Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I love everyone's ideas! They're good ones.

For me, I'd go with this plan:

-if you have the time, shop online. find great cuts of meat and/or seafood and find a great dessert while you're at it.

-if online is not an option, i'd go to your Stop-n-Shop and find out when the best day is to shop for the freshest ingredients. Find out when they get their meat, produce delivery.

-if this isn't an option because you have a lack of time, i'd talk to some of your friends about ideas. find your friend that is a great cook. enlist his/her help. likely your friend will have good ideas about where to get what, etc.

-and, since you have extra money, buy the best pantry items (good olive oil, spices, etc.).

-lastly, HAVE FUN!

-Shake Shack is great. I think there is too much garlic in the meat, but that's me.
-I also like PJ Clarks (UES).
-People say the Corner Bistro in the W. Village is the spot.
-I eat regularly at Burger in Chelsea and think it's pretty good. I think their turkey burgers are better than their regular beef burgers. And to whomever likes their veggie burgers, FYI: they use Dr. Preger's frozen patties. So, if you like them, you can buy them yourself too.
-My favorite burger joint is Dumont Burger on Bedford in Williamsburg.

I'm a born and raised Californian. I've lived in SF Bay Area and Los Angeles. I am a lover of pizza as well as baked items (cookies, breads, etc.). To me, New York City's food tastes better than CA. I've always thought it's the water. The bread, bagels, pizza, cookies, etc. tastes better here. Call me crazy!

I haven't scoured the city for the best slice, however, I have a fine palette for pizza.

These are my picks (in no particular order):

Fornino
187 Bedford Ave (off L Bedford Stop)
Brooklyn, NY 11211-2946
Phone: (718) 384-6004
-brick oven pizza with modern topping choices (e.g. truffle oil)

Grimaldi's (over Brooklyn Bridge)
http://www.grimaldis.com/brooklyn.htm
-brick oven pizza - classic New York pizza eating experience

Totono's in Coney Island
1524 Neptune Ave.
Brooklyn, NY
718.372.8606
-brick oven pizza - in fun coney island setting

Croque Madame

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate your feedback!

I wish I could tell you: "I've done it and this is how you do it", but I can't. Maybe someone will come to your rescue soon. My thought is this: I don't see why you can't take the 8in cake pan and make a giant one in there. You usually make individuals in there. My friend makes the cinnamon roll recipe in the Julia Child with Jacque Pepin book and he does it in his bread machine. Also, maybe Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table will have an excellent mix. Good luck!

it's all about the crisp.

If you're ever in Williamsburgh, my vote - hands down - is:
Bagel Store
(718) 218-7244
247 Bedford Ave

Bagel Store
(718) 782-5856
754 Metropolitan Ave

They have a nice crust on the bottom and they are chewy. To me, they are the real deal.