NYC is the food empire of the East Coast and is notorious for its abundance of diverse cultural foods that are super fun to discover and share amongst family and friends. However, when visiting NYC, you are sure to receive the “tourist look” from locals when ordering food at a restaurant or a café. Here are five everyday NYC food phrases you can use to show your friends and family that you’ve done your homework during your next visit.
1. Baconeggandcheese.
This phrase is the ultimate food slang that will give you access to the food haven of NYC culture. Yes, it is one word and yes, you have to say it really fast. No hesitation. Just do it. When you walk into a bodega or corner store, confidently walk over to the grill section and say, “Can I get a baconeggandcheese?” In NYC, everything is in fast forward, so be sure to move out of the way to let the next customer order their meal.
Spoon Tip#: Pair your baconeggandcheese with a bottle of Arizona Iced Tea.
2. Bagel with cream cheese.
Like baconeggandcheese, an advantage of this delicacy is that it is another standard order New Yorkers eat on their busy commute. It can be eaten any time of the day, which is great because you may not always have $3.50 to order a chopped cheese (see number 4). This classy sandwich is only $2.50 at your local bodega! Yes, less than a MTA swipe.
Bonus if you pair it with your fav flavor of Arizona Iced Tea.
3. ‘Dumb,’ ‘Crack,’ and ‘Deadass.’
This is not an insult. If anything, it is everything, but an insult. New Yorkers use ‘dumb’ to highlight how good the food actually is. For example, “This baconeggandcheese I just picked up is dumb good with this iced tea.” Using the word, ‘crack,’ is similar to ‘dumb,’ but it is used on a more exaggerated level, such as “This chopped cheese crack.” New Yorkers typically use this phrase when they haven’t eaten in a while and just received their go-to meal. If you’re looking for the middle-ground between ‘dumb’ and ‘crack,’ ‘deadass’ is the word you’re looking for. The food that they are eating is better than a mediocre ‘dumb’ good, but isn’t up the level of ‘crack’ good. Knowing these phrases are crucial because it can help you determine what foods you should spend your coin on to get the satisfactory local NYC food experience.
4. Chopped Cheese.
The famous chopped cheese (also called chop cheese). Like a pair of ripped jeans, chopped cheese can be dressed up or dressed down for any occasion. Starting in the Bronx and Harlem, chopped cheese gained widespread popularity in all NYC neighborhoods because of its well paired flavors. It is a sandwich with ground beef, onions, and melted cheddar cheese on a roll, which you can add condiments to such as shredded lettuce and/or tomatoes to balance out the richness of the primary ingredients.
Spoon Tip#: Wash down this mix of pure goodness with a bottle of Arizona Iced Tea.
5. Lemme get a slice.
If you visit NYC and do not eat at least three slices during your whole stay, did you really visit NYC? You can go to a fancy Italian restaurant in Manhattan if you want to get good pizza, but what’s even better is hitting up a dolla pizza shop. A dolla slice is what makes eating pizza in NYC memorable. Nothing is better after a day worth of shopping, going to school or working than saying, “Lemme get a slice” at the pizza shop. You are always guaranteed to get a hot slice of thin crusted ‘za in a matter of seconds when you walk in. And even better, there are tons of dolla’ pizza shops in NYC, so they are never packed.
I believe these five tips will benefit you on your next NYC visit or help you fit in if you recently moved to the area. Remember, baconeggandcheese is one word and if you’re ever in doubt, pair your meals with a cold bottle of Arizona Iced Tea. Soon enough, tourists will start to question you on what’s inside your chop cheese.