MFNYC

You can check menupages.com to read reviews and check menus for most NYC restaurants.

laurie_ann

Here's a fun one I have often recommended to families. Vynl. www.vynl.com There are two locations: 1. Midtown 9th Avenue and 51st Street and 2. Chelsea 8th Avenue and 15th Street. Eclectic casual menu and unique atmosphere.

Aduchamp1

Adu: Which of those first 2 pizza places do you like better? I've not been to any of the three you mention, but I like Motorino. (I also like Artichoke square pizza, although some complain of the bottom being too burned)

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Motorino number one and it is because of your initial recommendation. I like Luzzo's over Grupo. Luzzo's is a sit down restaurant while Grupo is basically just pizza.

I usually order in from Grupo for the poker game and all the guys are native NY'er (and many Italians) and they like it. (Not as much as Veniero's ricotta cheese cake.)

Artichoke is a block from the apartment and it drives me nuts, so I rarely they go there. They seemed confused by any order regarding pizza. The lines are always long because the people running the place are idiots. They also own Led Zeppole two doors down and the roast beef joint on First Ave and about 8th Street.

The pizza is fine at Artichoke and the signature pizza is very rich and one slice will be enough. And the line at 2 AM on Friday and Saturday is at longest with kids fighting off hangovers.

LTMomofFour

Thanks for all of the suggestions!! Obviously although we all enjoy good food ... this is only my first attempt in getting some good ideas for restaurants ... I just threw down the "famous" spots, so good to know now that many are mediocre with just a pretty atmosphere. How about a good restaurant for our first night near Times Square/Rockefeller Center? We are wanting some good Indian or Thai ... perhaps on ninth avenue?

Also, for Tuesday ... just to save time, any good ones for d inner near our hotel or near 5th Avenue area? I think we are going to nix one broadway musical for that night -- too expensive for all six of us.

We think Stomp will be our only show and we'll spend at least 1/2 day in the East Side before we go and probably have the Supper restaurant as suggested.

Thanks so much everyone! I'm sure I'll be tweaking more ... this was just my first stab.

LTMomofFour

Hmmm ... come to think of it ... maybe we will nix Grimaldi's pizza and do Motorino pizza before the Stomp show instead of Supper italian food. So ... maybe I need a good Indian or Italian place near both Times Square/5th Avenue/our hotel AND same choices near downtown for days 1, 4 and/or 5 (after we do the Brooklyn Bridge).

Aduchamp1

A wonderful Indian restuarant is Brick Lane on East 6th Street in the East Village. There are literally 15 other Indian restaurants on that block. They have a buffet which is an exceptional baragin for lunch, where they are constantly tending to the food and bring hot naan to the table. Yes, it is named after the Indian section of London.

There are number of mid-eastern restaurants on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn which is 15 minute walk from the bridge. There is also an excellent spice store called Sahadi and a bakery called Damascus.
http://sahadis.com/

ekscrunchy

Also Indian near your hotel can be in the Indian area on Lexington. I had a pretty good dinner at Dhaba last year.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/di...ws/04unde.html



For Thai you could try Pam Real Thai. I would not get your hopes up too much if you have been to Thailand. The best Thai are not in Manhattan, in my limited experience.

http://www.pamrealthaifood.com/

Adu: The one I like at Artichoke is the regular square, not that one with artichokes. But since I prefer to eat my dinner at a table and not on the street in front of a divey restaurant (!!) I do not go there much; a few times I've called and ordered in advance and they did have a whole pie ready for me to take home. BTW: Compared to the poker game-night meals that I hear about, your guys are epicures!

Austin

agree that Circle Line boat tour better than Statue of Liberty. Seeing it from the water is enuf. Their security line alone can easily take an hour.

I would suggest Central Park on an off day and rent canoes, if u are so inclined

SueNYC

I don't see the Highline and Chelsea Market here. That might be a substitute for the Union Square Market

Aduchamp1

We like Saravanaas Bhavan at Lex and 26 St. Always crowded however. And whenever we go the clientele is overwhelmingly Indian.
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BTW: Compared to the poker game-night meals that I hear about, your guys are epicures!

But if you come to Big Al's house you will not be disappointed. (Big Al weights 360-370 has broken chairs in many people's homes. He refuses little.)

Bowsprit

John's Pizzeria on Bleecker has another outpost midtown if you happen to be in the neighborhood pre-theatre:

260 West 44th Street

It's in a converted church.

Make a note: The Bleecker St. location only takes cash or Traveler's Checks and neither place serves only slices.

kansasmom

I noticed you have Sony Wonderlab on your itinerary. We went to it with my kids when they were 12 or so, and we were all distintly underwhelmed. I think it was free, and it had a few good things, but overall not particularly worth your time. But it will fill an hour or two if you need something, I guess.

Someone mentioned Billy Elliot. We loved it, but I think I heard it is closing soon. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong here.

Another really fun thing is to ride bikes through Central Park. We did that as part of a tour (I forget who, but they were just a block or two south of the park), and it was great. Seems like we did it on a day that there was no car traffic through the park (maybe a Sunday?).

LTMomofFour

I think I've decided to divide the East side up into two days ... but need help on other things to see/do around that area. I mentioned we are "foodies" in the sense that we enjoy good food, different food, ethnic food as opposed to chain food or restaurants that you go to just because they are popular. We are NOT so much into farmers markets, gourmet grocery stores, etc. The street performers is something our kids don't get to see much, which is why my interest was in Union Square ... but looks like that may be better seen at Washington Square Park? We are doing Greenwich Village, Soho, Washington square Park and High Line park on another separate day.

Anyway ... here is one day I need help filling in:
East Side:
morning Doughnut Plant (closed on Mondays)
Economy Candy on Rivington Street
(what else to do around here between breakfast/lunch?)
Katz’s Deli for Lunch
(what else to do between lunch and going to Chinatown, which will probably only be around 2-3 hours of shopping, I'd guess?)
Chinatown
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Chinatown restaurant for dinner
Anything else we should do after dinner up near our hotel or on the way back?

ekscrunchy

UNless they have street performers on non-market days, when I do not visit, I do not think that Union Square is a good place for this. What/where exactly are street performers in NYC anyway? I can't remember seeing any recently...

YOu can watch chess players in Union and Washington Square parks..sort of a performance.

MFNYC

When in the Chinatown area, stroll through Little Italy as well. Mulbery Street will probably be closed to traffic that time of year and it is quite lively.

I see street performers frequently at Washington Square Park (there's always someone strumming a guitar, but sometimes there are people gathered in a circle for all kinds of acts) and occasionally at Union Sq (also in Union Sq subway station).

Don't know if there's time for this but the Tenement museum is also on the lower east side.

Aduchamp1

(what else to do around the Lower East Side between breakfast/lunch?)

The area has remnanats from when the Jews lived in the area such as store that sells Jewish religious items. Yonah Schimmel where they make and sell knishes. Russ and Daughters where they make and sell all sorts of smoked fish and lox. There is a pickle store called the Pickle Guys. Kossar's where they just make bialys.

There is a guitar store on Ludlow Street.

There is better than excellent gelati across the street from the Katz's called Il Laboratorio del Gelato.

There is a wild watch store where every watch is made by hand,
Dedegumo.
http://www.dedegumo.com/

There is a food market called Essex Street Market which is the odd combination of latino food and hip food.

There is the Eldridge Street Synagogue.

There are schlock stores on Orchard Street and art galleries throughout the area.

There are few areas like this and the kids can read about immigration before they come and let their imaginations fill in the rest.

LTMomofFour

What do you think about Tony's Di Napoli for our first night dinner (near Times Square district)? The ratings were good on menuplanner.

laurie_ann

The Budget Travel Magazine I opened when I got home today has a great article about New Yorks "United Nations of Restaurants" along 9th and 10th Avenues and between 37th and 57th Streets. 15 different countries featured. I tried to find the article online but couldn't. But you might keep trying in case the hard copy magazine was just a bit ahead of online version. www.budgettravelonline.com

LauraLF

Someone above may have already said this but do not miss the museum at Ellis Island. Given the choice I would just stop at the Statue(or even just ride by on the ferry) and then spend time on Ellis Island. Our boys loved the museum and it is fascinating. We spent way more time there than at the Statue. Boarding and disembarking each of the ferries takes a bit of time so allow for this as well.

Also, the most fun we had was leaving room for the spontaneous. While it's important to have a game plan, we also allowed time to "wander" and enjoy the character of each neighborhood.
Good Luck!!

Aduchamp1

Also the restaurant choices in the East Village are as varied as anywhere in Manhattan. I wish I had a means of comparison but I did not eat on Ninth Avenue that often.

There is one block East 6th Street that has about 14 Indian restaurants alone. And then there is Eastern European, African, Thai, Korean, Mideastern, regional Italian, excellent pizza, French bistro, Greek, tapas, Japanese, hot dogs, Fench Fry, hamburger, etc.