david

Zabars is on the upper west side; fantastic store to shop; take out cheeses etc and go have a picnic in Central Park or any other suitable location nearby. If you're in the village, try Cafe Reggio on Mc Dougall street; was a setting in one of the godfather movies; small, dark coffee drinks, teas and pannini sandwiches, and other lunch-type light food. Tell the kids to pretend their in Italy and they should think its cool especially if they know about the godfather. Reasonable prices too.

Kelly

We go to NYC around x-mas time every year. There is a restaurant right in front of FAO Schwartz which for your kids would be a great place to take them even just to browse. Its on fifth Ave and I think 70th. It's called Houlighans (probably not spelled correctly)it is right in front of and under ground. It is a perfect place for burgers, chicken fingers, salads etc. Not too expensive but good food. I've been there about a dozen times with many different people and it has always been good. THere is also a lot to see in that area, Rockefeller center is about 10 blocks, St Patricks Cathedral and all the shops on fifth ave. I also went to a place called the Jeckyll and Hyde Club this past summer. Great place for kids (could be a little scary for kids under 6), a lot of fun though. Also a burger type of place, not too expensive you can get more info about it at eerie.com The address is 1409 avenue of the Americas between 57th and 58th streets, one block from Central Park. Have fun

L

By all means, buy a Zagat's for NYC ... gives you two options: they list the best 100 or so where you get more ebang for your buck ... and the fixed price top restaurants are listed. In the back, they also have various categories that may help you.

nyc girl

polistinas is my fave pizza place on the west side, in the mid-seventies on b'way.

fred's for a burger and other delicious american cuisine, columbus in the 70s.

gabriela's on amsterdam in the nineties - cheap and great mexican food.

pongsri is my favorite thai place in chinatown - soooo good and amazingly cheap. bayard and baxter or something, very close to the 6 at canal. it might also be listed as thailand restaurant...

Patrick

Zagat's is great, but if you want to save about $12, just do it on line. It's even easier to do do a search, as it will separate the restaurants complete with their reviews by area. With the actual guide, you have to keep switching back and forth from the area list in the back to the complete alphebetical listing.

kelly

I love Fred's on the Upper West Side. I thought it was at 83rd or 84th and Amsterdam---but a previous poster gave other directions--I could be wrong. Across the street is the place from "You've got Mail" It was a good (but crowded) place to get a dessert. I very much enjoyed both places. By the way, I am a fellow Alabamian!!

m

someone mentioned houlihans (in front of fao schwartz), it's a chain and not really all that good. in general chains and theme restaurants don't have the greatest food and tend to be overpriced.

Topper

To the top for Ian.

lisa

Just wanted to add that I was back up in New York this weekend visiting a friend who lives on the upper west side, and she introduced me to another one of her favorite pizza places -- Patsy's, on 61 W. 74th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Ave. They have family-sized salads that everybody can share and really delicious pizza (highly recommend the sausage & onion), with a very crisp, slightly sweet crust. I really enjoyed it (in fact, I liked it better than John's, although both are good). Reasonably priced, and full of families with kids.

We also had a GREAT meal at a local place I'd never tried before that is on the pricier side: Vince and Eddie's, 70 West 68th St, between Columbus Ave. and Central Park West. The best onion rings I've ever had in my life, fantastic calamari, excellent fish (I had the brook trout), delicious side dishes (we loved the broccoli rabe). It's comfortable, warm, homey-feeling, with a fireplace, and staff that make you feel like you're a regular even if you've never been there before. They have a bar menu that's more casual (burgers, pastrami, etc.) in addition to the regular restaurant menu. On the regular menu, appetizers were around $10 and entrees were around $20.

Steve

I know that this suggestion is not for Manhattan restaurants but...

Come to Queens and see the best collection of ethnic restaurants in the world.

Take the subway (E,F,7,N, or R) to 74th Street. Head upstairs and explore. This is only a 15 minute ride from Midtown Manhattan. The neghborhood is great and the prices are shockingly cheap. Go there for dinner, no need to save money going there for lunch.

coco

Many excellent suggestions above. I'd like to add Mars 2112...the food is not much to brag about (tho the $12 burger is pretty good), but the entire decor and especially the "space shuttle" entrance are worth the few extra bucks for the food. To quote Zagat: "this 'incredibly cheesy' experience quickly 'wears thin'"...but for one-time-only it's high quality cheese! (And kids/teens I've taken L-U-V it.)

Heather

the famous John's Pizzeria in Greenwich Village is always a good family stand-by, as well as Fanelli's in SoHo (for Pizza) if you want a little bit of historical feel too. Fanelli's is a bar/restaurant with reasonable prices and if you go early enough, it's quite suitable for kids. Later, the bar fills up with the locals who have been watering there for years as well as the tourists and other NYers all vieing for a spot at the bar or in the back seating area. If I'm correct, Fanelli's has been operating since the mid 1800's, continuously (save for Prohibition).