Daycares
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First daycare I chose for my 2 year old was in Tribeca. It's a national chain, and we were familiar with it so I thought it would be good at the very least. They also had advertise to open up a center in Chelsea in the Fall. It was super expensive at $3100/month!!!! My son might as well have his own apt. Anyway, the staff was really good there, but it is a hike from Chelsea. I would take the ACE for 2-3 stops.. and my husband would walk there in the Fall (Fall was very warm and had great weather, btw). This amount to an hour commute each way to drop off/pick up!!!! What a waste of time, except it was my husband's excercise program. Don't get me wrong -- the level of care there was great. He never came home with a diaper rash, and it was under-enrolled (probably because so expensive) that he got a lot of personalized attention. However, I saw winter coming one day, and I made the decision in November to start him at a school across from my other son's school in December. Great call.. this new center, while more crowded seems sufficient. He comes home having learned some things. The best parts is that it's $1900/month and ALL MEALS included. We have never had a daycare that we don't have to pack a lunch for, and it's so wonderful without that exra worry. And maybe he'll turn out less picky than our 6 year old (due to peer-pressure eating)!
Our weekend sport
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So, we've developed this "sport" that if the kids wake up early enough (like their usual 6:30/7), we try to get out of the house by 8 and go to a 24/7 or popular restaurant. So, while most people enjoy these 24/7 places in the wee hours at night, ours are more the wee hours of the morning (by NYC standards). And it's nice because these places are not busy at the time we go.
So far, we have hit Veselka at 8:30 AM, Coppelia at 8 AM, Katz's Deli at 10:30, Murray's Bagels at 8:30, and just went to Bonboniere at 8 AM this morning. We've been to Cafeteria but we're so close that we've gone in the evenings.
Veselka: Here's a warning -- some stuff does not get onto the menu until 9. I asked for the matzoh ball soup and was told they don't start serving it til 9. I also got the Goulash, which is nice but I noticed that having some mashed potatoes would have been nice to mix in. I remembered it was supposed to come with mashed potatoes and asked the waiter -- "we're out of it" he said. Not that he initially told me or asked if I wanted a substitution. PS the waiter sucked... my husband's theory is that the new shift starts at 9, and he was tired at the end of his shift. So, moral of the story, Veselka at 8 AM, not that great.
Coppelia: I remember the food being unmemorable for their breakfast faire. Again, I think the service wasn't that great. I honestly don't remember much about our experience.
Katz's Deli: So, we had a hard time getting out of the house, and then my husband was like "let's walk" (which is always iffy since our 6 year old can decide not to want to and then he drags). But we walked all the way there and got there around 10:30. The waiter seating was almost full. And we didn't understand their setup so I just sat at a self-service table. Then, my husband figured out that we would have to wait in 3 lines to get all the things we wanted, and he got cranky and was freaking.. because he was going to entertain the kids while I got the food. I got crackin and got the hot dogs for the kids and soup, then next line got a Reuben, then next line, got some drinks. Apparently, there's another line for hot coffee.. and I told my poor caffeine-addicted hubby, fuck it -- can't do it. It was an enjoyable meal.. and around 11-11:15, people start pouring in on a Sunday morning. And we felt lucky to get the table, even though it didn't have a waiter. So, long story short.. get there really early to get the waiter! And the food, while expensive, was good quality.
Murray's Bagels on 6th ave. and 13th st.: So, I had gone when I woke up one morning and got there at 6:30 and ordered us some bagels that I brought home. I was like "there's no one there early.. we have to go!" So, we went some other time, with the kids dragging to get out... and got there like 8 or 8:30. It was difficult to find a table but we did. P.S. a lot changes from 6:30 to 8:30. The bagels are very good and it is what it is.
Bonboniere: So, this is a diner in West Village... very tiny place! We just went there this morning.. got there around 8. Only one couple in the tiny place. They had great service... and the food was pretty good. The serving sizes were filing, but the potatoes could be done more crispy. The pancakes are really great -- out of this world. But all I ask for in the morning is filling and good service to ease the chaos of the kids.
Cafeteria: First time we went in the early fall, we sat outside and the portions were great. My husband liked his french toast, and I was raving over my chicken and waffles. The kids got some pigs in a blanket. The second time, later in the fall, they didn't have seating, especially for kids, but opened up the back room (banquet room) for us which was a nice gesture. All the portions were like 2/3rds of what we got before. My husband's french toast was so much smaller than before. The waiter even had told us that the pigs in the blanket came with 5, but they only served 4! Something was up with them that time.
So.. I think this will become a food blog now! Hope to report on more restaurants to come!
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