There’s a special mystique Gotham gives food. My father once claimed the best meal he ever ate was courtesy of a Central Park vendor, and he wasn’t referring to an artisan food truck popular today but a sketchy 1980’s sidewalk stand known for questionable, at best, standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

This is the impact New York City has on culinary offerings. A Famous Original Ray’s pepperoni slice, dripping with a little grease and gently folded to enable eating on the run in Manhattan, packs more flavor than, say, a competing offering in Tulsa.

Sorry, Oklahoma. That’s just the way it is.

There’s an imitable authenticity to Big Apple cuisine, and nowhere is this truth more evident than at Quality Meats, the 58th Street eatery celebrated for savory steaks complemented by sumptuous tableside truffle-butter service. The restaurant’s rustic but authentic decor combines with meats sourced from two of New York’s finest providers to produce a memorable dining experience,

The Slab Bacon, Peanut Butter, Jalapeño appetizer, easily overlooked on the ample menu, are a favorite and distinctly unique and innovative interpretation requiring first-hand experience to truly appreciate. In fact, the dish is so distinctive Fodor’s—the ever-trusted travel guide—describes the selection as a must for first-timers.

A surprisingly hedonist mix, the hearty thick-sliced bacon delivers smoky flavor and is accompanied, curiously but successfully, by tiny, tart Granny Smith apple cubes atop a delicate peanut butter paste. The kicker? Jalapeño jelly cooked with cider vinegar and some sugar imparts an inspired and unusual zest. The unique combination is a culinary triumph. These compatriots, all wonderful ingredients in and of themselves, constitute an intriguing and robust blend that’s kept me coming back for more every time I’m in town. I recommend you do the same.