Brooklyn and NYC Food Tour

Owing to its status of being arguably the center of the modern world, New York has become a true melting pot for cuisine; showcasing Michelin-star gastronomical masterpieces, world-famous restaurants, food trucks, and holes-in-the-wall from almost every culture on earth across its five boroughs.

At the time of this trip (back in good ol' 2016), we had the opportunity to go on the Best of Brooklyn Food and Culture Tour, one of Tripadvisor's most highly-rated activities in NYC.

* And apart from the fantastic dishes that we got to enjoy that day, we got a solid sightseeing tour of Brooklyn, NYC's most populous borough.

A note from the writer: this is a pre-pandemic tale.

* Our meeting point for that day's excursion started at the Cornelia Street Cafe in NYC's Greenwhich Village. Sadly, the cafe closed own at the end of 2018.

* Once voted as one of the best places to listen to jazz music in the world, Cornelia Street Cafe had also been a popular stage for musicians, poets, writers, artists, and stand-up comics (see photo above) to ply their trade; where plenty of huge stars went to network with peers and build their careers.

* Across the street also once stood Po, a world-famous Italian restaurant founded by Mario Batali. These two establishments unfortunately closed down due to the continuing increase in rental property prices in NYC.

* Such is the demand for real estate in New York, that rent can go up by as much as 120% in a single year.

* The first stop on our tour was at the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Russ and Daughters Appetizers, a New York culinary icon founded in 1914 by Jewish immigrants and famous for its smoked fish, caviar, and bagels. On that day, we tried the Jewish pastry known as the Rugelach.

* Crossing the Williamsburg Bridge from Manhattan into Brooklyn, we then arrived at the famous Williamsburg neighborhood, home to a bustling hipster scene, dynamic art community, and rows of trendy shops, boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and night spots. 

* The day's heaviest meal was enjoyed at the Krolewskie Jadlo, a Polish restaurant famous for its kielbasa sausage, pierogies (dumplings), and apple crepe.

* This grand knight of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth approves! Unlike the ultra-expensive and tourist infested Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens are boroughs full of ethnic enclaves, where immigrants from different cultures congregated to form their own "towns" like Little Manila, Koreatown, Little Odessa, etc. In fact, if you want to sample a culture's cuisine, just head to that culture's enclave and check-out the restaurants or even the grocery featuring goods from that culture's mother country.

* For great views of Manhattan, Sunset Park is a quiet and less populated option. The greenery is also perfect for a Cuban sandwich which we enjoyed under the sun and fresh air.

* No trip to New York is complete without a sampling of its famous pizza! That day we checked out the then up-and-coming Table 87, which made it big several years later by offering its frozen pizza on the hit show Shark Tank.

* This amazingly aesthetic looking vegetarian pizza isn't my usual cup of tea, but I'll take it!

* Not sure if it's a genuine Banksy but we were moved nonetheless.

* Continuing on our food adventure, we then headed to the Carroll Gardens, known for its brownstone housing design and Italian-American heritage. The fried creamy cannoli at the F. Monteleone Bakery was another fantastic addition to our stomachs. 

* Heading to our last stop, we walked along Brooklyn Bridge Park which offers impressive views of New York's skyline and is a good spot for people watching.

* Our last stop on the tour was at Jacques Torres Chocolate in Dumbo (short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).

* Famous for being the best gourmet chocolate in New York, Jacques Torres was the perfect ending to the day's gastro-feast with their spectacular chocolate truffles.

* Once a ferry landing full of industrial and warehouse buildings, Dumbo, over the last 20 years, appreciated to become Brooklyn's most expensive neighborhood; full of industrial buildings turned luxury residential lofts, art galleries, and tech start-ups. Several movies featuring New York as its setting have also been filmed here.

* We couldn't leave New York without making the pilgrimage to Peter Luger, one of the world's (or quite possibly THE world's) most famous steakhouse.

* Also located at Williamsburg, Peter Luger is well worth the visit. Make sure to come with an empty stomach and a heavy wallet! Check out their prices back in 2016.

* Magnificent!

* The ambiance and decor reminded me of the beer houses in Munich and Eastern Europe.

* After all this food, a walk cross the 6000 foot Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan sounds like an excellent idea!