New York's Weirdest Meat

Alright, I know buffalo and wild boar aren't all that exotic in today's food obsessed times. But Waterfront Ale House has an awesome beer list, a wide selection of … English condiments -- get crazy with some HP Fruity -- and their rotating wild game burger ensures access to at least one somewhat strange animal. [link]

A family run peddler of Arkansas BBQ and Cajun cuisine, including crawfish, po' boys, beignets, and jambalaya, Mara's must-try selection is definitely their gator bites: … all white-meat Louisiana alligator wrestled fresh from the bayou, fried in cornmeal and Cajun spices, and served with a remoulade sauce for dipping. [link]

A classic Italian restaurant in a classic Italian neighborhood, this authentic Carroll Gardens eatery has been around for over 100 years. In addition to more palatable … options like spaghetti alla bolognese and meatballs parmagiana, go for the vastedda -- a traditional Sicilian calf spleen sandwich. This slab of hematologic organ comes baked on foccacia bread and topped with ricotta and grated cheese. [link]

Well dressed waiters parade about wielding skewers of meat at this all you can eat Brazilian rodizio restaurant. But instead of playing it safe with short ribs or flank … steak, go with the grilled chicken hearts -- all dense and rubbery and served in bulk, like a more progressive take on chicken nuggets. [link]

The place to go for Manhattan marsupial, this NoLIta restaurant celebrates modern Australian cuisine with a fancified New York twist. Eight Mile Creek has forgone the … Bloomin' Onion in favor of grilled kangaroo fillet with roasted rosemary mash, and kanga skewers with mountain berry ketchup, not to mention wide selection of Aussie wines. They also offer emu carpaccio and perhaps the most terrifying item on this entire list: a vegemite sandwich. [link]

Named for a flowering plant used in love potions, this brand new bistro in the Theater District feeds expensive Mexican food to well dressed diners. But don't let the … business casual dress code detour you; Toloache keeps it real by being the only place on this list serving insects. For $9 we can all enjoy two handmade corn tortillas filled with Oaxacan dried grasshoppers known as chapulines. [link]

In South America it's called cuy. In the States, guinea pig. And in Flushing Meadow, Queens, this cute and cuddly rodent is sold spit-roasted and skewered by Ecuadorian … street vendors. Though the selling of cuy in New York is of questionable legality, look hard enough and you you'll be "rewarded." [link]

Babbo's take on headcheese may be the most infamous in the city, but if you'd rather not bear Batali prices, dine on Kampuchea's headcheese terrine sandwich instead. And … if contracting a prion disease is not high on your to-do list, this LES Cambodian noodle shop has plenty of soups and small plates guaranteed to be mad cow free. [link]

Mario Batali and Andy Nusser's pint sized and perpetually packed Gramercy tapas joint offers a "cock's comb" dish. That's right, the rubbery crest of red flesh atop a … rooster's head. Chef Nusser was inspired to serve said cock-part after trying it in Barcelona and offered this appetizing description of the meat to New York magazine: "A gelatinous sponge of meat that will take on any flavor you add to it." [link]

Definitely offering one of the widest exotic meat selections in New York, every year from October through February, Henry's End holds their wild game festival (which is … really just a seasonal menu, not an actual event). Though it's a little pricey, where else can you find BBQ rattlesnake salad, New Orleans turtle soup, and antelope au poivre? Also try the less esoteric but equally exciting peppered ostrich, pheasant ravioli, kangaroo with pancetta and herb crusted elk chops. [link]