To Dine or Not to Dine

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Thanksgiving is a traditional time of the year for our family, always spent in one of our homes.  This is the first year we will be traveling together on Thxgvg.  Making a decision on where to eat in NYC can be more difficult that one could imagine.  The dilemma: go traditional, go exotic, go go go.  Any which way you look at dining out on the isle of Manhattan for a special occasion/holiday, well, you are going to pay a premium.  I have found hundred upon hundreds of restaurants offering savory delights for Thxgvg.  The prices are prix fixed & range from about $40 per person to $175 plus, depending on the star rating.  Children are about 1/2 of the adult asking price with a special menu catering to their tasting pleasures.

Next dilemma: If one chooses either traditional or exotic (not turkey/cranberries/sweet potatoes), does one go mediocre~mid~range or go for it with mucho gusto~@ an over the top restaurant~ to make it a memorable never to forget experience?  I am leaning towards make it memorable, even on a puny budget.  I think having an amazing Thsgvg dinner perhaps at a landmark locale in NYC is the way to go.  Now how does one narrow that search down?

Child friendly will be important since I have a son, now 6 yrs.  Top-notch, uber-amazing might need to go on a back-burner till he is about 12, so let's drop uber-amazing down a notch, to just plain wonderful.. . Coming to mind: The Plaza, The Carlyle, The Algonquin, or do we go chic-trendy? or a staple spot: 21 Club, Le Cirque, Palm....The Russian Tearoom anyone?

After checking the many dining sites for Manhattan alone I have made one reservation: Osteria de Circo, an offshoot from Le Cirque.  Fun decor able to delight a child or adult alike, traditional turkey offerings as well as the exotic, how about a octopus ceviche or fig compote?  Have you ever had a pickled mushroom?  A delicious menu worth checking out for their Thxgvg Prix Fixe dinner, lunch or dinner any old night of the week.  I have some time so changing my mind is an option or making several reservations for the same time & decide which & where the day of, depending on mood & what we might be hankering for.  I still have the Oak Room or Bar on the shelf...  who knows where the wind might blow us, Harleen's Brother Jimmy's now has 7 locations, BBQ or barbecue turkey...too many choices, way too many!

So many sites to help one navigate the restaurant mega-highway thur Manhattan, two favorites:
UrbanSpoon
Open Table for dining deals
http://nymag.com/search/search.cgi?t=restaurant;q=Features%3ARecently%20Opened;rpp=25