New York City is the haven that food-lovers all over the world dream about visiting. It’s home to some of the best food in the world as well as the most innovative. Here are some of the coolest (and most disgusting) food mash-ups in NYC.
14. Cereal in a Shoe Box
Photo courtesy of @nycfoodinsta on Instagram
Ever thought of eating cereal out of a shoe box? Neither have we. But KITH Treats in Brooklyn realized that the shoe box was the new cereal bowl and began sanitizing them. Now you can go sneaker shopping and then eat cereal right out of the box your shoes were just packaged in like the good, risk-taking New Yorker you’ve always dreamed of becoming.
13. Rice Pudding in a Brioche Bun
Photo courtesy of @thesweetlifeoflina on Instagram
Remember when your middle school cafeteria served rice pudding for lunch, and you frantically took ten steps backward to avoid making eye contact with it? Get over those fears, people, because Rice Cream Shoppe has decided that rice pudding is cool. Then they decided to scoop it into a bun, because it wasn’t already weird enough. Does this food combo look cool? Kind of. Does it distract from the actual taste of rice pudding? Well, we certainly hope so.
12. Sushi Burrito
Photo courtesy of @nycfoodinsta on Instagram
Remember when Chipotle hosted an e. Coli outbreak earlier this year? Uma Temakeria‘s Chef Chris Jaeckle must be pretty clairvoyant, because he managed to whip up the sushi burrito just in time to help Chipotle addicts get their hourly burrito-fix. Wrapped in seaweed and stuffed with other typical sushi ingredients, this hand-size fish burrito is the perfect substitute for Chipotle when you don’t feel like consuming your daily caloric intake in one sitting.
11. Waffle Burger
Photo courtesy of @cy_eats on Instagram
It’s 7:38 pm and you’re craving breakfast. Unfortunately, eating breakfast for dinner isn’t yet socially acceptable. The Ainsworth has come up with a seemingly foolproof substitution: the waffle burger. Eat this for breakfast, because waffle. Eat it for lunch and dinner, because burger. Just make sure you have a bathroom in close proximity, because if this doesn’t make you sick to your stomach, we don’t know what will. Please, if you respect the laws of food (and you have morals), don’t order this.
10. Cotton Candy on Bubble Tea
Photo courtesy of @vivi.les and @onceuponafind on Instagram
Who doesn’t love bubble tea? Losers! Who doesn’t love cotton candy? Also losers! That’s why this bubble tea float from ViVi Bubble Tea LES is so, so perfect. Step one: take 100 pictures with your cool bubble tea. Step two: pour weird liquid on top of the cotton candy. Then mix in the toppings and chug like the sugar-lover you really thought you were. Remember: this bubble tea is delicious and sooo worth it, as long as you don’t mind sitting in the restaurant for a full hour after consuming because you’re too full to move.
9. Gelato in a Warm Panino
Photo courtesy of @morgan.raum on Instagram
If you go to M’o Il Gelato, you will be greeted by extremely friendly servers who will crack jokes with you and quickly make you trust them. Then they will encourage you to try their warm gelato panino. I know what you’re thinking. Cold gelato in a warm panino? That’s ludicrous. Won’t the gelato melt? Won’t the panino taste weird if there’s gelato inside of it? Dig up those seeds of doubt RIGHT NOW because this food combo is the most delicious one on our list. Try it. We dare you.
8. Mac ‘n Cheese on a Burger
Photo courtesy of @brianmazza on Instagram
The Ainsworth has some serious splainin’ to do. First they replaced hamburger buns with waffle slabs. Now they’ve put mac ‘n cheese on a hamburger? If you love both of these foods and want to kill two birds with one stone, this dish is for you! If you also want to get diabetes in one fell swoop, this dish is definitely for you. We’ll only say one thing: do it for the Insta.
7. Spaghetti in a To-Go Cone
Photo courtesy of @tashween and @spaghettiincidentnyc on Instagram
We have just one question: when did the taste of pasta become so commonplace that the idea of people actually sitting down and enjoying a nice spaghetti and meatball became obsolete? Should we just be happy with the fact that people can now grab a spaghetti cone from Spaghetti Incident and eat pasta on the way to their hot yoga class? Their therapist? Their local gym? Yeah, ok fine. It is a cool idea.
6. An Entire Slice of Cake on a Milkshake
Photo courtesy of @blacktapnyc on Instagram
We don’t know who the wise guy was that decided to put an entire slice of cake on a milkshake, but Black Tap‘s multiple-hour long lines and milkshake bouncer have NYC up in arms. And what’s the deal with the no-reservations policy? If you’re perfectly okay wasting precious hours in line for this diabetes-in-a-cup, we won’t stop you. It tastes awesome, and you can share it with like six dozen friends probably. We just wish this milkshake could bring all the boys to the [front of the line] a little faster.
4. People’s Pops in Prosecco
Photo courtesy of @morgan.raum on Instagram
The Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar creators must have graduated from, like, the best business school in the world, because they somehow came up with the idea of a “Prosecco & Ice Pop Cocktail” AKA popsicle in a glass of Prosecco. The popsicle melts into the a l c o h o l because chemistry, and then the Prosecco becomes fruity. It’s genius. Please drink this. Plus, the view is beautiful.
4. Raindrop Cake
Photo courtesy of @tooomuchfoood on Instagram
The only reason you should travel all the way to the middle of Brooklyn for the sole purpose of consuming this Raindrop Cake is if you plan on Instagramming it to look trendy. This “cake” is made of translucent mineral water and SEAWEED GELATIN… the horror. It’s calorie-free and tastes like nothing at all, so they’re forced to serve it with roasted soybean flour and sugary syrup. The flour makes you gag, so the syrup is the consolation prize. This blob may look cool, but trust us: it’s blasphemous, and like, $8.
3. Churro Cone Ice-Cream
Photo courtesy of @feedyourgirlfriend on Instagram
Churros and ice cream? What’s next, people marrying their dogs? Haha. Kidding. But we all knew that the gelato in a warm panino was just a gateway food to this concoction. Go to ChikaLicious prepared to get your hands dirty. Who even uses napkins anymore? Our recommendation: don’t be afraid to try this ice cream + churro cone. It looks seriously delicious, and consuming seventeen times your % daily value of sugar is always a nice way start to the day.
2. Ramen Burger
Photo courtesy of @morgan.raum on Instagram
If you haven’t been to Smorgasburg and tried the ramen burger yet, why? Considering this article has outlined multiple ways The Ainsworth has practically destroyed the sanctity of The Hamburger, we understand. Fear no more, the ramen burger trumps every combo out there. The noodles are firm, yet soft and surprisingly flavorful. The burger has a delicious sauce spread on top, and you can even add cheese in time to make your Kosher parents faint on Passover.
1. Little Pizza Slices on a Big Pizza
Photo Courtesy of @bitchesbeglutenfree and @vinniesbrooklyn on Instagram
The countdown has finally ended. It has all come down to Vinnie’s Pizzeria: LITTLE PIZZAS ON A BIG PIZZA. Yes. This exists. You don’t even have to buy four slices and feel bad about yourself after consuming them anymore. It’s literally pizza inception. Leonardo would be proud. How was this idea born, you may ask? Well, when a mommy pizza and a daddy pizza love each other very much…