The Hero
This food seems like such a part of the city fabric it’s kind of amazing that before 1937 it didn’t carry this name. The item is an Italian-American standby, and its moniker originated with Manganaro’s in Hell’s Kitchen. That Grosseria Italiana opened in 1893 and lasted all the way to 2012. As the website W42ST explains, the large portioned sandwiches inspired New York Herald Tribune food writer Clementine to quip “You had to be a hero to finish one.”
The Playground
Jacob August Riis, Waiting to be Let into Playground, ca. 1900, Museum of the City of New York
For centuries, New York City parents have sought ways to get their kids fresh air without immersing them in the hazards of urban living. On October 17, 1903, Manhattan rolled out a new innovation for the problem: the municipal playground. The nation’s first took over a sizable plot on the Lower East Side at Seward Park. It was a smash success and went on to spawn hundreds of thousands of versions, changing parenthood forever.
Lobster Newberg
Although the origins are a little hazy, Manhattan takes credit for Lobster Newberg. This rich combination of lobster, butter, cream, cognac, sherry, eggs, and cayenne pepper started out at Delmonico’s as the inspiration of sea captain Ben Wenberg. After a fight with Charles Delmonico, the name was changed to Newberg (an anagram for Wenberg). The dish was an instant hit and is still classing up dining tables a century and a half later.
Source: “Made In NYC,” by Ethan Wolff, March 2024, City Guide New York
Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann