Coffee in the Dark (coffee without milk)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Broolyn Newsstand3 July 1887, Brooklyn (NY) Daily Eagle, "Restaurant Calls," pg. 13, col. 1:"Coffee in the dark" and "slops in the cup with the…
Coffee Regular
Today, a coffee in New York City is Starbucks. However, some insist that "true" New Yorkers have a "coffee regular" that includes milk and sugar. The Mother Tongue: English…
Coffee Summit
Winston Churchill spoke in February 1950 about a “parley at the summit.” A “summit meeting” would come to mean a high-level meeting, such as one involving the president or prime minsters of…
Coincidence Lasagna/Lasagne (layers of coincidence)
"Coincidence lasagna/lasagne" is not a food, but a term to describe "layers of coincidence" -- like the layers of lasagna. "Coincidence lasagna: layers of coincidence. We…
Cold Cheese Pizza (also called “Oneonta slice”)
"Cold cheese pizza" used to be pizza that's no longer warm, but it's also the name of a special variation of pizza. Tino's Pizza and Restaurant in Oneonta, New York, served…
Cole’s Law: Thinly sliced cabbage (coleslaw joke)
Arthur Bloch's 1977 bestseller, Murphy's law and other reasons why things go wrong, included a food joke: "Cole's Law: Thinly sliced cabbage." The coleslaw joke is still…
Colorado Rib Steak
Smith & Wollensky, a chain of American steakhouses, began in 1977 at East 49th Street and Third Avenue in Manhattan. "Colorado Rib Steak" (32 ounces) has been one of the…
Competitive Eating Contests
Eating contests have been held in New York City since at least the 19th century. A pie-eating match was held in Brooklyn in in August 1886. Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is held at Coney…
Compost Cookie
Momofuku Milk Bar (various locations) trademarked the name "compost cookie" from November 15, 2008. The popular cookie contains potato chips, pretzels, butterscotch and chocolate chips,…
Con-a-sewer (connoisseur)
"Con-a-sewer" is a jocular spelling of "connoisseur." A "con-a-sewer" might have discriminating tastes, but "connoisseur" might be too highfalutin to…
Coney Island (Coney; Coney Dog)
A "hot dog" is often called a "Coney Island," or "Coney" ("coney") for short. Sometimes, it's "coney dog." "Coney Island (sandwich)"…
Coney Island Butter (mustard)
"Coney Island butter" is another term for "mustard," a condiment used on the popular Coney Island hot dogs. There is only one known print citation for "Coney Island…
Coney Island Chicken (hot dog)
"Coney Island chicken" has been a slang term for a "hot dog" since at least 1920. 20 July 1920, New York (NY) Times, p. XX2:Hot Dog Is Having Its Day:World's Most Popular…
Coney Sauce (Coney Island Sauce; Hot Dog Sauce)
Coney sauce (also called Coney Island sauce or hot dog sauce) is what's put on a "coney" or "Coney Island" ("hot dog"). It often contains chili (without beans),…
Confungry (confused + hungry)
"Confungry" (confused + hungry) is a term to describe someone who is hungry, but doesn't know what to eat. "Confungry" was posted -- with no explanation -- on Twitter on…
Conundrum Supper
A "conundrum supper" ("conundrum dinner" is less frequently used) is a meal where each menu item is presented in the form of a riddle. For example, "A Group of…
Cook-Off (Cookoff)
A "cook-off" is a cooking competition. Cook-offs often limit themselves to a particular food, such as "chili cook-offs." The term "cook-off" began in 1936 at the…
Cooter Brown (“as drunk as Cooter Brown”)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Cooter BrownCooter Brown, sometimes given as Cootie Brown, is a name used in metaphors and similes for drunkenness, mostly in the southern United States. Cooter…
Corkage (Corkage Fee; Corkage Money)
Corkage (or "corkage fee" or "corkage money") is the amount that a restaurant charges customers when they bring in their own bottles of wine. Customers may want to bring in…
Corned Beef and Cabbage (Jiggs dinner)
"Corned beef and cabbage" is a popular Irish dinner, and it's often served on St. Patrick's Day. In 1925, "corned beef and cabbage" was voted to be the favorite dish…