Moving eastward, culinarily speaking, Moustache (with both an East Village and a West Village location) serves terrific Middle Eastern fare: falafel, hummus, and what they call "pitzas"--baked pitas with a choice of toppings such as lamb or olive oil, sesame seeds, and herbs.

And so to the Far East. Grand Sichuan cooks up exceptional Chinese food without making you go to Chinatown (there are several locations, though the one at Ninth Ave. and 50th St. is best). Not only are familiar offerings ideally turned out--once you've had their cold noodles with sesame sauce, it's hard to order the dish elsewhere--but they specialize in dishes you don't come across everywhere else. Choose at least one item from the section of the menu called Mao's Home Cooking.

You wouldn't happen upon Mooncake Foods  unless you were walking near the Holland Tunnel for some unaccountable reason. And while it looks like a diner, you won't be eating anything like diner food. Instead, you'll be treated to simple but vibrant Asian cooking, with Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai predominating. Just about everything costs less than $10.

A few other food-related tips. If you're passionate about food and want to visit some of the city's ethnic neighborhoods, take a guided tour with NoshWalks. They explore the Indian community and food of Jackson Heights, Queens; the Russian enclave in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn; and the Irish section of the Bronx, among others. Most tours are $18.

For noshing on your own, seek out Chelsea Market, a food concourse in the old Nabisco factory building. Highlights include Amy's Bread, Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, and The Green Table, a small, charming restaurant run by a catering company.

Finally, I drop by City Bakery anytime I can. For breakfast, try the superb croissants and rich, smooth coffee. Even if the buffet style doesn't make for a cheap lunch--you're charged by the weight of your plate--you'd be hard-pressed to locate fresher food. Many of the ingredients are from the local greenmarket, which may explain how City Bakery turns vegetables exciting, and there are lovely salads, sandwiches, and a few hot items. Top things off with one of the signature tarts and you just may concede that my New York could, in fact, be better than yours.