arc

Will be taking my 15-year-old daughter to NYC in March for our 2nd annual mom/daughter shopping trip. Any restaurant recommendations? She loves Italian & Chinese, is pretty experimental, but doesn't really enjoy super expensive or elegant restaurants. No Mexican, please, we are from Texas.

uuhhhh

Take a walk around NYU and the Village and you'll find a number of places that will catch your eyes. Lupa is one that comes to mind.

andy

A great place to take your daughter is Serendipity---- near Bloomingdales...

Make sure you have their Frozen Hot Chocolate and a Burger with Caviar-
Both are fabulous!!

DavidDJ

For some really good Italian restaurants, go to Mulberry Sreet in Little Italy. I like IL Cortile. I have also heard that La Mela is also good. You really can't go wrong with just about any restaurant on Mulberry St.

http://www.littleitalynyc.com/restaurants.asp

http://ilcortile.citysearch.com/

Patrick

I think she'd love Ruby Foo's, either near Times Square or the one on the upper West side.

gc

A second vote for La Mela in Little Italy. It's fun, it's boisterous, it's lively with the travelling troubadours.
I brought my girls there when they were that age and they loved it!
There's also a famous chocolate/dessert place nearby whose name escapes me.
Help Fodorites?

gc

A second vote for La Mela in Little Italy. It's fun, it's boisterous, it's lively with the travelling troubadours.
I brought my girls there when they were that age and they loved it!
There's also a famous chocolate/dessert place nearby whose name escapes me.
Help Fodorites?

gc

sorry...didn't try to do that...

Statia

I second the recomendation of Serendipity (from the movie), and I also suggest Carmine's Italian near Times Square. Took a friend's teen girl there before and she really enjoyed it.

Another place she enjoyed was Roxie on Times Square.

I also agree that there are great restaurants and atmosphere on Mulberry Street in Little Italy.

Have fun!

Cima

I second (third?) La Mela. I also like Cucina de Peche (4th Street Btwn 2nd and 3rd - 212-260-6800). Very good and affordable Italian - owners very nice.

Patrick

Roxie's is the place we had breakfast. I started to drink my glass of water and tasted something odd. I looked and my glass had major lipstick on it. Some actually came off on my mouth. I asked the waitress for a new glass of water because of the lipstick. She insisted it was just "color" on the glass and not lipstick and refused to bring me another one. I wiped the lipstick with my finger (no not my middle one), and pointed it to her; she walked away. I wouldn't set foot in that place if it were the only restaurant in New York!!!

pattynyc

For Chinese I'd agree with Ruby Foo's or a dim sum brunch stop at a Chinatown dumpling place. If she's really experimental, what about United Noodles (E. 12th St between First & Second Aves) which is "fusion" - Thai, Italian, Japanese, American influences.

For Italian, let me also add some neighborhood-y type places: Petaluma at 73rd St & First Ave (upper east side) and Gigino Trattoria on Greenwich St. between Duane and Reade in Tribeca.

Your daughter may love Serendipity, there certainly were a lot of teens there, but I and my 8 year old don't like it at all. Too crowded, too noisy and the main food is pretty mediocre we think. We didn't make it to dessert although many friends swear by their frozen hot chocolate. For a quieter time, if you or your child is more that type, you may want to try Alice's Tea Cup on 73rd St, right west of Columbus Ave, for a pot of tea and some scones or dessert...

martas

If she's experimental, how about Indian food? Sixth Street in the East Village has lots of them; all are generally good and very reasonable. For a knockout view and good Indian, try Nirvana on Central Park South, but it's a bit pricey. Food at Serendipity is OK, overpriced, but it is lively - best value is there is the hot dog, and then you'll have room for the frozen hot chocolate, the most unique thing about the place. Little Italy is fun, but does not have the best food (agree that Il Cortile is good). For about the same price, I like Primola (64th and 2nd), and have often seen celebrities there on Sat. nights, which could be fun for a 15-year old. Carmine's is delicious (very garlicky) but serves family style, which means that you really should go with a larger group so that you can sample more food. As a transplanted Texan, I agree - skip the Mexican in NY!!

CUlater

I suggest you visit chowhound.com to get some suggestions. It's a great resource, particularly for NYC eateries, and there are already some recent threads there with similar questions.

LarryJG62

Is she a Britney Spears fan? Her restaurent NYLA on 41st St might be fun for her.

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/35161424/

CUlater

Britney disassociated herself from NYLA back in November. The cuisine was going to change to Italian, with Larry Forgione becoming executive chef, but I don't think that ever happened. I believe the restaurant there is now closed (it's in the Dylan Hotel).

tommy

How about Noche. It's Latin (not Mexican) food in an upscale atmosphere, but still pretty casual. It is run by the former Windows on the World people. It's three or four levels, and has a nightclub type feel. Located in Times Square. More sophisticated than Carmines or Serendipity.

MFNYC

Go to the East Village and just wander around. That is one of the best restaurant neighborhoods in the city. Huge variety, great value and not touristy.

flopmeister

Ah, thought this was original, but others have suggested it as well, there is strenth in numbers!

After a tough day of shopping at bloomies, etc., take your daughter for a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity
225 East 60th Street (near 3rd Avenue). It is a truly memorable place, but go at an off hour because it is a madhouse when busy. Late at night is great, too.

Okay, because you MUST shop in SoHo, and she MUST shop in the Village, and you're going to need breakfast, go to Aggie's ($15 & under)146 W. Houston St. (@MacDougal St.), 673-8994 M-F 8am-3pm, Sa & Su 10am-4pm, MTW 5:30pm-10pm, Th F & Sa 5:30pm-11pm Americana. Tell the cabbie to take you to Houston (pronounced HOWSTON) and MacDougal. If your lucky, Aggie will be in there and i think she is from Texas originally, but she is a village fixture. If you wind up in the Village for dinner, go to Brother's BBQ on Houston near Varick.

Aggies is right down the block from lots of shopping in SoHo, you can walk all the way down West Broadway from there, or wander around the village/NYU area by heading EAST out of the resto. Your 15yo will LOVE going up and down Broadway in the Village too, as it is really kind of cutting edge teen.

MFNYC

Sorry, Aggie's is no more. It closed a few years ago. In the general area there, try Grey Dog (on Carmine St, just off Bleecker, near 6th av) for breakfast. The oatmeal with berries is great and they have free refills of coffee.