The essential food in NYC

You might have to wait an hour or two during weekend mornings to secure a spot inside, but the golden, warm and buttery flapjacks topped with wild Maine blueberries will make you lose sense of time. $15

The traditional wiener served at this 102-year-old Coney Island establishment, which now has hundreds of franchises around the world, is the edible equivalent of an arcade token: It is imbued with memories of childhood. This dog—topped with crunchy, piquant sauerkraut and onions and cushioned by spongy white bread—is best enjoyed at its original home, accompanied by the tinny music from boardwalk games and the roar of Luna Park. $4.50

Make all the “Lazy Sunday” jokes you want: This cupcake is legit. $3.75

Fire and ice join forces in this strange but iconic Delmonico’s dessert, in which meringue-encased ice cream is soaked in overproof rum and flambéed before serving. $13

If you count yourself among the lucky few who score a seat at this notoriously exclusive spot, do two things: snap a photo for proof and get the meatballs. $19

Have you ever been drunk? Have you ever stumbled through the East Village? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you know why Veselka’s Ukrainian dumplings made the list. Four for $7

There was a time when this city ate a lot of mutton (any sheep older than a lamb), and Keens is the kinda place time forgot. $60

Fact: This Brooklyn stalwart serves the most famous cheesecake in the world. $7.75

This nearly 100-year-old dim-sum parlor is not a place where you need a few more minutes to look at the menu. Walk in and ask for these babies before you sit down. Make your priorities known, because while you’re busy being shy and polite, bolder New Yorkers are eating your pork buns (which routinely run out). The char siu–roasted pig filling is mixed with caramelized onions and stuffed into flour-baked dough before the whole bun is given a final preservice steam. $4.95

Concocted in the early 1900s, these “cookies” are actually vanilla cakes with extra flour and frosting in two colors. As part of tasting menu $315.