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A couple of years ago I met Alan Richman, one of America's foremost food writers, and we've been friends ever since. When I went to New York recently, he gave me a whirlwind tour of some of his favourite places to eat, and it was immediately obvious that his picks were as much about the people as the food.

From the best hoagies to the nicest place for cocktails, here are the New York people and places I encountered.

Leo's Latticini is a family-run business. Latticini means dairy products in Italian, and there are dozens of these Italian cheese shops up and down the streets of Queens. "The people who own these places all have essentially the same story," says Richman. "They came from Italy to New York and settled in Brooklyn or Queens. They started making fresh mozzarella, they make hoagies or subs, and it's all about the personalities."

The personalities in this case are "Mama" Nancy, and her three daughters Irene, Carmella and Marie -- known as the Mozzarella Sisters.

Richman's assessment: "This is simply the best place in the world. That's it, OK? Not the single best food place, just the single best place in the world."

Mozzarella Sister Irene, who seems incapable of frowning, agrees. "My grandmother started it 75 years ago and we're in the same location all these years."

Same marble countertop, same great Italian kitchen aroma. The fire trucks pull up and the fire fighters pour out. "We have a lot of the firemen and policemen come for lunch," says Irene. "They line up for the Mama's Special, which is the Italian hero that we make with pepper ham, salami, mozzarella, hot peppers, mushrooms, all the condiments; we make everything here."

The sandwiches are around $6; they're huge and delicious.

LEO'S LATTICINI, 46-02 104TH ST., CORONA; 718-898-6060.

Corona Heights Pork Store Just down the street from Leo's Latticini is the home of what I'm told is "the best chicken parmesan sandwich in the world." A grey-haired grandma is making everything from scratch: pounding the chicken, measuring out breadcrumbs, adding seasonings, cheese, herbs, cracking eggs, heating up olive oil.

Fresh is good but has she ever heard of mise en place? Having all the ingredients ready ahead of time? "I've had this many times," admits Richman during our endless wait. "But is it ever really worth the suffering?"

The place is wee; just a deli counter with overstocked shelving and a cash register. There is barely room to stand, let alone sit.

"You're gonna have one hell of a sandwich," shouts Mary Lou Caprezza, as she pounds the cutlets. She owns this deli and latticini with her husband, Frank, the butcher, who is famous for his sausages (Italian style, fresh, no preservatives, no nitrates).

Diane Sawyer loves them.

After what seems like five hours, the breaded cutlets are fried, topped with incredible homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, then wedged into a crusty Italian bun.

"How long have you been doing this?" I ask, trying to butter her up so we can eat inside (usually a no-go proposition, but it's minus 10 degrees today).
"Forty years, young lady."
She's in a good mood and allows us to stay inside while we devour our sandwiches. "You come back when it's warmer, you'll eat outside," she warns with a laugh.

CORONA HEIGHTS PORK STORE, 107-04 CORONA AVE.; 718-592-7350.

The Grill Room, Four Seasons It's a crisp dark evening in Manhattan, and Alan Richman has brought me to the Four Seasons restaurant for a cocktail, because as he sees it, "This is the most beautiful restaurant in America, and there's nothing else to be said about it." The restaurant is 45 years old and is still as gorgeous as it was the day it was built. Dreamed up by architects Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, the look is Bauhaus and everything is original, including the Mies-designed furniture and the six-metre-tall rosewood panels that wrap around the Grill Room.

The restaurant is also known as the first in North America to base its menu on seasonal cuisine. It's all very impressive. Restaurant partner and maitre d' Julian Niccolini arrives, and I learn the real reason we're here.

"It's nice to have surprises and there is absolutely nothing more surprising than Julian Niccolini," Richman says. This turns out to be true.

Throughout the meal, there is much murmuring of sweet nothings, there is non-stop patter (and patting), there is a blue streak of innuendo, plus tender gestures of affection.

Niccolini is also the consummate host. We are brought a succession of small plates, including an oozing white-truffle risotto, succulent seared cod, duck (the best in the world), followed by a foie gras with pineapple compote and a classic chestnut mont blanc for dessert.

Then out comes a silver platter piled high with cotton candy. Apparently, it's not a party until someone has a chapeau of cotton candy placed on her head. Collecting our coats, Richman sums up the evening: "Well let's see: You were insulted, groped and well-fed." All very artfully, I might add.

THE FOUR SEASONS GRILL ROOM, 99 E. 52ND ST.; 212-754-9494.

Celeste "Celeste is in the great tradition of storefront restaurants," says Richman. "This place has no reservations, no credit cards, no space whatsoever. This sort of informality and casualness is a form of dining that's pretty hard to find in Manhattan."

Plus, the food is great. And then there is Carmine, one of the partners. He is the cheese guy and Richman comes here mainly for the cheese. "Nobody has Italian cheeses that compare with this. There are cheeses you've never heard of, from parts of Italy you never knew existed. And Carmine has found them, hand-picked each one, and then somehow brought them back in his luggage."

And, I'm warned, he will describe each of them in such meticulous detail that my head will hurt by the time I've had my first nibble. He pairs each selection with a homemade marmalade, honey or compote, heightening the taste of the cheese. All told, they have about 56 varieties and there are 10 on the board tonight, including a Pecorino that has been aged in a walnut leaf and is paired with chestnut honey from northern Tuscany.

"Nobody is more fanatical about cheese than Carmine. They're like his children," says Richman. "But the price you pay is that you have to listen to his lecture."

- CELESTE, 502 AMSTERDAM AVE. (BETWEEN 84TH AND 85TH STREETS); 212-874-4559.

We couldn't possibly fit them all in, so here are a few more of Richman picks:

Sammy's Romanian Steakhouse, 157 Christie St.; 212-673-0330. This 25-year-old Jewish-Romanian restaurant has hot-dog-shaped hamburgers, nostalgia-inducing egg creams (made with milk and Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Syrup; no egg, no cream) and more. It's an old-school joint.

Lemon Ice King of Corona, 52-02 108th St., 718-699-5133. The store opened in 1944, when Peter Benfaremo started selling ices in only two flavours. Sixty years later, the Ice King offers 35 homemade ices, from melon to rum raisin. Its walk-up window has been immortalized in the opening credits of The King of Queens.

Shanghai Tide in Flushing, 135-20 40th Rd.; 718-661-0900, is Richman's favourite Chinese restaurant. Try the steamed dumplings, turnip cakes and Peking Duck Three Ways. "It's a 50-minute ride, so bring reading material. When you get off the train you'll be in chaos -- that's Flushing's Chinatown."

The new Time Warner Center in Manhattan has received impressive press for its collection of small but ambitious celebrity-chef eateries. They're all out of my price range, but here's a glimpse of the upscale food court if you feel like indulging.

Per Se (212-823-9335) is chef Thomas Keller's (of French Laundry fame) new baby. Here, perfect New American food is dished out with luxurious trappings such as caviar, foie gras, Kobe beef and lobster. There are only 16 tables, all with views of Central Park.

Masa (212-823-9800) is where you go for over-the-top ($400 per person) sushi outings. Apparently, chef Masa Takayama is to sushi what Dali was to timepieces.

Cafe Gray (212-823-6338) Chef Gray Kunz returns to the limelight at his eponymous restaurant. He favours flavours from India, Thailand, Italy and France.

V Steakhouse (212-823-9500), named for chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, serves up steaks and sides in a burlesque-styled room with a bar.

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