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Anna
Maria Pizzeria
179 Bedford Ave., near N. 8th St., Williamsburg
718-599-4550
A welcome, family-oriented find amid the hipsterdom of Brooklyn’s
Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods, Anna Maria’s
offers basic, no-frills Italian: inexpensive thick-crust pizza,
calzones, heroes, and more substantial fare like chicken cutlets
and tortellini. Everything is served on disposable plates
so the kids can drop, spill, and tip, and you won’t
be embarrassed. (I)
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| The enormous menu at Blue Ribbon Brooklyn
will satisfy every kid. (Photo Credit: Kristine Larsen) |
Blue
Ribbon Brooklyn
280 Fifth Ave., near 1st St., Park Slope
718-840-0404
Possibly the most kid-friendly restaurant in all of New York,
this Park Slope sibling of Manhattan’s all-night, hard-to-get-into
Blue Ribbon trio has a menu that includes just about anything
a kid (or an adult) could want, from fried chicken to catfish
fingers to impeccably stacked raw seafood towers. (M-E)
Grimaldi’s
19 Old Fulton St., near Front St., Dumbo
718-858-4300
grimaldisbrooklyn.com
This noisy pizzeria was serving exceptional coal-oven pies
back when Dumbo was still an elephant and no one made any
special trips to this now-trendy neighborhood down by the
bridges. A no-reservations, no-delivery policy guarantees
long lines spilling onto the sidewalk. (M)
Junior’s Restaurant
386 Flatbush Ave. Extension, at DeKalb Ave., Flatbush
718-852-5257
Grand Central Terminal
212-983-5257
juniorscheesecake.com
No doubt you’ve heard of the cheesecake, so thick that
you practically need a knife to cut it, but there’s
much more to this landmark diner. Sit in an enormous vinyl
booth and enjoy old-school service from waiters sporting bow
ties and vests. Wash down the huge portions with an old-fashioned
egg cream. (I–E)
Kafe Shashlychnaya
414 Brighton Beach Ave., near 4th St., Brighton Beach
718-368-0966
You won’t understand the menu, you won’t understand
the waitresses, and the Russian pop videos blaring from the
TV are like an MTV remake of Doctor Zhivago. But your
kids will gobble up the soup with dumplings and shish kebab
specialties, as well as the Brighton Beach hospitality. Look
for the blue sign with Russian letters. (I)
Monty Q’s
158 Montague St., near Clinton St., Brooklyn Heights
718-246-2000
A busy lunch place for the courts, Brooklyn Heights’
Monty Q’s is a popular hangout for the teen set come
3 p.m. Individual ten-inch pizza pies as well as slices, pastas,
and salads are the favorites, and in nice weather, there’s
a gelato and Italian ice stand outdoors. The room has a bright
feel with glass skylights overhead, colorful kites dangling
from above, and lots of open space. (I)
Peter
Luger Steak House
178 Broadway, near Driggs Ave., Williamsburg
718-387-7400
peterluger.com
Beyond its reputation for superlative steaks, Luger’s
is known for long waits and gruff waiters. But the service
is nicer than you might expect at this Williamsburg landmark,
and carnivorous kids won’t find a more enjoyable meal
anywhere. The shrimp cocktail has the largest shrimp east
of the river, and kids will love the chocolate coins that
come with the check. (M–VE)
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| The Deedle Deedle Dee's perform on Kids'
Day at Red Hook's Schnäck. (Photo Credit: Kristine
Larsen) |
Schnäck
122 Union St., near Columbia St., Red Hook
718-855-2879
schnackdog.com
Groovy Schnäck offers a tempting menu of “Schnäckies”
(burgers weighing only 1.5 ounces so you can order singles,
doubles, triples), eight kinds of hot dogs, Philly cheesesteaks,
and junk food drinks like Orange Julius and shakes. And the
thin, skin-on frites are among the best that we’ve ever
tasted. The room is fun, too: It’s all bright colors,
with crayons, boxes of sugar, and other grocery items scattered
about. On occasional Kids’ Days, local band the Deedle
Deedle Dees performs. (I)
Tea Lounge
350 Seventh Ave., at 10th St., Park Slope
718-768-4966
837 Union St., near Seventh Ave., Park Slope
718-789-2762
Grandparents, babysitters, and breast-feeding mothers are
all comfortable at this Park Slope hangout, where kids are
treated like high royalty with an extensive menu of juices,
cookies, and toastie sandwiches. Drinks include homemade granitas
and hot chocolates, as well as the alcoholic variety. There’s
also a very popular children’s singalong at both spots.
(I)
Vera
Cruz
195 Bedford Ave, near N. 6th St., Williamsburg
718-599-7914
A lively bar scene up-front doesn’t prevent the staff
at this trendy Williamsburg Mexican spot from being nice to
your little ones. Especially lovely is the outside garden
with umbrella-festooned tables. Try the elote a la mexicana—corn-on-the-cob
with Mexican cheese, lime, and chili powder. (I–M)
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