The skinny on the world of cheesecakes

​As a boy growing up on the East Coast, there were certain inalienable truths. Among them was that the only place to get bagels and cheesecakes done the right way was New York City.

And to this day, cheesecake remains a food that, outside of Manhattan, isn’t the same. Whether it’s a question of water or baking practices, or simply because it’s a food that can’t be replicated because it has already been fixed in my mind, the ideal of a slice of New York City cheesecake holds its value.

It is the same axiom as a Philly cheesesteak. Outside of Philadelphia, a given sandwich may be a cheesesteak or some unholy combination of cheddar and chopped steak, but it isn’t (and shouldn’t be called) a Philly cheesesteak. Take a cheesecake out of New York and you’ve got an entirely different dessert.