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

Here are my picks ;)

dinner

Italian/steak

There are such good Italian options in Times Square, I%26#39;d do your Italian night before or after the show. Carmine%26#39;s is good with a hungry crowd (don%26#39;t order too much) AND you might kill 2 birds with one stone since Bettina says the steaks at Carmine%26#39;s are very good. I%26#39;ve not had one. If you%26#39;d rather do pasta, go to Trattoria Trecolori or do the Becco $21.95 all you can eat pasta dinner.

steak/soho

The best restaurant in Murray Hill area is Artisanal, a French brasserie specializing in cheeses. Since this wasn%26#39;t on your list of wants, I%26#39;d forego eating in Murray Hill and go downtown which the kids will enjoy more. Balthazar in Soho might be fun and has good steak frites. Many of the shops stay open late in Soho so you could walk around after.

Something ethnic

NYC has so much ethnic food that you don%26#39;t find elsewhere, I think you should take advantage. Let the kids decide which they%26#39;d like- some Indian, Thai, Asian Fusion, Moroccan, Burmese, Turkish etc. We%26#39;ll head you in the right direction or go on menupages to pick a place.

Lunch near the Circle Line--if you mean the cruise that goes from midtown (west 40s) why not go to the Westway Diner at 9th ave %26amp; 43 st.

menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp鈥?/a>

OR

Film Center Cafe at 9th %26amp; 44th st.

http://menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?

areaid=0%26amp;restaurantid=3730%26amp;neighborhoodid=0%26amp;cuisineid=0

For lunch near Mus. of Nat. Hist., how about Gray%26#39;s Papaya for hot dogs (just a snack bar, not a rest.). A fun idea is to go to the 79th st. Boat Basin Cafe on a nice day. (view on the water, inexpensive food).

menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp鈥?/a>

Sunday morning breakfast near the Met---Sarabeth%26#39;s on Madison %26amp; 92 st or Cafe Sabarsky.

Pizza in Murray Hill--according to menupages, the best is Da Ciro

menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp鈥?/a>

Bagelry at 3rd %26amp; 30th or a bit further (21 st) to Ess-A-Bagel.