Finding The Best Bodega Sandwich In New York | Food Tours | Insider Food
"Food Wars" hosts Harry Kersh and Joe Avella travel across NYC to find the best Bodega sandwich in the city. They'll be visiting four different locations in just one day to see what the city has to offer. This is "Food Tours."
00:00 - Mama Jo's Breakfast Cart
03:55 - Blue Sky Deli (Hajji's)
08:03 - Bodega Truck
12:34 - The Ocky Way
21:24 - Credits
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#Bodega #sandwich #InsiderFood
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Finding The Best Bodega Sandwich In New York | Food Tours | Food Insider
As a Brit, the amount of choice you get in America is WILD.
It helps when your population are mostly comprised of immigrants (that's why I also laugh when North Americans of European descent say they have better food, but when you think about what food they can lay claim to... I mean, cheese in a can? Twinkies? Can't think of much else 😂)
As an American living in the UK the lack of choice here is depressing 😂
@@BSMAG87 Needless hating lmao
@@jacobhare3093seriously lol
@@BSMAG87you’re right. It’s not like we have amazing regional barbecue, Cajun and Creale food, some of the best seafood in the world(Alaska and our east/west coasts), etc…
I like how much Joe wants Harry to like everything he feeds him. Im the same way with my friends.
Ha me too especially as a Londoner who is now a 10 year nyer whenever people visit I want them to think everything is the best thing they every ate 😂
it's almost aggressive. exactly how i am when sharing food experiences with my friends
That really turns me off of a presenter, it’s like he’s forcing the guest to agree with him or be rude. Let the guest give his opinion, you give your opinion.
Mama jo!! She's the best. She would always start my day off right. She is so sweet and makes great food for a ridiculously cheap price in the area. When i was there she would do a breakfast sandwich. small coffee and a banana for $5. Out of this world. She's a staple of this city. Simply the best.
It's def a thing in many bodegas that they will use anything from the store as part of your sandwich. My wife likes croissant egg and cheese, and I just go grab a pre-packaged croissant, I asked for fresh jalapenos, and the deli guy just had me grab a jalapeño from the veg area to put on. The ockee stuff is really just taking that concept to the extreme.
I've always associated bodegas with arroz con pollo; you can get a HUGE portion for only $5, and it tastes soooooo good.
That’s a new thing
but that has only been around post quarantine? @@nahor88
I’d like to do a bacon egg & cheese between 2 Ho-Hos 😂
@@PeepGamePopoffno it’s really not…. It’s kinda the whole point of a corner store.
Going into a bodega at 2am absolutely sloshed and getting a chopped cheese has saved my life many times.
After 22 years of waiting, I’m finally going to New York City in April. I’m so happy and I can’t stop watching these videos 🩵❤️
If you need to stop on the sidewalk to check your phone or something, move to the side. Watch out for pissing hobos in and around subway stations. Don't wait until the pedestrian light shows up to cross the street. All subways are the same price, all busses are the same price, and the ferry is free.
whats the plan what spots you gonna hit
Don't block the sidewalk to take a picture!
@@seanmeinecke509 I do that here in Amsterdam all the time!! (Moving to the side) thanks for the tips!!!
@@MrNathancast never never. Here in Amsterdam you’d get yelled at hahah
LMAO Joe and Harry def must of been stoned AF towards the end when they ordered the ocky way sandwich 😂😂😂 that whole convo they had waiting for the sandwich was a trip
Meat and cheese sweats lol
The Chopped Cheese is essentially the New York version of a cheesesteak But whereas the Philly Cheesesteak gets top billing in Philly, New York’s version is overshadowed by other offerings
It's just chopped up ground beef. I believe that both chop cheese and cheese steaks are overrated simple made sandwiches. In Chicago there's Italian Beef sandwich that the restaurants actually prepare the beef with different seasonings and roast the beef slow for hours.
did u watch the episode?
@@disguiseddv8ant486 yeah well like you said they are simple sandwiches' they used to be cheap as dirt thats why they rose to popularity.
@@disguiseddv8ant486this is the correct take but tbh that’s most American cuisine. Super simple and comfort
@@disguiseddv8ant486 Pardon us Mr. Rockefeller if the working class people here in NYC and Philly are not eating lobster and filet mignon sandwiches everyday like you are. Yes, they are simple but they are also affordable. That’s what makes them special.
We need another season of this show where they go back to England and the other nations in the UK.
Ew no lol
Agreed, I need that, going to London in January. A special episode on high/afternoon tea perhaps?
@@ordenmanvrn7685I’d like a food wars comparing Indian food in London vs NYC
@@loopytwxlsjr Why? NYC isn't known for its Indian food. What about Indian food in London versus in India?
I’d love to see episodes where the two of them visit cities in mainland Europe and have locals in each city show them different food places
The thing I love about General Ock's bodega is that my NYC friends HATE HIM just because it doesnt represent nyc. They think that only tourists/jersey people would come to new york just for that. when in actuality, people from jersey like general ock because he's the type of person we wanna see at our deli's; Happy, having fun, making people feel like they can get through the day. General ock is a gift the new yorkers dont realize they have. and they dont deserve to have him either, honestly...
If he's making his money, let him roll.
Have some friends in the city... They' ve turned the same way... The deciders of what is proper New York and what isnt... And I'm like, of all the millions of people that live there... you guys are the ones that decide? I enjoyed it though...because they're so adamant about it, that it's good entertainment.
Your NYC friends are remedial when it comes to business. General Ock have literally made NY Bodega's known worldwide and have made his Bodega popular/financially profitable. Why would anyone want their city to be known just for one culinary dish like thin crust cheese pizza? It's like a person in Chicago trying to be upset with Maxwell's Street Polish stand saying that it doesn't represent Chicago and it's a "tourist" spot.
@@disguiseddv8ant486 I'm on board, I wasn't disagreeing with you. I was making fun of snobs.
@@HHGofAntioch let him cook
That last sandwich is INSANE! That's like your entire daily intake of sugar in one sandwich!
It's double! That Hostess glazed honey bun contains 33g and they had 2 donuts.
@@disguiseddv8ant486 Jesus Christ that's a lot!
This isn’t a common eat every day food, that would be something even we see a a novelty
@@kaitikemp5821 True. But its still crazy
Love my local bodegas. We need to support our local biz more. Give them some love.
Please never stop doing this series!!
Finding The Best Bodega Sandwich In New York | Food Tours | Food Insider 0533am 6.12.23 no, i have NEVER been to USA let alone new york. but i was thinking: over how many days was this taste test shot? i surmise you'd be heading for a coronary thrombosis scenario if you undertook a venture to eat all those sandwiches in the space of a day, let alone a few hours. maybe USA sandwich fiasco is a scenario i need to engage with?
Man, a chopped cheese at 2:00am when you're drunk is a top 5 feeling
I hope Jlo watches this
Back in the 80s bodegas were only in hispanic áreas. People used to go to regular delis for their breakfast sándwiches.
It’s like the concept spread from Spanish Harlem to the rest of the city
Lots of the delis now are Yemeni so you’re not getting bacon. It’s a whole other thing.
It would honestly be so hard to pick a favorite, because each sandwich looked unique and delicious in their own way!
The first time I was in New York, about 1992, I drove my 1967 VW bug across Canada from Vancouver BC to Niagara Falls, and asked someone on the street where can I find the best breakfast sandwich in the world. They said Hajji's in NYC, so I crossed at Niagara Falls Ont, drove across the state, with Hajji's in mind, So I said screw it, I'm going to the city.. and HELL YEAH, its the best breakfast sandwich in the world.. I haven't been back to New York in over 20 years.
That’s funny. You should return.
@@nataliaalfonso2662 New York is over 3500 miles away from my location.
@@KrazyMitchAdventures you came for a chopped cheese once
@@nataliaalfonso2662 I was already in Ontario, I came to see family, but all the family I care about are now dead. I have no reason to drive across the country. PLUS Gas prices in Canada are about $7+/gallon
There used to be a snack van culture in scotland, but health and safety got in the way and a lot closed due to strict rules, you still get them near building sites.
football grounds and industrial estates too. the ones in the cities are too expensive
The roach coach
Love that about NYC . Always remember the Gourmet Deli on the Upper West Side. Seemed like they were open 24/7. Amazing sandwiches that were inexpensive. They were right by the late great Ding-Dong Lounge
Haha Ding Dong lounge, long time since I heard that name. What a shit show and fun time, pimps, coke, and just chaos lol
@hashish2020 wasn't that lively when I was there but a good time all the same
Here in the South there is always gas stations in each city that you can buy hot food from. We have one in our town that has a full meat and 3 menu for breakfast and lunch.
I live in SC - I love gas station fried chicken! Spinx is my favorite so far
Those gas stations you're mentioning is pretty much everywhere in the U.S. Have you not driven to a Oasis off of the Hwy. to get gas? There's gas stations with Subway, Fish & Chicken, Pizza, etc. inside of them.
You usually can't walk to them tho unfortunately
As a former New Yorker, THIS was the installment I was waiting for. Gotta have a bodega breakfast sando. I prefer mine on Heros.
It looks like how we take our friends to our city and show them the good foods to try!!❤❤❤
LOVE these food tours videos. I hope there’s lots more!😊
I like how Harry sometimes questions what he’s actually going to eat. Joe really knows the good spots. 🥪 👏😋
My husband saw one of these videos. We had a bagel in the U.K. with bacon, egg and American cheese. He has not stopped buying it for ages
Bodega truck parks close to me once a week and I absolutely love that place. And the owner is always a pleasure to chat with too
He’s ripping you off, of course he’s nice
I Hope George Can take you guys to japan and try japanese food in Food Tours like - Burger - Sushi - Ramen - Udon - Bento Box
and steak!
Love these series of you guys together!
It’s nice that Joe is promoting his own mother’s place: Mama Jo’s
Ocky! I can't believe he wasn't there! Well...family is family, especially on a weekend❤
I learned something new! I lived in New York for six years and still travel there regularly … have had plenty of bodega egg & cheese sandwiches in NYC but had never heard of a chopped cheese before watching this video.
I thought they'd finished these, glad to have one more squeezed in :D
I’m listening to this through a bassy soundbar, and that righteous belch at 7:07 shook all the windows in my house.
This series is the 🐐 more episodes in more cities. Joe and Harry
It would be cool to get an episode on the best curry in Birmingham, UK. It's known as the curry capital of the country.
Yes!
You can't really talk about bodegas without mentioning the cats that hang out inside.
Or the gauntlet you go through to grab a quick pick or a cup of coffee😂
Thats the manager
Or the cat IN the bodega, ignoring you.
I love Joe so much! He is truly hilarious. Also, he doesn't give tall man vibes so am always surprised to see he is taller than Hazzer.
I know Harry is only talking about London, but am I missing something? The further north you head up the UK there's loads of places like this (apart from the last place) you can buy sandwiches like this.
I don't think Harry is really showing Joe the variety the UK has to offer, given the amount of times Joe puts London down in each of these videos.
really seems that way huh!
Used to follow the Bodega Truck owner back when he was PeepMySneaks, so good to see him on here doing his thing!
The American chap, I forget his name, is holding a cup from one of the many "Greek" diners in the city. Every time I am in the City for a visit my morning ritual is, before any other event, to go to breakfast at a Greek diner where you can get anything on the menu at any time of day. Love it.
Oh holy shit. Every single one of these look amazing. This and this alone would make me want to go to New York.
Quarter water. It's always Interesting to hear local slang for common items
ANOTHER JOE AND HARRY VIDEOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LETS GOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! KEEP IT COMING FOOD INSIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The bodega truck is amazing. It’s a regular spot for me.
Glad you did this Chopped Cheese Bodega video
I love the both of you trying different foods. I miss nyc
Love the episodes where they are near my apartment. This episode they hit like two blocks from my apartment AND they hit less than a block from my old apartment too!
Joe's British accent was so funny I had to rerun that like four times
The host reaction after the first bite is pretty authentic
Joe is so hyped up in this episode.
We have a bodega like store in my neighborhood. It's called 6-12 and serves hot subs, cold subs, sells beer and wine, snacks, sodas, breakfast foods and ALSO has grocery type items. LOVE this store.
Finding The Best Bodega Sandwich In New York | Food Tours | Food Insider 0536am 6.12.23 wow. sounds amazing. weird, though.... how i was walking past an outside market and i thought if someone had the idea to open such a hot food sandwich store on a whim selling beer and hot sandwiches akin to these seen here then they'd make a bomb ie a ton of money. especially on cold evenings as you're forced to walk home from the grocery store....
Shoutout Kips Bay Deli on 30th and 2nd. Cheap, huge portions, comes with chips and a pickle at most hours. The best I’ve experienced in the city
More of these food / city tours please!!!!
I really love this section!
Didn’t forget the bev with the first chopped cheese too. Authentic NYC moment.
I’ve lived in NYC the past 12 years - just learned about the chopped cheese today. 🤷♂️
GO GET ONE FOR DINNER AND DON'T FORGET THE DORITOS AND ARIZONA CAN ICED TEA/WATERMELON JUICE
Completely understandable, there's so many different cuisines you can get in just one borough when you factor in five of them
Don’t feel so bad. I was born in Brooklyn, raised in the Bronx and didn’t have a chopped cheese until 3 years ago.
New Food Tours, LET'S GOOOO!
love this episode
I love these guys!
This needs to be said, if you visit NYC and go to any other bodega asking for your BEC to be on honey buns. They will, without hesitation, tell you to get the fk out.
Tip for those ever making the trip to Red Hook for general Ock. He doesn’t show till 3 pm. I got another fine chef when I went at around 10/11 but him doing the whole shtick sounded like he was on Vicodin
The friend chemistry between these two is off the scale.
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES THE DUO IS BACKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!
Ocky's substitute was hilarious.
You guys certainly know food that’s for sure
Plz make this kinda video I like it so much ❤️❤️❤️
Ketchup brings the acidity that cuts through the bacon grease. Balance is key.
Nostalgia hit me when I saw the Bubble beeper in the bodega truck I haven’t seen that for 28 years
You know it's good when you start wacking off the air 👍
There is a food stall at Southbank Centre Food Market on Friday > Sunday next to Embankment Bridge that does a banging chopped cheese 👍
I was born in the West Village in 1967 and grew up there and the LES until I moved to Chicago in 1991. I now live in Philly. I have lived in three of the 5 boroughs and run restaurants in all of them and I have never heard of a chopped cheese... But I will say, this host guy is 100% NYC authentic!
That’s because it’s a relatively new thing. It’s fine
the host moved there in 2021 tho
I love these dudes!
Harry and joe are the best mix
Here in Charlottetown in the province of PEI Canada we had our own type of bodega. Many Lebanese immigrants ran convenience stores but many had a lunch counter even a laundromat and pool tables. The food in the stores had a Lebanese spin on it the main thing people got was a shawarma; spiced chicken (cardamom gives it a unique flavour), vegetables, yogurt sauce. It's a bit like a donair popularized in Halifax (nearby in Nova Scotia - lots of Greek people there). Also outside the city there were similar stores not Lebanese-owned though the popular food there was fries with the works; fries, ground beef, gravy, peas all mixed together. There nothing like eating in a convenience store with the smell of grease and laundry soap.
I remember the quarter waters as little hugs or fruit barrels at 10 cents. Don't complain. Lol.
Mamma Jo!!!❤❤❤
the bodegas remind me of the delis you'd find in australia, where you cna buy some candy and random stuff along with a quick lunch of random stuff (usually meat pies,sausage rolls, fish and chips, maybe chicken)
NYC ftw... The place in Brooklyn. Wow
Only 2nd time I’ve ever seen a place wrap a sandwich correctly with foil paper- the Ocky way! Foil side *IN* 🎉
Ocky! Mad respect!
really nice video.. this is great
Bodega Truck is so so good. Live In suffoulk on the island but I check their schedule anytime im going to be out there lmao.
What a brilliant video!..
does Harry and Joe count as a crossover? this is the crossover we need
I really miss breakfast carts in NYC. There was one located right in front of the building for my first class of the day and it was so easy to get a sausage, egg and cheese on a roll with a cup of coffee. Back in the 2000s, it was like $3 and it was enough for me to skip lunch. Or the even cheaper donut and coffee combo if I wanted something lighter.
That's insane.. a corner shop that makes food?! That's just... unheard of.
It's so interesting to see the famous american small talk every time Joe orders something.
Nice to see Oppenheimer and Ken savouring Barbie (the food:get it? Hehehe)
"what a delicious way to die horribly of heart disease" lol harry is keeping it real! great episode
Reminds me of a burger van sort of set up. Chopped cheese reminded me of subway UKs version of Philly cheesesteak
Two condiments that are not appreciated enough on breakfast sandwiches: ketchup and grape jelly. Alabamians eat grape jelly on biscuit breakfast sandwiches. And it is killer good.
The legendary mama jo
I'm jealous of your unabashed pursuit of hedonism well into the throes of adulthood
Chopped cheese looks freakin' rad!
Just keep in mind it tastes great but is way more oily than a philly cheesesteak
Yes
More Harry & Joe!
My buddy from work just told me about chopped cheese TODAY. I didn't understand what it was until an hour ago. Now I NEED five of these😂😂
Wendys Frosty part 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was waiting for this since the bagel video.