The Halal Guys (53rd & 6th)

Long before there were franchises in other countries, there was a hot-dog cart on 53rd Street that three Egyptian immigrants turned into a halal cart for the taxi drivers working the night shift. The carts are still here, on the corners at Sixth Avenue, under the office towers and the theater lights. After dark the line curls down the block, and it moves faster than it looks.

Order the combo platter — chicken and gyro over yellow rice with lettuce and a pita — and say yes to the white sauce, which is the whole point. Treat the red sauce with respect; a few drops are plenty. Eat it on a ledge nearby or carry it back to the hotel, and you will understand why the rest of the city's carts copy the formula.