Take your mama out

Photo credit: Urbanite

Inakaya is a Port Authority area restaurant that could be an interesting (and different) spot for a Mother's Day meal.

By Emily Mathis

Special to amNewYork

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10. If Mom’s making the trek in from the suburbs, and is either unable or unwilling to navigate the city, there are plenty of good restaurants in or around the major transportation hubs. There’s no better place to people watch and she won’t have to worry about missing the last train home.

Grand Central:

The city landmark’s diverse and always classic dining options make it the leader of the pack in terms of terminal food, but terminal restaurants take their Sundays off seriously. Below are two great (and open) options.

Michael Jordan's Steakhouse: Executive chef and Bronx-native Frank Dyer began his career at his family’s legendary chain, The Blarney Stone. Now he serves up filet mignon ($34 - $42), buffalo Ribeye ($38), lamb T-bone ($37), and swordfish “steak” ($27), on the north and west balconies of a legend, under the name of a legend.

23 Vanderbilt Ave., btwn (North and West balcony), 212-655-2300

Cipriani Dolci: The Venetian-style international chain’s Bellini ($11.95), pastas such as pumpkin ravioli with almonds ($21.95), and entrees such as calves liver ($29.95) and an astounding club sandwich ($18.95) make it New York Magazine’s pick for best bar food.

89 East 42nd St btwn Park and Vanderbilt aves., (West balcony), 212- 973-0999Penn Station:

On Sundays the best bets for dining lie beyond the tracks. There are plenty of options within a few block radius:

Niles Restaurant: Located on the ground floor of the Southgate Tower Hotel the restaurant mixes funky and simple with metal and white backgrounds, vibrant lighting and James Rizzi’s playful art depicting mundane tasks and city events. They offer a special Mother’s Day brunch menu with specials such as prosciutto wrapped asparagus and ciliegine over mesculun greens ($12), a roast prime rib of beef with oven roasted tomatoes and haricot vert ($28), or pan-roasted breast of chicken with fuji apples, potato pancakes and baby broccoli ($19). Full brunch and dinner menus also available.

371 Seventh Avenue btwn 30th and 31st, 212 629-0210

Keen’s Steakhouse (Dinner only): Class and charm are retained inside the wooden walls of this landmark steakhouse. The sole survivor of the Herald Square Theatre District, it has withstood the tests of time thanks to quality oysters, lobsters, sole, USDA prime grade, handpicked and dry-aged on site steak, and specials such as the famed 26-ounce mutton lamb chop.

72 W. 36th St. btwn Fifth and Sixth 212-947-3636

Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse: Rumored since the 1930’s to have the best steak sauce around, the magical substance was once guarded in an iron vault and more protected than Southern whiskey during the prohibition era. Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse features USDA Prime beef steaks selected by the owner from ranches in Nebraska and aged 21 – 28 days.

440 Ninth Ave. btwn, 34th & 35th 212-244-0005

Port Authority:

Maybe it’s the lack of a food car or driver’s affinity for rest stop food, but buses have never been quite as romanticized as trains. In effect, fine dining and bus terminals seem an unlikely pair. But at least two joints are proving that stereotype wrong.

Metro Marche: This French Brasserie proudly stands its ground in the underground bus terminal, and has become a meeting point of theater guests and travelers alike. Their brunch menu offers a variety of omelets such as the ever-pleasing bacon, cheddar, and tomato ($10.95) or the more adventurous shrimp and avocado ($12.95), and throwbacks like red flannel hash ($8.95), banana oatmeal brulee ($7.95), cinnamon raisin challah French toast ($8.95), and entrees from fish and ships ($14.50) to and mussels marnieres ($15.95). Closing at 6 p.m.

625 Eighth Avenue at 41st St., 212-239-1010

Inakaya:Kneeling chefs thrusting paddles of sushi and traditional Japanese dishes at customers is the norm here. The Japanese Robatayakit joint (like Japanese barbecuing) has been opened for just over two months old and very expensive and offers items such as the $65 kinki ( deep sea snapper) shipped straight from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market and $10 chicken thigh skewers. Sushi rolls range from to $5-$15.

231 W. 40th St. between Seventh and Eighth aves., 212-354-2195

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