Apple w/ 5 yr old

Yes, the one at 48th and Fifth.

sowmowchow in Manhattan

Wilmington DE

Just came across this. If you haven't decided, another place that gets small parties is Kid Shelleen's. They have a room that can handle your crowd. Another is Ale House which has great food. Finally, for something nicer, Sullivan's.

sowmowchow in Mid-Atlantic

Apple w/ 5 yr old

Wanted to touch base again after returning from the trip. Given we only had a couple of nights, our options were few.

We went to John's Pizzeria in Times Square. Was a great atmosphere and we hit it just in time before the rush (around 6:00pm). Pizza was okay. I've had better, however, I always love the flavor of a brick oven and good quality mozz. The spinach with garlic app was okay. Not as garlicky as I'd like. Meatballs were tough. Having said that, we started eating the spinach using the sauce from the meatballs -- sauce was tasty. Great place to bring kids... my son had no complaints at all. And I always like a few good pints.

Another restaurant we went to was Wu Liang Ye. Outside the restaurant it smelled like something between trash juice and an unflushed toilet. They need to hose that crap down. It made us weary. Anyway, got in and it was like old world charm. Weird but kinda cool. Guys in suits and ties. Not sure if it's really child-friendly but they didn't mind and there are plenty of dishes kids can eat. We got the ma po tofu, the braised whole fish with szechuan chili miso sauce, shredded chicken with spicy garlic sauce, chicken lo mein.

The tofu was incredible. Really tasty. Couldn't get enough of it. Could've had it by itself with bowls of white rice. The fish was equally good (smallish) though I think I'll stay away from a chili miso sauce. A little on the sweet side. The chicken was what it should be though I forgot it's got a sweet tang of Chinese vinegar to it. Can you tell I'm not into sweet? Finally, the lo mein was average. But, I usually wouldn't order this if for not my son. Forgot to order some proper greens. Perhaps next time.

No other foodie-worthy notes other than don't opt for ease -- it's always disappointing. Wish I had the chance to hit Marseille. Saw Bond 45 from the outside (looked huge), and had hoped to hit Nizza... but again, only had two nights and one night had to be reasonably kid's choice. One day...

Thanks for all your help.

sowmowchow in Manhattan

Apple w/ 5 yr old

Heading to Manhattan tonight for 3 days.

Looking for places to eat in the evening that are kid-friendly. My son is somewhat adventurous but not enough for our own palates. So while this isn't going to be a foodie-trek for my wife and me (Babbo was our last outing -- incredible), we'd like to avoid sandwich shops, or plain-Jane stuff.

Any ideas? We're going to be staying in Times Square... walking would be cool. Would do a cab-ride.

Thanks in advance!

Out of curiosity, what are the reviews on Wu Liang Ye these days?

sowmowchow in Manhattan

Not to be missed in Wilmington?

Well, there's a great steakhouse on Concord Pike... slightly further north called Sullivan's. Here's the weblink: http://www.sullivansteakhouse.com/wilmington/

It's not bad but may be more than you want to bite off.

travelmad478 is right though... up there, there are a ton of chains and fast-food. One of the chains isn't too bad: Macaroni Grill but...

Jasmine can be over-seasoned. I wasn't impressed because I can get sushi in a lot of other places. Their Asian cuisine is just a melange of bastardized versions.

I personally don't suggest anyone going to a Chinese food buffet. 10 times out of 10 it's a disappointment -- but maybe that's because I'm Chinese.

sowmowchow in Mid-Atlantic

Not to be missed in Wilmington?

Forgot to mention Mikimoto's (Japanese). It isn't the most authentic in ways, but it's tasty. Tons of variations on rolls. Here's the site: http://www.mikimotos.com

sowmowchow in Mid-Atlantic

Nice restaurant in Newport Beach

I had to reply back having now returned to Wilmington from Newport Beach. The bad news: my whole family was sick as dogs. We called off the family dinner and ended up nursing ourselves with Marriott Newport Beach Bayview chicken soup. Ugh. I think it made me worse. I do recommend the overpriced breakfast buffet for what it's worth. But breakfast in a hotel is breakfast.

The good news? I HIGHLY recommend using one of those GPS modules on a rental car (we used Hertz). It was absolutely amazing. You can scroll for businesses and destinations, or punch in an address. It's hugely accurate. Especially when you are driving around on codeine'd cough syrup.

Anyway, I don't want anyone to think I wasn't grateful for all of the suggestions. You've all been great and now I have a starting place when I head back to Newport Beach. Thanks to all of you...

sowmowchow in Los Angeles Area

Lolita

Site for Lolita: http://www.lolitabyob.com/lolita/

sowmowchow in Pennsylvania

Nice restaurant in Newport Beach

Okay, so to help narrow down, if you could have only one dinner, where would it be? Keep in mind the criteria of an almost 3-year old with us.

What would be the one place that would make me want to come back to the are for a longer visit (I plan to anyway, but this is just an exercise)...

Thanks again to everyone for chiming in. You just can't get this sort of commitment to food and restaurants (without paying Zagat for diluted reviews).

sowmowchow in Los Angeles Area

Nice restaurant in Newport Beach

Wow, I'm psyched. All these choices! My mouth is watering/slobbering.

Thanks to all for contributing. Really fantastic.

Better get out my elasticized waistband pants -- they're airport-metal-detector friendly too!

sowmowchow in Los Angeles Area

Nice restaurant in Newport Beach

Fantastic. Thanks again, and looking forward to heading out there.

BTW, what will the weather be like at the start of November?

sowmowchow in Los Angeles Area

Nice restaurant in Newport Beach

Sweet, thanks for this. I'll look these up. We're at the Newport Beach Marriott Bayview and the wedding is at the Grand Newport Plaza -- The Turnip Rose. Sounds like it's all nearby.

Thanks much for getting back to me... hope to return the favor one day.

sowmowchow in Los Angeles Area

Nice restaurant in Newport Beach

I'm heading to Newport Beach for a wedding and know nothing about the area. Did a few searches but get differing opinions on where to eat.

For example, Kitayama Restaurant gets pretty good reviews but most say the service is sucks. I hate that. I will avoid a restaurant merely for poor service. I don't need someone to kiss my ass, I just need friendly, helpful attention to details. And having worked as a grunt before, I always tip well if the service is even adequate.

We're looking for good food. Expense isn't that important but I don't want to spend a 2nd mortgage on it. I will have a nearly-3-year old with us but he's pretty chill if you give him a few snacks and his small toy cars.

Japanese, steakhouse, Southwestern, whatever... my family loves to eat good food. Let me put it this way... when we were younger and living in Wilmington, DE, my parents used to drive us to NYC with a small mattress over the bench seating (and a wooden bench that spanned the leg area) in the back of a large boat... JUST FOR DINNER. Those midnight runs were killer. But we ate well.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any ideas.

sowmowchow in Los Angeles Area