Twentysomething and the City: One Hit Wonders: Specialty Food Shops of NYC

Big Apple Bites

After salivating over the Specialty Sweet Shops a few weeks ago, I figured it was only fair to highlight some specialty savory shops as well. Only in New York City can you find food shops and restaurants that exclusively sell everything from mac n' cheese to meatballs. Today I am highlighting a few restaurants and hole-in-the-walls that are known for their one hit wonders...

1) Melt Shop: Grilled Cheese
Melt Shop claims they make the best grilled cheese on the planet...so I obviously had to try it. This perfect grilled cheese sandwich really hit the spot. The extensive menu features everything from "The Classic" to the "24 Hour Pulled Pork Pecan and Oak Smoked Grilled Cheese" and "The Sweetness" made with brie cheese, caramelized onions, and homemade cranberry jam.

601 Lexington Ave & 55 West 26th Street

This was my menu pick: "The Shroom" with havarti and goat cheese, roasted wild mushrooms, and homemade pesto

The Dirty Pepper Jack and Muenster

The Smokehouse Turkey Club

2) Pommes Frites: Authentic Belgian Fries

Delicious, golden, perfect french fries in a paper cone...simple as that. What's the catch? There are 26 tasty and exotic sauces to dip your perfect fries in. Pommes Frites serves authentic Belgian fries made from fresh cut potatoes twice-fried to golden perfection then topped with your favorite sauce...sign me up. Check out these sauces:

123 2nd Ave

3) The Meatball Shop

There are lots of ways you can eat a meatball...and The Meatball Shop covers them all from "Naked Balls" to Meatballs Sliders and Meatball Sandwiches and Heroes. Even better? The menu is completely customizable. The balls include: classic beef, spicy pork, chicken, vegetable, and the special. The sauces include: classic tomato, spicy meat sauce, mushroom gravy, parm. cream, and pesto...and they're ALL DELICIOUS.

Locations: 200 Ninth, 84 Stanton, 170 Bedford, and 64 Greenwich

4) S'MAC: Macaroni & Cheese

S'MAC is the ideal comfort food joint. Short for Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese, S'MAC serves the most decadent and rich dishes (in cute cast iron skillets) that satiate your comfort-food-cravings in under three bites. Yes, you can build your own mac n' cheese, although "Sarita's Recommendations" are your best bet...