Taking the Kids: Capturing a bargain in NYC this winter

NYC RESTAURANT WEEK means you can indulge the foodies in the family without busting the budget. Two-course lunches and three-course dinners are $30/$45/$60. Plus, register your Mastercard and earn $10 back of $45 or more on in-house dining. Reservations are a must!

Venture beyond Manhattan for lunch, dinner or brunch. Crave fresh seafood? There are options ranging from the Red Hook Lobster Pound in Brooklyn to J’s On the Bay in Staten Island. (And there are many unmatched views from the Staten Island Ferry!)

Here is your chance to try some classic and popular NYC eateries — The Russian Tea Room (caviar, perhaps?) Sylvia’s in Harlem, famous for chicken and waffles, barbecue ribs, macaroni and cheese, grits and more. Tavern on the Green has a spectacular setting in Central Park — and now menus that include everything from beef short ribs to vegetarian ravioli.

Weekend brunch is a New York tradition. Opt for Chinese at Shun Lee Palace, French at Bistrot Leo or Le Rivage; Italian at Barbetta in the Theater District (great bet before a Sunday matinee!), sushi at OOtoya-Union Square (got any high-schoolers who want to visit NYU?) or Ramen at Yama Ramen.

Perhaps make it a goal for the kids to try as many different cuisines as they can during your visit and encourage each to choose one of the restaurants. That way you don’t get blamed if they order something they don’t like.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Winter Outings or not, there is plenty to do in NYC that’s free or nearly free, as I discovered when researching the fourth edition of my “Kid’s Guide to NYC”. (It will be out this spring; Meanwhile enjoy the third edition!)

Just listen to all the different languages — more than 600 are spoken. Try street food from a different country.

Get up early and hold up a funny sign outside “The Today Show” studios (at Rockefeller Center just off Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets.

Take a walk on The High Line, the elevated park built on top of old freight train tracks, complete with restaurants, public art and more.

Young fashionistas will love the exhibits by students at the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum.

Visit a playground like the popular Brooklyn Bridge Park on the waterfront.

Of course, you won’t leave New York without exploring Central Park — it’s got 21 different playgrounds, including the Heckscher Playground, the park’s largest, complete with a climbing maze and the Ancient Playground near the Metropolitan Museum with its pyramid-style climbing structures. Strawberry Fields, one of the park’s most visited spots, was named to honor John Lennon and is now an international peace garden.

Keep an eye out for Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter statue. Kids like to slide down the toadstool seat!

Happy exploring!

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia and The Kid’s Guide to Camping are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)