Start your day at Keith McNally's timeless brasserie. The light is perfect. The people are beautiful. And the food is...not really the point but it's pretty good. The best days begin with breakfast at Balthazar. [Photo: Daniel Krieger]

It's a two brasserie kind of day. Lafayette is basically Balthazar: The Second Generation, but it's still a beauty to behold, and Jen Yee is serving some of New York's best pastries. Stock up on caneles, macarons, and madeleines. The coffee is really good here, too. You need fuel for the journey to stop three, which involves a serious train ride. [Photo: Daniel Krieger]

Totonno's is arguably the restaurant where New York-style pizza was born over a century ago. But aside from its tremendous historical importance, this coal oven pizzeria is also a delightful place to spend an afternoon. As you wait for your pie, gaze upon the walls lined with faded press clippings and photos of staff and customers from decades past. The pizza is flat, charred, and hugged with a layer of creamy fresh mozzarella. Head to the boardwalk after lunch for a stroll to aid digestion, then hop on the Manhattan-bound F Train. [Photo: Bess Adler]

Jeffrey's is not a grocery, actually. It's a cozy little West Village bar/cafe from the king of cozy little West Village bar/cafes, Gabe Stulman. He's got four other establishments in this neighborhood, all of which are perfect in their own different ways. Sip a pre-dinner cocktail and knock back an oyster or two, then head around the corner to Barrow Street. [Photo: .Jeffrey's Grocery/Facebook]

Annisa is a triple threat restaurant: it's got exciting food, an intimate vibe, and classy service. It also just so happens to be located on a charming West Village street! This is basically The Perfect Little Restaurant. The foie gras soup dumplings are Anita Lo's untouchable dish.

You've consumed a lot of food today, but there's no point in stopping now, especially if Big Gay Ice Cream is involved. These are some of the tastiest cones and sundaes in NYC, and the shop always has a fun vibe, especially at night. [Photo: Big Gay Ice Cream]

Eli Kulp and Ellen Yi's West Village cafe serves breakfast sandwiches that deserve a standing ovation. The pastries and healthy stuff are great here too. But seriously, get a breakfast sandwich — The Bodega, with malted breakfast sausage and aged cheddar cheese, is an especially strong choice. [Photo: Paul Crispin Quitoriano]

New York isn't really a bread city in the same way that places like San Francisco and Los Angeles are. But the five boroughs are home to some very dedicated bakers who go to great lengths to recreate breads from all around the world. Jim Lahey is one of those people. His pizzas and Italian-style sweet treats are masterpieces of texture and flavor. Grab a slice of pizza bianca or a sweet roll for the long train ride ahead. [Photo: Facebook]

Start with a lamb burger at the original location of Xi'an Famous Foods, followed by noodles from Lanzhou, and then eat whatever else strikes your fancy. This Flushing shopping center is home to what might very well be New York's greatest food court. [Photo: Foursquare]

As you might have heard, New York City is now a barbecue destination, and this no-frills Long Island City restaurants is one of the stars of the smoke scene. John Brown has a quirky chalkboard menu (note the "people who eat for free" list), walls covered in graffiti, and tables adorned with red-and-white checkered cloth. It's a laid-back restaurant that serves some of the city's finest 'cue. Sink a beer in the back yard while nibbling on burnt ends, pecan-smoked wings, and slices of house-made beef sausage. [Photo: Foursquare]

You've had a busy day, so relax with a cocktail or three at this chic Harlem jazz club. To eat, Young Gun J.J. Johnson is serving St Louis-style ribs, a lamb roti wrap, and garganelli with oxtail ragu — they're all winners. [Photo: Facebook]

Eat an orange blossom waffle or eggs in purgatory while gazing at the beautiful people strolling down Mott Street. Who are they? Where are they going? Do they have jobs? These are questions you may never know the answers to, but you can ponder the possibilities after your meal on the stroll down to the Staten Island Ferry terminal down in the Financial District. [Photo: Krieger]

What a boat trip! The Staten Island Ferry remains one of the best free forms of entertainment in NYC. Once you've debarked, mosey on over to this excellent Sri Lankan restaurant about 10 minutes away by foot, where you can feast on lentil fritters, string hopper pyramids, and curies. Roll back to the boat, and once you hit land, head to the Grand Street/Christie Street station on the Lower East Side, and catch the B or the D. [Photo: Khushbu Shah]

Congratulations: You just rode the subway for over an hour, and, perhaps more importantly, you've just entered your fifth New York City borough. At this year-round indoor market, you can sample cheese, salumi, and some very good craft beer in a convivial, open-air environment. But don't load up on the sweets or the carbs, because we've still got one more stop left on the grand culinary tour of NYC. [Foursquare]

Wow, it's been a helluva trip, right? Five boroughs, 14 restaurants, literally thousands of footsteps. You deserve to treat yourself to something nice — but not too spendy. And so, for your final meal in NYC, we land at what is arguably Manhattan's most acclaimed fine dining restaurant, Le Bernardin. In the casual lounge area, you can enjoy a full meal of Eric Ripert's bracingly fresh seafood compositions for a fraction of the price of the tasting menu. Make sure to get the scallop ceviche, the tuna tartare, and the gin-cured gravlax. And if you've still got some money in the kitty, why not splurge on the smoke salmon croque monsieur with caviar? You've earned it! [Photo: Daniel Krieger]