It’s pretty hard not to love Seinfeld. The classic episodes, hilarious references, and legendary characters all culminate for a beautiful sitcom that will always be regarded as timeless. There are countless food references-let’s look at some of the best!
Monk’s Café
If you’ve seen even one episode of Seinfeld, you recognize this cafe. It’s usually shot from the side, so only “Restaurant” is visible.
That’s because the show’s “Monk’s Cafe” is actually Tom’s Restaurant, a real diner in NYC (if you couldn’t already tell from the image above).
Since then, it’s become a tourist hotspot, though their food is pretty standard. The actors didn’t even eat there — they filmed those scenes in a studio.
The Big Salad
Ever wanted to know what was so good about that “big salad” Elaine wanted from Monk’s? While you can make your own version, there’s actually an official recipe.
The writers for Seinfeld’s official cookbook shared the recipe with Good Morning America, and we’re so glad they did. This salad does not disappoint.
You’ll need avocados, hard-boiled eggs, bacon bits, shredded chicken, tomatoes, and crumbled blue cheese, topped with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. It’s big, alright.
The Soup Nazi
While you’ve probably heard of Seinfeld’s famous Soup Nazi, did you know that the character was actually based on a real person?
Al Yeganeh, the owner of Staten Island-based soup joint “Soupman,” was notoriously harsh with his customers. And yes — he actually said “No soup for you!”
Apparently, he hated his portrayal in the show, and kicked the cast out of his shop when they tried to grab lunch there after filming.
Marble Rye
Marble rye bread makes a few appearances on the show, most notably when Jerry basically mugs an old lady for her loaf.
Marble rye takes a little while to make — it’s a tad more complicated than regular rye — but it’s definitely worth it.
You’d make this similarly to how you’d make regular rye bread, using rye flour and onion powder. Black cocoa is then used to create that marble pattern.
Junior Mints
Junior Mints are the perfect candy for movies — and, according to Kramer, surgeries. Because of course it would be Kramer.
According to Seinfeld, they have some healing properties. During “The Junior Mint,” one of the candies falls into a character’s body during surgery, saving his life.
Junior Mints were first created in the late 1940s and have been a movie-going staple ever since. They’ve showed no signs of slowing down.
Black and White Cookie
Who doesn’t love a good black and white cookie? Sources disagree on their origination, but many say that Manhattan is the best place to find them.
True black and white cookies aren’t really cookies at all. Instead, they’re like mini cakes, with a soft, pillowy texture, topped with icing.
New York doesn’t have a monopoly on these, though. Boston has their own version, where the bottom is frosted, and in the Midwest, they’re dubbed “harlequins.”
Calzones
For being a show about nothing, Seinfeld actually taught us a lot. One of them being that a calzone can, and will, help you climb the corporate ladder.
Once you’ve had a good calzone, it’s not difficult to imagine why Steinbrenner was so taken by them. If you’re tired of pizza, calzones are a great alternative.
They’re basically like pizza empanadas. If you have the ingredients for a pizza lying around, then you’re good to go for your calzone.
The Non-Fat Yogurt
Marketing your froyo as “non-fat” is a surefire way to get customers — that is, if you secretly don’t change the ingredients.
You can easily make your own froyo at home, and while you can opt for non-fat, we know that you probably don’t actually want to.
All you need is whole milk Greek yogurt, a little cream, sugar, and fruit, before blending together and freezing. You can choose which fruit you’d like.
Babka (Chocolate and Cinnamon)
In the same episode that Jerry orders his black and white cookie, Elaine orders her own dessert: a cinnamon babka. She originally wanted a chocolate babka, though.
A babka is a Jewish dessert, typically made from brioche dough. Luckily, you can combine the chocolate and cinnamon flavors, to get the best of both worlds.
While this might best be left to the professionals — baking homemade bread is notoriously difficult — you can still take a crack at it.
Pastrami Sandwich
While George’s brief obsession with pastrami sandwiches in Seinfeld’s final season borders on disturbing, we also can’t deny that they’re delicious.
They’re a New York deli staple, best served on rye with a slice of sharp cheese. When it’s pressed like a panini and half-melted, it’s absolutely to-die-for.
Obviously, they’re not too hard to make at home — it’s a sandwich, after all. So long as you serve it on rye bread, you’re good to go.
Lobster Bisque
“No, I mentioned the bisssque.” After trying lobster bisque for yourself, you’ll understand why Elaine didn’t “yada yada” over this part.
A bisque is a lot creamier than a regular soup (fun fact, crab bisque is one of the Soup Nazi’s specialties).
Use lobster tail for the meat, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for flavoring, and lobster shells to make the stock. And add butter. Lots of it.
Muffin Tops
When Elaine suggested that Lippman start a business selling just the top of the muffin, we honestly don’t think it was a bad idea (even if it failed).
They actually do sell muffin tops as separate items from the rest of the muffin, and you can even make them at home.
You might need to buy yourself a muffin top pan, but if you love them just as much as Elaine does, then it’ll be worth it.
Pez Dispenser
Pez dispensers are for more than ruining recitals. While the candy itself isn’t anything special, the dispensers have inspired a kind of cult following.
The dispensers are modeled after different characters, marketed towards fans of those franchises. Some are rarer than others, and go for thousands of dollars.
While you might be confused as to why anyone would drop that much money on a Pez dispenser, others are absolutely obsessed. People even collect them.
Beef-a-Reeno
The Beef-a-Reeno is actually mentioned in the same episode as the marble rye bread. Kramer feeds it to a horse, making it fart. A lot.
Never heard of Beef-a-Reeno? It’s not just you. Beef-a-Reeno isn’t a real product, but it’s based off of a real food item.
Any guesses? If your first thought was Chef Boyardee’s Beefaroni, you’d be right. It’s not a big stretch. It may or may not have the same affect.
Lorenzo’s Pizzeria
You might remember this from season eight, as the place where Kramer accidentally flashes a gang sign at the Van Buren Boys.
Unfortunately, there is no pizzeria called Lorenzo’s in Manhattan, though there is one located in Staten Island. It’s a common name for a pizza place.
If you want to try it because of the show, you might want to think again: Kramer complained that the pizza was a little oily.
The Frogger
George defended his Frogger high score at his and Jerry’s old high school hang out, Mario’s Pizza Parlor. Like Lorenzo’s, there’s no Mario’s in real life.
However, the place where they shot those scenes, Five Rose’s Pizza, is. Well…was. Unfortunately, they closed up shop in the late 2000s.
It’s since been replaced by Iggy’s Pizzeria. While people seem to like the pizza, word is out on whether or not they have an arcade cabinet.
Mackinaw Peaches
These peaches, which are apparently only ripe for two weeks out of the year, are beloved by Kramer, who’s forced to give them up after losing his taste.
Sounds delicious, right? There’s only one problem — they don’t exist. Peaches are real, obviously, but there’s no fruit that’s only ripe for two weeks.
Thankfully, you can eat donut peaches and yellow peaches all summer long. Peaches, in general, tend to be in season from May to September.
Jujyfruits
Ah, the ongoing debate: would you get the jujyfruits? While waiting on line to get snacks for a movie, Elaine learns that her boyfriend has been hospitalized.
Instead of immediately getting off the line and racing to her boyfriend’s side, she decides to get the candy before going to the hospital.
People have argued that they’d still get the jujyfruits, while others have shamed Elaine for her choice. Whichever side you’re on, you can’t deny that jujyfruits are good.
Kenny Rogers Roasters Chicken
Famous for their chicken (and for ruining Kramer’s sleep), Kenny Rogers Roasters is a huge chicken chain, particularly in Asia.
Kramer’s feud with Kenny Rogers started when the chain opened a location next to their apartment building, its sign’s neon light shining into his window.
He attempts to force them to move, but after trying the chicken, gives up the fight. Even if he had succeeded, the chain would’ve been fine.
Poppie’s
Poppie was one of Jerry’s girlfriend’s dads. He immigrated to America from Tuscany and opened an Italian restaurant named after himself.
Needless to say, this restaurant isn’t real. Even if it was, you might not want to eat here. It got closed for numerous health code violations.
Still, that wasn’t the end of “Poppie’s.” He was able to reopen his restaurant and find success, thanks to improved cleaning practices.
Schezwan Dragon Restaurant
If you go to this Chinese restaurant, you’ll have to wait a long, long time. So long that your entire episode takes place in it.
Well, that’s only if you arrive without a reservation. Just don’t believe the host when they tell you that the wait is only five to ten minutes.
Bribery won’t get you a table, either — just good, old-fashioned patience. Because if you wait long enough, they might end up calling your name.
T-Bone Steak
T-Bone steak is delicious, but ordering it might not get you the nickname you wanted. Just ask George Costanza.
In an effort to be called “T-Bone,” George purposefully orders T-Bone steak when out with his colleagues. It doesn’t work, because of course it doesn’t.
If you want to make this at home, just pop it on the skillet, and cook with butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Twix Candy Bar
We probably wouldn’t go as crazy as George did over these in season nine, but we can admit that they’re among the best chocolate candy bars out there.
They’ve got it all: creamy milk chocolate, chewy caramel, and crunchy shortbread. If Seinfeld were airing today, they’d probably debate the difference between left and right Twix.
Whether or not there’s actually a difference is still the source of online arguments. Just take a look at Reddit. We’ll stay out of it.
Snickers Bar (Eaten with a Fork)
Want people to think you’re classy but don’t feel like donning a suit and tie? Eat a Snickers with a fork and knife!
…at least, that’s George’s philosophy, which kickstarts a whole trend. Would it actually work in real life? Probably not, but who cares?
If you make your Snickers bar at home, it might actually make more sense to eat like this, since it’ll probably come out larger.
Drake’s Coffee Cake
Unlike some of the other items here, you can actually buy Drake’s coffee cakes for yourself. You’ve probably already seen their coffee cakes or Ring Dings.
After they were mentioned in Seinfeld, they took advantage of the publicity. They now have a “Seinfeld Collection” available on their website.
In 2012, however, they were removed from shelves after Hostess, their parent company, filed for bankruptcy. In 2018, though, they thankfully returned.
Bosco Chocolate Syrup
Okay so keep in mind this is a safety measure. Bosco chocolate syrup got a name for itself when George used it as his ATM code.
A New Jersey-based company, Bosco makes all kind of dessert syrups, from chocolate to strawberry. It’s not super popular, but it’s still going strong.
If you put it in your milk or on your ice cream, you might just end up inadvertently making an old woman say it before her death.
Chow Fun
If Kramer gets pea pods, you aren’t getting any…this Chinese dish is based on broad, flat noodles, and while you can get pea pods, there’s lots of variations.
The noodles themselves are made out of rice, cooked alongside a few veggies and a protein. Chicken, beef, and pork are most common.
As for the veggies, carrots, cabbages, and onions are usually picked. If you’re a vegetarian, you can opt to make a vegetable-only chow fun.
Mangos
In case you are looking for something to up your energy, go for a mango — it worked for Georgey boy! He loved them.
While this fruit might not be a magical solution to all your problems, they actually do have lots of health benefits.
First of all, they’re absolutely packed with vitamin C, in addition to vitamin A, potassium, and fiber. They’re in season during the summertime, so be on the lookout.
Fusilli Jerry
Fusilli is perfect because Jerry is silly! In season six, Jerry finds a figurine Kramer made of him out of fusilli.
You could probably make one yourself, but you’d be better off making yourself an actual pasta dish with fusilli. It’s a spiral pasta best for pasta salads.
To make, add cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, olives, and basil, cooked with olive oil and garlic. As with most pasta salads, you can eat it cold.
Kenny Bania’s Meal (Soup And A Sandwich)
In case you are looking for a brand new Armani suit, just remember it will cost you! Luckily, what constitutes a meal can be flexible.
A soup and a sandwich might not be a substantial enough meal for Kenny Bania, but when it comes to light lunches, it’s hard to beat.
Seriously, you can do anything with a soup and a sandwich. Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a killer combo for a reason.
