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Best Places to Eat in New York City (although likely, a little outdated)

OK, so I haven't lived in NYC for several years (make it 7 now?), but I still feel that New York is the bastion of good food. In addition to trying out new places, I still obsessively go back to my old favorites. I'm not sure how to to subdivide these places, so I don't think I will. It's been too damn long. This will be a very spotty list (as I haven't lived in NYC in so long), but I just love the food in NYC so much that I feel that I have to expound. You'll have to check out my friend, John's, list when he gets around to it. 1. Lupa, SoHo - Mario can do no wrong. If you want to see a grown woman cry...take me there. 2. Po, West Village - see above...I ate there so so long ago, but it was so so good. 3. Otto, East 5th Ave (I think) - again, see above. The appetizers, the pizza, the dessert... 4. Joe's Shanghai, Chinatown - shao lum bao (crab/pork) - don't ask, just order it. I was sitting next to a mother/daughter couple once and the daughter was vegetarian so they didn't, to my horror, order the dumplings. I insisted that the mother share with my friend and me. I've never been thanked so much in my life. She gave me her card and wanted me to get in touch with her when I moved out to LA (she's a game show producer). That's how good the dumplings are. Now, I know they are nothing like what you can get in Shanghai, which scares me...Just how ridiculously good are they in Shanghai then? Someday, I'll find out. 5. The Golden Unicorn, Chinatown - great dim sum 6. EJ's, West Village, Upper East Side - go for the milkshakes (not for the lactose intolerant) 7. Blue Ribbon Sushi 8. Blue Ribbon 9. Ecco-La, Upper East Side - one of my old neighborhood faves. If I didn't feel like getting on the subway and I wanted dinner with friends, this was perfect. Teeny tiny and charming. However, I heard that the management changed a few years ago and it's not as good. I hope not. That would make me sad. 10. Yura, Upper East Side - yummy baked goods 11. Sushi of Gari, Upper East Side 12. Totonno's, Upper East Side - Pizza 13. John's, Greenwich Village - Pizza 14. Ess-A-Bagel, East 50s, East high 20s - I used to bring back a dozen bagels to my dorm room in college after a weekend in the City much to my roommates' delight. 15. Lombardi's, one of the Villages - pizza 16. Mandoo Bar, Koreatown - dumplings made by the hard-working cute little Korean grandmas you see in the front window. So so good. You can't go wrong with a Korean grandma. 17. Veselka, 2nd Ave/9th St - you never knew you liked Borscht...try it, you'll like it. 18. Freeman's - gamey dishes for the carnivore in you 19. Gramercy Tavern 20. Peter Lugers, Brooklyn - I don't really need to comment on this, do I? 21. Chickenfest, Upper East Side - out of all the chicken joints in NYC, this is the best. They have this salad, that for whatever reason, is the best. I miss it... 22. Sammy's Noodles, East 30s - the best minced bean noodles 23. Gray's Papaya, East teens, Upper West Side 24. Famous Original Ray's Pizza, various locations - there's something about their plain slices 25. Momofuku Noodle Bar, 1st Ave/10 th St 26. Sarabeth's, Upper East Side - great brunch, but there's definitely a lot of the cardigan wearing, stroller pushing set there. 27. Les Halles, East high 20s - I liked it before A. Bourdain became a star.  I've been back since it's expanded and it makes me a little sad, but I still love it.  They have the BEST bread among other things.  OK, it's late. That's all I can think of for now. Once again, some of this is likely outdated, but most of these places I still go to when I visit New York. Enjoy...