I am writing a book on classic, regional American foods. I spent a week in NYC doing research. Here’s everything I ate:

In addition to all this I had pierogi at Streecha, coffee at Porto Rico, cappuccino at Caffe Reggio, chicken tikka masala at Panna II, and diner breakfast at Waverly Diner. Couldn’t make it to Queens or the Bronx, as much as there were places I was dying to go. Here is everything in the order pictured:

Baked BBQ Pork Bun, Mei Lai Wah (Chinatown) The Sasso, John’s of Bleecker St (West Village) Beef & Chicken over Rice + French fries, Halal Guys (OG Midtown location) Recession Special, Gray’s Papaya (UWS) Tuna Melt, S&P/Eisenberg’s (Flatiron) Belly Lox on a Bagel, Russ & Daughters (LES) Nickey Special, Defonte’s (Red Hook) Italian Ice, Court Street Pastry (Carroll Gardens) Chicken Parm, John’s of 12th Street (East Village) Egg Cream, Ray’s Candy Store (East Village) House Red Ale + Free Hot Dog, Rudy’s (Hell’s Kitchen) Sour Cream Donut, Peter Pan Donuts (Greenpoint) Cheese Plate, one-and-one, McSorley’s (East Village) Lobster Tail + Cappuccino, Veniero’s (East Village) Red Snapper, King Cole Bar (Midtown) Porterhouse Steak, Peter Luger (Williamsburg) Sturgeon & Eggs, Barney Greengrass (UWS) Roast Beef, Brennan & Carr (Sheepshead Bay) Pastrami on Rye, Katz’s Deli (LES) Egg Foo Young, Wo Hop (Chinatown)