Hey..........I LOVED going to the Circus restaurant in Wannamakers! It was all done up like a circus tent and a clown strolled by playing an accordion,throughout the lunch hours.
And the restaurant in Altmans was also not only "kid friendly", but gave out very nice toys too;which varied,depending on the season. When my daughter was little she got a pail and shovel and sand molds with her lunch there and she did NOT behave anything at all like your imaginary,only taken to a McDonalds or such, brat kid and neither did I when I was little.
Since children should be raised to have good table manners at home and know how to behave in a nice restaurant,and all of that parody you posted is beyond stupid ! FYI...creme brule was NEVER served in any of the places I mentioned and so what if it had been? My daughter has always LOVED it.
There was Rupplemyers (sp?) by the St. Moritz (sp?), though I think that closed down a couple of years ago.
The world you describe exists in NYC in such a limited version today, even on the upper east side. Grandmothers taking their grandchildren for an afternoon of shopping are looking at boutiques along Madison and Third. They're eating in Starbucks and diners.