If you haven't heard, we have some of the best cuisine in the world. Like, honestly, three New York City restaurants even made the 2015 World's Best Restaurants list.
Since we're the most culturally and linguistically diverse city in the United States, and since 8.3 million people live here, it makes sense that our food would be on point.
But now that it's summer, the food game in this city is all switched up.
In the winter, the best foods are hearty cups of soup and delicious plates of mac 'n cheese. In the summer, though, the best foods are now drastically different.
Wanna find out not only what foods are hot now that we're sweltering in summertime sadness (well, we're not really sad about it, but you know what we mean), but also where exactly to get them?
Well, read on.
1. Watermelons
trendypicture Delicious godness š#watermelon #tropic #fruit #delicious #beautiful #photography #healthy #sunny #followforfollow #likeforlike
Watermelon are delicious, refreshing, and perfect in every way. Well, besides the seeds-- but seeds are how we get new watermelon, so I guess they're cool.
Watermelon are 92% water. So they'll hydrate you and satisfy your tastebuds. This fantastic summer food does double duty. And they go great as a side or dessert for your summertime BBQ.
There are also plenty of excellent summertime watermelon cocktails throughout NYC.
So you can get refreshed and drunk, which has got to be the best combination anywhere since buffalo sauce and chicken were combined.
Where to get it: Num Pang's watermelon juice is to die for, as it is at Bouley Studio and Coppelia.
When it comes to watermelon cocktails, the watermelon soju at Pocha 32 is on point.
Or, you could just go to your local Trader Joe's or Gristedes and you know... buy a watermelon.
2. Oysters
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If you're dating someone who's allergic to shellfish, oysters are not the move.
If you are dating someone who isn't allergic to anything, oysters are totally the summertime move.
They're an aphrodisiac, inexpensive, and absurdly delicious. Spending a hot summer day slurping oysters is the best way to spend a hot summer day. The best part is you'll get satiated without getting overly full.
Where to get them: Mermaid Oyster Bar (79 MacDougal Street) is your move on this one.
With dollar oysters, samplings from both coasts, and even oyster shooter cocktails, no NYC restaurant is as severe in their commitment to oysters.
They even have an "Oysterpedia" app, designed to take the guesswork out of ordering oysters at Mermaid Oyster Bar.
3. Clams
Dunking clams in big bowls of butter while sitting beside the ocean is a quintessential summertime move.
Biting into completely butter drenched clams must be what Sublime meant when they said, "Summertime and the livin's easy."
Mix these clams around in some spaghetti to rock this game even harder.
Where to get them: ZZ's Clam Bar (169 Thompson Street) should top your list of go-to NYC clam spots.
It's pricey but worth it, and the cocktails are amazing.
Popping and dipping clam shells while downing aged rum has got to be the top summertime move possible in NYC.
4. Corn
Despite the fact that our bodies can't actually digest it, corn is among the most delicious vegetables in the world, and certainly a top pick for summertime cuisine.
It's bright yellow, perfect for outdoor barbeques, and a really happy food.
Where to get it: Tompkins Square Greenmarket (Avenue A and East 7th Street) is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, all their vegetables are grown locally, and their southern sweet Jersey white corn is a slam dunk. Boom!
5. BBQ
foodfireknives Rhapsody. Pulled pork, black pepper sausage, backyard chicken, spare ribs #ribs #spare #backyardbbq #bbq #bsbpc #bluesmokenyc #foodie #foodporn
Everyone knows that the hottest summertime activities are going to the pool, going to the beach, and having barbeques. (Not necessarily in that order.)
If you want everyone to have a good summertime day, skewer some vegetables and meat, and barbeque some kebabs.
Slap some burgers and hotdogs on the grill and invite your friends to come hang at your rooftop. They'll appreciate you. Plus, everyone knows that barbeque sauce is the most delectable of sauces.
Where to get it: Blue Smoke is the obvious response to this question, as it's so delicious and reasonably priced that it's basically become synonymous with BBQ in NYC.
It's the combination of Southern inspiration and culinary innovation, and their ribs will be among the best you've ever had.
,6. Caprese salads
The most delicious, refreshing summer salad in the entire solar system has got to be the caprese salad.
The dynamite blend of tomato, mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar is enough to make even the most extreme salad haters admit that salads aren't so bad.
The things we'd do to eat a Caprese salad every day are extreme, and we probably shouldn't talk about them.
Where to get it: The Caprese salad is especially top notch at the following places: Sole di Capri (165 Church Street), Peacock Alley (301 Park Avenue), and Coppola's East (378 3rd Avenue).
7. Shrimps
Dunking a shrimp into cocktail sauce and then chomping down on its tender, succulent body has got to be a pleasure unmet by any other in the summertime.
There's something primally satisfying about peeling off the shrimp's shell and chomping on its delicious interior.
Picture this, a large bowl of shrimp and an equally large bowl of cocktail sauce. Now picture yourself on an eighty degree July day eating these beside the Hudson River. Now you've pictured heaven.
Where to get it: Harlem's A Taste of Seafood (59 East 125th Street) is sorta kinda ruling the NYC shrimp game right now.
It's $12 for seven-piece shrimp and fish, and consuming their shrimp with linguini should be on your bucket list of things to do before you move, trust us.
8. Crabs
what_did_jp_eat #TheBoil #Soho #LowerEastSide ā¢ Seafood boil with shrimp, snow crab, sausage and potatoes in a spicy garlic butter sauce. Garlic bread on the side to sop up the sauce. šš¤š¤š¤ We've been craving it for months and finally went back.
Ever get bit by a crab? As revenge, you should ordered crab one night, if you ever do get bitten. It'll be satisfying.
Being on the top of the food chain is excellent, and crab is delicious.
Where to get it: The Boil (139 Chrystie Street) from snow crab legs to garlic lemon pepper crab cakes, your stomach and tastebuds will be happy with you when you leave here.
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Nothing says summer quite like lobster rolls.
This delicious, hotdog bun packed sandwich is ubiquitous with summer fun all across the East Coast. But contrary to popular belief, you do not need to go all the way to Maine to find a vendor who will bring the noise on lobster rolls.
This amazing cuisine is available in multitudes in NYC, and this king of summer foods could not be more delicious.
Where to get them: If you want a free boat ride on the Hudson River to go with your lobster roll, then you should definitely set aside a chunk of time to visit the North River Lobster Company.
If you're going for taste alone on this one, then we've got to shout out Luke's Lobster. At $16, their lobster roll will blow you out of the water. And yes, we mean that very literally.
Looking for a lil' dessert action? Check out 10 Best Summer Spots for Ice Cream in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy: Zagat]