The 10 Best New York City Foods On Goldbelly

When it comes to iconic New York City foods you can buy online, there's a lot to choose from, and some of it's pretty weird.

As a former city dweller, I'm vulnerable to some amount of nostalgia-grabbing. When I saw Gray's Papaya on Goldbelly, for example, I thought, "Aww, Gray's Papaya!" I imagined the feeling of popping into Gray's Papaya on a cold winter night and biting into a perfect, steaming hot dog. Then I remembered that if I spent the $99 to get Gray's Papaya from Goldbelly, I'd have to grill the hot dogs myself in my cold Vermont kitchen. Somehow, I don't think the wonders of a $2.95 hotdog would translate, especially not at that markup.

All of this to say: Not all food gifts are created equal, not all Goldbelly options are winners, and when you're sending someone a consumable gift, you want to go with something that provides a nice experience, not just a nice meal. That's what we present below: NYC foods that are easy to ship, easy to prepare, and great at stoking nostalgia for one of America's best food cities. Here are 10 great New York food gifts you can find on Goldbelly this holiday season.

L'Artusi is a 110-seat trattoria led by Chef Joe Vigorito. The Taste of L'Artusi Pasta Kit for 12 is a sampling of the restaurant's "most legendary" pastas: Tagliatelle Bolognese Bianco, Rigatoni with Mushroom Ragu, and Taglierini all'Amatriciana. Although some cooking and assembly are required, tossing pasta in sauce is no big deal, and what I really like about this kit is that you have some leeway with timing: The pasta and sauce will keep for two days in the fridge or two months in the freezer.

When I think of quintessential New York City food, Russ & Daughters is top of the list. Though there are a lot of Russ & Daughters options on Goldbelly, the brunch pack is a solid choice. It comes with Nova, cream cheese, hand-rolled bagels, chocolate babka, and coffee, and a Russ & Daughters mug.

Eli Zabar is a name uttered among my New York family members as though he is someone they know, which he is not—but his food is. This matzo ball soup, referred to in New York and in the Goldbelly listing as "Jewish penicillin" for its "healing and comforting qualities," travels well, and according to the listing, it'll last in the fridge for five days after delivery.

Part of the joy of food in New York City is that you stumble upon some of the best meals of your life without meaning to, and this listing for a choose your own soup and pierogi pack from Veselka is the perfect way to recreate that feeling in your own kitchen. You get to choose two soups from a menu of Ukrainian borscht, chicken noodle, matzoh ball, mushroom barley, or vegetarian borscht, along with a dozen pierogi (choices include meat, potato, cheese, arugula and goat cheese, or sauerkraut & mushroom). Veselka is a 24/7 diner that was opened by Ukrainian refugees Wolodymyr and Olha Darmochwal in 1954. The name of the restaurant means "rainbow."

What is a holiday gift guide without cookies? More importantly, what is a New York City experience without black and whites? This pack includes 12 of William Greenberg's famous black and white cookies, which according to the listing can be eaten in five to eight days or can be frozen for up to six months, making this the gift that could, theoretically, just keep on giving.

Even back in the dark ages, before Goldbelly existed, I was shipping knishes to loved ones who had moved away from New York. For a born-and-bred New Yorker, they're a taste of home, and for anyone else, they're a delicious snack food worth trying. Yonah Schimmel Knishes has been around since 1890, so it's safe to say these are made with a pretty classic recipe. This six pack allows you to choose individual flavors, which range from sweet to savory.

Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but the first time I was gifted an Omaha Steaks box for Christmas, I felt like I had arrived into adulthood. This beef and butter kit from Daniel Boulud Kitchen feels like the New York City equivalent of that, but a lot fancier. The steaks look amazing, but even more than that, the little medallions of butter offer a world of flavor unto themselves. Beef cuts here include a strip loin, beef tenderloin tournedos, and Denver cut—all Wagyu beef. Butters include red white shallot butter, smoked red pepper butter, and pesillade butter, which includes butter, shallots, garlic, salt, ground white pepper, parsley, and chives.

There's something about the holidays that inspires people to mail each other sausages, and if you're one of those people, this Bavarian Box from Schaller & Weber would be a good way to send a sausage gift that screams New York City. Schaller & Weber has been an NYC staple since 1937. This box includes 12 Weisswurst, a 16 oz jar of Schaller & Weber sauerkraut, and two "Imported Pretzel Packs," which include eight pretzels each.

There are a lot of rainbow cookie options out there, and some of them get a little wild. This 2-lb. box of rainbow cookies from Veniero's is as classic as you can get. Veniero's is located in New York's East Village and has been in business for 125 years. The box contains 40 cookies, which the listing says will serve 16-20 people... but I think it would be a fine gift to send to someone who isn't serving that many people so they can comfortably eat as many of these delights as they want.

You didn't think I was going to make it through an NYC gift guide without including bagels, did you? I've been to Pick A Bagel; it's as classic a New York bagel shop experience as you can get. You walk in, you're immediately in front of the counter, and someone's there, ready to ask you what you want (and let me emphasize that in any NYC bagel shop, you should really arrive knowing what you want). This listing is for a dozen bagels, and you get to choose your preferred combination of plain, everything, sesame, and poppy in sets of three. Simple!