I research restaurants at every price point before my mom visits NYC — here are 15 we've gone to so far

Last June, 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.

June's itinerary must have passed the test because she recently headed back north, for Mother's Day weekend.

I went back to the drawing board, researching restaurants at various price points for us to explore — like before, I wanted to balance out pricier "splurge" spots with affordable places. And of course, I wanted these places to have really good food.

After two calorie-packed weekends, we've now checked off 15 New York restaurants and cafés.

We've savored oats at a tiny oatmeal bar in Greenwich Village and sampled foie gras at a world-renowned restaurant on the Upper East Side. Read on to see what we ate in between.

SEE ALSO: One couple fed themselves for 6 months on less than $200 by eating the food no one else wanted

Dough

Various locations

One of the few requests my mom made was that we get really good donuts somewhere. Naturally, I took her to Dough, which is based out of Brooklyn but opened a location dangerously close to my office in the Flatiron district.

If you're desperate to satisfy a sweet tooth, you can't go wrong with Dough. Bring a friend or two along so you can split a variety ... choosing just one is next to impossible.

Price: $5.50 for two donuts

$ out of $$$$ on Yelp

Frisson Espresso

Hell's Kitchen: 326 W 47th Street

If you find yourself caffeine-deprived in Hell's Kitchen, Frisson Espresso is your spot.

The relatively new coffee shop is charming, with just as charming of a staff — last June when I was living next door, they agreed to deliver my keys to my mom, who arrived at my apartment while I was at work. They also let me pre-pay for a coffee and scone to greet the traveler.

Price: $7.25 for a medium coffee and scone

$ out of $$$$ on Yelp

Levain Bakery

Upper West Side: 167 W 74th Street

If you have a soft spot for sweets, Levain Bakery cookies are a must.

The Upper West Side bakery is renowned for their dense, melt-in-your-mouth treats that more resemble a scone than a cookie.

This place exceeded all of my expectations. We tried the chocolate chip walnut and the oatmeal raisin, and will definitely be returning for the dark chocolate peanut butter chip.

Price: $8 for two cookies

$$ out of $$$$ on Yelp