Week in NYC with 4 Kids

[Varmint]

It's ultimately a situation where I know the girls wouldn't care for it, but the boys would.  Although there'd always be dessert, right?!  I think I need to ponder it a bit more.  I can be swayed, Doc!

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Have they ever had a meal like what they would have there?

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Absolutely not. We go out a lot, but I really can't think of a single time I've taken our family to a high end restaurant. Seriously. I'm just trying to be honest here, and I fear that something as fabulous as Jean Georges would be overwhelming. That's why I was focusing on something that would be considered to be more of a "baby steps" approach -- a place that would introduce the kids to a bit more formal service but where the food would be accessible.

You have to realize that my children are EXTREMELY independent. Hell, only one of them actually likes barbecue, and even he doesn't love it!

[Varmint]

This isn't haute cuisine by a long shot, but my kids have always enjoyed a trip to Pommes Frites when we go to NYC.  They were just asking when we could go there again.  There's something so uniquely NYC about a shop that only sells french fries!

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Those type of "snack" places are always great. Thanks!

[SusanGiff]

For something upscale, think about L'Impero, for a number of reasons: the pickier in your group can have their fine spaghetti with marinara sauce, while the try-anything kids will find plenty to try, especially seafood. It's beautiful, and elegant in a very New York way, without being stuffy or imposing. It's not crazy expensive, and the food is just consistently very good.

[Pan]

I have to say, I would highly recommend NOT going to Ollie's! Surely, you can get mediocre American-Chinese food at home!

For dim sum, the best I've had in New York was at Chinatown Brasserie, but I think that a place in Chinatown may be more fun for your kids (as well as a lot cheaper!). I've liked Oriental Garden best of the Chinatown dim sum places, but they may rush you more than some of the bigger eating halls. One possibility is to show up for an early breakfast at 9 o'clock or so at a place like Harmony Palace. If you do, you can all relax, you're much more likely to get good service, and all the food will be hot. You'd get better dim sum in Flushing than in Chinatown, though, and the subway ride might be fun, because of the views of the Manhattan skyline and also the diversity of the riders on that line. Gastro888 seems to be the foremost authority on Flushing dim sum on this board.

[Varmint]

For dim sum, I'd like to go to a place where they have the carts, where it would be more of a lunch-time event, and where the waitstaff MIGHT be able to tell us what they have. Although the mystery of it all could make it more exciting, of course.

[Pan]

You're guaranteed to be told what you're having at Chinatown Brasserie, but you have to order it. Anywhere else, you're not guaranteed. I know that on weekends, there are carts at Oriental Garden, but I'm not sure how much that's true on weekdays. I don't think the big dim sum eating halls in Chinatown are very good, though. There are relevant threads, but I'm too tired to search them down right now. At least two are "THE BEST" threads, and there are links to them near the top of this forum.

[MarkIsCooking]

I think I understand better what you're looking for. Here's a suggestion and I know that many here will moan, but here goes anyway.

You might want to give China Grill a try. China Grill Info

It's always a bit on the loud side, so with kids you don't have to sit on pins and needles like you would at a Le Bernardin type place (Im NOT comparing the food).

The food is dependably good and if your kids are picky at all, you can always find something there that they'd eat (at least we do).

It's not NYC's finest, but if you're working on moving them up the scale, it could be worth a try.

-Mark-

[weinoo]

I gotta go back to my original suggestion - if your kids watch food network, and you can find out if Flay will be in the house at Mesa or Bar Americain, what could be more fun (for the kids) than seeing or maybe even meeting one of the original NYC celeb chefs and have some good food in a fun environment all at the same time?

[Jesikka]

My last meal at Union Square was mediocre at best. If you're looking for Danny Meyer I would consider Eleven Madison Park or Bar Modern. Bar Modern could be good with kids because it has a really varied menu and the plates are small and thus adjust well to small appetites. Plus, taking the kids to MOMA is a necessity.

Landmarc is a great place to take kids. The menu has everything a typical steakhouse would, plus wines that are less marked up and lots of options for stretching your kids' palates (boudin noir, marrow bones). I believe they have a children's menu and I know it's a child friendly environment. The food is quite good at that price point .

[Varmint]

I was thinking about Landmarc, particularly if we're in that part of town.

I'm definitely considering the Flay places. And I'll look at China Grill. I'm totally open to all suggestions and will try not to dismiss any out of hand.

The one thing about this vacation is that for the most part, what we do won't be focused on food. My first priority is to maximize the cultural aspects of the city. Thus, there will be a couple of shows. There will be a Yankees' game. We'll go to MOMA and the Guggenheim and the Natural History museum. We'll take the Staten Island ferry (who doesn't love free stuff?).

However, the kids do want to go to Grimaldi's. They want a Chinatown experience (including Chinatown Ice Cream). They want some bagels. And they NEED to go to a NY deli. Other than that, they don't really care. The older three went to Becco with their grandparents several months ago and have been raving about it ever since. We could go back, but I'm looking for alternatives. And y'all have been fantastic with your suggestions.

Thanks!

[slkinsey]

However, the kids do want to go to Grimaldi's.  They want a Chinatown experience (including Chinatown Ice Cream).  They want some bagels.  And they NEED to go to a NY deli.  Other than that, they don't really care.  The older three went to Becco with their grandparents several months ago and have been raving about it ever since.  We could go back, but I'm looking for alternatives.  And y'all have been fantastic with your suggestions.

My recommendations:

Grimaldi's: Grimaldi's (duh!) Nearby Grimaldi's are Jacques Torres Chocolate and the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

Chinatown: Jing Fong. A specialty is Peking Duck. The menu is full of things that are "foodie appropriate" as well as items that are accessible to the less adventurous. The room is gigantic and clamorous. Chinatown Brasserie. This is a more upscale dim sum place. There's a thread on it somewhere. And there's always New Green Bo.

Bagels: Ess-a-Bagel if they want bagel sandwiches. Absolute Bagels if they want the very best bagels in the City (the minibagels) to carry out.

Deli: Katz's for pastrami and corned beef, Barney Greengrass for fish.

Other: What about a subway ride to Queens for Thai at Sripraphai? For good food at a great price that's accessible to anyone from foodie adults to kids, you can't beat Landmarc. For something a little different you may be unlikely to find in NC, you might consider Zoma for Ethiopian food. For Italian, Lupa is a good recommendation, but make sure you get there early if you don't want to wait forever for a table. For accessible Korean with a huge menu, you could try Kang Suh. And for good, interesting, unique food there's always Momofuku Ssäm Bar. For a reasonably upscale experience that won't burn a hole in your pocket and won't be over the youngest children's heads, maybe the Tavern Room at Gramercy Tavern (how can you go wrong with an entre featuring roasted bacon?).

[SaltySnack]

Do Not go to 11 Madison Park. Way too long of a meal with kids who won't appreciate it. I went this week and was not bowled over by dishes with foam and a meal that could have ended hours earlier.

I second the idea of Landmarc. It's great.

You do realize that most of the recommendations for restaurants you have been given are downtown. However, your plans are taking you to the Bronx for a Yankees game, to the UES side for the Guggenheim and to midtown to the MOMA. In other words, maybe you need some ideas for restaurants around those places because unless you are doing a food tour, you may be scrounging to look for a place to eat because it is noon and you've just finished your visit to the Guggenheim and the kids are hungry, and it's not exactly convenient to get from the UES to Chinatown for lunch if you have to find a place NOW.

[slkinsey]

For the Yankees game, there's always a stop off at Patsy's East Harlem for a quick pizza or five.

For Broadway shows (what, no opera?! ) I always like the egregiously under-hyped Esca, one of the best fish places in the city that also has pasta and even some good dishes for non-fish-eaters.

For the Museum of Natural History, both Celesteand Cesca are reasonably nearby. Nice Matin could be a good choice, with things like the "five napkin burger" for the kids and "monkfish wrapped In pancetta" for the geezers.

[sundownyellowmoon]

I was thinking about Landmarc, particularly if we're in that part of town. 

I'm definitely considering the Flay places.  And I'll look at China Grill.  I'm totally open to all suggestions and will try not to dismiss any out of hand.

The one thing about this vacation is that for the most part, what we do won't be focused on food.  My first priority is to maximize the cultural aspects of the city.  Thus, there will be a couple of shows.  There will be a Yankees' game.  We'll go to MOMA and the Guggenheim and the Natural History museum.  We'll take the Staten Island ferry (who doesn't love free stuff?).

However, the kids do want to go to Grimaldi's.  They want a Chinatown experience (including Chinatown Ice Cream).  They want some bagels.  And they NEED to go to a NY deli.  Other than that, they don't really care.  The older three went to Becco with their grandparents several months ago and have been raving about it ever since.  We could go back, but I'm looking for alternatives.  And y'all have been fantastic with your suggestions.

Thanks!

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Hi, If you are going to NYC when Danny Meyer's "Shake Shack" is open in Madison Park, I'd go there. We took our kids (17 and 10) there, and had a rendezvous with their cousins (15 and 11). We all sat outside. The kids loved the burgers. You can get decent wine for yourself, too, if so inclined.

At MOMA with kids, I'd eat at one of the restaurants in the museum--but not at The Modern--too fussy at least for my 10-year old. The food is not like Eleven Madison Park or Jean-Georges or Becco, but you've got 4 kids!

Best wishes,

[weinoo]

Hi, If you are going to NYC when Danny Meyer's "Shake Shack" is open in Madison Park, I'd go there.  We took our kids (17 and 10) there, and had a rendezvous with their cousins (15 and 11).  We all sat outside. 

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It's actually opening today - but I don't think you'll want to sit outside in the park just yet!

[Varmint]

Well, we have tickets to 2 matinee theater performances, so I guess we need to find places to eat in the general vicinity of the theater district. My kids are clamoring to go to -- hold your breath, please -- Mars 2112. (Must . . . remember . . . that . . . they're . . . children. Must . . . remember . . . this . . . is . . . their . . . trip, not mine)

[Jesikka]

Well, we have tickets to 2 matinee theater performances, so I guess we need to find places to eat in the general vicinity of the theater district.  My kids are clamoring to go to -- hold your breath, please -- Mars 2112.  (Must . . . remember . . . that . . . they're . . . children.  Must . . . remember . . . this . . . is . . . their . . . trip, not mine)

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If they HAVE to go to Mars 2112 (and who wouldn't want to take a spaceship to get to dinner?) you should grab takeout from the nearby Bouchon Bakery to get you through the experience.

[Varmint]

We'll survive at least one crappy meal in NY. I can eat lousy, Applebee's-like food as well as the next guy, but I like your thinking!

[Curlz]

I mentioned this thread to a friend who is a lifelong New Yorker; her response was "I never let out-of-towners who like food leave without at least one meal at Balthazar!" So now you have her two cents as well.

[docsconz]

Instead of the Yankees, you could go to a Mets game and eat at a nearby place like Sripraphai, something we did the last time we went to Shea.

[Varmint]

The last time I went to a Yankees' game was 9 years ago when my oldest was 4. It was his first ever game. David Wells pitched a perfect game. Not a bad start for him.

[docsconz]

The last time I went to a Yankees' game was 9 years ago when my oldest was 4.  It was his first ever game.  David Wells pitched a perfect game.  Not a bad start for him.

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What's a southerner like you doing going to a Yankees game anyway? The hot dogs are better at Shea! (Actually not a frequenter of Yankee Stadium myself, I cannot honestly say that and I don't think I would ever say that I went to Shea for the food anyway - but maybe despite it! )

[Varmint]

Actually, I went to a Red Sox -- Yankees game a couple of years ago -- the same day I was introduced to Patsy's pizza. Oh my God!

And I'm just a sports fan. Was a huge Mets fan back in 73, but not since.

[Majra]

We took our kids to NYC about a year and a half ago, when they were 8 and 10 years old. Our younger one is picky. As a strategy, we took the little one for a slice of pizza or a bagel before restauranting. It took the pressure off her and us--we respected what she needed and she, in turn, did the same for us. With a full stomach, she was probably more open to "trying" new things than if she was faced with the daunting task of satiating her hunger with unfamiliar foods. For us, we didn't stress at all if she ate or didn't at a new place, if she had eaten something beforehand. The downside is that you have to budget a bit more time for dining if you plan on doing separate stops for your girls.

I also want to comment about Ollie's. I know that it is not highly respected as a Chinese restaurant, but we ate there a couple of times and my kids are still talking about it. It was proximal to our hotel in Times Square, and we were all happy enogh to go back more than once. To this day, when I stir-fry chicken with green beans, I tell my kids that we're having "Ollie's" for dinner.

[SusanGiff]

Well, we have tickets to 2 matinee theater performances, so I guess we need to find places to eat in the general vicinity of the theater district.  My kids are clamoring to go to -- hold your breath, please -- Mars 2112.  (Must . . . remember . . . that . . . they're . . . children.  Must . . . remember . . . this . . . is . . . their . . . trip, not mine)

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I have two kids, and I will do almost anything and go almost anywhere for or with them (I've seen Rent twice in the past year, so there you go). So with that said: PLEASE SEE IF YOU CAN TALK THEM OUT OF THIS ONE! One of the worst meals I've ever had in New York City. Truly. It was just horrible. Even the diet Coke was bad. Even my daughter, as far from epicurean as you can get, thought it was bad, and was unamused by the roving alien. There are lots of better (not good, just better) restaurants in the area that will satisfy their need for touristy. Actually, there's a new Hard Rock Cafe nearby, and I've always found that food palatable and the atmosphere kind of fun. But maybe you have one near you.

Alright, I just felt it was my duty to warn you.