Brooklyn Diner USA

Tourists with limited time can explore the various cuisines of Brooklyn without ever setting foot in the borough. The menu at Brooklyn Diner USA near Times Square ricochets from red-sauce Italian to buttery noodle kugel to other immigrant delicacies—in ginormous portions that are the hallmark of our great country. If the FDA says that one serving is the size of a fist, then the crisp, melted-cheese–smothered chicken parm could have served six, and the Romanian skirt steak, a pungent garlic-drenched slab of well-done meat, was fit for five. The dish that took our breath away, however, was a so-called 15-bite all-beef hot dog served on a brioche bun with spicy mustard, sweet pickle relish, sauerkraut and onions rings—for $15.95. The cylindrical behemoth elicited gasps from nearby diners; it would have made Ron Jeremy blush. If the portions don’t kill you, the richness just might: Chopped liver was served with a side of rendered chicken fat, and the sundae is made with Valhrona chocolate sauce. Even more engaging than the menu is the baseball-themed, wood-paneled space; locals might recognize the mural of Ebbets Field and beautifully reproduced soda fountain. And tourists can learn a little something. Welcome to Brooklyn.