Top 10 Foods You Have to Eat in the Big Apple

There are foodie cities and then there's New York City. Food isn't just about the food here, it's about the people and the history it represents. For a city as cosmopolitan as New York, it should come as no surprise that the Big Apple offers an amazing and diverse array of delectable delights you must sample on your next visit.

Thanks to immigrants from the four corners of the globe who brought these cultural concoctions along with them on their journey to America, we have so many amazing foods and venues to choose from.

New York is home to the best pizza in the country and in my book, that's not even debatable. America's love affair with pizza began in 1905 when Gennaro Lombardi from Naples, Italy founded the country's first pizzeria, Lombardi's. The original coal-oven still exists today turning out those beautiful, smoky thin-crusted baked pies.

After attending a Broadway matinee, we headed to John's Pizzeria in Times Square, the slice of heaven pizzeria located in a once-abandoned church previously home to squatters and gang slogans. A colorful perfectly intact stained-glass ceiling made up of eight equal parts attracted late owner Madeline Castellotti to the location. She decided the restaurant would serve only whole pizzas cut into eight slices and the unique pizzeria grew to become the largest in the U.S. Of note that reservations are only accepted for parties of 15 or more. In the most popular lunch and dinner time slots, expect a wait. But, it's so worth it!

The pastrami on rye sandwich was first introduced to the city in 1888 by Jewish immigrant Sussman Volk in his Delancey Street butcher shop. And it didn't take long for others to follow suit due to its popularity. The savory meat cured in brine then seasoned with garlic, coriander and loads of black pepper is served on New York's best rye bread. The result is simply divine.

Katz's Delicatessen on Manhattan's lower east side has been family owned and operated for over 100 years and is considered one of New York City's best. The iconic deli has been featured in Hollywood films, the most renowned being When Harry Met Sally. Sandwiches here are tender, flavorful, and hearty. Guaranteed you'll need extra napkins to wipe the juices dripping down your chin.

I'm not necessarily a hot dog lover but if I'm going to have one, it's going to be in New York City. Where? At Nathans in world famous Coney Island. Though the Coney Island hot dog actually originated in Michigan, there's no doubt that New York's claim to fame is the company that makes the very best.

The original Nathan's restaurant still stands at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Brooklyn's Coney Island. Nathan's began as a nickel hot dog stand in 1916 bearing the name of Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker following the recipe created by his wife Ida. Even Brooklyn's native gangster Al Capone visited Nathan's on his visits back to the Big Apple. Today, Nathan's is the most famous hot dog in the world, and Coney Island hosts the world's largest hot dog eating contest every 4th of July.

Those who've never had a New York bagel haven't had a real bagel. With cream cheese oozing out the sides this holy grail of breakfast foods originated in the Jewish communities of Poland. Today bagels can be found in any of New York's five boroughs and no other place can ever duplicate the recipe for one main reason- they don't have New York City water. To give it an additional Jewish twist, just add the lox.

Hot, salty, chewy and more than shareable. The soft pretzel has been sold on the streets of New York since the 1820s. Just add mustard and you have the best delightful treat imaginable. You can buy these pretzels from almost any street vendor. Everyone has their favorites, but we haven't found a bad one yet.

It's not very often a city gets to add its name to a popular dessert. But mention New York cheesecake and it's thought of as the Cadillac of cheesecakes.

Junior's is by far the most famous of New York cheesecakes. The original Brooklyn location was founded by Harry Rosen in 1950. Loyal customers, presidents, Hall of Fame athletes, Hollywood stars, and famous recording artists have all visited the landmark for its good food, good service and most of all for the best cheesecake on the planet.

Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine prepared as small bite-sized portions of food served in small steamer baskets or on a small plate. Opening in 1920, Nom Wah in Chinatown is New York City's oldest dim sum parlor. Their offerings are extensive and menu items along with their myriad of teas are absolutely phenomenal. So good as a matter of fact, there's always a line waiting to be seated. Our favorites- the house dumplings, roast pork bun and the original "OG" fried egg roll with chicken and mixed vegetables.

Over the years, the list of traditional New York favorites has grown extensively and we found some popular up-and-coming delectable delights the Big Apple has to offer. One place is a historical throwback and the others are recently embraced favorites by a new generation of locals.

One of the hottest new dishes in New York City is the Jian Bing, a savory Chinese crispy crepe made with green bean flour and filled with egg, black sesame, green onion and a choice of beef, chicken, or pork. Yiwanmen in Little Italy serves up the best and we watched as our Pork Belly crepe was expertly crafted by a chef behind a glass window. Word of warning, everyone should order your own. You won't want to share.

Chinatown is famous for its amazing foods, and some of our new favorites come from its magnificent bakeries. Sesame balls made from fried dough are the rage. Covered with sesame seeds and filled with sweet red bean or lotus seed paste, these balls are a fascinating combination of textures and flavors that literally dance on the palate.

Mooncakes are also riding the popular food wave not only because they're sinfully delicious, but they're such a reasonably-priced Chinese delicacy. Made with a variety of ingredients such as green tea, lotus seed or black beans, these pastries once served only at Chinese mid-autumn festivals are now made year-round.

One would never believe that New York City would serve the best chicken pot pie ever. A typical New England dish, it's one of historic Frances Tavern's most popular items. Built around 1719, the tavern located in the city's financial district is famous for its American Revolutionary War history. It was here that George Washington finally disbanded the Continental Army in a poignant farewell. Everything on the menu was touted as outstanding by our group. But I had the pot pie and it was magnificent. No matter what you order when you're surrounded by history in Manhattan's oldest surviving building, dining can't possibly get any better.