If you're staying at the Ritz Carlton or you're on your way to take a Harbor Cruise out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and you want a bite to eat, seek out the Amish Fine Food Market on West Street. It's located on the bottom floor of an apartment building near the Ground Zero Eternal Flame, and it serves as a convenient grocery store and restaurant. Once inside, you'll find a huge salad bar and fresh deli. If you want something hot, walk to the back and order a pizza. My son loved watching the guy at the counter put the toppings on our $10 Italian pie before putting it in the oven. The crust turned out paper thin and crispy; the cheese was piled on so thick it was impossible to eat without creating long strings of mozarella between the slices and our mouths.
Regardless of what you choose to order, there's a casual dining area located up a narrow set of stairs, where you may sit down and enjoy your meal in comfort. This room was empty but clean each time we dined there. Easy listening favorites played unobtrusively in the background.
After licking our fingers clean of spicy tomato sauce, we spent some time looking at the desserts in glass cases towards the front of the market. For me, the question wasn't which dessert to order but how much baklava I could get away with before my child would make piggy snorts at his self-indulgent mother....
There are several Amish Market locations around NYC, and I assume they are all similar. Again, I'd highly suggest this location to a family wanting a simple meal that won't break the bank before (or after) seeing the attractions in the Battery Park area.
TIP: The homemade soup and a piece of fresh bread taste the best after a cold boat ride in the winter.