New Yorkers Are Eating and Entertaining More at Home According to Zagat's New York City Food Lover's Guide

"Even during tough economic times people still have to eat," said Tim Zagat, co-founder of Zagat Survey. "And if there's anything that New Yorkers enjoy as much as good food, it's a good party. This guide pinpoints the best of New York's copious culinary resources, making it easy to find what you need whether you're cooking for one or throwing a bash for hundreds."

Now with ZAGAT TO GO(TM), Zagat's mobile application for iPhone, BlackBerry and PDAs, tech-savvy consumers can easily access these survey ratings and reviews, as well as directions, phone numbers, store hours and maps of retail destinations - all from the palms of their hands, wherever they are.

Bargain Bites: It isn't always easy to find a bargain in New York City, but the New York City Food Lover's Guide's "Best Buys" section lists the best stops for top values on everything from candy to cookware. This year's lists include:

Candy

1. Divalicious Chocolate

2. Sweet Life

3. Economy Candy

4. Philip's Candy Shop | SI

5. JoMart Chocolates | Bklyn

Produce

1. Greenmarket

2. Manhattan Fruit Ex.

3. #1 Farmers Market

4. 3 Guys | Bklyn

5. WK Trading

Cookware

1. Cook's Companion | Bklyn

2. Crate & Barrel

3. Brooklyn Kitchen | Bklyn

4. Broadway Panhandler

5. Haas Company Inc.

Health/Natural Items

1. Bell Bates Natural

2. Westerly Natural

3. Commodities Natural

4. Tastebud's Natural | SI

5. LifeThyme Natural

Specialty Shops

1. Pickle Guys | multi (Pickled Vegetables)

2. Sahadi's | Bklyn (Middle-Eastern)

3. Bangkok Center Grocery (Thai)

4. Coluccio & Sons | Bklyn (Italian)

5. Titan Foods | Qns (Greek)

Cheese/Dairy

1. DiPalo Dairy

2. Alleva Dairy

3. Joe's Dairy

4. Cheese of the World | Qns

5. Russo Mozzarella| multi

Meat/Poultry

1. East Village Meat

2. Faicco's Pork | multi

3. Calabria Pork | Bx

4. Biancardi Meats | Bx

5. Jeffrey's

Prepared Foods

1. Barbarini Alimentari

2. Milano Gourmet

3. Second Helpings | Bklyn

4. Simple Kitchen

5. Choice | Bklyn

Eat Your Greens: The Obamas aren't the only ones going "green" in the garden. A full 78% of Zagat surveyors cite the importance of eating food that is locally sourced, organic or sustainably raised, and 61% are willing to pay more for such products. In another nod to environmental consciousness, 38% of surveyors are bringing their own bags to the grocery store, up from 23% last year.

Home-cooked Chefs: Fortunately for the 61% of surveyors who say they are cooking more at home since the economic downturn, New York has an unmatched range of food shops, from institutions like Lobel's and Zabar's to hot newcomers like Momofuku Bakery and Salumeria Rossi. Home cooks spice things up with a vast selection of fresh herbs and seasonings at Penzeys in Grand Central and head to Brooklyn for the top-rated kitchen equipment at A Cook's Companion.

World Wide Wonders: As mentioned above, the guide covers 73 online resources to assist shoppers browse and buy items with the click of a mouse. Topping these categories are:

Charcuterie: Salumi Armandino (www.salumicuredmeats.com)

Flowers: Calyx & Corolla (www.calyxandcorolla.com)

Party Accessories: Fine Stationery (www.finestationery.com)

Gift Baskets: Zingerman's (www.zingermans.com)

Cheese/Dairy: Cowgirl Creamery (www.cowgirlcreamery.com)

Pastas/Grains/Beans: King Arthur Flour (www.kingarthurflour.com)

Coffee/Tea: Upton Tea Imports (www.uptontea.com)

Tasteful Tours: The Lower East Side's reputation for quality food purveyors is alive and well with the pickled vegetables at The Pickle Guys, and fresh baked goods at Kossar's Bialys. In Little Italy, the family-run cheese shop DiPalo Dairy scored an incredible 29 out of 30 on the Zagat scale, and fresh handmade pastas abound at Piemonte Ravioli. The outer boroughs are home to top-rated patisseries, including Artopolis Bakery in Astoria and Ladybird Bakery in Park Slope. On the savory side, owners of the hip Williamsburg eateries Diner and Marlow & Sons, known for their locally sourced, house-butchered meats, just opened their highly anticipated - and highly rated - butcher shop, Marlow & Daughters.

Next on the Menu: Despite the challenging economic times, interesting developments are on the horizon. Eataly, the upscale Italian grocery chain, expects to open its first stateside branch next spring, a mega-size market in East Midtown, in partnership with Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich's B&B Hospitality Group. Purveyor of the moment Stumptown Coffee from Portland, supplier to upscale restaurants as well as outlets like Williamsburg's Brooklyn Standard and Carroll Gardens' Cafe Peddlar, will set up its own roaster in Red Hook and debut a retail outlet in Chelsea's new Ace Hotel. Though the legendary Balducci's recently bid the city goodbye (Gourmet Garage has taken over its former Upper West Side space), other grocery powerhouses are still going strong, with Whole Foods on target to open an Upper West Side outlet, Dean & DeLuca planning a third full-size store for the Meatpacking District, and, in Brooklyn, Union Market preparing a Fort Greene location and Choice branching out to Dumbo. Finally, Financial District standout Financier Patisserie has two Midtown shops in the works.

The Guide in Detail: As with all Zagat surveys, the New York City Food Lover's Guide is made by consumers for consumers. In addition to Top Lists for Display, Service, Newcomers and Best Buys, the guide includes a map of Brooklyn and Manhattan shopping destinations. The New York City Food Lover's Guide ($14.95) was edited by Carol Diuguid and is available at bookstores, on ZAGAT.mobi, as well as Zagat's mobile applications for iPhone and Google Android.

About Zagat Survey, LLC

Known as the "burgundy bible," Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality. Zagat Survey rates and reviews airlines, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, resorts, shopping, spas and a range of other entertainment categories in more than 100 countries and has been lauded as the "most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable guides ever published" and as "a necessity second only to a valid credit card." Zagat content is available in print, on the web, on the mobile web, iPhone, BlackBerry and on TV. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com.