NEW YORK DINERS SPEND MORE ON MEALS, TIPS.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Diners spend about $10 more per meal to eat in New York restaurants than their counterparts pay across the country, but they don't seem to mind -- they leave bigger tips too.

The average price for a meal in a New York restaurant, including drink, tax and tip, was $33.17 in 1999, up from $31.68 last year, according to the 2000 edition of the Zagat New York City Restaurant Survey, released Sunday. That's the highest price since the 1990 recession, the guide said.

The national average for 24 cities surveyed by Zagat was $23.84 per meal, according to Zagat.

The average tip left by those who participated in …