New York City: Eating in the Big Apple

Abitino's Pizzeria. You can't leave NYC without getting a slice (or two)!

Hopping off the Vamoose Bus at Penn Station in Manhattan, I feel like I've stepped out into a different country. I'm immediately hit with the bustling crowds and the incessant honking and yelling of NYC taxi drivers. This isn't my first time in the Big Apple and so I'm able to quickly get my bearings as I collect my bags and hail one of those yellow taxi cabs to meet my best friend from college at her apartment in Murray Hill. After downing a few Aperol Spritzes, we start discussing one of our favorite topics ... what to eat?

The food options in NYC are endless, but here are some great places to try:

1. Carbone - One of my favorite Italian restaurants in the city ... all of their pastas are absolutely delicious, but the spicy rigatoni vodka is a must!

2. Katz's Deli - An NYC institution, their pastrami sandwiches are generously piled high with tender, flavorful meat and are the best I've ever had!

3. The Spotted Pig - The burgers here are the most popular and they don't take reservations so the wait can be up to 2 hours during peak dining hours. If you're willing to stick it out, grab a cocktail and some appetizers at the bar - the deviled eggs and sheep's milk ricotta gnudi with brown butter and crispy sage are amazing!

The sheep's milk ricotta gnudi with brown butter and crispy sage at The Spotted Pig.

4. Baccarat Hotel - The bar upstairs is beautifully decorated and serves drinks in Baccarat's famous crystal glassware. Their afternoon tea service is offered Wednesday to Sunday between 1-4 pm.

The bar at the Baccarat Hotel.

5. Babbo - A Mario Batali restaurant that serves excellent Italian food.

6. Prince St. Pizza - Arguably the best pizza in the city, their square slices of pepperoni pizza are so popular that lines are out the door!