If you want to give your daughter an experience to remember, take her to afternoon tea at the American Girl Place, with formal white linens, polished silver and the café’s special pink lemonade. The café serves both savory and sweet treats named after the main characters of the historical books, like Kirsten’s egg salad sandwiches, Kaya’s blueberry-lemon scones, served with fresh cream and preserves, and Samantha’s homemade fruit tartlets. The café encourages girls to bring their American Girl dolls to tea, as it provides special seats for the dolls, as well as a photo to remember her day there. As of 2010, afternoon tea cost $20 a person.
American Girl Place Café
609 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10017
877-247-5223
americangirl.com
Though not for the faint at heart, older children and adults may be amused by the memorabilia and artifacts of scary characters like the gargoyle Fang or Tobias Bloodworth, a howling friendly werewolf. During your meal, different characters like Count Vladimir Von Trope of Transylvania will drop by your table to chat with you. The restaurant offers a complete menu of over 60 items, ranging from sandwiches to pizza to pasta, and includes a kids menu as well.
Jeckyll and Hyde Club
1409 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
212-541-9505
jekyllandhydeclub.com
If your family loves sports, then head over to Mickey Mantle’s, where you can see sports memorabilia covering the walls from your favorite stars, including Babe Ruth, Joe Namath and of course Mickey Mantle. The sports bar is the only themed restaurant that offers autographed memorabilia for purchase, so bring extra cash if you wish to buy something. Mickey Mantle’s features typical pub fare, including hickory-smoked ribs, grilled steak burgers and buffalo chicken wings, as well as offering a “little league” menu for children.
Mickey Mantle’s
42 Central Park South
New York, NY 10017
212-688-7777
mickeymantles.com
Only in New York will you find a restaurant dedicated to the childhood favorite of peanut butter sandwiches. Carrying six types of freshly made peanut butter, you’ll find specialties like The Elvis, a grilled peanut butter sandwich loaded with honey and banana slices, and the Dark Chocolate Dreams sandwich, a spinoff of Black Forest cake with chocolate peanut butter, cherry jam and coconut shreds. Besides sandwiches, the restaurant offers refreshing milkshakes like the Fluffernutter shake, combining marshmallow fluff and peanut butter together. While most of the menu does contain peanut butter, the restaurant does feature a few nut-free options.
Peanut Butter and Co.
240 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10184
212- 677-3995
ilovepeanutbutter.com
This charming Manhattan restaurant will entice both adults and children with its collection of antiques, Mad Hatter décor, hearty burgers and, its specialty, the three-scoop drug store sundaes. The sweet shop originated in 1954, selling the frozen hot chocolate, apricot smushes and strawberry fields sundaes that remain famous today with families. Since then, the restaurant has expanded its menu, adding family-friendly fare like shepherd’s pie, BLT sandwiches and cheese ravioli.
Serendipity 3
225 East 60th Street
New York, NY 10022
212-838-3531
serendipity3.com
