Author: local researcher

This place seems like nothing more than an open storefront with no door or walls, four huge barrels of pickles (four varieties) plus sauerkraut, olives, marinated mushrooms and pickled peppers. Men, working out in the open even through the winter dole out big scoops of the pickles to sell in bulk. In back, pickles are, well, pickled. But it isn’t just an open storefront; it’s also a time machine, to an older, rawer Manhattan. This is the sort of slowly disappearing business that the city was once full of; in the brine you can taste the culture and history of NYC’s immigrant past. The pickles themselves are real, with a strong flavor, and if you don’t bring the kids here, it would be hard to claim they hadn’t missed something.

Contact no: (212) 334-3616

Location: 85 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002

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The greatest part of eating in this city is that it’s filled with smaller, inexpensive storefront restaurants that specialize in one regional dish or another. They each make this thing better than anyone else, and focus on their particular dish with laser like intensity. Midtown’s Empanada Mama specializes in (naturally) empanadas, those delicious South American pockets of dough filled with meat. Not content to just offer excellent renditions of traditional baked and fried empanadas filled with chicken, pork, and beef, they’ve invented new varieties to cater to any type of eater. For example, their Polish empanada is made with Sauerkraut and kielbasa sausage. Kids can sometimes be picky about new or exotic foods but the tastes here are so simple and unfussy that they should have a hard time objecting. They’ll think you’re the coolest when you order the peanut butter and banana empanada for dessert.

Contact no: (212) 698-9008

Location: 763 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10019

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Parents these days are very good at teaching their kids math, but in our opinion, bad at teaching them about malted milkshakes. It’s not as easy as it sounds; you can’t just go anywhere, as most diners don’t carry the ingredients to make malteds anymore. Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop is an exception, and stepping into the tiny, no-frills lunch counter is like stepping back to another, much simpler time. A genuine New York treasure not only for its nostalgic quality, Eisenberg’s makes a perfect malted, and the rest of their food is excellent too.

Contact no: (212) 675-5096

Location: 174 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010

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This lower east side candy store is jam-packed with rare and exotic candies from all over the world, handmade lollipops, and sweets by the pound. When we say packed, trust us, your children will be in awe of the specialty treats practically spilling from the shelves. It’s the sort of place that’s frequented by savvy locals who know where to find the best deals. A trip here with your child can be rationalized as a lesson in the joys of buying wholesale. Prices are extremely low, so you can set a little aside for the dentist.

Contact no: (800) 352-4544

Location: 108 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002

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This beloved Lower East Side hot-doggery is famous for its original and innovative hot dogs. Sure, you can get the usual sauerkraut and mustard, but really, can’t you find that anywhere? Try something special, like the “Chihuahua,” a frank topped with avocado, bacon and sour cream (your mouth will thank you, your arteries may not). The vintage video games are guaranteed kid-pleasers on the off-chance the franks are not. Also vintage is their selection of sodas, with RC being the prominently featured fountain drink. We recommend sitting at the Pac Man table with a large order of cheese-covered tater tots. Crif Dogs is a great place to take your children for a break from all that health food their parents keep giving them.

Contact no: (212) 614-2728

Location: 113 St. Marks Place, New York, NY 10009

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Buttercup Bake Shop was opened by one of the owners of venerable Magnolia Bakery several years ago. They’re noted for their great variety of cakes, on which kids can mix and match frosting. Their lemon cake in particular is heavenly, but make sure to order it with lemon frosting. Most of the popular bakeries in the city are crowded and have little if any sitting room, but Buttercup has a few tables so you and your children can sit for a while with your desserts.

Contact no: (212) 350-4144 and (212) 787-3800

Location: 973 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10022 and 141 West 72nd Street, New York, NY 10022″

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There are certain things that parents are obligated to give their children if their parents don’t provide them. One of those things is cornbread, one of the great joys of life. Everyone loves cornbread; even notoriously picky eaters. It’s sweet and it’s buttery and it temporarily makes everything perfect. Acme brings hot, fresh cornbread to your table immediately after you sit down, and then, once you’ve become putty in their hands, they serve up solid, unpretentious Cajun food in a casual environment.

Contact no: (212) 420-1934

Location: 9 Great Jones Street, New York, NY 10012

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Since 1912, the Automat was a nosh haven for busy, hungry New Yorkers. Offering ready-made, simple snacks like sandwiches and hamburgers for those who didn’t have time to wait for their food (or even coffee) to be prepared, Automats were as big a part of daily life as the Subway and the New York Times. With the subsequent advent of fast food, the automat’s popularity dwindled, and sadly, the last automat in New York City closed in 1991. Fifteen years later, BAMN! decided to give the automat its due renaissance, and offers you and your children a chance to experience a slice of old New York along with a slice of pizza. Freshly made food is dispensed through coin-operated machines, just like the automats of yore, only with new and modern twists on American favorites like batter dipped macaroni and cheese and teriyaki miniburgers. Even though a nickel can’t buy you a sandwich anymore, the BAMN! is still cheap fun.

Contact no: (888) 400-2266

Location: 37 St. Mark’s Place, New York, NY 10003

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For kids whose experience with seafood may be limited to low-grade haddock we present A Salt & Battery. Fish & Chips are easy to make, but hard to make well, and this tiny West Village-meets-Brighton eatery (only a few barstools and a counter) proves more than up to the task. The batter dipped, deep fried cod here, while maybe not the healthiest of dishes, is a greasy, salty masterpiece. Make sure to put malt vinegar on your fries, English style; they’ll taste better. For dessert, you have to order the deep-fried Mars bar because, really, how often do you get the chance to order one?

Contact no: (212) 691-2713

Location: 112 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Learn more here.