It's NOT Just A Meal

When we travel, we like to find the local places and dives to eat -- the ones that are unique to the region where we are visiting and New York City has plenty of those. If you eat at an Applebees or a Chilis in NYC, you should be ashamed of yourself. It's not just about the meal. It's about experiencing the local flavor so to speak.

When we're with the kids, I look for kid-friendly places where they serve food that the kids will enjoy and where they don't have to be super quiet. Oh...and it has to be budget friendly if possible. But yeah. I know. That's hard to find in NYC.

So if you're visiting NYC, you may want to look these places up if you're in the area if you dig these types of places.

We love diners. We love breakfast. And now we love Ellen's Stardust Diner. It's right near Times Square and the the waitstaff are actors and actresses trying to make it on Broadway. The food was yummy and the entertainment totally fun. It's unique and a NYC type of experience.



Even when they're singing, they're still working. Now...that's talent!



I'm betting that at least one wait staff has fallen off of the ledge while performing.



Retro 1950's is the theme. There's lots of cool movie and theater memoribilia hanging to look at just in case you're somehow bored with the show.



Our waitress. So cute. And so talented!



What kid doesn't love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Well...yours may not but ours sustain life off of them. And there is a shop in Greenwich Village that serves just that. I give you Peanut Butter & Co. Where the sandwiches are just like mom use to make. With carrots on the side. Because they're good for you and all. ;)



Yum. Peanut butter and fluff.



I tried to get a shot of the store itself but it was pouring down rain and the fam wasn't slowing down for me to snap it. Owen had already hailed a cab so I had to go.



Here in Fredericksburg, we have an old time pharmacy/luncheon counter. Goolricks is awesome. If you're fortunate enough to go there, you should NOT miss ordering a milkshake or a grilled cheese sandwich! So when I read about the Lexington Candy Shop, I knew we had to try it.



It's on the upper East Side a few blocks from Central Park and it has that old time feel to it. While the food was good, it was kind of pricey. If you're in the area, stop by and have a float. They come highly recommended by an expert. :)



They had an ecclectic collection of coke bottles displayed in their windows, which was fun to look at after we ate.









A great, inexpensive diner near the Natural History Museum in the upper westside is the Manhattan Diner. It was super cheap (for NY standards anyway) and the food was yummy.

So there you go. We enjoyed these places. They were a local flair of NYC. I'm quite certain that we could go to NYC once a month and never hit all of the best local dives. If you know of any good dives in NYC, post them in the comments so we can look them up next time we're in the city.