In New York City, just a few subway stops can transport you to different worlds—from the electric pulse of Midtown Manhattan to quieter corners of the boroughs where cultures converge. Our Founded By NYC film series, “From Times Square to the World,” explores how the City has shaped and been shaped by the people and stories that make New York “New York”—and how easy all of them are to access right from Times Square. Along the way, we celebrate the vibrant past and ever-evolving present that make New York a city that’s always making history.
Food is never just food in the City. It is memory, storytelling and invention served on a plate. Whether you’re biting into a bagel perfected over generations or dining in a restaurant that helped invent American classics, each stop on this itinerary reveals how food has helped define the City’s identity. This is a journey through the dishes and the kitchens that redefine what that means every day.
Cafecito con leche at Margon
Feel Like a Regular at Margon
Start your morning on West 46th Street at Margon, a family-run Latin hole-in-the-wall that's been feeding locals and Broadway stagehands since the 1970s. Before Times Square became what it is today, the neighborhood was home to a patchwork of immigrant-run shops and diners like this one. Through decades of change beyond its walls, Margon has stayed true to its roots—its first owners were three Cuban cousins, and when husband-and-wife owners Lupe and Rafael Rivas from the Dominican Republic took over, they maintained its neighborhood diner charm and true Latin flavors.
Lupe Rivas serves up rice at Margon
Chat with Rafael, known by regulars as “Papa Bear,” about the neighborhood’s transformation over the decades while watching the chefs grill up a classic Dominican breakfast. Sip a rich cafecito con leche or try their mangú con los tres golpes (mashed plantains with salami, fried cheese and a fried egg) as the neighborhood wakes up.
From there, hop on the W train at 42nd Street–Times Square station and travel one stop downtown to 34th Street–Herald Square. Fun fact: the Times Square station is one of the busiest in the world, serving over 60 million riders annually and sitting at the center of NYC’s original IRT line from 1904.
Everything bagels come out of the oven at Utopia Bagels
Taste an Authentic New York Bagel at Utopia Bagels
At Utopia Bagels, heritage is baked into every bite. Founded in 1981 in Whitestone, Queens, Utopia Bagels is still a family affair—father and son Jesse and Scott Spellman bring its revered recipe and vintage carousel oven to Midtown Manhattan. Here, the bagels are hand-rolled, kettle-boiled and baked on burlap-covered boards, staying true to the traditional methods brought to New York City by Eastern European Jewish immigrants generations ago. While you enjoy your bagel, you can watch bakers move through the time-honored process in full view—it’s a show almost as good as the bagel itself.
Order a classic bagel with cream cheese or a bacon, egg and cheese—the unofficial breakfast of New York. It's a delicious reminder of the City’s Jewish appetizing roots, which helped popularize bagels across America.
Next, catch the W and head all the way downtown to Whitehall Street, near the tip of Manhattan—an area that has a long and consequential legacy in the story of New York City.
The potato-wrapped crab cake at Delmonico's
Dine in History at Delmonico’s
Just steps from Wall Street sits Delmonico’s, a restaurant that stakes as much a claim to the way people dine out as any in the country. Opened in the 1830s, it was the first fine-dining restaurant in the United States and a favorite of well-known figures like Mark Twain and J.P. Morgan. The original Delmonico brothers helped pioneer à la carte menus and farm-to-table sourcing long before they became mainstays of today’s food culture. It was here that dishes like Eggs Benedict and Baked Alaska were born, and where the now-iconic Delmonico steak, a boneless chuck-eye cut, was first named and popularized in the 19th century.
Diners at Delmonico's. Courtesy, Tucci Family Archives
The building, with its stately columns and Beaux-Arts details, exudes old-school elegance. Settle into a leather booth and take in over 180 years of history, displayed on walls lined with signatures, photographs and memorabilia from the icons who’ve dined here—names like Elvis Presley, Denzel Washington and many more.
Delmonico’s doesn’t just serve history—it helped write it. On April 20, 1868, Delmonico's made history by hosting the first-ever Ladies' Luncheon—it was the first restaurant in the United States to allow women to dine publicly without male accompaniment. And in 1992, when NYC Tourism created NYC Restaurant Week—a now-global concept—Delmonico’s was among the first to sign on. It’s one more way this restaurant continues to shape the way we dine, bringing fine cuisine to a broader table.
After lunch, take the R or W train back uptown to 8th Street–NYU station and stroll a few blocks east to Great Jones Street for happy hour.
Whiskey tasting at Great Jones Distilling Co.
Raise a Glass at Great Jones Distilling Co.
As Manhattan’s first legal whiskey distillery in over a century since Prohibition began in 1920, the Great Jones Distilling Co. offers a rare glimpse into NYC’s spirits scene. Set inside a beautifully restored building in Noho, the distillery offers tours and tastings of their small-batch whiskey—crafted from 100 percent New York State grain. Learn about NYC’s lesser-known past as a pre-Prohibition whiskey hub and explore how local distilling is making a thrilling comeback. It is one of the few places where you can have a Manhattan cocktail made with Manhattan whiskey in Manhattan.
Copper pot still at Great Jones Distilling Co.
At the heart of this distillery is a creative spirit led by head distiller Celina Perez, whose imaginative approach to whiskey-making is redefining what whiskey can be. Her latest creation, Distiller’s Drop, blends a bourbon finished in mezcal barrels, another bourbon aged in moscatel wine casks and a wheat whiskey—resulting in a one-of-a-kind, limited-edition spirit that captures the City’s taste for the unconventional.
When dinner calls, head to Brooklyn. Board the 6 train at nearby Bleecker Street and head uptown; transfer to the L train at Union Square toward Brooklyn. Exit at Montrose Avenue.
Win Son
Celebrate Taiwanese American Flavors at Win Son
End your day in East Williamsburg at Win Son, where Taiwanese traditional dishes meet the inventive spirit of NYC. Founded by friends Josh Ku and chef Trigg Brown, the restaurant strikes a thoughtful balance between honoring heritage and pushing boundaries. Their “nutritious sandwich”—a layered bite of shrimp cake, crispy mortadella and pickled pineapple—offers a clever, flavor-packed spin. Meanwhile, dishes like wu yu zi mian (noodles with cured mullet roe) spotlight ingredients that rarely get center stage in American kitchens.
Scallion pancakes and other dishes at Win Son Bakery
Across the street, Win Son Bakery leans fully into fusion flavors. Here, Taiwanese snacks and baked goods get reimagined with a distinctly New York twist—like the sanbeiji (three cup chicken) chop’d cheese, a fresh take on the beloved New York chopped cheese often found in bodegas, or laminated bolo bao (pineapple bun), made with buttery layers using a French pastry technique.
The restaurant’s bar menu extends the innovative ethos, offering nightcaps using five spice vodka and chili-infused scotch that mirror Win Son’s bold vision. In a city built on constant evolution, Win Son stands out for how effortlessly it blends reverence with reinvention.
For more itineraries and to see the rest of the series, visit our From Times Square to the World hub.
