Best Dining Bets

The Most Unforgettable Dining Experiences in New York

• Chanterelle (2 Harrison St.; tel. 212/966-6960; www.chanterellenyc.com): You'll be made to feel special here, from the impeccable, personalized service in a simple but lovely room to the exquisitely prepared food. Other restaurants try, but this is how it's supposed to be done.

• The River Café (1 Water St., Brooklyn; tel. 718/522-5200; www.rivercafe.com): At the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, there is no better dining view of Manhattan. Go at twilight as the lights of downtown begin to flicker on. Though the food at restaurants with views is usually not great, you won't be disappointed by the fare here.

• Aquavit (65 E. 55th St.; tel. 212/307-7311; www.aquavit.org): Though its new digs are not nearly as charming as its former town-house setting, the service and the food are as good as ever.

• Big Wong King (67 Mott St.; tel. 212/964-0540): Come here for the true Chinatown experience. You'll share tables with Chinese families, order bowls of congee with fried crullers, plates of stir-fried vegetables, and platters of roast pork and duck -- all served by brusque no-nonsense waiters. I guarantee it will be unforgettable.

Best New Restaurants

• BLT Market (1430 Ave. of the Americas; tel. 212/521-6125; www.bltmarket.com): The newest in the BLT (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) restaurant empire calls the Ritz Carlton Central Park home. The farmhouse ambience is a bit of a stretch for the neighborhood, but when it comes to the first-rate quality and freshness of the seasonal menu, I easily can forgive.

• Ed's Lobster Bar (222 Lafayette St.; tel. 212/343-3236; www.lobsterbarnyc.com): This seafood "shack" in NoHo brings the taste of New England downtown, thanks to chef/owner Ed McFarland's talent with seafood. They are cheaper in Maine, but Ed's signature lobster roll rivals pretty much anything you will find on that state's rocky coast.

• Park Avenue Winter (100 E. 63rd St.; tel. 212/644-1900; www.parkavenyc.com): This somewhat gimmicky restaurant serves seasonal fare but changes the complete look of the restaurant each season. The gimmick does not detract from the perfectly matched seasonal food you'll find here, whatever time of year you visit.

• Fette Sau (354 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; tel. 718/963-3404): Not only does this place have the best name for a barbecue joint (it means "fat pig" in German), but the different cuts of meat, pork belly, rib chops, and so forth, are seasoned and smoked as good as I've had anywhere.

Best Bites for All Appetites

• Best BBQ: RUB (208 W. 23rd St.; tel. 212/524-4300; www.rubbbq.net). Co-owner Paul Kirk brings his Kansas City pit prowess to New York, with mouth-watering results. Try the "Taste of the Baron," a little bit of everything for a big crowd.

• Best for Breakfast: Good Enough to Eat (483 Amsterdam Ave.; tel. 212/496-0163; www.goodenoughtoeat.com). They've been lining up on Amsterdam Avenue every weekend for over 20 years for chef/owner Carrie Levin's bountiful home-cooked breakfasts. But why wait in line? You're on vacation; go during the week.

• Best for Brunch: Norma's, at Le Parker Meridien hotel (118 W. 57th St.; tel. 212/708-7460; www.parkermeridien.com). Though I am not a devotee of brunch, I make an exception for Norma's. Skip the traditional breakfast items and go for creative interpretations such as the asparagus-and-seared-rock-lobster omelet.

• Best Jewish Deli: Katz's Delicatessen (205 E. Houston St.; tel. 212/254-2246; www.katzdeli.com). This is the choice among those who know their kreplach, knishes, and pastrami. No cutesy sandwiches named for celebrities here, just top-notch Jewish classics.

• Best Burger: Burger Joint, at Le Parker Meridien hotel (118 W. 57th St.; tel. 212/708-7414; www.parkermeridien.com). Who woulda thunk that a fancy hotel such as Le Parker Meridien would be the home to a "joint" that serves great burgers at great prices?

• Best Pizzeria: Patsy's Pizzeria (2287 First Ave.; tel. 212/534-9783; www.patsyspizzeriany.com). This great East Harlem pizzeria has been cranking out coal-oven pizza since 1932. You can also order by the slice here, but only do so if the pie is fresh out of the oven.

• Best Pizza in an Italian Restaurant: La Pizza Fresca Ristorante (31 E. 20th St.; tel. 212/598-0141; www.lapizzafresca.com). The Italian menu and wine list is vast, but you won't spend much time on it after you've sampled the restaurant's magnificent, authentic Neapolitan pizzas straight out of their own wood burning oven.

• Best 20th-Century Steakhouse: Frankie & Johnnie's (32 W. 37th St., tel. 212/997-8940; and 269 W. 45th St., tel. 212/997-9494; www.frankiesandjohnnies.com). Whether you choose the former speakeasy that is the original location in the Theater District or the newer branch in John Barrymore's former townhouse, your steak, particularly the house sirloin, will remind you why Frankie & Johnnie's has been around since 1926.

• Best 21st Century Steakhouse: Porter House New York (10 Columbus Circle; tel. 212/823-9500; www.porterhousenewyork.com). New steakhouses sprout every year with much hype; this one in the Time Warner Center and helmed by chef Michael Lomonaco distinguished itself far ahead of the pack of new steakhouses.

• Best Mutton Chop: Keens Steakhouse (72 W. 36th St.; tel. 212/947-3636; www.keens.com). Of course, it might be the only restaurant in New York that offers a mutton chop, but that's not the only reason to head to Keens. The other "chops" are first-rate, and the rooms -- there are several -- are like museum pieces without the stuffiness.

• Best Greek Restaurant: Kefi (222 W. 79th St.; tel. 212/873-0200). In the space that formerly held Onera, chef Michael Psilakis has gone from nouveau Greek to traditional, with stunning results. You won't believe basic Greek taverna food could be so good.

• Best for Families: Virgil's Real BBQ (152 W. 44th St.; tel. 212/921-9494; www.virgilsbbq.com). In Times Square, Virgil's, in a sense, is a theme restaurant, the theme being barbecue, but they do an excellent job of it. It's loud, colorful, and has great options for children.

• Best Cheap Meal: Gray's Papaya (2090 Broadway; tel. 212/799-0243). Though the $2.45 "recession special" -- two hot dogs and a fruit drink -- is almost a $1 increase from the previous recession, it's still a bargain. But is it any good? Witness the lines out the door every day for lunch.

• Best Ice Cream: Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (Fulton Ferry Landing Pier, Brooklyn; tel. 718/246-3963). The perfect reward after a brisk walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Rich homemade ice cream, with a view of the Manhattan skyline; it's a tough combination to beat.

• Best Bagel: Absolute Bagels (2788 Broadway; tel. 212/932-2052). They're not huge like some bagels these days, but they are always hot and baked to perfection.

• Best Soul Food: Charles' Southern Style Kitchen (2841 Eighth Ave.; tel. 877/813-2920 or 212/926-4313). Not only does this Harlem restaurant serve the best soul food in the city, it also offers the best buffet. For $9.95 on weekdays and $12 on weekends, the down-home offerings will tempt you to make any number of visits to the buffet line.

• Best New/Old Dining Room: Country (90 Madison Ave.; tel. 212/889-7100; www.countryinnewyork.com). Designed by architect David Rockwell, the upstairs restaurant in the Carlton Hotel is a marvel, with mosaic tiles, dramatic chandeliers, nooks overlooking the hotel lobby, and, most impressive, a gorgeous Tiffany skylight dome that had been hidden for years and was uncovered during the renovation.