Los Tacos No. 1 is the real deal. These are outstanding tacos and quite close to authentic Mexican tacos. The menu is fairly small, but everything is absolutely delicious. The marinated pork Adobada taco (akin to a Al Pastor) is the real show stopper, but I recommend trying a few tacos, even a Nopal taco (grilled cactus). My girls love their cheese quesadilla.

First, you wait on line for awhile. Then, you place your order and pay at a register. Finally, you then bring your ticket over to the chefs who will prepare your tacos right in front of you. And before doing so, they’ll ask you two important questions: (1) whether you want a corn or flour tortilla (CORN) and (2) whether you want your tacos “con todo” (YES) or some or all of the onions, cilantro, salsa and guacamole “fixings” left off. After that, good luck finding anywhere to sit in Chelsea Market. The Times Square location has better “seating” - though I put that word in quotes since it’s actually all high top tables without any chairs. Los Tacos is always busy, especially at its Chelsea Market original location, but it’s a well oiled machine and SO very worth it. And SOON, there will be a location in Grand Central!

The pancakes at Clinton Street Baking Co are some of the best in the city. But why not avoid Clinton Street’s long waits and hipper crowds and hit their larger, far more family oriented sister spot up by Columbia? Yes, Community Food and Juice serves up the same incredible pancakes, plus many other delicious breakfast foods, all within a space that’s usually filled with screaming kids (don’t worry, the acoustics drown out all that noise).

Besides the unbelievable Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter, The B.E.L.T. (heritage hickory bacon, free range egg, lettuce, tomato, mayo and sourdough toast), Huevos Rancheros and Biscuit Sandwich (scrambled eggs, chicken-apple-rosemary sausage, Cabot cheddar on a whole wheat biscuit with tomato jam) are all to die for.  The B.E.L.T. and Biscuit both come with delicious Carrot Hash Browns - and if your entree doesn’t, I recommend getting those as a separate side. As the name suggests, CF&J also has a great juice menu for the family.

Golden Diner is a diner under the Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown offering NY classics with Asian influences. It is an absolute gem and probably my favorite spot to open in 2019. Your kids will love the baked goods on offer (don’t skip the Matcha Crumbcake) or the Matzoh Ball Soup. If you’re me, you’ll love Sam’s Tuna Melt (Sam puts salt and vinegar kettle chips in his melt), the Chicken Katsu Club or really anything that Golden Diner serves. There are simple dishes, too, like eggs served your way or a cheeseburger. The place is near perfection. And its somewhat obscure location makes this small and popular venue a tad less inundated by the masses than it otherwise would be located somewhere else. Go early to snag a seat. Order everything.

Burgers are everywhere from fast food to fine dining these days. One of my favorite burgers on earth can be found at the classic and very kid friendly NYC joint, JG Melon. JG Melon has long existed on the Upper East Side and there’s now also a JG Melon downtown on MacDougal Street and on the Upper West Side. The ambiance is casual and old school, kid menus are offered and the burger and coin shaped fries are still fantastic.

I’m guessing/hoping most of you have heard of Katz’s and have been before. But have you taken the little ones? It’s hectic and crowded, but it’s a NYC Institution like no other and even the smallest of patrons deserve to experience it.

Our girls love matzoh ball soup and can handle a turkey sandwich. I’m a pastrami and square knish gal and those two things are the best of the best at Katz’s. Go early to beat the crowds and consider sitting in the waiter section if ordering from the counter and snagging a seat with kids in tow seems too stressful. And don’t miss a stop at next door’s equally iconic Russ and Daughters to take home all kinds of delicious Jewish treats - from lox and whitefish to raspberry jelly rings.

The Major Food Group crew is all over Manhattan. And though their spots are generally too glam and chic chic for the minions, Sadelle’s is the one an exception. Open at 8:30am daily, Sadelle’s breakfast is some of the best in the city. I always order their heavenly House Salmon Tower with an Everything Bagel (if you like fennel, try their Everything 2.0 Bagel). My husband swears by their French Toast. Our girls are happy with a plain bagel and some offerings from Sadelle’s huge bakery section. Sadelle’s can get crowded, so either arrive early (the average Manhattanite sleeps a lot later than your kids do) or reserve ahead.

I am in love with Scarr’s. I think the place has gotten pretty hot in the past few years but, to pat myself on the back, we stumbled upon it in the early days. Scarr’s is a 750 square foot pizza joint on the LES that kinda looks old fashioned but is actually only 2 years old. They serve beer and they only play hip hop. At night it’s a scene, but during the daylight hours, it’s a great place to sit back and relax and share a meal with your kids.

Oh and it serves the best pepperoni pan pie in the city. Bon Appetit lauded Scarr’s with the best slice in NYC, but we think their personal pan pie is the order to get. It takes a bit longer to cook than just grabbing a slice, but it’s so worth it and there’s plenty of good beer to drink while you wait.

Studio is the all day cafe and restaurant located on the mezzanine level of the hip, but still somehow incredibly calm and relaxed, Freehand Hotel. Sharing the same hotel space as the popular Broken Shaker bar and more swanky Simon and the Whale restaurant, Studio may not get as much hype as its sister spots, but it is still rather fantastic.

The restaurant’s North African cuisine is delicious and not something you see all the time, even in New York. Our girls love the Jerusalem Bagels and you cannot go wrong with any of Head Baker, Zoe Kanan’s baked goods. To me, the real magic at Studio lies in its many dips and sauces and condiments, rich with Middle Eastern flavors.

The relaxed ambiance of the hotel is carried over into the Studio space, which is filled with lush plants and serene wood furnishings. And if the kids start to get restless, just take them to the Freehand’s adorable vintage game room down the hall from Studio.

This is no ordinary diner. It’s gorgeous, it’s Thai and it’s gorgeously presented, killer Thai food. Thai Diner is the new all day dining concept from the team behind the very popular and very tiny Uncle Boons. After recently closing Uncle Boons’ equally tiny sister spot, appropriately called, Uncle Boons Sister, the team opened Thai Diner just a few steps away in a much larger and somehow elegant but wholly casual space. (Note: the Uncle Boons Sister location will now offer take out and delivery, only). Thai Dinner appeals to everyone - the food is incredibly flavorful, the service is incredibly polite, and even for hip Nolita, there’s no denying the fact that kiddies would be (incredibly?) welcome here, at least during breakfast, lunch and early dinner hours. Like most “all day cafes,” Thai Diner offers a menu that works at all hours; and you gotta admit that there is really no time of day where you wouldn’t want Thai Tea Babka French Toast.