Meet George Joseph Switzer III, who runs Queen Ann Ravioli, a pasta shop in Brooklyn founded by his father in 1972. The shop prides itself on using vintage machinery, including a pasta machine from 1909 believed to be the only one of its kind still in daily operation in the country. These machines, operated by a dedicated team, produce thousands of pounds of pasta weekly, contributing to nearly $2 million in annual revenue. Despite the challenges posed by rising costs, mass production from larger companies, and the changing demographics of the neighborhood, George is committed to preserving this traditional way of doing business, ensuring each batch of ravioli, tortellini, and manicotti maintains its unique, handcrafted quality.

Discover the unexpected history behind Roosevelt Island’s advanced pneumatic trash system, a marvel of urban engineering that eliminates the need for garbage trucks on the island. Once a dumping ground for New York City's prisons and hospitals, including the infamous asylum where investigative journalist Nellie Bly famously went undercover, Roosevelt Island faced a severe garbage crisis in the late 1960s. This prompted a visionary plan for a car-free residential community with an innovative solution: an underground network of 20-inch steel tubes that vacuum residential waste at speeds up to 70 miles per hour to a central collection facility. This system, inspired by Scandinavian technology, has been operational since the early 1970s and remains one of only two such large-scale applications in the United States, efficiently managing thousands of tons of waste daily without a single garbage bag ever touching the island's sidewalks.

Join food enthusiast and host Adam Richman on a culinary journey through New York City as he explores the age-old debate of classic vs. contemporary pizza. First, Adam visits Krispy Pizza in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where owner Freddy Palazzolo shares how his family has upheld traditional pizza-making for over 50 years. Then, Adam ventures to Manhattan to experience Ceres Pizza, a modern pizzeria founded by Eleven Madison Park alums Jacob Serebnick and Julian Geldmacher, who apply high-end culinary techniques to craft their celebrated (and pricey) pies.