There's more to the tradition of New York Jewish people eating Chinese food on Christmas than just convenience. When the two largest non-Christian immigrant groups settled in lower Manhattan around the turn of the 20th century, they found themselves both without plans for the holiday. So why not celebrate together?

Octopus Garden is an established seafood market in Bensonhurst which specializes in Octopi used for cooking in Italian, Mediterranean, and Asian cuisines. In this video from Bon Appètit's I Got a Guy series, meet owner Vinnie Cutrone as he shows you around the market, and shows how one is prepared Italian style.

Vinnie Cutrone sells tenderized octopus at his seafood market Octopus Garden in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The holiday season is the busiest for Octopus Garden as the neighborhood's Italian-Americans shop for the annual Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Cutrone shows Bon Appétit how to tenderize octopus, how to cook octopus, and explains why his Spanish octopus is just as good as - if not better than - lobster.

Pig Beach is a Gowanus, Brooklyn restaurant that combines techniques highlighting Italian, French, Middle Eastern, Asian, and American BBQ culture into what they call "Yankee Style" BBQ. In this video from the excellent Eat Seeker series from our friends at Thrillist, watch as chef Matt Abdoo talks about the inspiration and approaches behind the unique menu.

Welcome to the home of Yankee-style barbecue, Pig Beach. This new style of barbecue, pioneered by Chef Matt Abdoo, blends traditional pitmaster techniques with the flavors New York City and Italian cuisine. Breaking from other New York City barbecue spots, Chef Abdoo has focused primarily on pork and a variety of grilled options like their award-winning Pig Beach Burger.