Taking mom to NYC
 

Can anyone suggest some modest, American-food restaraunts (not chains) in the midtown/Times Square area for my elderly mother who's a picky eater (but good food for me as well)? Thanks in advance.

You'll find hundreds if not thousands of restaurants in midtown & Times Square.

I suggest you consult a reference like www.menupages.com as well as http://nymag.com/restaurants/

Good luck!

Here are a few that serve mostly good old fashioned "comfort" foods at reasonable prices which sounds like what you're looking for. You might want to go to www.menupages.com and look up the menus and some personal reviews as well as links to restaurant websites if they have one:

Vynl: 9th Avenue at 51st St.

Zuni: 9th Ave. at 44th St.

Rachel's: 9th Ave. at 44th St.

Virgil's BarBQ: 44th St. just east of Broadway

Angus MacIndoe: 44th St. between Broadway and 8th.

Junior's Cheesecake (lots more than Cheesecake): right at Shubert Alley, 45th just west of Broadway.

Brooklyn Diner: 43rd between 6th and Broadway OR 57th between Broadway and 7th.

Not so American, but inexpensive and places she'd surely enjoy especially for a lighter lunch:

La Bonne Soup: 55th between 5th and 6th.

Hale & Hearty Soups: several locations, cafeteria like, but really good soups, salads, and sandwiches.

The Whole Foods Market in the TimeWarner building -- if you're going that way.

My vote would go to Bond 45 on W.45. Simple grilled food, terrific antipasto (create your own combo)bar, solid food and service.

My recommendation would be the Brooklyn Diner that Patrick mentioned. Broad menu, very good food, a little on the expensive side. We had to-die-for macaroni & cheese, very good chicken parmesan and very good brisket platter.

A price range would also be helpful as well as where you're staying if she doesn't want to walk a lot.

I was aiming at the pretty inexpensive. For a little more money there are certainly many more options. Looking for something more "diner" or "coffee shop" like, or a finer dining experience?

dmlove, I've only eaten at the Brooklyn Diner once and I recall too it seemed expensive for what it was. As I recall I was also a bit turned off at the huge portions. This is one of those places I personally felt they'd be better off serving less and charging less, but I guess for many people "more is better".

Neo, I completely agree about the portions -- we could easily have shared a main course!

Thanks to all who replied! We are staying at the Belvedere - I am less concerned about price and more interested in convenience and good cooking.

Well, at the Belvedere (48th between 8th and 9th) that first list of places I mentioned, mostly on 9th Ave. couldn't be much more convenient. All are very good cooking, in my opinion.
And two blocks south of you (46th between 8th and 9th) is what is known as restaurant row -- a whole lot of restaurants crowded into a long one block space on both sides of the street.