one thing to write home about. I even made a note that this could replace the iconic New York bagel.
But that was before I tried the Cheesy Pretzel Bearclaw Croissant. The layered croissant looked delicious, sure. It had a beautiful color and featured melted cheddar spilling out. I knew it would be good, but I was not prepared for what I would experience with my first bite.
Instead of cream or jam, this was filled with a pleasant amount of whole grain mustard that married the cheese and balanced the salt. It was a sweet-savory croissant that took my relationship with those words to another level.
Radio Bakery knows better than to trademark this pastry and call it something silly like a “Cro-etzel”. Yet this was as exciting of a discovery as I have encountered at a bakery in a long, long time. And while I don’t want these lines to get any longer, this bakery and their creations are really something that should be shared with the world. Price: $6
| RADIO BAKERY |
| 135 India Street (between Franklin Street and Manhattan Avenue), Greenpoint, Brooklyn |
| radiobakery.nyc |
NUMBER 7: GRILLED TIGER SHRIMP at ABUQIR SEAFOOD
AbuQir is not new by any means, but it is for me and I’m so upset I didn’t discover it earlier.
This is a full on seafood market where you can come in and purchase some fish to cook at home, but what seems to be even more popular is to dine in and let them simply grill or fry the fish of your choice for you.
The grilled black tiger shrimp were as plump as could be. These beauts were slicked with olive oil, mild spices, and lots of garlic. Each bite was meaty and sweet with just a whisper of smoke. They are some of the best shrimp I’ve had in a long time. Price: $19.95 per pound
| ABUQIR SEAFOOD |
| 24-19 Steinway Street (between 25th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard), Astoria, Queens (718) 274-3474 |
NUMBER 6: BLACK AND WHITE COOKIE at EMPIRE CAKE
Wow! This was the most innovative and delicious black and white cookie I’ve ever tasted. The spongy soft center was much closer to a cupcake – much airer than any base I’ve had for this traditional treat. The frosting completely enveloped the cookie covering both sides, which is also a first.
Another exciting liberty they take is using a white chocolate frosting for the lighter side (instead of vanilla). The chocolate fondant was rich and fudgy. Both icings heat up and melt on your fingers (better for licking) as if they are made from real ingredients at a small bakery rather than at some mass produced cookie plant. Imagine that!
The only question here is if this is a true black and white cookie or just an excellent homage to it. For those coming to New York looking for the traditional experience, this is not it. But I can say with all confidence that Empire Cake has figured out a way to make that tradition even better.. Price: $4.25
| EMPIRE CAKE |
| 112 Eighth Avenue (between West 15th and West 16th Street), Chelsea (212) 242-5858 |
| empirecake.com |
