"One word, Omakase. The best sushi meal I have ever eaten in Manhattan was at Sushi of Gari when our party went down the chef's special tasting road, where each bite is better than the last. Most of the time I had no idea what I was eating but I do know it was AH-MAZING."
Sushi of Gari, 402 East 78th Street (between 1st & York avenues); 212-517-5340.
"The fava bean salad at Gennaro. Sometimes, well, most of the time, I just want very simple food with few ingredients. This salad is my perfect salad.I have it at least once a week! It's not on the printed menu, but most of the best things aren't."
Gennaro, 665 Amsterdam Avenue (between 92nd and 93rd streets); 212-665-5348.
"You can't live in New York and not talk about pizza. When I'm in the mood I go to Co. in Chelsea. Good pizza is all about good crust and when the crust is made by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery, you know it's the very best."
Co., 230 Ninth Avenue (at West 24th Street); 212-243-1105.
Photo: Courtesy of Sushi of Gari
"I can never walk by 18th Street without stopping and getting a hot chocolate from The City Bakery. If Sophia Loren owed her curves to spaghetti, I owe mine to their hot chocolate."
The City Bakery, 3 West 18th Street (between 5th and 6th avenues); 212-366-1414.
"One of the best things about living in NYC is how you can stumble upon unplanned moments and discover something completely new in a magical kind of way. My husband and I were walking in the West Village when we got caught in a rain storm and stepped inside Recette to wait it out, which lead to an unforgettable dinner that was so inspired, you could feel the chef's passion for food in every dish."
Recette, 328 West 12th Street (at Greenwich Street); 212-414-3000.