• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
State of Dinner
  • Recipes
  • Kitchen Tips
  • State Dishes
  • Start Here
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Kitchen Tips
  • State Dishes
  • Start Here
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Kitchen Tips
    • State Dishes
    • Start Here
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » State Dishes » Famous Food From New York

    Famous Food From New York

    Published: May 4, 2021 · Modified: Nov 30, 2022 by Erin · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    • Share
    • Twitter

    Guest post by Denise Macuk

    Being a native New Yorker and a chef, I’m happy to discuss the famous food of New York! As one of the 13 original colonies, the location of a former U.S. capital, and the largest port of entry for U.S. immigrants, New York state’s importance in American history is undeniable. Yet, its culinary contributions might be even more significant! New York is home to some of the best restaurants in the world as well as the most renowned cooking school in America, and Manhattan is unquestionably the culinary hub of the United States. Because of its diversity, you can find almost any food around the world in New York. However, with all of these accolades, it may surprise you that some of New York’s most famous foods come from humble beginnings.

    Jump to:
    • History of New York-Style Pizza
    • History of Cheesecake
    • History of Buffalo Wings
    • Famous Food From New York Dinner Menu
    • New York State Facts
    • About the Author
    • Recent Posts
    • Reviews

    History of New York-Style Pizza

    In 1905, an Italian immigrant named Gennaro Lombardi started the first American pizzeria in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Over a hundred years later, pizza is one of the most popular foods of New York and America, with New York-style pizza arguably being the best in the states. Sorry, Chicago, I may be biased, but I stand by my opinion. I grew up hanging out with friends at our local pizzeria eating a slice of New York pie. And while I knew it was delicious, at the time, I had no idea it was better than the pizza in the rest of the country until my family took a road trip to California. After 4 more times across the U.S., I feel qualified to say it is the best pizza in America!

    What makes pizza New York-style? It’s all about the dough. The first thing you notice is the size; authentic New York pizza is large—18 to 24 inches in diameter. Because the pizza pie is so large, it is often sold by the slice. The dough is thin and soft in the center and thicker and crispier at the crust which makes it ideal to fold in half lengthwise to be eaten. The water in New York City is said to contribute to the superior flavor of the pizza dough. Pizzerias across the country have even imported the water in an attempt to replicate New York pizza dough. This should end the New York vs Chicago pizza debate; I don’t see anyone importing Chicago’s water!

    Large slice of cheese pizza.

    History of Cheesecake

    Just like with pizza, the original cheesecake was not from New York. The history of cheesecake dates back to ancient Greece--there’s even evidence that athletes ate it at the very first Olympics. Over the centuries, different versions of cheesecake became popular in different countries. And in the 1920s, Arnold Reuben, a Jewish-German immigrant and deli owner, invented the New York cheesecake which quickly became the best-known and loved American version. If you’re wondering if he also invented the Reuben sandwich, you’d be correct! Soon every New York deli had a version of this classic cheesecake.

    The silky smooth texture and rich creamy taste come from the cream cheese base, and that’s what makes this cheesecake version so special. Before Reuben, a farmer’s cheese that resembled cottage cheese was used in most cheesecake recipes. Traditional New York cheesecake is a plain cheesecake, yet it’s special enough to be served in high-end restaurants. For my New York family, cheesecake was always our celebration dessert. So, every birthday or holiday, we ate (and still often eat) this famous New York dessert.

    Two slices of cheesecake with caramel dropping down.

    History of Buffalo Wings

    Even though Buffalo wings are a wildly popular food in the U.S., it may surprise you that they originated in the state of New York. The name Buffalo wings comes from the city where they were created. The most accepted story about the origin of this famous New York food is that the Anchor Bar in Buffalo was the first to fry chicken wings and toss them in the spicy vinegar-based pepper sauce in 1964.

    Traditional Buffalo wings are served with blue cheese dressing and a side of celery and carrot sticks; ranch dressing is often substituted, but mostly outside of New York. The wings include the drumette and flat sections of the wing. My husband and I are a perfect Buffalo wing couple—he prefers the drumettes, and I like the flats. Today Buffalo wings are so beloved, there is a National Buffalo Wing Hall of Fame as part of the National Buffalo Wing Festival held in Buffalo, New York, of course.

    Basket of boneless buffalo wings, with celery, carrots, and ranch.

    Famous Food From New York Dinner Menu

    • New York-Style Pizza
    • Buffalo Wings
    • Big Apple Cheesecake
    • Half Moon Cookies

    New York State Facts

    • New York was the 11th state in the US
    • There are over 800 languages spoken in New York City, making NYC the most linguistically diverse city in the world
    • The New York library is the 3rd largest library in the world and is home to more than 50 million books
    • The New York Post was established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton and is now the oldest running newspaper in the US
    • New York has more than 650 miles of subway tracks
    • Famous people from New York include: Theodore Roosevelt, Eddie Murphy, and Alicia Keys

    About the Author

    Female in a chef's coat.

    Denise Macuk created the food & travel blog, Chef Denise, to help others have amazing culinary experiences while traveling, as well as, when recreating regional dishes at home. As the founder of one of Los Angeles’s first healthy meal services, Denise developed hundreds of recipes based on her travels. She shares them on Chef Denise and on Pinterest @ChefDeniseMacuk

    If this is the first state dinner you have enjoyed with us, check out our journey from the beginning, starting here.

    Recent Posts

    • An individual mini cheesecake with paper liner peeled back, berries on top and more mini cheesecakes and a basket of berrries in background.
      No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes
    • Classic cheesecake slice on a plate with cherry pie filling on top, bowl of cherries and whole cheesecake in background.
      Classic Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe
    • Slice of no-bake vanilla cheesecake on a plate with whipped cream and a half of a strawberry on top.
      Easy No-Bake Vanilla Cheesecake
    • Arizona lemon pie on a plate, topped with whipped cream and a lemon slice, and some lemon slices around it.
      Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie (Blender Pie)

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Photo of Erin Gierhart

    Welcome! I'm Erin: Wife, mom, lover of great food, and former food safety administrator. I am passionate about cooking mostly from scratch recipes that bring comfort, without spending all day in the kitchen. Most recipes on this site can be made in under 30 minutes! This approach to cooking allows me to provide delicious meals for my family while freeing up time to spend with those I love.

    Let's Get Started→

    Popular Recipes

    • Using a whipped cream dispenser to pile whipped cream in a jar.
      Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe for a Dispenser
    • Pulling a serving of casserole from the pan, with chicken dripping off the server.
      Sour Cream Enchilada Casserole
    • Overhead of a bowl of pork green chili on a plate with a lime wedge.
      Colorado Pork Green Chili
    • Pillowy whipped cream in a bowl with a spoon.
      How to Stabilize Whipped Cream with Cream of Tartar
    • Basket of air fryer boneless chicken wings with ranch dip, carrots, and celery.
      Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Wings
    • Stack of 3 no bake peanut butter buckeye bars with a plate of bars in background.
      No-Bake Peanut Butter Buckeye Bars

    Easter Favorites

    • Plate of parsley garnished lamb chops, onr chop has a piece sliced off showing medium-rare center.
      Best Air Fryer Lamb Chops with Garlic & Rosemary
    • Scooping out some mashed potatoes with a wooden spoon, leek, garlic, and gruyere in background.
      Gruyere and Leek Mashed Potatoes
    • Close up of a kale salad with stainless serving tools, topped with shaved parmesan and almonds.
      Kale Crunch Salad (Chick-Fil-A Copycat)
    • A sweet potato roll cut in half, showing the soft inside, and sitting on more rolls in a bread basket.
      2-Ingredient Sweet Potato Rolls
    • Strawberry salad on a plate with a second slice on a plate along with the pan of pretzel salad.
      Strawberry Pretzel Salad Without Cool Whip
    • Side view of 3 mini egg cookies shingled on white parchment with broken candy pieces around, a stack of cookies and a jar of milk in background.
      Soft Mini Egg Cookies (No Chill)
    • Close up of cherry pie with cream cheese filling in a graham cracker crust.
      No-Bake Cherry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
    • Side angle view of a rich and fudgy brownie square topped with chocolate egg candies and more brownies in background.
      Mini Egg Brownies (One Bowl!)

    As Featured In

    Logos of the various publications where State of Dinner has been featured.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Get Started Here
    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

    Accessibility

    • Accessibility Policy

    Let's Work Together

    • Collaboration

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 State of Dinner