Indecisive... need restaurant advice

Hi everyone. First visit to NYC and to TA forums, so, bare with me...

Myself, hubby and 3 kids (14, 9 and 7) will be staying in Murray Hill area for 3 nights. I%26#39;ve been reading Fodors NYC for several weeks and can%26#39;t decide on where to eat... want to eat at EVERY RESTAURANT! I need recommendations for 3 dinners, preferrably one near theater district for a Saturday 8:00pm show, one dinner in or near the Murray Hill or Midtown area (preferrably Italian) and one steak-house dinner. I also need suggestions for lunch in the area of the Circle LIne Cruise and Museum of Natural History. Also ideas for lunch in lower Manhattan on a Monday, near ground zero or the area of Statue of LIberty ferry preferrably.

Suggestions for a Sunday morning breakfast near Metropolitan Museum of Art and good bagels in the Murray Hill area would be greatly appreciated. Oh yes... Any good late night pizza in Murray Hill area?

In summary, if you had to choose 6 restaurants for a first time family visiting NYC, not necessarily with above geographic specifications, what would they be?

Thanks to all that help out!

Indecisive... need restaurant advice

In the Murray Hill area I really like Campanile (30 east 29th street). The entrees begin around 16 up to 30$ but they are big portions. You won%26#39;t left feeling empty!

A good steakhouse in that area is Wolfang%26#39;s but beware that steakhouses in NY are expensive.

I always suggest to people to eat hot dogs and from food carts for lunch. You save on money and you can have a nice dinner. Gray%26#39;s papaya%26#39;s hotdogs go for 1$. You never should pay more than that for hot dogs in NY. I saw some for 4$ around time square.

You have a couple of pizza places on Park avenue south, but since it is a residential area it sometime closes earlier than in the more ';touristy'; areas.

There%26#39;s Pax in Murray Hill (corner of park avenue south and 23rd)where they serve super salads, sandwiches and soups. You can have a huge salad for 6$ with lots of ingredients. You choose the ingredients and the vinaigrette and they prepare it for you on the spot.

Still in that area, you have la Brasserie les Halles or l%26#39;express on park avenue south. They are more french bistro but nice also.

Indecisive... need restaurant advice

Thank you cricri7!

Meli Melo is a great, reasonable place with nice atmo and good food. It%26#39;s on Madison Ave and 30th Street. It might be a nice ';grown up'; restaurant experience for the kids.

http://www.melimelorestaurant.com/

The desserts are beautiful! Even the ice cream is presented wonderfully.

There%26#39;s a pretty good pizza place on Broadway around Wall Street.

for breakfast near the met, try these:

E.A.T.

1064 madison ave btwn 80th and 81st

it%26#39;s a very new york kind of place, of eli zabar fame. which means they have amazing bread! it can be a little pricey, but the foo is great and the baked items are delicious.

http://www.elizabar.com/eat.html

http://tinyurl.com/qgfl3

Le Pain Quotidien

1131 madison ave btwn 84th and 85th

a delicious french place with large communal tables. good pastries and tarts, DELICIOUS sandwiches (the bread is also excellent here), yogurt, granola, good iced lattes.

http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

Cafe Sabarsky

1048 5th Ave at 86th st

this is located in the beautiful neue galerie (german/austrian art) and it%26#39;s an authentic viennese cafe. they have croissants, brioche, eggs, and the sandwiches are so good. and of course the strudel. the room itself is beautiful.

http://www.neuegalerie.org/neuemain.html

Nectar Coffee Shop

1022 madison ave 79th st

for a regular diner experience, this is right by the met as well. eggs, omelettes, pancakes, blintzes, burgers, sandwiches, etc.

http://tinyurl.com/z96sk

For a steakhouse I recommend Keen%26#39;s, great steaks and a real NYC atmosphere.

For pizza in your general area, open late, there is Totonno%26#39;s at 62 2nd Ave, at 26th St.

For more information about dining options and the places listed above, check out menupages.com.

school myspace