On my latest trip to New York City, I noticed an interesting phenomenon: eateries that specialize in one dish . Perhaps inspired by the runaway success of Gray's Papaya (a fast food joint that sells hot dogs and juice), and a creative response to the sky-high rents in Manhattan, these small, quirky eateries are focusing their efforts on doing one thing very well. Here are three of my favourite specialty eateries in NYC - all of which are also great for anyone looking to eat on a budget . Rice to Riches 37 Spring Street Think you know rice pudding ? Think again. This cute and irrevently-decorated eatery in Nolita will make you rethink the under-appreciated dessert. Here, rice pudding is displayed and served much like ice cream. The flavours (all of which have funny names) range from Old Fashioned Romance (traditional rice pudding) to fruity and dessert-inspired flavours like Rest in Peach, Surrender to Mango, Fluent in French Toast, Sex Drugs and Rocky Road, and so many more. Rice pudding can be enjoyed au naturale or topped with tasty extras like nuts, coconut, or even pound cake. My favourite part about Rice to Riches are the cheeky signs that say things like "No Skinny Bitches" and "We Got Your Weight Watchers Right Here". I split the smallest size (around $5) with a friend and it was the perfect amount for two people. Macbar 54 Prince Street After a long day of walking around New York City, carbs are a necessity, and cheese sweetens the deal. Macbar, a restaurant specializing in mac and cheese , has both in spades. The menu includes gourmet options like Mac Quack (duck confit, fontina, and caramelized onions) and Mac Lobsta (fresh lobster, cognac, and mascarpone) alongside more traditional Four Cheese and Classic mac and cheese. Macbar is truly a mac and cheese mecca. Medium and large sizes are served in a container shaped like a macaroni noodle and (perhaps best of all) the dining room is also designed to look like a noodle, with curved, processed cheese-coloured walls. At $6-$9 for a meal that'll keep you full for hours, this is a great value in NYC. Pommes Frites 123 2nd Ave. At Pommes Frites, the magical combination of fried potatoes and dipping sauces come together with delicious results. The East Village eatery specializes in hand-cut french fries served with one (or many) homemade sauces, which range from flavoured mayos (rosemary garlic, smoked eggplant, pomegranate teriyaki, etc.) to various hot sauces and cheese sauces. The amptly-portioned fries...

Big vacation getaways are grand, but when money’s tight and your schedule’s even tighter, treat yourself to an extended 4-day weekend and take off on a mini break . My favourite destination for such an occasion: Montreal . In between the great shopping and the novelty of hearing “la la this” and “le le that” there are great food destinations and discoveries entrenched in this city, no matter the time of year. Here is a quick highlight reel from my recent trip: Au Pain Dore 1415 rue Peel If it’s fresh-baked goods you’re after, then you’re in luck. The boulangerie chain known as Au Pain Dore has several locations throughout the Montreal area and stocks a selection of fresh breads, tarts, pastries and sweets. It’s a good thing the location on Peel St. also has a small café sitting area on the second floor so you can inhale your treats without having to head back to the hotel. Bistro Le Contemporain 185, Sainte-Catherine Ouest Get your art fix and fill your tummy at the Museum of Contemporary Arts resto, Le Contemporain. Housed on the second floor landing it is a chic little nook of a resto that features lovely bistro fare highlighted by artisanal cheeses and salmon. The service is parfait and the atmosphere is charming (even if the current construction on St. Catharine is a bit of an eye sore—flip through your museum guide to distract yourself). Renaud-Bray 150, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest One of the only bookstores that stock all French books, Renaud-Bray also has a great selection of cookbooks for you to peruse. They had a lot of favourites as well as some titles I’m not familiar with, but are big hits in the French-speaking world. For instance, Sexy: Cuisiner pour deux c aught my eye immediately (the accompanying picture of Louis-Francois Marcotte didn’t hurt either!). Suite 88 Chocolatier 1225 de Maisonneuve West Surrender to the sweetness that this stylish shop offers in the form of truffles, chocolate dipped-snacks and decadent gelatos. One of their most sought-after products is “Les Shooters,” hallowed chocolate cones that are filled with premium liqueurs like Absolut Mandarin and Hypnotique. You need to upgrade your Flash Player to 9 or greater View Spotlight: Montreal Mini-Break in a larger map Related: Spotlight: Forging Ahead with Good Food, Hamilton Spotlight: Florence for Food Lovers

Above: Medieval dressed boars outside the butcher's shop ; Conti's many offerings at the San Lorenzo I’m embarrassed to tell you that on my day trip to Florence , I focused on the city’s less popular art form- its food. I didn’t even lay eyes on Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, but I did meet up with another artist of sorts- Florence’s own “ Divina Cucina ” Judy Witts Francini. A former pastry chef from San Francisco turned butcher and Tuscan food expert, Judy settled in the area, married an Italian man and began her famous walking food tours in 1988. We met on a picture perfect day and headed along a cobblestone lined street where dry goods shops and butcher shops butt up against each other in colourful symphony. A “still life” of stuffed, wild boars “dined” at a table outside a Macelleria (or butcher shop) where preserved boar sausages in olive oil beckon from atop cases of Italian meats. Next door, Judy pointed out Tuscan candies, beautiful bottles of Prosecco (Italy’s answer to Champagne), good espresso and other treats portable enough to make the trip back to Canada. But it was the central market that captured most every food lover’s imagination. (Florentine sweets; the filetto with tomatoes that we devoured at Pepo ) Mercato di San Lorenzo: Built in 1865, the old-world, cheery red-painted beam exterior greeted us. Here, Judy was on a first name basis with most every artisanal food producer. “Tuscan food is as good as it is because of the ingredients we have. We use the freshest food we can find that’s grown here,” she explained, pointing to towers of fruits and vegetables that gleam like edible jewels. A golden peach caught our eye, we took a bite and our eyes widened with a rush of sweet, sun-ripened juice. Conti Shop: In the market, we made our way to the finest purveyor of aged balsamic vinegars, olive oils and dried wild mushrooms. “True balsamic vinegar is like good port. Some lesser varieties use glucose and thickeners. This,” she said pointing at our sample of Leonardi 20-year, cherry wood aged balsamic, “is the real deal!” Syrup like, intense and heady- we agreed! Osteria Pepó was the welcoming eatery Judy chose for lunch after a full day of sampling a slice of life in Florence. At her suggestion, we tried the filetto – a thin, schnitzel-like piece of beef -- lightly breaded and pan seared until perfectly crisp on the...