The Top 10 NYC Dish Drops of 2022

On the never-ending quest for NYC chefs & restaurants to stand out, creativity and unpredictability are king.

That’s why dropping limited-dishin’ eats has become a major key to any successful restaurant’s strategy. We’ve been saying it for years now; “the dish drop is the new sneaker drop” and it’s safe to say 2022 was full of big drop energy.

Chefs broke the norm of their set menus, unleashed exciting collaborations, and generated value with rare items all year long.

We’ve gone through the 8it archive to count down the top 10 New York City dish drops of 2022. It’s kinda like the Sports Center Top 10 Plays, but way more delicious.

AND NOW…
THE COUNTDOWN YOUR NYE DESERVES 🍾🎉

10. PB & J Doughnut by Wildair

LES restaurant Wildair, from the same team behind Michelin-starred Contra, drops a doughnut every Saturday. Any doughnut engineered with that kind of quality is exciting, but this one from June 18, filled with Peanut butter pastry cream, concord grape, and banana stood out. Innovation and nostalgia in a doughnut. We wish our moms had this recipe to step up our elementary school lunches.

9. 1904 Sandwich by Katz’s x Alidoro x MTA

For most, a slap to the face on stage at the Oscar’s was the most surprising thing that happened in 2022. But for New Yorkers, it was the MTA dropping a sandwich. They teamed up with Katz’s Deli and Alidoro for this sourdough rye sub with pastrami, garlic confit cream, Calabrian pepper-Dijon slaw, and provolone to commemorate the opening of New York’s first subway line in 1904.

8. The Streetbird by Marcus Samuelsson x Emmy Squared

Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson whom you will recognize from TV shows Top Chef, No Passport Required, and his successful New York City restaurant ventures including Aquavit and Red Rooster, teamed up with Emmy Squared Pizza in June and July for this one of a kind pizza called The Streetbird. True to its name and storefront, it was a square-shaped pie topped with crispy chicken, housemade red sauce, julienned collard greens, calabrian chili, pecorino cheese, and Streetbird Honey. Samuelsson imparted two of Red Rooster’s signature dishes into this creation; the crispy chicken adjacent to his famous Yardbird, and collard greens; a staple of any table at the restaurant.

7. Batter-fried Fish Sandwich & Sticky Toffee Cruller by Dame x Daily Provisions

📸: @dailyprovisions

Famous for their fish and chips, Dame is one of The Toughest Reservations in NYC Right Now according to The Infatuation. But for one day in early November, eating their beer-battered fish didn’t require waiting in line for an hour just to put your name in or buying an NFT. They teamed up with Daily Provisions and set up shop to sling sandwiches of said fish on Portuguese poppy seed buns with tartar sauce cabbage slaw, wake-up sauce, and pickles. As NYC’s resident cruller connoisseurs, Daily Provisions saw an opportunity to sweeten the deal by throwing in a Sticky Toffee Pudding Cruller inspired by the popular dessert at Dame.

6. Cheesesteaks by Mama’s Too!

Every Wednesday, pizza joint Mama’s Too! drops a seductive sandwich that makes us want to leave work and and do whatever it takes to get to the Upper West Side. Their chicken cutlet with bruschetta, slow roasted pork, and buffalo fried chicken sandwiches all sent us running to the subways, but their cheesesteak was the sandwich New Yorkers couldn’t get enough of this year, reinforcing the notion that simple is always best. Considering the amount of times this sandwich landed on our Instagram feeds with the caption “Back by popular demand…” maybe that should just be its name. Rich cheese sauce and crispy fried shallots adorn this take on a classic.

5. Chicken Vodka Sandwich by L’Industrie

Another one of NYC’s very best pizza joints, L’Industrie, does a Wednesday sandwich drop as well. Good thing them and Mama’s Too! are in different boroughs, or else we’d be hearing a lot about disappearing pizzaiolos. Thankfully, the two coexist peacefully so we can enjoy both, including this Chicken Vodka Sandwich that’s as New York Italian as it gets. A generous layer of bright, creamy vodka sauce envelops chicken cutlets and burrata, sprinkled with basil in classic L’Industrie style.

4. Dark ‘n Stormy® Crème Brûlée Doughnut by The Doughnut Project

This doughnut won us over with authentic innovation. The Doughnut Project teamed up with Gosling’s Rum to turn its famous cocktail into a doughnut. A ginger, lime, and rum curd filling tasted exactly like the cocktail, even contributing the same kind of tingle in the back of the throat. A caramelized rum brûlée top provided a satisfying, sugary crackle to every bite.

3. Choco Taco by Comfortland

In July, Klondike broke the tragic news that they were discontinuing the Choco Taco, but in the face of calamity, Comfortland came to the rescue. Plus, they made it look even flyer than the original with a zig-zag chocolate drizzle and a sprinkle dip. This heroic act restored justice in the frozen dessert world. Comfortland has brought it back a couple times since then and we hope it makes a return in 2023.

2. Seafood Rolls by Essex Pearl

This past summer, across from Essex Pearl’s restaurant seating in The Market Line below Essex Market, an unassuming stand opened up. Little did we know it would change the seafood roll game forever. Here in the northeast, we’re privy to the Maine vs. Connecticut lobster roll debate; you’re either team served cold with mayonnaise or team served warm with butter. But what if warm butter was poured over a mayo-based lobster salad? Any New Englander would tell you that’s impossible, but Essex Pearl is out here charting new territory. Toppings like herb chimichurri, coconut red curry, and pickled green papaya push the envelope even further. This gamble paid off, and Essex Pearl’s seafood counter is the place to get a lobster roll in NYC right now. Tap the lobster below to find out when to get ‘em.

1. The Iris by Settepani

In honor of Settepani’s 30th Anniversary, they introduced us all to Sicily’s underdog of pastries, the Iris. Originally invented in 1901 by pastry chef Antonio Lo Verso, who named the fried dessert after Pietro Mascagni’s opera in Palermo, it just might be the first Dish Drop of all time. When we talked to SuperNino, the Sicilian Bakery God, about recreating this treat for the NYC 8it Fam and he was a little hesitant about the American audience not understanding what made this treat so special. But at the end of the day, it’s a deep-fried cannoli-filled bombolone, so who’s not gonna love that? It was love at first bite with everyone who tried it and you just might find the Iris on a secret menu at Settepani in 2023…

2022 was filled with delicious limited-dishin’ eats and we don’t see that changing in 2023. If you’re feeling fomo from this top 10 list, don’t worry. For all the inside deets on every dish drop in NYC check out the Pop-Ups & Drops category in the 8it app. We’re tracking them all in real-time everyday, so you don’t have to.

We can’t wait to see what kinda heat our favorite Chefs & restaurants bring in the year to come!

Private Beta password: NYCDROP