Eating Out in the City With Kids

There’s more to eating out with the kids in New York than fast food and picnics, although they’re certainly respectable alternatives.

We found restaurants that welcome children and offer good food at affordable prices. Best of all, these are places where mom and dad can feel comfortable, even with a rambunctious toddler. And older kids will find things to enjoy as well.

“My favorite thing to do with kids in New York is to go to the Children’s Zoo in Central Park and have hot dogs from the vendors outside,” says Ken Wilson, co-author with his wife Marilyn of “Kids On Board,” a guide to family travel in the United States. “Kids love the experience and the hot dogs are great. Lunch for the family for under 10 bucks is hard to beat.”

Family dining in the Big Apple isn’t always that cheap, but there are restaurants that can provide fun for the kids, great food and good value. It’s possible to take a family of four to dinner in New York for under $80, and some places are considerably less.

“I love the Carnegie Deli for kids,” Wilson said. “The waiters will tell a child that the portion is too large and they will have to share with dad. Kids get a kick out of that and the food is good. I also like Umberto’s in Little Italy. They still serve Coke in seven-ounce glass bottles--something from the past that you can show your kids. The pasta is terrific and cheap.”

Of course, there’s always dining under the Golden Arches. If your offspring can’t go a day without, New York offers the ultimate McDonald’s. In the financial district, it’s a good stop for lunch if you’re touring Lower Manhattan.

Don’t blink. Yes, that’s a tuxedoed doorman ushering you in and, yes, those are hostesses helping you find a table after you place your order. The fare is standard McDonald’s, but with the addition of espresso, cappuccino and French pastries. The dining room is definitely upscale with glass panels and wood paneling. A pianist plays on a balcony overhead. There’s even a gift boutique.

If your kids have reached the age when they want the latest CD from New Kids on the Block, then nothing will do but a visit to the Hard Rock Cafe. If you can remember when the Rolling Stones were teen-agers, you’ll enjoy it, too.

Kids can fill themselves on cheeseburgers ($6.95 to $7.25) and shakes or the pulled pork sandwich ($8.25). The pork was as good as any we found in Memphis. Tennessee-style barbecue ribs ($9.95) are also on the menu. The food is basic American served in large portions. But take earplugs unless you’re accustomed to rock concerts. The noise level is thunderous.

Serendipity 3, a cozy place down a short flight of stairs about a block east of Bloomingdale’s, is New York’s ultimate ice cream emporium, but with good entrees to match the desserts. The late James Beard helped with the original menu, and the recipe for chili is his. Families crowd around marble-topped tables surrounded by antiques and plants. Entrees are large, and it’s a good idea to split one with kids or anyone interested in sampling dessert.

“The footlong hotdog with chili ($6.95) is a favorite with children,” says co-owner Stephen Bruce. “That and bacon cheeseburgers ($8.95), but we have seven hamburgers, including one with caviar and sour cream.”

The current hit entree is the Garden of Allah ($13.50): a sauteed chicken breast served hot and covered with a cold salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh basil and black olives. Our favorite is the thick and juicy cheeseburger, served with lettuce and smoky Cheddar.

It’s always a struggle to decide between a hot fudge sundae ($4.95) and the frozen hot chocolate ($5): a frozen slush of 14 different chocolates served with four straws. It is, no doubt, one of the wonders of the dessert world. Or should be.

The essential New York restaurant is the Carnegie Deli, a no-pretense kind of place where you feel instantly comfortable . . . no matter how boisterous your child. This is deli food by which all others are judged. Portions are huge--a sandwich has 13 ounces of meat--and the quality is excellent.

Try the pastrami or corned beef sandwiches ($8.45) or the potato knishes ($3.25). Tender and stuffed full of potatoes, the knishes weigh in at one pound. Splitting one is a wise idea. Kids love the footlong hotdogs ($3.50). No visit here would be complete without the cheesecake ($4.75). The Carnegie makes more than 10 tons a month and it’s superb. The rugelach ($4.75), a sour cream pastry filled with nuts raisins and cinnamon and rolled into a spiral, is another winner.

A great place to take the kids after a visit to the Natural History Museum is the Popover Cafe, in New York’s trendy Upper West Side. It’s a cheery place festooned with teddy bears. “Some days we have so many families in here, we dub it ‘the stroller derby,’ ” says owner Carol Baer. “We encourage families. We’ll always find a place for the stroller, and we’ll prepare special dishes to suit a child’s taste.”

Favorites with the younger set include the What’s Up Doc sandwich, home-made carrot bread with cream cheese, bananas, shredded carrots and walnuts ($7.50), and the ultimate peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich, made with imported French preserves ($2.95).

Popovers are great as an accompaniment to your main course or for a tea-time snack ($1.25 each, $3 for a basket of three). They’re big, puffy and golden brown. We lathered them with whipped strawberry butter that melted into the crevices. Crisp on the outside, with bits of soft, buttery dough on the inside, they are scrumptious.

Sarabeth’s Kitchen on the Upper East Side is our favorite New York breakfast place--comfortable, homey and with delicious food. It reflects the personality of Sarabeth Levine, who began her cooking career 10 years ago making jams and muffins in her kitchen at home.

“I love children and think about my own grandchildren when I cook,” she says. “I want kids to be welcome and eat well. We make everything ourselves in the bakery. The ingredients are mostly organic and everything is fresh.”

Try the pumpkin waffles ($8) served with sour cream, raisins, pumpkin seeds and honey. They are light with a strong pumpkin flavor. For breakfast and brunch there is a large selection of omelets, from $6 to $8.75, and freshly baked muffins ($1.25 each). Dinner specials change regularly. Don’t miss Sarabeth’s chocolate pudding ($3.50) made with dark Belgian chocolate.

One level below, the main concourse of Grand Central Station is the Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant. Since 1913, the huge place with a vaulted ceiling and floors of tile that magnify sound, has been welcoming diners who can choose from 20 to 22 varieties of fresh seafood served each day.

Lots of families eat here, and kids who can’t handle fish can find broiled chicken ($12.95) on the menu. Most seafood portions are substantial and sharing is encouraged. The menu changes daily but some things remain constant. The clam chowder, both New England and Manhattan (both $2.85), is excellent. Prices of the fresh seafood entrees vary but range from $16 to $24.00.

Recommended: Carnegie Deli, 854 7th Ave., (212) 757-2245; Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant, Grand Central Station, Lower Level, (212) 490-6650; Hard Rock Cafe, 221 West 57th St., (212) 459-9320; McDonald’s, 160 Broadway, (212) 285-9026; Popover Cafe, 551 Amsterdam Ave., (212) 595-8555; Sarabeth’s Kitchen, 1295 Madison Ave., (212) 410-7335, also at 423 Amsterdam Ave., (212) 496-6280; Serendipity 3, 225 East 60th St., (212) 838-3531; Umberto’s, 129 Mulberry St., (212) 431-7545.