Help with casual dining in New York on Thanksgiving with kids.
 

I have looked at opentable and menupages but I think I still need advice. We will be in jeans, tennis shoes and sweatshirts and my 2 daughters (11 & 13) want to eat a traditional thanksgiving meal. The girls just want traditional turkey and dressing. We have looked at a lot of menus and they are having a hard time finding simple food. Any suggestions? We are watching the parade and ice skating in central park but we are willing to take the subway to almost anywhere.

For really casual but traditional stuff try a deli or a diner.
Artie's Deli on the Upper West Side serves a huge portion of turkey, stuffing and sides on their regular menu (I think they call it "Thanskgiving everyday")for $15. If you are watching the parade from uptown and skating in Central Park, this isn't very far.

Still casual but a little bit nicer would be Isabella's - On Columbus and 79th St. - they have their Thanksgiving menu online at:
http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/re...mh=dm23.100543

Looks kinda what you're looking for.

Most of the diners and neighborhood restaurants in NYC serve Thanksgiving dinner. Some have a more expensive menu. For example, there's usually a $29.95 dinner at Benjamin on 33rd/3rd Avenue, and they have good food.

Depending on where you're staying there will be a neighborhood restaurant close by, and if you just want to eat at a diner, most of them serve Thanksgiving dinner as well for a lot less. You don't need to make reservations.

Isabella's is a good idea. Several of the BRGuest restaurants (of which Isabella's is one) are offering a $34 price fixed turkey dinner. But you do need a reservation imo.
http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/em...mh=dm23.100538

If you are watching the parade, I'd suggest doing so around Columbus Circle and then walk up Columbus Ave and find a restaurant that looks good to everyone, there are so many on Columbus that one will sure to please. Also until you find one, there are lots of places for coffee/hot choclate, so you can keep looking, lol.

Have a wonderful time.

I realize that you're going casual. But you're visiting New York, one of the best food cities in the world. Live it up a little!

New York Magazine posted a page of restaurants offering special Thanksgiving Day meals, some more expensive than the rest, all of them sounding yummy:

http://nymag.com/guides/holidays/tha.../reservations/

The best resource for Turkey Day dining:

www.opentable.com

Newsie, IMHO Thangsgiving Day is not the time to "live it up a little" in terms of booking a more upscale restaurant. Like on Mother's day, Valentine's Day and other holidays, restaurants come up with overpriced menus that may not be as good or as varied as their regular menu. I would say that it's a perfect time to do a casual simpler meal--and then save any special or splurgy meals (which the OP may or may not even be considering!)for another day

One of my favorite restaurants in the city is: Friend of a Farmer.It is on Irving Place between 18 and 19 St.Easy to get to , take the train to Union Square(short walk form there).It is a cozy place,doesnt feel like the city.The food is always good consistently.Service is also great and they do not rush you.

Quite frankly, the only restaurant you should dine in New York in sweats and jeans is a fast food place. I suggest you change your clothes.Otherwise you will look like slobs and out of place. Most New Yorkers dress properly in restaurants and you can always tell the tourists by the way they dress.

Try Ellen's Stardust Diner in the Times SQ. area. Broadway and 50 something street $29 for Turkey Dinner and they have burgers, etc. Make reservations now.

I would ignore LStern2900's comments about how to dress for restaurants! I can assure you that plenty of locals dress and will continue to dress in jeans and sweats, and still manage to go to casual restuarants.
Actually in my neigborhood (Upper West Side) it is true that we can tell who the tourists are by the way they dress-- They're the ones walking down Columbus Avenue on weekends wearing dresses or a jacket and tie ;)

Jeans? Yes.

&quot;Sweats&quot;? For the love of God, <b>No</b>.

One of the girls may be wearing a sweatshirt because she doesn't like sweaters. But we will all be in jeans. We wouldn't wear sweatpants anywhere. Everyone's advice has been really helpful. I am going to post something about our trip when we come back.

I agree on the no sweats. I wore dark wash jeans with a turtleneck or sweater part of my weekend, and felt a little casual in Manhattan.

I live in Manhattan and I wear black jeans and t-shirt or another shirt to 99% of the places where we eat.