Created between 1840 and 1850, the Delmonico steak is a mystery that perplexes many. What you order in one restaurant may be different in another. Various food critics and food historians have come up with more than several differing opinions about this steak, and whether it is bone-in or -out, sirloin, or some other high-priced cut of beef.

Moreover, while the two original chefs de cuisine of Delmonico Restaurant in New York City have both confirmed the preparation method, they still manage to differ slightly. If you order a Delmonico steak at Delmonico's today, you'll get a boneless rib-eye steak that's brushed with butter and beef fat after it has been taken out of the broiler. 

This unusually named dish originates from Rochester, New York and consists of a messy combination of either cheeseburger, hamburger, sausages, steak, chicken, grilled cheese sandwich, fried fish or eggs (one can choose two ingredients from the list), served on top of fries, beans, and macaroni salad.

The dish is then topped with optional onions, mustard, or hot sauce, and served with a side dish of white bread and butter, its purpose to soak up the juices after the garbage plate has been eaten. It was invented at Nick Tahou Hots' fast-food restaurant in Rochester, and they even trademarked the name in 1992. 

Having nothing in common with the actual buffalo nor the American bison, Buffalo wings are actually named after the place of their origin - Buffalo, New York. There are numerous stories about the origins of these mouth-watering chicken wings, but the one that seems the most authentic says that they were first served at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo.

In 1964, Teressa Bellissimo, the bar's owner, received a shipment of chicken wings by accident and didn't know what to do with them so she got an idea to deep-fry the wings and serve them in hot sauce with a blue cheese dressing and some thickly sliced celery sticks. 

Contrary to popular belief, spaghetti and meatballs is not an Italian dish, and if one travels to Italy, it will appear on some menus simply to satisfy the appetites of some American tourists. Consisting of spaghetti combined with tomato sauce and ground beef meatballs, the dish was originally invented by Italian immigrants who came to America in the 19th century.

Since canned tomatoes were among the only items available in stores, home cooks used to prepare a rich marinara sauce with garlic, oil, and tomatoes. Spaghetti were also one of the only Italian ingredients available in stores, so the thin, long pasta also became more popular in the homes of newly arrived immigrants. 

Although the dish has numerous varieties, steak Diane generally consists of a tender piece of beef such as tenderloin or strip steak that is pan-fried and served with a sauce made with pan juices, shallots, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, butter, and beef or veal stock.

The dish is traditionally prepared tableside, and cognac is flambéed when added to the sauce, intensifying its flavors. Steak Diane was at the peak of its popularity in the 1950s and the early 1960s, especially in New York, where it was supposedly created, although it is yet unclear which establishment was the first to serve it – the Drake Hotel, the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, or the Colony restaurant.

Chicken divan is a rich casserole made with chicken pieces, almonds, broccoli, and Mornay or hollandaise sauce. In the 1950s, it was the signature dish of a New York restaurant called the Divan Parisienne, hence the name.

The inventor of the dish is a chef named Anthony Lagasi, who received an award from the New York Chatham Hotel for his creation. The dish might be additionally enriched with ingredients such as cheese, white wine, mushrooms, or water chestnuts, and it is recommended to serve it with bread and salads on the side.