Craig Carton admittedly has a big mouth. And as the co-host of WFAN’s wildly successful talk-radio program “Boomer & Carton,” he loves nothing more than to stir the pot of New York sports. It’s helped him garner fans like Paul Simon and Jerry Seinfeld, who once called Carton “funny” on the air. “I had that as my ring tone for six months,” says the Tribeca father of four, 44. The only time the caustic radio man and two-time “Iron Chef” judge isn’t yapping? When he’s eating his way through the Big Apple. “I eat like a pig,” says Carton, who released a memoir, “Loudmouth,” earlier this summer. “It is one of my favorite things to do.” This is his New York.
1. Lavo, 39 E. 58th St., between Park and Madison avenues
“This is absolutely one of, if not my favorite, restaurants. They have the best meatball in a town that has gone meatball crazy. It is the meatball that all others should be judged by. I try and come here at least once a month, and always get the garlic bread and meatball. And you can’t leave Lavo without having a fried Oreo cookie for dessert.”
2. Waldorf Astoria, 301 Park Ave., at 49th Street
“I acknowledge [brunch here] is a once-a-year thing, only because it’s expensive. It’s old and stodgy, and we’re kind of like the Griswolds showing up. The best part for me is letting my kids, assuming they’re well-behaved, go to the chocolate fountain and stick their fingers in once in a while. We live across the street from 15 men who sell fake handbags — some of them get arrested every few days — so once a year, we take the kids to the Waldorf, so they know New York isn’t just that.”
3. Pier 25, 225 N. Moore St., near West Street
“There’s a miniature golf course, so I am there once a week battling my family. I always win. I’ll see that one of my kids clearly has a four, but they’ll say, ‘I got a two.’ We always play for ice cream. When you go all the way to the back of the pier, there’s a field, so you can play soccer or catch right on the Hudson River. It’s awesome.”
4. Porter House, 10 Columbus Circle
“Chris Christie (above) and I have been friends for ten years. When he became governor, that’s where we had our celebration dinner. We’ve had dinner together 50 times, but once he was the governor, there were undercover state troopers who had to stake out the restaurant. I always get the filet mignon, medium rare, with sauteed garlic on the side.”
5. Arturo’s, 106 W. Houston St., at Thompson Street
“I am a thin-crust New York pizza type of guy, yet this is not that at all. But when you go to Arturo’s and sit down, have some pizza and listen to the jazz band, the atmosphere is great. Is it the single best slice of pizza ever? No, but for the experience, it’s great.”
6. Emack and Bolio’s, 73 W. Houston St., between West Broadway and Wooster streets
“Everyone says you have to go to Serendipity. But $500 for an ice cream sundae? I think it’s bulls - - t. [Emack and Bolio’s] has basic homemade ice cream. I get the peppermint patty with hot fudge on top. My kids get the Rice Krispies Treats cones. We go twice a week. The name sucks, though. It sounds like a disease, like you got bit by a mosquito and you’re going to die.”
7. Churrascaria Riodizio Tribeca, 221 W. Broadway, near Vesey Street
“I’m here twice a month, and I roll out of the place every time. I eat every meat that comes around. They also have really good tilapia. It’s not on the menu, though. I have it all with a passion fruit caipirinha (below) — or four. I’ve had my kid’s birthday party there — he just turned 11. I have my kids eating chicken hearts and all of that.”
8. Chelsea Piers, 23rd Street and Hudson River Park
“I play basketball there every Tuesday night. When I am playing, invariably I can tell when a guy recognizes me. They know I’m the guy on the radio, so they’ll play me really tough. The name of our team is the Over-the-Hill Gang. ”
9. Inattesso Pizzabar Casano, 28 West St., near 1st Place
“Everything there is homemade. They have a white pizza with a fried egg on top, which is probably going to kill me. Go in there any time of the day, and it’s buzzing. Plus they have really good orecchiette with sausage, which is my favorite dish.”