New York City

Brian and I are going to the NYC in July for his birthday, and I'm making my list of restaurants and foodie destinations that we must go to. I haven't been back for 13 years so much has changed; Brian's never been. As usual, we have rented a ( studio) place, and plan to be cooking in for a few meals. We are planning one very special night out ( hopefully Per Se if we can get in), the rest of our dining will be mid-lower price ranges( for Manhatttan). Cheap is great if the food is excellent. Here's my list so far:

Experiences:
Eataly
The GreenMarket
Maybe Fulton Fish market ( just to see )

Restaurants
One Mario Batali restaurant
Momofuku
One amazing noodle place ( maybe Momofuku counts? )
Real Bagels
Real Jewish deli

Any suggestions for any of the above, and/or other places we can't miss would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Suggest you use the search function on here. There has been MUCH written on NYC eateries.
Also use the "Find Authentic Regional Eats" tab on the upper right hand section of the home page. It will give you 26 restaurants, all "Roadfood" tested.
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/SearchResults.aspx?st=latlong&latlongid=5&ob=LatLon

Yes, NYC is huge, foodwise esp.
Eataly is fun but crazy, crowded, overpriced and more of a grocery store/food court, not a "meal." For noodles, I like Republic at Union Square. Bagels are getting harder - H&H recently closed. Maybe Ess-a-bagel. Jewish Deli? Katz?

If you like ramen, go to Ippudo. http://www.ippudony.com/
It's often crowded, so try to plan around the busiest times.

Roaming around eating from the food trucks is fun, and won't break the bank.
Some of my favorites are  Wafels and Dinges,  http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/#
Big Gay Ice Cream Truck http://biggayicecream.com/about/
Mexicue http://mexicue.com/
 
http://newyork.cbslocal.c.../nycs-top-food-trucks/
http://newyorkstreetfood.com/map/
http://nyctruckfood.com/

You'd need to get on the phone quickly and well in advance to secure a reservation for Per Se. The waiting list for cancellations is long...and sometimes very short notice that would be difficult to plan...if you're visiting and plan to have a plan in a short window of time or need to secure another special reservation for a certain evening . If not in the main dining room with a reservation you can dine in the lounge of Per Se.

I haven't been to NYC for a few months so all the places I have been to are probably gone. 

If you will be celebrating a Birthday during your visit...and want a Momofuku experience..Momofuku Milk Bar will provide a very nice Birthday cake..Crack pie...various Cereal Milk adventures etc. I think Milk Bar is the most memorable Momofuku experience in the Momofuku empire. But...I love me some sweet stuff.

http://milkbarstore.com/main/

If you want a few inexpensive experiences packed full of NYC...set Living Social to NYC and these Walking Tours are available for purchase for the next few days...and schedule dates run through 11/25...

https://touch.livingsocia...ities/231/deals/392662

Between the stunning fashion and celebrity sightings (which invariably yield a flurry of OMG texts), the streets of NYC are a veritable feast for your eyes -- and with today's deal from TasteTheBest.com, you'll discover the streets offer plenty of bounty for your palate, as well.

Pay $24 (regularly $60) to go on the 90-minute Taste of the Lower East Side Walking Tour, which goes down every Sunday at 12:30 or 3:30 p.m. and is led by a professional, GANYC-licensed guide. With five tastings included, you'll eat your way through this culinary-rich area at famed institutions like Katz's Deli, the Pickle Guy, Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery, the Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery, and the family-owned, decades-old Economy Candy.

For $29 (regularly $80), you can also indulge your sweet tooth with the 90-minute Chocolate Walking Tour (Saturdays at 12:30 or 3:30 p.m.), which includes five tastings and features stops at Jacques Torres, Kee's Chocolates, Vosges, and MarieBelle Fine Chocolates. Whatever you choose, you'll get to take a bite out of the Big Apple's scrumptious offerings on a fun epicurean excursion.

Also recommending Eataly. Great experience there.