Y’all, this Florida girl had never been to New York City so when I booked my flight to the Big Apple, I spent weeks mapping out my must-do must-eats list. First, I knew I had to hit the obvious: NYC pizza, donuts and street food. I’m drooling just thinking about it. Then, with a little research, I found some really fantastic local spots.

Here’s a tip, when you are mapping out all of your must-eats make sure to sort them by what area of town they’re in. That will help you plan your days accordingly. We walked nearly 10 miles each day so don’t focus too hard on the calorie count. Enjoy your vacation, people!

Wood-fired Pizza from Don Antonio

The first thing I do when traveling to a new city is check out Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. This may sound cheesy, but I’ve had some of my best meals at the hole-in-the-wall restaurants that Guy visits on his show. That’s where I came across a killer pizza spot, Don Antonio. Located steps from bustling Times Square, Don Antonio by Starita is well-known for serving both lightly fried and delicious wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas.

When my fiancé and I arrived at the restaurant, they sat us immediately at one of the tiny little tables in the back by the kitchen. I watched in awe as the line cooks turned out pie after pie; I swear the same delivery guy came and went five times. This place is poppin’! We ordered the Arancini to start; Arancini is a rice ball that is coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They were rich and delicious, flavored with salty Italian ham. I only wish we had a little marinara for dipping!

Between the two of us, my fiancé and I have a slight salty meat and cheese addiction so it was only fitting that we ordered the traditional margarita pizza with prosciutto and mushrooms. This smoky, wood-fired crust topped with salty prosciutto and earthy mushrooms has my mouth watering just thinking back. We should have ordered two. (Not really, it was plenty of food for two people)

Located on West 50th (at 8th Avenue), Don Antonio is just a short walk away from the action and crowds bustling through Times Square.

Artisan Doughnuts from Dough

Our hotel was located in Midtown Manhattan, a short walk from my favorite culinary destination in all of New York City, Urbanspace Vanderbilt. I have never visited a food hall before and boy did this place BLOW MY MIND! You mean I can get a bowl of pho and a chocolate mocha doughnut at the same place? GTFO

Obviously, my first breakfast in New York City had to consist of a doughnut and a good cup of coffee. When researching “the best doughnut in New York City”, I came across Dough. This bakery has so many unique flavors to choose from; my fiancé and I snagged a Mocha Almond Crunch and Café Au Lait. What can I say, we are a sucker for coffee flavored anything.

Dough has multiple locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn and distributes their doughnuts to numerous third party vendors across the city. The location we visited was located at Urbanspace Vanderbilt in Midtown just steps away from Grand Central.

After breakfast, I swear I burned 2,000 calories walking through Central Park.

Crazy Shake from Black Tap

I know you have seen the newest trend in milkshake-ology… THE CRAZY SHAKE. Well Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer is taking the milk shake to a completely new level, topping them with rock candy, ice cream sandwiches, cotton candy and much, much more. This place is super trendy and the service was fantastic!

We opted for the Sweet N’ Salty Crazy Shake, piled high with chocolate pretzels, peanut butter cups and chocolate candies. This was quite possibly most definitely the best milkshake I have ever had! Oh, and the burgers are good too. I had the Texan Burger (add avocado and a fried egg and they will have to hose you off in the back).

Black Tap has four restaurants throughout Manhattan. We walked to the location in the Meat Packing District on W. 14^th Street after a trip to Chelsea Market.

NYC Street Food

So pretty much anything you get from a street cart in New York City is going to be downright delicious. There is such a variety of foods to choose from like dirty water dogs, waffles, tacos, Banh Mi, and the list goes on. My personal favorite was the lamb gyro from a halal cart in Rockefeller Plaza. Well, to be completely honest, I got the chicken and rice platter and my fiancé got the lamb gyro. I always snag a couple bites of his.

We ordered the platter and gyro spicy with white sauce. I don’t know what they put in that white sauce, but it’s a godsend when your mouth is on fire. Okay, that’s a lie; it’s made with mayo.

Not only is this a cheap option for lunch, it is super filling. We actually opted for a light dinner because we were still full nearly 4 hours later!  If you like spicy, I highly recommend stopping by a halal cart.

There you have it! A newbie’s guide to eating in New York City! I’d love to hear more about your favorite bites for my next trip!

Kelsey Renee