I spent 2 weeks researching restaurants at every price point before my mom came to visit NYC, and here's where we went

About a month ago, my food-loving mom flew in from North Carolina to spend a weekend in New York City with me.

She was in charge of picking activities; I was in charge of picking food.

I wanted her to experience a variety of cuisines and see different neighborhoods of Manhattan. I also had to account for one "splurge" night - to celebrate her new job - but wanted to balance that out with affordable spots.

Most importantly, I wanted these places to have really good food.

There were a lot of factors to consider, but after two weeks of indecision and second-guessing, here's what I came up with, from $4 oats at a tiny oatmeal bar to $14 guacamole at Richard Sandoval's elegant Mexican restaurant, Pampano.