Dining with Funky Mother

[chadradchad]

My funky mother (vegetarian + fish) is coming next week. She loves fun places (still raving about Bond St.) and I am going crazy figuring out where to bring her. Here are my limits:
Somewhere between 125th (UWS) and 44th Street(MW, ME and HK) and we cannot get to the UES. She said I can pick something nice (ie. $50-75 per person) She isn't the biggest fan of stuffy places. Anything that an ex-hippy now working woman would love? Thanks!

[chadradchad]

I have now been given the OK to go to Chelsea, Meatpacking and the Villages. Should we do Buddakan..or something like that?

[idia]

Esca for seafood (around 45-48th & Broadway)
Shun Lee West for Asian (65th off Broadway)
Zeytin for Turkish (85th & Columbus)
Buddakan is also excellent because there is plenty that is vegetarian.
And of course you can't lose with Crispo (Italian) in West Village

[chadradchad]

Thanks! I think we may try Esca

[chadradchad]

She wanted to stay neighborhoodie so we went to the Neptune Room. She LOVED it, we all had a wonderful room. Thanks for the ideas, I am actually going to Esca later this week pre-theater. I hope it is tasty!

[financialdistrictresident]

There was a recent post/review on Esca you might want to check out.

[kelea]

I really enjoyed Hell's Kitchen in HK. If she's open to mexican food that is...they have plenty of delicious seafood options.

[princeofpork]

Hell Kitchen has some excellent inventive upscale Mexican. Not stuffy at all.

[JungMann]

Your mother might enjoy checking out Town

[Mandymac]

This is my mom, but I usually take her out downtown or Brooklyn. That said, what about something at the Modern...I'm thinking Modern Bar Room. Telepan might be worth checking on the Upper West. Maybe you'd look at Aquavit? There's lots of fun stuff in Hell's Kitchen, but most of it is pretty casual.