Dish No. 58: Shorty Tang’s Cold Sesame Noodles

Birthed in the 1970s and now available for purchase at Smorgasburg, Shorty Tang’s cold sesame noodles are the stuff of both legend and existentially gratifying eating.

The noodles — which were synonymous with the New York “Szechuan” food of the ’70s and ’80s — are plush and slippery, and come dressed in a scanty negligée of sweet, nutty sauce that’s got just enough spice to cool you off and make you sweat all in the same bite. Garnished with a scant few scallions, they slide down your throat and into your dreams, and make you long for a white cardboard takeout container, a pair of splintery chopsticks, and endless reruns of Cheers.