Chef Boyardee
For a good chunk of the 20th century, Chef Ettore Boiardi was one of the most famous chefs in the world. His eponymous products are still sold around the world today, but Boiardi (aka Boyardee, which he thought would be easier for Americans to pronounce) made his start in New York City. The Plaza Hotel is where he received much of his training as he worked his way up to head chef.
Cincinnati Chili
Tom and John Kiradjieff were Macedonian immigrants who started out selling hot dogs in New York City. They would top them with a Tex-Mex chili before shifting into a version that reflected Greek/Macedonian influences. They moved to Cincinnati and the rest is midwestern culinary history. But it began in NYC.
Ex-Lax
A Hungarian immigrant with the unlikely name of Max Kiss founded Ex-Lax in 1906. The brand proved popular (he’d had the genius idea to flavor it with chocolate, which found a much more receptive public than castor oil). Kiss built a factory on Atlantic Avenue which is a landmark today, although it no long manufactures laxatives. It’s co-op apartments, and no longer houses grumpy test-animal monkeys on its roof.
Source: “Made In NYC,” by Ethan Wolff, March 2024, City Guide New York
Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann