National Geographic
New York City's Most Iconic Foods in 24 Hours | Epic Food Journeys with Mark Wiens | Nat Geo
New York City is the ultimate global food capital. In this NYC food tour, Mark Wiens spends 24 hours in New York eating the most iconic dishes that define the city's culinary soul. From legendary restaurants like Katz's Delicatessen to late-night NYC halal carts, join Mark on a journey through the dishes and personalities that define the city's energy and connect cultures across boroughs.
What makes bagels taste so good in NYC? Mark begins his day in Brooklyn at Black Seed Bagels to find out! Mark tries bacon, egg, and cheese on a poppy seed bagel as well as smoked salmon and cream cheese on an everything bagel.
Needing a morning sugar fix, Mark visits the iconic Junior's Restaurant & Bakery, celebrated for their original cheesecake. After getting a taste of the original cheesecake, Mark is joined by owner, Alan Rosen, to try a mind-blowing concoction called "The New Yorker Cake Shake." This delectable delicacy is a tower of strawberry milkshake topped with strawberry cheesecake.
Next up is South Bronx where Mark visits Lechonera La Piraña. There, owner Angel Jimenez, serves up Puerto Rican style roast pork as well as a mixed plate of roast pig, octopus, shrimp, rice, and plantains, all doused in garlic sauce.
Katz's Delicatessen is possibly the most famous restaurant in all of New York City, serving famous pastrami sandwiches since 188. Mark orders the famed pastrami on rye, a monumental sandwich with meat known to be cured for up to 30 days to give it its signature flavor, and served with mustard and pickles.
NYC is known for two staple foods: pizza and hotdogs. For authentic New York pizza, Mark travels to Luigi's Pizza in Brooklyn and meets with owner Giovanni Lanzo to learn about his family's history and tastes the difference between Sicilian and NYC slices. After that, it's time to visit the Hot Dog King to eat a Jumbo Hot Dog with all the fixings.
Opened in 1962, Sylvia's Restaurant is a Harlem landmark for serving soul food. Mark meets with Chef and owner Marcus Woods and tries their fried chicken, BBQ ribs, collard greens and deliciously creamy mac and cheese.
Next on the food journey is Chinatown where Mark goes to the extremely popular Mei Lai Wah to try their handmade pineapple buns. He then heads over to Grand Street Skewer Cart for tasty lamb and chicken grilled skewers.
A trip to this great city would not be complete without eating a hamburger. Minetta Tavern is a historical French bistro that’s known for this staple in the U.S. menu. Mark orders the Minetta Burger, a giant meatball shaped burger topped with cheese and caramelized onions, served with a mountain of fries on the side.
As the day winds out, halal carts are one of the greatest options for a late-night meal. Mark joins the line at Adel's Famous Halal Food and orders their family mix platter with red rice, lamb, chicken, deuced in a variety of insanely tasty sauces.
New York City is where the entire world converges, and there’s no better way to experience the diversity than through the food.
Chapters 📚
00:00 Welcome to New York City!
01:08 Bagels
03:42 Junior's Restaurant & Bakery
07:17 South Bronx
10:41 Katz's Delicatessen
12:49 Pizza and Hotdogs
16:23 Sylvia's Restaurant
19:14 Chinatown
21:25 Hamburger
23:48 Halal Carts
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New York City's Most Iconic Foods in 24 Hours | Epic Food Journeys with Mark Wiens | Nat Geo
https://youtu.be/CE6Y8tqhO4A
National Geographic
youtube.com/natgeo
Published Feb 17, 2026
