Bagels

Who doesn’t love to eat? Answer: Nobody. Because everyone loves to eat. The key, though, to happy living and eating, is to only eat food that’s amazing. Calories spent on something less than delightful to your palate are simply a waste, my friend.

That’s why we’re pretty excited about Foursquare’s “Restaurant Challenge,” AKA a checklist of 50 of the best NYC restaurants.

“Foursquare’s team of data scientists crunched the numbers, looking at where more than 50 million people go and what they do,” explains the site. “The result: top trending tastes in New York and the best places to experience them.”

From pancakes to burgers to bagels, from pastries to pizza to ramen, it’s all on the list. Will you take the Foursquare challenge with us?

• Bagel: Everything Bagel at Ess-a-Bagel (Turtle Bay)
• Bloody Mary: Bloody Caesar at Joseph Leonard (West Village)
• Bourbon Cocktail: Old Fashioned at Maysville (NoMad)
• Burger: Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern (Greenwich Village)
• Burrito: Ramenrrito at Press Tea (West Village)
• Cheesecake: Famous No. 1 Original Cheesecake at Junior’s Restaurant (Downtown Brooklyn)
• Chicken: Roasted Chicken at Barbuto (West Village)
• Chipotle Sauce: Crack Sauce at Calexico Cart
• Chocolate Pastry: Chocolate Babka at Breads Bakery (Union Square)
• Cold Brew Coffee: Cold Brew at Little Collins (Midtown East)
• Cookie: Chocolate Chip Cookie at Levain Bakery (Upper West Side)
• Corn: Jerk Grilled Corn at Miss Lily’s 7A (East Village)
• Craft Beer: NY Local Brews at The Jeffrey Craft Beer & Bites (Upper East Side)
• Cream Cheese: Wasabi Cream Cheese at Tompkins Square Bagels (East Village)
• Croissants: Pretzel Croissants at The City Bakery (Union Square)
• Donuts: Cronuts at Dominique Ansel Bakery (SoHo)
• Dumplings: Pork And Crab Soup Dumplings at RedFarm (West Village)
• French Fries: Pommes Frites at Balthazar (SoHo)
• French Toast: Parmesan French Toast at L’Apicio (East Village)
• Gnudi: Ricotta Gnudi at The Spotted Pig (West Village)
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Three Cheese Grilled Cheese at Milk Truck Grilled Cheese (Midtown East)
• Hidden Place: Japanese Restaurant at Bohemian (NoHo)
• Ice Cream: Chorizo Caramel Swirl at OddFellows Ice Cream Co. (Williamsburg)
• Lamb Chops: Tandoor-grilled Lamb Chops at Tulsi Restaurant (Turtle Bay)
• Lasagna: Yesterday’s 100 Layer Lasagne All Piastra at Del Posto (Chelsea)
• Mac & Cheese: “world’s Best” Mac & Cheese at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (Flatiron District)
• Margarita: Margarita De Toronja Picante at Gran Eléctrica (DUMBO)
• Off-menu Item: Cheeseburger at Gramercy Tavern (Flatiron District)
• Outdoor Seating: The Patio at Central Park Boathouse (Central Park)
• Pancakes: Blueberry Pancakes at Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant (Lower East Side)
• Pastrami: Pastrami Sandwich at Katz’s Delicatessen (Lower East Side)
• Pie: Crack Pie at Momofuku Milk Bar (East Village)
• Pizza: Vodka Pizza at Rubirosa (NoLita)
• Pork: Rocket Pig Sandwich at Rocket Pig (Chelsea)
• Ramen: Akamaru Modern Ramen at Ippudo (Greenwich Village)
• Rooftop Garden: Rooftop Bar And Cafe at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Upper East Side)
• Sandwich: Fried Chicken And Waffle Sandwich at Root & Bone (Alphabet City)
• Scenic View: Bench Seating At 17th Street at High Line (Chelsea)
• Seafood: Grilled Octopus at Taverna Kyclades (Astoria)
• Sliders: Meatball Sliders at Little Owl (West Village)
• Smoked Salmon: Bagel With Lox And Cream Cheese at Russ & Daughters (Lower East Side)
• Southern Food: Shrimp And Grits at Red Rooster (Central Harlem)
• Speakeasy: PDT at Crif Dogs (East Village)
• Steak: Porterhouse at Peter Luger Steak House (Williamsburg)
• Sushi: Uni at Sushi Nakazawa (West Village)
• Taco: Short Rib Pastrami Taco With Mustard Seed Salsa at Empellón Taqueria (West Village)
• Tasting Menu: Chef’s Tasting Menu at Per Se (Hell’s Kitchen)
• Toast: Crab Toast at ABC Kitchen (Flatiron District)
• Vegan Food: Vegan Blt at Blossom Restaurant (Chelsea)
• Wine Tastings: Tasting Pours at Terroir (Tribeca)

See the full list here.

By Wendy Rose Gould