How To Try NYC's Iconic Eats Without Leaving Home

The New York City food scene is legendary. Its reputation for culinary excellence attracts chefs from around the world, and its fixture as a melting pot of diverse cultures makes New York home to some of the most delicious and unique food in the country. If you're hoping to sample NYC's finest, but aren't able to come for a visit, we have good news for you: Many of the most iconic foods that make New York City a culinary destination can be delivered straight to your door.

While the COVID-19 pandemic imposed unquestionable damage to the restaurant industry, one silver lining arrived in the form of delivery innovation, pushing restaurants to rethink how to transport their creations to customers both within the city and beyond. The arguable dynamo in culinary nationwide shipping is Goldbelly, with a wide assortment of specialty foods that are worth the splurge, but several NYC staples also offer their own direct shipping.

Now you can savor a slice of New York-style pizza, a quintessential hot dog, or the world-famous Cronut all without leaving home. This roundup was curated to celebrate NYC establishments and the iconic food they are known for. We've organized the very best of each New York City food and paired it with an excellent eatery offering nationwide shipping.

What could be more iconic than a slice of New York-style pizza? Known for its large size and paper-thin crust, the classic New York pizza is topped with oozing cheese and mouthwatering tomato sauce. While there are dozens of excellent pizzerias throughout the city, John's of Bleecker Street in the West Village is the standard for good reason. 

The legendary pizzeria was opened in 1929 by Giovanni "John" Sasso, an Italian who immigrated from Naples, and is still family-owned decades later. Order a two-pack of New York-style pizza for $114.95, featuring a classic cheese pie and a pepperoni pie with fresh tomato sauce and aged mozzarella.

New York City is the bagel capital of the world. The reason for that has long been hypothesized: Is it the water? The method of boiling? The Jewish bakers who made the city home in the 19th century? Bagels just don't taste the same outside of New York. 

For a long time, to savor authentic bagels, you had to make the trip to NYC. Now you can order a dozen New York bagels of your choice for $28.95 from the West Side staple Barney Greengrass. Barney Greengrass first opened in 1908 and continues to serve artisanal bagels and smears to a loyal following of New Yorkers. The bagel assortment includes a variety of everything, plain, poppy seed, sesame, and onion bagels.

Katz's Deli is a 100-plus-year-old establishment famous for two things: as the location of one of the most beloved scenes in film history from "When Harry Met Sally," and for its massive pastrami sandwiches that are iconic around the U.S. Picture two slices of fresh rye bread loaded sky high with layers upon layers of melt-in-your-mouth pastrami that has been freshly carved by hand. 

To recreate the classic Katz's deli pastrami sandwich at home, order the Reuben package for $130. The package includes two pounds of pastrami, half a loaf of rye bread, one pound of Swiss cheese, and some sauerkraut, pickles, and Reuben dressing.

There are some New York culinary icons that are inseparable from the establishments that have made them famous. Enter: Junior's cheesecake, which is celebrated for its unique crust. Unlike many traditional cheesecakes that use graham cracker crust, Junior's cheesecake is baked over layers of sponge cake and topped with cream cheese filling. 

Opened in 1950, Junior's has been a cheesecake haven for generations of New Yorkers. For $55.95, you can indulge in Junior's original NY plain cheesecake to savor in your home. Get ready for slices of decadent creamy cheesecake over its signature light and airy sponge cake.

Strolling through the park eating a New York City hot dog topped with sauerkraut, spicy mustard, and onions is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. There is only one spot in the city to get the quintessential NYC hot dog, and that spot is Gray's Papaya. 

Gray's Papaya has had a hold on the New York hot dog scene for over 50 years. Now you can dig into one of its famous all-beef hot dogs from the comfort of your living room thanks to the $99.95 12-pack New York hot dog kit. The kit includes 12 hot dogs, 12 freshly baked buns, one bottle of mustard, one pouch of Gray's Papaya sauerkraut, and one pouch of onions cooked in its signature sauce.

Veselka has been serving New Yorkers authentic Ukrainian food since 1954. Still in its original location in the East Village, Veselka was a favorite spot of the late Anthony Bourdain that has seen a resurgence in recent years given the global conflict. 

The star of the show here is the handcrafted pierogi — Eastern European dumplings made with classic fillings such as potato, braised beef, cheese, and sauerkraut and mushroom. For more modern fillings, go for the short rib, the bacon, egg, and cheese, or the arugula and goat cheese. For $120, you can have the ultimate pierogi party with the Veselka pierogi pack, featuring four dozen pierogis with your choice of fillings and two containers of fried onions.‌

While the New York-style slice may be the pizza style that NYC is most often known for, the city is also home to the grandma pie, a tomatoey, cheesy, Italian American creation. Similar in appearance to the rectangular Sicilian pie, grandma pies have thin crust and a denser overall texture. Loring Place, run by James Beard Award-winning chef Dan Kluger, serves some of the best grandma pies in the city. 

For $89.95, you can bring home three "OG" cheese grandma pizzas — each is large enough to feed two to three people. This package also features three sleeves of Loring Place's signature chili, garlic, and salt mix, three sleeves of Parmesan, and three sleeves of olive oil. For $10 more, you can order your pizza gluten-free. 

Zabar's has been a New York City institution for 90 years, making it one of the best gourmet grocery stores in NYC. Specializing in Jewish staples such as babka, bagels, and smoked fish, the standout here is Zabar's egg challah. Fluffy, eggy, and nourishing, challah is a traditional bread eaten during Shabbat and many Jewish holidays. It also makes for an excellent French toast base. 

For just $8.98, you can have one of Zabar's freshly baked 16-ounce egg challah breads shipped directly to your door. The challah is certified kosher, so not only is it extremely delicious, but it also covers your bases for religious observation. 

Carbone serves one of the best pasta dishes in NYC, the world-famous spicy rigatoni vodka. The secret of this dish is the mouthwatering sauce — a base of imported Italian tomatoes spiced with Calabrian chili peppers, garlic, sauteed onions, vodka, and cream. Even if you're in the city, a reservation at Carbone is difficult to score. But fear not, you can now recreate this delicacy in your own kitchen. 

Instead of a fully baked pasta arriving at your door, Carbone offers its signature spicy vodka sauce in jars sold as two-packs or four-packs — for $23.99 or $39.96, respectively — directly from the restaurant and also available at specialty grocery stores. All you have to do is add cream to have your very own decadent spicy rigatoni at home.

Bialys are to bagels what grandma pies are to the New York-style slice — classics of the city with similar flavor profiles, but key differences. The difference between bagels and bialys is that bagels have a hole in the center of the dough and are boiled before baking, leading to a chewier texture. The signature of bialys is their filling, which is sandwiched into a small indentation in the dough. 

Kossar's Bagels & Bialys is the originator of the New York bialy dating back to 1936. For $59.95, you can have a dozen of Kossar's famous bialys shipped to your home with your choice of sliced nova or cream cheese as an add-on. Your filling options include everything, sundried tomato, sesame, onion, and garlic. 

The Cronut took the pastry world by storm in 2013 and remains a fixture in New York City as a must-try dessert. The iconic creation by Dominique Ansel is the specialty of his eponymous bakery. Envision layers of buttery croissant dough that have been fried and glazed in sugar. Each month, the filling of the Cronut changes, and the bakery is committed to never repeating flavors. 

Some of our favorite fillings have included lemon maple, fig mascarpone, Valrhona chocolate champagne, and milk and honey with lavender. When the Cronut was first released, New Yorkers had to wait in line for hours just for the chance to taste one. Now, for $39, you can have a four-pack of Cronuts shipped to your door directly from the bakery.

Russ & Daughters has been a New York standard since 1914. The appetizing shop is your go-to destination for Eastern European specialties, but the unquestionable star is the sought-after smoked fish. Smoked fish is similar to lox, but different. Both are salt-cured, thinly sliced, and make excellent additions to bagels or tartines. Smoked fish stands out for its namesake smokey flavor. 

For $195, you can have a smoked salmon medley at home. This specialty package serves six people and features half-pound portions of each of Russ & Daughter's most-beloved smoked fish, including gravlax, pastrami-cured salmon, and Scottish smoked salmon. The set also includes a dozen bagels of your choice, a pound of cream cheese, and one jar of capers.

Rainbow cookies are an Italian American classic. Slices of airy almond cake in vibrant colors of red, yellow, and green, are sandwiched between sumptuous layers of chocolate and jam. These iconic New York City cookies are a highlight of many pastry display cases, but our favorite spot for rainbow cookies in NYC is Settepani Restaurant & Bakery (which, as pictured, also offers a Pride Month edition of this treat in June). 

Chef Nino Settepani opened the bakery's first location in Brooklyn in 1992, and it has become a beloved stop for Italian American baked goods ever since. Now you can bring home two pounds of rainbow cookies — roughly 25 per pound — from Settepani for $79.95. Rainbow cookies are the perfect cakelike cookie with rich chocolate and tart jam to satisfy all your dessert cravings.

Dim sum has its culinary roots in the Cantonese tradition and features a vast assortment of small, often savory dishes, including steamed buns, deep-fried rolls, and our personal favorite: dumplings. The New York dim sum scene is legendary, with restaurants across the city serving delicious and authentic offerings. 

Mimi Cheng's, a beloved family-owned eatery, serves Taiwanese-style dumplings inspired by the cooking of founders Hannah and Marian Cheng's mother. Since dumplings are a must-order dish for any dim sum feast, we recommend the choose-your-own dumpling sampler from Mimi Cheng's for $129.95. The sampler includes 20 dumplings and one bottle of secret sauce. Choose from pork and chives, chicken and zucchini, or vegetable dumplings with carrots, zucchini, chives, and bean thread noodles.

Babka is a traditional Jewish sweet bread featuring braided layers coated with chocolate and cinnamon. This chocolate dessert has roots in New York thanks to the city's population of Eastern European immigrants from the late 1800s. 

While there are many appetizing shops offering solid babka throughout the city, for the very best, order yours from Breads Bakery. Breads Bakery is known for baking all of its bread and pastries daily by hand in small batches, so you can rest assured that your babka will arrive at your home incredibly fresh. For $54.95, indulge in a chocolate and cinnamon babka three-pack, with each babka serving roughly four to six people. Since the babkas are shipped fresh, they are best enjoyed within 24 hours or should be frozen.  

New York City is home to some of the best falafel in America, but no eatery is more beloved for its deep-fried ground chickpeas than Mamoun's Falafel. Founded by Mamoun Chater, who came to New York by way of Syria, the restaurant is a tiny-hole-in-the-wall that has been the go-to spot for falafel for over 50 years.

For $89.95, order the falafel pita kit to recreate a visit to Mamoun's at home. The kit includes 12 pieces of falafel spiced with garlic, onions, cumin, turmeric, and cardamom, as well as pita bread for your sandwich and all of Mamoun's signature toppings: hummus, baba ganouj, tahini sauce, hot sauce, pickled turnips, and pickles. 

The black and white cookie originated in New York City and is an icon of the Jewish deli. This cake-like cookie is lighter than your traditional cookie and is covered in a thick layer of icing that is half dark chocolate and half vanilla. 

William Greenberg Desserts has been making black and white cookies since 1946 and is credited with introducing them to New Yorkers thanks to a memorable "Seinfeld" episode celebrating the cookie and the bakery. For $59.95, you can have a dozen of William Greenberg Desserts' famous giant black and white cookies delivered to your home. There's something akin to childhood magic when you bite into a black and white cookie and taste the rich icing. 

New York City is home to many world-class steakhouses ranging from plush modern dining rooms to historic chophouses. Keens Steakhouse falls into the latter category, as it opened in 1885 and remains one of the best steakhouses in NYC. Keens serves a dish you aren't likely to find at your local steakhouse: mutton chops. 

Keens' mutton chops are a New York specialty because of their rarity and their immense flavor, thanks to the cut of mature lamb, featuring loin and tenderloin that caramelize when browned. For $189.95, you can have two of Keens' legendary mutton chops, weighing 26 ounces each, delivered fresh right to your door alongside a jar of mint jelly. 

Magnolia Bakery shot to fame thanks to its red velvet cupcakes and a feature on the original "Sex and the City" series, but it is the bakery's banana pudding that has helped it stand the test of time. Impossibly creamy, yet light and airy, every bite is filled with vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, rich whipped cream, and decadent vanilla pudding. 

The banana pudding is so famous that the bakery launched a line of packaged Magnolia banana pudding cookies available in grocery stores to bring the signature flavor to dessert lovers nationwide. Now you can order a classic banana pudding multipack and delight in the real thing for $59, which includes six individual containers of Magnolia's banana pudding.

Soft pretzels are sold along every city street corner, making them unquestionably a New York standard. Our favorites hail from Sigmund's Pretzels, a bakery opened in 2009 by chef Lina Kulchinsky that specializes in the quintessential New York pretzel. 

For $94.95, you'll receive a 16-pack of choose-your-own soft pretzels from Sigmund's, which arrive fresh from the bakery's oven. Your flavor options include the classic topped with sea salt, the everything (a take on the classic everything bagel seasoning), the garlic parsley with cloves of roasted garlic baked into the pretzel dough, the truffle cheddar with coarse black pepper, and the feta olive with rosemary woven throughout the pretzel. 

Brooklyn blackout cake was born during World War II when New York City extinguished its lights for safety. The bakers who first made this iconic New York dessert at Ebinger's Bakery in Brooklyn named their intensely dark chocolate devil's food cake in honor of the blackouts. While that bakery has since closed, the cake's name and chocolate decadence stuck. 

Taking over for Ebinger's is Carousel Cakes, a bakery beloved by locals and famed celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey. Carousel Cakes' Brooklyn blackout cake is one of the best chocolate cakes in the U.S. For $59.95, a seven-inch Brooklyn blackout cake, serving six to 10 people, can be yours regardless of your zip code.

As a native New Yorker who lived in Manhattan for a decade, I've had the pleasure of sampling all of these iconic NYC foods at various celebrated establishments. To curate this list, I researched the availability of nationwide shipping across multiple eateries for each New York City staple. I then selected the establishments that most embodied the city due to reputation, longstanding history, personal taste experience, and verified customer reviews.