Supermarket shelves these days are packed full of delicious burgers, pizzas, cheesecakes, bagels and pretzels.

So with a penchant for allAmerican eats, the aim of my trip to NYC was to fit my sightseeing around my quest for my favourite foods.
I got straight down to business at the New York Burger Co, at 303 Park Avenue South. Voted as serving the best burgers in various polls since it opened in 2004, and boasting a tastier, healthier burger than other chains (Jamie Oliver would be so proud), I gave it a whirl.

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The burger was char-grilled instead of fried, made with Angus beef and preservative-free. The onion rings were fresh, crisp and actually tasted of onion - not the usual oil-soaked mush you get over here. There was an amazing array of accompaniments too, such as chipotle honey sauce, cherrywood smoked bacon, mango salsa and blue cheese.

So far, so I'd just gained about half a stone.
There was only one thing for it - go somewhere I'd feel small.
The Empire State Building, to be precise. Being the city that never sleeps, sightseeing in the dark is very much the norm and a nighttime visit is not only spectacular, but great for beating the queues.

Zooming up to the 86th floor of the art deco former office block, my ears popped.
Soon I was stepping out onto the terrace overlooking the world's most recognisable skyline. Up high, all the hustle and bustle, traffic noise and New Yorkers' loud banter melts away, enabling the cityscape to sparkle with its diamond lights.

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So it was back to my hotel, the sky-high, so somewhat hilariously-named, Flatotel on 52nd and 7th, bang in the middle of Manhattan.
Conveniently located between Central Park and Times Square, it is the perfect spot to get to know the city.

With rooms twice as big as the British average, my 16th floor abode had views out towards the famous shopping strip, 5th Avenue, and a giant bed.
The next day, continuing my food tour, I found a traditional eatery, the Brooklyn Diner, on the corner of 42nd and 7th near Times Square. I chomped my way through another classic, the New York club sandwich. A tower of turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, with mustard and mayonnaise between three layers of toasted bread.

This diner got the right proportions of everything, so another thumbs-up. It's open all day and until late so be sure to try the cinnamon and raisin pecan French toast made with strawberries, whipped cream and maple syrup.

Plus they have a whole section of the menu for eggs and classics including New York strip steak and fried chicken and waffles with maple syrup.
Another great breakfast option is Lindy's, just one block from the hotel on 53rd and 7th.

Serving everything from pancakes to the full American breakfast (with maple syrup if desired), I managed to spend a small fortune on brekkie.
With eyes as big as my everexpanding waistline, I learned how expensive New York can be.

For first-time visitors like me, it is easy to get swept up in the American (food) Dream and you could spend your life savings in days in the restaurants.
So after that I learned to pick up sandwiches from local delis like Caf?Metro, handily on the corner of almost every block across the city, and slices of pizza in street cafés in Little Italy, including Mama Rosa, on the corner of Elizabeth and Grand Streets.

Although, I did treat myself to a mouth-watering steak feast in Ben Benson's Steak House on 52nd Street. Served alongside it were home fries - fried potatoes with peppers and onions - a real staple of our friends across the pond.

Not in the mood to walk very far, I opted for an open-top bus ride to see the city.
Sitting on the top deck in the sunshine, it is the most amazing way to take in the sheer scale of the city's buildings.
Two-day rides on New York Sightseeing start at ?0 and you can hop on and hop off as many times as you like.

I chose the Downtown Loop, which took in the areas of Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Soho and the World Trade site. It gave me a deep understanding of the city and included the history of Fashion Avenue, where world-leading threads were first mass produced in factories, kick-starting what is now known as the High Street.
By the early 1930s, Fashion Avenue had the largest collection of clothing manufacturers in American history. Sadly most of them have now disappeared but in their place are dozens of bronze and granite statues heralding fashion's most celebrated figures.

As well as trawling the NY mega department store Macy's for some classic American labels like Ralph Lauren, I also checked out some of the trendy boutiques in Soho and Greenwich Village.

It's vintage shops galore, including Alice Underground in Lower Broadway which, according to the owners, has seen the likes of Dolc?and Gabbana rifling through the racks for inspiration for their new collections.

For a night out, head down to the Meatpacking District or Canal Street where trendy bars line the pavements.
I enjoyed cocktails in Firefly before heading to the relaxed Spring Lounge, which is popular with younger crowds and great for meeting authentic New Yorkers over Manhattan cocktails - in my opinion, the best NYC taste of them all. Cheers!

Fact File
THREE nights in New York with Virgin Holidays, including flights with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow, room-only accommodation at the three-star-plus Flatotel with transfers, starts from £765, saving up to £360. Prices per person based on two adults sharing a standard room, all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges based on June 25 departures.
START your holiday before you take off in the V-room at Gatwick or Manchester airports for £20 for adults or £12 for kids. To book visit virginholidays.co.uk, call 0844 557 3859 or visit one of Virgin's 50 stores located in Debenhams and House of Fraser stores nationwide.
RIDES on the New York Sightseeing bus cost from £30 and trips vary from an entire city tour to just downtown or uptown Manhattan or a tour of Brooklyn. Visit newyorkcitysightseeing.com.
THE Empire State Building observatory is open from 8pm to 2am, seven days a week. Tickets start at £11.60 per adult. See esbnyc.com.