Week in NYC with 4 Kids

[Varmint]

Thanks, Susan. I know, I know, and when we get to the end of the week, it may be they totally forget about it. But if they don't, well, we will survive. I'll drink water and eat a small salad if necessary!

[Live It Up]

I'll second the recommendation up thread for Jing Fong for dim sum. The place is enormous, so that alone should impress and entertain the kids. They have carts, the servers there seem to speak english pretty well and the variety of dumplings they offer is fairly extensive.

[Gastro888]

No, seriously - do.not.go.to.Jin.Fong. It's not a good dim sum restaurant. Just don't. It's not worth it. Go to Great NY Noodletown, Big Wong's, New Big Wong's or or Congee Village.

[Eatmywords]

I gotta agree with Gas on this one. Jing Fong is pretty mediocre, loud and not the cleanest. And you should ask yourself, are the kids ready to see chicken feet, duck bills, tripe and other funky stuff? Might encounter a bit of "appetite reduction" there.

I think for a decent, dummed down, Americanized version of C-town dim sum, Dim Sum Go might suit your needs.

[Jesikka]

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. 

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Calvin Trillin writes hilariously about how one of his daughters would refuse to enter a Chinese restaurant without a bagel, "just in case."

[Luckylies]

dummed down, Americanized version

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pun intended I'm sure

I like Jing Fong. It's crazy and it's mine!

[nixienox]

I read through the responses with some interest. I have 2 children 13 and 4, my 13 year old is wildly adventurous and the 4 year old, not so much. We have had good times in Landmarc, Balthazar and Bread Tribeca. I might also suggest choosing a favorite dish or ingredient and looking for variations arounf town, like a candy or chocolate tour--- Jacques Torres, Kees, Economy Candy, just for starters, downtown. Or a sandwich tour, banh mi, cubano, pulled pork, pastrami. Or compare ice cream and gelato. Children are often very discerning in surprising ways and mine love comparing subtle differences between, for instance, cucumber rolls or miso soup (which happened this evening). Looking for interesting storefronts in neighborhoods that change so drastically within a few block, that's what I remember from my first visit to NY.

[MarkIsCooking]

On the Mars 2112, if this trip is really about the kids, then suck it up and go. They'll love it. Just know that it's hokey and the food sucks, but they'll love it. If they're into spooky, in the same genre is Jekyll and Hyde.

Have fun!

[Varmint]

Does anyone know how Danny Meyer's restaurants deal with kids? For example, would the children have to order the full menu at Gramercy Tavern or Tabla? And I'm talking about the main restaurants, not the tavern/bread bar parts.

[Gastro888]

I gotta agree with Gas on this one.  Jing Fong is pretty mediocre, loud and not the cleanest.  And you should ask yourself, are the kids ready to see chicken feet, duck bills, tripe and other funky stuff? Might encounter a bit of "appetite reduction" there.

I think for a decent, dummed down, Americanized version of C-town dim sum, Dim Sum Go might suit your needs.

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Didn't Varmit host a pig roast? Or am I remembering incorrectly? If he did, wouldn't his kids be used to animal parts?

They just might like chicken feet and tripe. There are no duck bills on the menu or any Chinese menu for that matter. You'd have to special order the duck tongues and the duck feet are readily available at the hot station in the far right corner.

[Gastro888]

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. 

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Calvin Trillin writes hilariously about how one of his daughters would refuse to enter a Chinese restaurant without a bagel, "just in case."

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If you want, try stopping off at a Chinese bakery before hand to get a small piece of bao (steamed or baked bun, filled with sweet or savory items or not) for your picky eaters. That's just funny his daughter did that. Imagine if I went into Craft with a box of Pocky "just in case"!

[Varmint]

Didn't Varmit host a pig roast?  Or am I remembering incorrectly?  If he did, wouldn't his kids be used to animal parts?

They just might like chicken feet and tripe.  There are no duck bills on the menu or any Chinese menu for that matter.  You'd have to special order the duck tongues and the duck feet are readily available at the hot station in the far right corner.

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Yes, I've done many a pig, but I get it after the abbatoir has done its magic -- no offal remaining. I'm not thinking the kids would love tripe or chicken feet. Not yet, anyhow.

And I won't be taking any back-up food to any of the restaurants. If they don't like it, there's always another meal to come!

[Varmint]

Well, our "high end" meal has been set. It will be at Union Square Cafe, and it will be an early table (5:30) on a quiet night (Monday). I'll report back.

I'll also report back on the other places that we chose. Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

[Varmint]

We've hit a couple of diner-type places close to our accomodations (E&J's Luncheonette and Viand), had good bagels from Eli's Vinegar Factory, and had a fantastic dinner at Union Square Cafe. It was absolutely perfect for the children, and they all walked away full of great food with smiles on their faces. Amazingly, the children didn't ask for a single deviation from the menu!

Today we may hit Katz's and Grimaldi's.

And no, there probably won't be any pictures. Sorry!

[rich]

We've hit a couple of diner-type places close to our accomodations (E&J's Luncheonette and Viand), had good bagels from Eli's Vinegar Factory, and had a fantastic dinner at Union Square Cafe.  It was absolutely perfect for the children, and they all walked away full of great food with smiles on their faces.  Amazingly, the children didn't ask for a single deviation from the menu!

Today we may hit Katz's and Grimaldi's.

And no, there probably won't be any pictures.  Sorry!

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Just a word of warning about today. Since today is the first day of Passover, check to see if Katz is open. I'm not Jewish, so I don't know the rules, maybe someone who is knowledgeable can answer.

[daisy17]

They sell cheeseburgers and they're open on Passover.

[rich]

They sell cheeseburgers and they're open on Passover.

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Thanks Daisy. What does the reference to cheeseburgers mean?

[Sneakeater]

Mixing meat and dairy is NOT kosher.

[daisy17]

They sell cheeseburgers and they're open on Passover.

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Thanks Daisy. What does the reference to cheeseburgers mean?

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That it's a "Jewish deli" but non-Kosher/observant. The laws of Kosher prohibit the mixing of milk and meat, so in a Kosher restaurant you would never find them both served - the kitchen is either one or the other. (Like Ratner's, for example, which was a dairy-only restaurant.) So a kosher Jewish deli (meat) would never serve dairy products, let alone a cheeseburger. But I was in Russ & Daughters a couple of weeks ago (appetizing is usually dairy) and they were selling chicken soup and it surprised me. All of this from a pork-loving secular jew who grew up in a kosher home (not sure why I even notice these things) . . . .

Sorry for the digression. Katz's is a NY institution and not to be missed. Even if they start serving shrimp.

[daisy17]

Mixing meat and dairy is NOT kosher.

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or I could have just said that.

[rich]

Mixing meat and dairy is NOT kosher.

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or I could have just said that.

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Sorry, I fogot that for the moment.

Some of these religious dietary laws get silly. It's like us Catholics who aren't supposed to eat meat on Fridays (now in Lent only). Yeah right. Most Catholics should know this was started to assist the European fish industry. I guess all organized religions base their dietary rules on economic decsions of long ago.

[Varmint]

We did Katz's in all its glory. Pastrami, turkey, hot dogs, knishes, latkes, and egg creams. The owner came by and thanked us for visiting. He thought we were locals because we ordered the knish and hot dogs. Very nice guy. Even better food!

We hit Economy Candy afterwards, which was a bit much for me, let alone the children. We had plenty of snacks over the course of the afternoon while taking the Staten Island Ferry and visiting the South Street Seaport.

From there we went to Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. Great, great pizza. We had the white pizza (actually, two of them), a pepperoni, and a sausage. All of it top notch. To follow, we got ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (is that the right name) and looked at Manhattan in all its night-time glory. Wonderful ice cream and wonderful views.

I have absolutely zero food plans tomorrow, which is great, as I may be broke soon!

[Pan]

Yeah, Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

What time of day did you hit Grimaldi's?

[Varmint]

A little after 6, right after they replenished the oven. It was very, very good. A little heavier than a Patsy's pizza, which I still may have to try, but a wonderful experience nonetheless.

Looking for a great breakfast today before the rain comes (of course, this is the day we have Yankees' tickets!).

[Varmint]

Just a couple of photos. Here are the children at Katz's. Maybe we can get them to put this photo on the wall.

My daughter's first attempt at a Katz's turkey sandwich.

Ah, nothing like a Grimaldi's sausage pie. Note that my 6 year old already has her "folding" technique down.