Downtown is definitely the lesser of two evils or grossness.

DO NOT go to Mars2112. We went there last year with an 8 and 11 year old. Place was a waste of money. The food was awful. Atmosphere was all about people walking around in "outer space alien" costumes. You even have to pay a fee just to sit down to dinner.

Went to Jekyll & Hyde last month with my 10 and 12 year old. They loved it for the atmosphere. However, the food is average AT BEST. I would think kids much older (esp. 17 year old girl) would think it was corny, but she may just want to see what it's all about. If so, consider it for lunch. Someone earlier mentioned Ellen's Stardust Diner and I recommend that. It was our kids' favorite after spending an entire week eating out in New York. The food is diner/burger type stuff - decent but not gourmet. But the singing waiters were really fun. Make sure you go on a night they have the singing. It is also a good place to go after a play when it's late and you don't have reservations anywhere. We went after Wicked because it is right there in the middle of the theater district. I would veto Sardi's. Having been there several times over the last 10 years, our last couple of trips there (including last month) were VERY disappointing. My husband used to like it, but even he said we wouldn't be going anymore after the last time. Food is expensive and not good. There are too many other wonderful places to eat to waste your time there.

Y-day we had a the pleasure of dining at Jekyll and Hyde in the Village. My salad was not bad at all. But I was forewarned by all of you about the food. So I went prepared (along with the info from a lot of you about chocolate in NYC).

So here was my strategy for eating at J&H for lunch. Go to Village in late morning, walk around. Stop at Kee's Chocolates at Spring & Thompson and purchase 2 Creme Brulee truffles. They don't last long, so I ate them right away. Walked a bit more, headed up Hudson and stopped at Chocolate Haven. Purchased Frozen hot chocolate with caramel. I've never had the Frozen Hot Choco. at Serendipidy, but do have their cookbook, and I have made that, and I prefer Serendipidy's. That didn't stop me and my son from polishing off the drink from Chocolate Haven. Then head to J&H; have the kids eat their burgers/chicken nuggets (which they liked just fine) while I had a salad. Then walk up Bleeker Street and buy a box of cupcakes from the Magnolia Bakery and walk to Washington Square Park and eat them there.

A highly recommended menu!

Once again, I think there is no similarity (or at least very little) between the J&H in the village and the one midtown.

I'm sitting here laughing my dupah off!
Oh, this post is so good.

I have a horror story about Jekyll and Hyde. I was dragged here about five years ago by my neice and her two kids. My daughter pleaded with us not to go. I thought: how bad could it be?

Pretty bad. LOL LOL

We had to stand in line and wait a good 45 minutes to get in. Many around us were out-of-towners, of course, dressed to the nines! Lots of big movie star sunglasses (did they want people to think they were big shots, or hoping not to be seen?)

There were two couples standing near us, both in their mid-twenties. They were obviously on a double date. One of the girls didn't want to stand in line after about 15 minutes. She said, "Let's go someplace else." The other girl didn't want to go. She said, "Mindy, you never want to have any fun. This is exactly how you were on the cruise. I am getting sick of it." Then the two guys got into it. Mindy's boyfriend threatened to punch the other boyfriend in the face. Thankfully, there was a big fireman-type guy in line. He told the two knuckleheads to knock it off or he was "going to take you out back near the dumpsters."

Now, I have never tasted ass LOL LOL, but the food definitely smelled like it after we finally got in. I thought I would just get a burger. How could they mess that up?

They could.

I think the lettuce on my burger was actually fungus scraped from an airduct in a building next to LOVE CANAL.

Our waitress looked like she was working for heroin money. One of her scabs feel off and landed in a Coke she was schleping.

Luckily, the kids adored the place. I told them, "You don't know how much Aunt Christine loves you."

Please, Lord, never, never again!

Christine

Can't imagine a 17 year old woman would want to go to a place like that - it's for little kids - if you can;t keep them out of it.

My 18 year old would be ROLF if anyone reco'd it to her - she and her friends go to actual restaurants - someplace trendy - with the chance of "seeing someone". Perhaps a cute cafe in the village or meat packing area where thay can watch passerbys and try to pick out who's an actor or who's a model - and actually sometimes seeing someone. (One of her friends pores over the tabloids so they can go to one of the cafes pictured for lunch the next week.)

Is this 17 year old incredibly naive and immature? Or does she not understand what the place is like?