It’s the most delicious time of the year! Let’s kick off the food-centric holiday season by taking some time to appreciate New York City’s fantastic food scene, from its upscale Michelin Star restaurants to its hidden hole-in-the-wall joints to its food trucks with lines extending halfway down the block. It would take a thousand lifetimes and a thousand stomachs to eat your way through all 200,000 of NYC’s food establishments. I don’t know about you, but my appetite (and my wallet) is not up to the challenge. Instead, how about we get to know the city’s food scene through these four books about food in NYC?
New York in a Dozen Dishes by Robert Sietsema
Of course this book goes into the origins of New York pizza and the black and white cookie, but you’ll also learn the stories of foods New York isn’t known for but has nonetheless perfected, like fried chicken and Ecuadorian guinea pig.
New York City: A Food Biography by Andrew F. Smith
If you’re looking for the textbook on NYC’s food history, this book is for you. Really, it does kind of read like a textbook, but it gets into the nitty-gritty of 400 years of food and eating in New York City. You’ll learn a lot in a mere 211 pages.
Food and the City by Ina Yalof
Maybe it’s not the history of pizza that you’re interested in, but rather the history of your favorite pizzeria on Staten Island. Then you’ll enjoy reading Food and the City, where you’ll hear firsthand from the owners and chefs of eateries like The Halal Guys, Papaya King, and Nom Wah Tea Parlor on what it’s like to be in the New York food business.
New York’s One-Food Wonders by Mitch Broder
Being a “one-hit wonder” is seen as a failure in the music industry, but for these New York restaurants profile in this book, it means they are doing their job right. “New York’s One-Food Wonders” covers the quirky restaurants that specialize in just one food, so if you’re looking for a new go-to place to satisfy your oddly specific cravings, pick up this book.
Which of these books about food in NYC do you want to sink your teeth into first? Share it in the comment section. And before you go, if you liked this article and you like what I do here at Shiloh in the City, sign up for my email list and follow me on social media for more articles on NYC books, history, and worthwhile things to do. Thanks for reading!
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