Available at any self–respecting bakery on the Lower East Side or Brooklyn, the blintz is one of those mysterious foods that, while simple in conception, is nearly impossible for the layman to reproduce. Essentially it is a thin pastry wrapped around a sweet cheese filling. The pastry can be thin, like a crepe, and is often topped with fruit. Like many other New York foods, it became popular due to the influx of Eastern European immigrants in the 1800s. It’s not a particularly healthy treat, but a good blintz makes for richly satisfying comfort food.