Nearly everyone has a favorite reminiscence about dining in NewYork City. My own takes me back to Friday afternoons during the years of my early adolescence when Alan Rosen, Steven Brookstone, my cousin Richard and I would make our way to "Gragniano's Restaurant", there to devour to incredible amounts of pizza.

Not far from Brooklyn's Macdonald Avenue, this was a place that had its charms, especially to thirteen year olds. The dark haired Italian girls that sat in the vine-covered garden were beautiful and Fat Mary the waitress was always willing to adjust the bill to meet the momentary needs of our limited pocketbooks. To add a sense of excitement to one's dining experience, this was a favorite eating place for many members of the mafia and there was always the chance that one of the famous mafioso that ate there would get gunned down in front of our eyes.

None of us ever worked up enough nerve to talk to any of the girls and we never saw anyone machine-gunned, but the love for good pizza has lingered on. Gragniano (if he had a first name, nobody every used it), had a philosophy about life. "You make a good pizza and everybody loves you. You make a bad pizza and God punishes you by making your hair fall out." Gragniano was one of the hairiest human beings I have ever met and his pizza was magnificent.

Over the years, even though I have never lost my love of good pizza, my appreciation of the culinary arts has expanded and now includes many other types of food. Happily, so has the culinary repertoire of New York expanded and today there may be no city in the world that offers more exciting possibilities for dining. From the simple to the complex, from the ridiculously cheap to the outrageously expensive, no matter what your mood or how much money you want to spend, New York has virtually hundreds of places that will serve you truly fine meals. Even though the city has some of the world's best Italian restaurants, gangsters rarely get shot there these days, most mafia members now seeming to prefer French, Chinese, Thai, Romanian, Jewish, Indian and other restaurants now. One of the reasons for this preference is that there seems to be an understanding among members of the mafia that you never shoot anyone in a restaurant that does not serve pizza.

Those seeking a list including only the supposedly very best and most prestigious restaurants in the city will do well to turn to the culinary guide books of Michelin, Gault-Millau or Zagat. My own favorite restaurants in the city are varied in price, status and style. The only things I can promise about each of the restaurants described below is that the food will be excellent and, regardless of how low or high the price, you will receive excellent value for money. The first three restaurants listed are, depending on my mood, my definite favorites. Each of the others is a close runner-up.

Arcadia: 21 East 62nd Street. Tel 212 223-2900. Probably best categorized as the best small restaurant in New York, this quiet, intimate restaurant, has been run by talented chef-owner Anne Rosenzweig since it opened in 1985. Quiet and intimate, seating about fifty diners at a time, the decor is of cream colored tablecloths, black and cream chairs, and a mural by Paul Davis that depicts the four seasons, all of which set the mood for Rosenzweig's dishes, many of which change along with theseasons of the year.

One of Rosenzweig's greatest strengths it the ability to take proven classics and give then an unexpected twist, often providing dishes that have a charming combination of rural roots and urban sophistication. To add to the pleasure of dining here, Rosenzweig likes the idea of "subtle shocks", such as decorating tables with fresh herbs instead of the usual flowers that one has come to expect; introducing couscous into an otherwise traditionalAmerican dish; or adding a distinctly Philippine touch to her Boston style stuffed lobster. Dishes like her lobster club sandwich on a brioche, (which has become one of New York's most popular lunch dishes since she created it), smoked lobster served with crisp Chinese noodle cakes, roast loin of veal on a tarte of grilled ratatouille, grilled salmon on a tomato sabayon served with a couscous with spring garlic and peas, grilled wild mushrooms on toasted barley, and fricassee of mussels with fava beans and saffron are uniquely hers. Whether this is, as she describes it, innovative American cuisine or cuisine prepared from American ingredients that have received an international inspiration is open to debate. The quality and originality of her dishes is not. "Arcadia" may be one of New York's most in demand restaurants but the prices here are surprisingly reasonable and the average dinner bill for two comes to only $130, not including wine, taxes or tips.

Tribeca Grill: 375 Greenwich Street. Telephone: 212 330-0666. American chef Don Pintabona has been the chef at this very "in" restaurant since it opened in 1990. This two story restaurant, partly owned by actor Robert DeNiro, was described by Ronald Meagers, the architectural reporter for the New York Times as having "an antique mahogany bar, exposed brick walls and the intentional feeling of converted industrial warehouse ... one that combines the best of old and the new in New York and giving the impression that the space has been a restaurant for many decades".

Pintabona's menu emphasizes grilled and sauteed selections, all of which show the cross-cultural influences of many cuisines. His goose liver specialties and his unique interpretations of classical steak and veal dishes have made him a star of the New York dining scene. So well received has he been by the critics and his colleagues that he was one of the ten chefs selected to create the menu for the 80th birthday party of Julia Childs, was chosen to prepare the gala dinner in honor of Nelson Mandela's visit to New York City and hosted a fundraising dinner for former President Clinton. The average bill here comes to a very reasonable $45per person. I don't like the place because its "in". I like it because its such great fun.

The Rainbow Room: 30 Rockefeller Plaza (on the top floor of the Rockefeller Plaza Center Building_. Telephone 212 555-1000, Extension 1000. Although the food at this place is always very good, it is never great. Despite that, and possibly because I have an occasional passion for things that are exaggerated, this is the place I like to go whenever I have to impress relatives or other people whoexpect to be impressed.

The decor of this ultimately prestigious restaurant has been described by some as "art deco", by others as "American modern" and by still others (including this writer) as "outrageously nouveau riche". However one cares to label it, the restaurant sports millions of dollars of art works, private meeting rooms and dining rooms, glass and rosewood columns, and an average bill that comes to $100 per person. Those with a great deal of money to spend will be interested to know that for a minimum charge of $45,000 the entire Rainbow Room can be reserved for private parties.

Roseanne Gold, who did her culinary training in Italy and France, is the talented consulting chef at this absolutely spectacular restaurant. Favorites include such traditional American classics as oysters Rockefeller, eggs Benedict, baked potatoes with sour cream and caviar and Baked Alaska. There are also French classics such as Tournedos Rossini and crepes Suzette. Don't be afraid as well to try some of Gold's own specialties, including the crab cakes with tomato-corn relish; curried ginger chicken with Indian poppadum crisps; steak tartare with black caviar; skewers of shrimp and Cajun sausage with Creole rice; couscous chicken with orange, almonds and yoghurt, and Mexican corn and rice salad with shrimps.

Other Favorites in Brief

Union Square Cafe: 2 East 16th Street. Telephone 212 243-4020. Bright, large and filled with art, this easygoing place is of my favorites. Chef Michael Romano draws on a wide variety of culinary backgrounds for his creations. His Italian dishes (the pasta dishes are all special), his "burger" of chopped fresh tuna fish; and his garlicky potato chips all make for fun eating. Prices are reasonable.

Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant: on the lower level of Grand Central Railroad Station. Telephone 212 490-6650. Even though dining here in the evening can be quiet and elegant, I prefer to visit between noon and 4 p.m. when a small army of menare busy behind the bar opening the thousands of oysters that are devoured here every day. At times I will manage to eat nothing more than 24 oysters with a bottle of good Chablis wine. At other times I have started with a more moderate amount of oysters and then gone on to the stew of lobsters and clams that is offered every day. Wine lovers especially enjoy this place because it has a wine menu that lists nearly every high quality American whitewine you can think of. Prices are reasonable - moderate.

Peter Luger, 178 Broadway, Brooklyn. Telephone: 718 387-7400. Some people think that Peter Luger's steak house has been around forever. That's not far from wrong, for when I was a boy this was one of the places my parents loved to take me. As signs that eating is taken seriously here, the tables have no tablecloths, the floors are never overly polished, and the waiters change their long white aprons every two hours. The place looks something like a German beer hall, but that is only an illusion for this is my candidate for the very best steakhouse in America. The steaks (the 600 gram T-bone is my favorite) are the best you will find anywhere and, like a ritual, every steak comes garnished with thick slices of tomatoes, equally thick slices of sweet onions, and creamed spinach that is so good you will invariably ask for a second portion. Prices are moderate.

Via Brasil 34 West 46th Street. Telephone 212 997-1158. Ever since I first visited Brazil in 1965, I have realized that although Brazilian cuisine inspires no great emotions, it is remarkably fun to eat. Owned by Brazilian Luis Gomez, this New York eatery is as close as you will get in the Northern Hemisphere to Ipanema Beach. Start with a caiprinha, the moreor less national Brazilian cocktail, but be sure not to drink too many as these deceptively mild but really quite potent drinks tend to sneak up on you. Go on to assorted starters such as the fish balls, fried squid, miniature meat pies or fried slices of Portuguese-style garlic sausages. After that have the salad of hearts of palm.

I always plan on half an hour to peruse the huge menu here, but when I'm in the mood for something "light" I invariably order are the fish, shrimp and lobster stew known as moquecas which arrives in a casserole dish bubbling with tomatoes, oil, fresh herbs and coconut milk. If I want something heavier, it is, of course to the truly excellent feijoada I turn. There is no dish more typical of Brazil and this inky dark stew of black beans, fresh meats, cured meats
and sausages is as good as those I remember from visits to Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. Served with the coarse grain known as farofa, which is sprinkled over the dish, with orange slices and with a sauce so hot that it may make you breathe fire (have no fear though, you can add as little or as much of the sauce to the dish as you can stand). Try the excellent Brazilian beer with your meal and then, as Brazilians do, skip dessert. Prices are reasonable - moderate.

Le Pescadou 16 - 18 King Street (at 6th Avenue). Telephone 212 924 3434. Seafood is the king in this informal, absolutely charming place. On my last visit, with three friends, we tried the gravlax, grilled calamari and carpaccio of locus as first courses and then went on to the bouillabaisse. This soup may be lacking some of the fish of the French Riviera, but it remains great by any standards, with fish fillets, mussels, shrimp, a small lobster, plenty of saffron and morel mushrooms. Served with toast, rouille (the indispensible garlic mayonnaise that traditionally accompanies the dish) and grated Gruyere cheese, the dish makes for a memorable evening. Non fish eaters can enjoy the Cornish game hens with rosemary, the excellent fillet mignon that is served with a sauce of cracked pepper, cream and Cognac. The wine list is excellent and the prices are moderate.

Quartoze Bis: 323 East 79th Street. Telephone 212 535-1414. Wood floors, cream yellow walls, French food posters, marble topped bars and red velvet banquettes make this place a faithful reproduction of the very best French bistros. Happily, chef Michael Kalajian's well made and generous portions are equally faithful to tradition. For starters try the pate of duck liver, the grilled goat's cheese on a green salad, the excellent smoked salmon or the marinated herring. Continue with traditional bistro dishes such as steak-frites, grilled herbed chicken boeuf bourguignon or pot-au-feu, all of which are delicious and priced quite reasonably. The wine list is good but my own habit is to skip the "better wines" and stay with Beajuolais cru wines such as Morgon or Fleurie or the good Cotes du Rhone wines that are offered, also at remarkably reasonable prices.

Of course if you're in the mood to spend a fortune, you won't go wrong at Boulud, Daniel or Alain Ducasse, at each of which the service is impeccable, the food is incomparable and the prices as high as you could seek. That, however, is food for a future article.

© Daniel Rogov