Another place just a bit further north than you'd like, but worth the short trip, is Mustang Sallys; the crowd is a little older than you'd find at the places you mentioned; though the place is near full, everyone usually has a seat. Excellent pub food.

http://www.MustangSallysNY.com

5 Ninth is one of the original restaurants in the Meatpacking District; it has a great bar, with world class cocktails, is very low key, and has an outdoor garden. The restaurant's own interior provides quite a view, as it is housed in a mansion built in the mid-1800s.

http://www.5ninth.com/

I agree emphatically with RattleN Hum - it has about 40 craft beer taps, a handful of cask ales and about 100 bottles. The taps rotate every week, as it hosts a brewery event every Tuesday night. The people behind it have also opened up a place in Times Square - Beer Authority. It's a little less geeky and plays more to the mainstream crowd, but it has 101 taps, a rooftop Beer Garden and an unbelievable selection on tap and in bottles.

Trattoria Trecolori is a place to which I've directed several large families on a budget and heard nothing but rave reviews.

-----
Trattoria Trecolori
254 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

Sidecar is terrific. Depending on the date you have in mind, your choice may come down to simply choosing the best place that's available; you're looking for the start of holiday party season. I'd suggest you start calling around to a list of 5-10 places; you may find that only 2-3 are available.

-----
Sidecar at P.J. Clarke's
915 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10022

Of all the usual suspects on the list so far, I strongly prefer Frankie and Johnnies and Ben Bensons; least favs are Uncle Jack's and Bobby Vans.

-----
Uncle Jack's Steakhouse
44 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019

Ben Benson's
123 West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019

Frankie & Johnnie's
269 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036

Bobby Van's Steakhouse
135 W 50th St, New York, NY 10020

Do you need a dance floor, will you have a DJ and microphone, etc., or is an ordinary restaurant, perhaps with a private room, OK?

I love the food at Gardenia Deli on 8th Ave between 30th and 31st. Great panini,, salads, sandwiches, too much to list.

-----
Gardenia Deli
404 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001

Good point - the only times I've watched, it was for my brother, who takes more than 6 hours to finish. He has no problem escaping at 72nd St! But those who run in the 3-4 hour range are indeed penned in for a long, long time.

I've eaten at all three of them, many times. Trattoria is much better than Carmine's and just a cut below Becco, at a fraction of the price and much easier to get into.

-----
Becco
355 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10010

Trattoria Trecolori
254 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

Carmine's
200 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036

Weighing in just to reinforce what Dyrewolf wrote. I've run this race 3x. Unless you have special tickets to Central Park, you WILL NOT see her finish; you can meet her about 1/2 hour after the race at 72nd and CPW. But it is more important that you skip your brunch plans and see her when she needs you - when she still has miles to go before she sleeps. Grab a bagel and watch her on First and Fifth Ave, though I would counsel that you see her in the 100s, i.e. 110th St on each as it gets VERY crowded in the 90s. This blog post may answer many of your other questions about being a spectator at the race, as well as some questions your sister may have about running it.

http://foundingdulcinea.blogspot.com/...

Tempest Bar, at 30th and 8th, seems like what you're looking for. $4 pints, edgy crowd, jukebox, darts, pool table. Also lets you order in Pizza or Sandwiches from places across the street.

-----
Tempest Bar
407 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001

One possibility is Water's Edge in Long Island City, which has unbeatable views of Manhattan. Other good ones on the water include River Cafe in Brooklyn, The Water Club, and Harbor Lights.

-----
The Water Club
500 E 30th Street, New York, NY 10016

Harbour Lights
17 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038

That's a modest budget that eliminates many places. One that should fit the budget and still provide very good food is Mustang Harry's. I go there for a business lunch several times a month and everyone is always happy with it.

-----
Mustang Harry's
352 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10001

Niles,in the Affinia Hotel, is the only decent place.

-----
Niles
371 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10001

For that price, look to the upscale pubs. Two terrific places that should have room on a Friday night, because they cater more to the business crowd, are Maggie's Place at 47th & Madison and Eamonn's Bar & Grill at 45th & 5th. I've been to both many times, usually with a crowd of 6-8, and they never fail to please. They've both been around for a decade or more and are run by seasoned restauranteurs who have several places in the city.

-----
Eamonn's Bar & Grill
9 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017

Maggie's Place
21 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017

John's Pizza on 43rd St.

-----
John's Pizzeria
260 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036

Bridge Cafe is awesome, and all the better if you run into Gallus Mag's ghost.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides...

Fortunately, the 7 train station at 40th St is outside. And you have the subway issue with places in Manhattan, too, unless they're in your neighborhood.

No; it's a 15 minute trip into Grand Central, so, depending on where you live in Manhattan, it's not necessarily any further than many of the places in Manhattan. Also, subway cars have AC.

NY Pizza Suprema at 31st and 8th has a great mozzarella slice that is exactly what you described.

Saw lots of good names in the other replies. The only one I go to often that wasn't mentioned is Tempest Bar NYC, at 30th and 8th. Sort of a cross between an Irish pub and dive bar; a level above Molly Wee and Blarney Stone, but still good drink prices. Best part is that you can have pizza delivered from the place next door.

-----
The Molly Wee
402 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001

Tempest Bar
407 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001

Manhattan is a very big place, so it's better to specify neighborhoods. For my money, I like to venture out on the 7 train to The Butcher Block in Sunnyside.(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/nyr...)

I have not been there specifically for Restaurant Week, but this is my favorite seafood restaurant on earth. I've been to a lot of top notch seafood restaurants.