In the three semesters I have contributed to the Good Five Cent Cigar, I have apparently started each by detailing a certain dining experience I had that was worthy of a write up.
In January of 2023, I outlined my top ten offerings to look for in the University of Rhode Island’s dining halls (expect an updated ranking to be released in the near future.) This past September I recounted my visit to the Korean BBQ hotspot Den-Den on Providence’s Thayer Street, a place I ended up revisiting on New Year’s Eve after going to see “Moulin Rouge!” at the Providence Performing Arts Center (highly recommend).
This brings us to today, where I will begin the semester once again with a food piece, but with a little twist: by venturing into New York City to go see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden, focusing on the foods I ate during my time in the Big Apple.
With this being my first time back in the city in almost five years, I had to make sure to grab a New York slice before the sightseeing could begin. For those in the know, New York’s pizza scene is considered by locals and outsiders alike as being a haven of heavenly slices: a playground for that perfect combination of sauce, cheese and crust. So when I found myself on Broadway heading towards Times Square, it was the perfect time for me to stop by Joe’s Pizza.
Good pizza places typically all have the same calling card: a line of patrons snaking out the front door during peak lunch hour, and Joe’s was no exception. But talking with the local New Yorkers in line with me confirmed that those who stuck it out would be greatly rewarded.
Luckily, the line moved fast, and before I knew it I had made it inside. It didn’t take long for me to make it to the counter to place my order, and it took even less time for me to exit the space – two massive slices the size of my forearm in tow, supported by a canopy of white paper plates.
From the first bite, you could just tell this was just a different level of pizza – also because the excitement to dig in resulted in torching the roof of my mouth from the molten layer of cheese. It was worth it: a sweet but not too acidic tomato sauce, layered over a crust that had a structurally sound undercarriage but shattered into a satisfying crunch, with a dark blistering from the oven contributing to a beautifully deep flavor. I’m usually not one to rate slices, but I know that this one was certainly up there among the best I’ve ever tried.
Staying within the realm of Italian food, I made my way over to Tony’s Di Napoli, a restaurant famous for their large entrees. Walking to this establishment was like stepping back in time: hundreds of photographs lined the dining room, and the warm lighting and white linen tablecloths gave the space an intimate atmosphere.
A couple things were ordered here, including their chicken parm, which was excellent. One thing I noticed was that the sauce was very sweet, which in some cases people view as a negative, but it helped to cut through the richness of the chicken cutlets and cheese.
Going a non-traditional route for the next course I chose the squid-ink fettuccine. This was a new one for me, but I’ve heard good things about using squid ink as a base when making pasta, and this definitely lived up to the hype. It gave the pasta almost a savory but not quite meaty taste, which was helped by the addition of a light tomato sauce.
Of course, when at an Italian restaurant for dinner there needs to be an evaluation of the dessert offerings, and tiramisu is up there for being among the best. The Tony’s Di Napoli version, while not quite the best I’ve ever had, still made for a solid offering: the combination of the coffee-soaked ladyfingers with the layers of whipped cream and light dusting of cocoa powder would make anyone hard pressed to say it wouldn’t be good.
Two honorable mentions have to be highlighted from this trip as well: the first, coming from H and H Bagels at the newly constructed Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station. When the new terminal was constructed, so too were dozens of new restaurants and eating options, one of which happened to produce an insanely good black and white cookie. The other mention goes to Junior’s, a New York City staple known for their cheesecake, but what actually won me over was their pastrami omelet, a concept that seems baffling on paper but actually works incredibly well.
All told, my visit to New York City was definitely worth the thousands of calories I likely consumed in a roughly 24-hour span. Whenever I find myself back in the ‘city that never sleeps’, I will be among those night dwellers as well, since all the great eateries to be found can’t possibly fit into just a day.