On the Road to Athens
Last weekend we made our way down through the hills of Southeast Ohio and headed to Athens, home of Ohio University, our beloved alma mater. It was an informal 10-year reunion, perfect fall weather (the best time to visit if you ask me) and just a small group of 10 getting back to the place we all called home for 4-plus years (some of us just visiting regularly, not actually attending).
We try to get back at least every couple years, the groups always varying in sizes, but the main difference this year–aside from the 10-year mark–was that kids were in attendance. I’m not counting the time almost 4 years ago when our friend Alyson was expecting. This time, toddlers were in tow and we also took on the challenge of actually eating dinner together. In the past, food was one of those things you randomly grabbed in between bar stops. Or the large group was split into smaller groups and everyone met up later at some point to get back to drinking. And then the only “sitting down for a meal” you did was after the bars closed, on the steps of the war memorial statue in the middle of College Green to polish off your tasty burrito from the Burrito Buggy. Ok, so we relived that this time as well, but, as I said, we did successfully have a group meal prior to that–at a scheduled time, with kids. Amazing how things change.
In a college town, the selections are limited as far as casual, kid-friendly restaurants. Sure there are places like Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday’s, but when you only get back once every few years, you want to take in something local and missed. The easiest choice was Casa Nueva.
Casa has a long history with Athens and the OU students. It’s a worker-owned cooperative specializing in mexican fare–namely salsas, enchiladas, burritos and the like, with some specials thrown in the mix. They believe in “slow food” or the farm-to-table idea that is rather popular with many chefs today. Only they’ve been doing that at Casa since 1985.
Overall, our visit was really nice. Plenty of room for a group of 10 adults and 3 kids (one in a high chair), the food was good (only a few complaints about the burritos being a bit dry), our server was very knowledgeable and handled us all pretty well. We definitely made her work. Not sure if it was her fault or the kitchen/bar, but it seemed like “slow” was taken a bit too far when it came to getting things to the table. We didn’t really mind because we were enjoying ourselves, but every now and again the kids got antsy. 3 hours is a long time to dine even without kids. But when all was said and done, everyone was satisfied, the kids were ready for bed, adults ready for the bars and no one complained about the checks. With prices this cheap how can you justify paying big city prices? Especially in this economy. But that’s another topic for another day.
And to keep on the cheap eats theme, a few of us stopped at the Coffee Cup in Nelsonville on our way out of town the next morning. Huge breakfasts, homemade food and a friendly environment. Definitely beats Bob Evans. Especially on the selection. I’ll let the reviews here sum it up for you. But it’s no wonder OU students will make the 16-mile drive just to get breakfast.
Casa Nueva
6 West State Street
Athens, Ohio 45701
(740) 592-2016
Date of visit: Saturday, October 18, 2008
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8a-2:30p and 5p-9p; Friday 8a-2:30p and 5p-10p; Saturday 9a-10p; Sunday 9a-9p; Cantina open until 2a daily.
Prices: Apps/soups/salads, $2-8; House specialties and Entrees, $3-10; Dinner platters, $8.50-13. Full bar service.
Reservations: They don’t take them and advise bigger groups to get there as early as possible. We sent a couple people there around 5p to put our name in and they gave us a 35-minute wait time so we made sure people knew to not show up until it was time to be seated. That way we avoided standing in the entrance/at the bar for that long. And even by doing that we still had a short wait at the bar.
Called ahead: Yes–which is how we found out about the reservation policy.
High Chairs: Yes
Changing Tables: Yes, in the large stall in both the women’s and men’s bathrooms. That’s a +5 if you’re keeping a grading scale. Now mom isn’t the only one getting diaper duty during dinner.
Kids plates: Yes, it’s a separate printed sheet with some coloring activities on the back. Crayons included. And since Casa was green before green was a movement, the game on the back of the sheets for our visit had a maze game with a recycling message. Items are in keeping with the mexican fare, but also include grilled cheese.
Other notes: Breakfast and lunch are also served and there are a variety of interesting beverage choices for those who want something different, but sans alcohol.
The Coffee Cup
615 W Washington St
Nelsonville, OH 45764
(740) 753-3336
Date of visit: Sunday, October 19, 2008
Hours: Not sure on exact hours, but they do serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Prices: Breakfast menu ranged from as little as $1-2 for a la carte items and on average $3-8 for full platters and entrees.
Reservations: No. We walked in with a group of 8 plus 2 kids and waited maybe 15 minutes for a table during a busy breakfast rush.
Called ahead: No
High Chairs: Yes
Changing Tables: Yes
Kids plates: I’m checking on this, but even if there isn’t a specific one, items can be ordered a la carte as I mentioned earlier. And I know the little ones we were with had pancakes and bacon.
Other notes: Vegetarians love the fact that there is a vegetarian section on the menu and some of the items are listed as vegan.
Add comment October 24, 2008
Props Again to Mod Mex
It’s safe to say that Momocho has easily become my favorite restaurant. I say that with some reservation only because there are so many great restaurants out there and Momocho deals in pretty specific cuisine. However, as of late, I can’t get enough of the place. It’s also become our go-to restaurant for entertaining out-of-town guests. We did just that a couple Saturdays back and we posed a decent challenge for the staff at Momocho: 6 adults and three kids under the age of 2. Two of which were in high chairs. The other still young enough to camp out in his car seat. Due to this visit, I felt the need to post again about it and give some major props to a great place.
I have to give a huge pat on the back to our waiter. I want to say his name was Kevin. I could be wrong on that, but regardless, he was fantastic. A lot of fun, enthusiastic and really interactive with the kids. The service was great, food was tasty as always and the rest of the staff was just as nice. What really surprised me though was just how happy the staff was to interact with the little ones. Maybe it was where we were seated? You couldn’t help but see us when coming up the stairs–we were right there, Grady on the end saying “hi” to anyone who walked by. But everyone from bussers, to waitstaff, to the guys in the kitchen couldn’t have been more friendly.
A little bit of the details: We made an early reservation for 5 p.m. and due to a perfect pace on food courses/drinks etc. we were finished up within the suggested 2 hour dining time (Whenever I’ve made weekend reservations there, that’s what they tell you. I think it’s pretty standard for busy places). That even included a couple diaper changes and smoke breaks for those who partake. I’ll also note here that we never felt rushed. It was a very easy-going dining experience and just goes to show you how being efficient doesn’t mean compromising a good time.
During our shuffling around to get seated, our waiter asked if we needed him to get another high chair from Johnny Mango. I’m assuming there must be only 2 high chairs at Momocho, only because I didn’t see any others being used. We didn’t need one (had the car seat and room for that in the booth), but I thought it was nice that he was willing to take the extra step.
Turns out there is a “super secret” kids’ menu as well. It’s not printed, but they offer things like chicken and rice, cheese quesadillas and chicken fingers at a lower price point for the kids. I wasn’t aware of that before this visit. Definitely good to know.
Again, I can’t say enough about how great the staff, in particular, was that night. While the food is definitely the draw at most places, and it’s fantastic here, a wonderful waitstaff is icing on the cake. If you still have yet to get to Momocho, do so ASAP! With or without kids, this place is a must eat.
1 comment October 6, 2008
From West to East…Saravá
I promised I’d get some East side places in and Saravá is a good place to start. I’m a big fan of small plates (or “street plates” as they’re called here) and lots of them. Here Brazilian fare is done that way, as full entrees and then some. We’ve visited Saravá multiple times with friends in the past, but had yet to take Grady so we finally made a point to get him there as well. We were seated at a table for two and they pulled up a high chair for us no problem, but it was a little tight since we had multiple plates, drinks and a toddler wanting to grab everything in his sight. Be sure to ask for a little more space. We were there early and even though there were plenty of people there, many 4-tops were available and we should have asked to switch. Live and learn, as usual!
Saravá
13225 Shaker Square
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 295-1200
Hours: Monday-Thursday 5p-10p; Friday/Saturday 5p-12a; Sunday 5p-9p; Happy hour daily 5p-6:30p, Friday/Saturday after 9:30p.
Prices: Street plates, $5-9; Pizzas, $6.50-8.50; Apps/salads/sandwiches, $6.50-13.50; Entrees, $17.50-27; Sides, $2-6.50; Desserts, $5-7.50; Kid’s, $5-9.
Reservations: No, but if you have a larger group, then it’d be better to be safe than sorry.
Date of visit: Saturday, August 23, 2008
Called ahead: No
High Chairs: Yes
Changing Tables: Yes, in the large stall.
Kids plates: Yes, mainly it’s a number of items pulled from the “street plates” menu and then a couple smaller versions of pasta dishes and the skirt steak. Still nice that they call it out, at least on the web site. At the restaurant we were not given a separate kid’s menu. Not that it doesn’t exist in print of course. We didn’t ask because we knew what we we were going to get anyway.
Other notes: There’s a special happy hour menu and as the web site notes (to quote): Special items FROM THIS MENU are available AT THE BAR 3 for $12 at the bar during our daily Happy Hour every day, 5:00 – 6:30, and after 9:30 PM on Friday and Saturday. ****PLUS $1 off ALL drinks during our daily Happy Hour every day, 5:00 – 6:30!
You can download a PDF of this menu on their site.
Add comment September 12, 2008
Getting out of Dodge
We’ll take a departure from the NEO for this post and put a few random travels in the mix. I know up to this point I’ve focused on Ohio City/Tremont, but very soon I’ll be posting about some East Side places as well. For now though, how about Boston and Minneapolis?
Back in April of this year, we were in Newburyport, MA visiting some friends (who also have a little boy, Henry, age 2) and decided that at least one night we wanted to get to downtown Boston for a bite to eat…with the boys. Prior to this, Rich and I had watched an episode of Iron Chef America in which challenging chef Ken Oringer gave Iron Chef Cat Cora a whoopin’ in Kitchen Stadium. He made some lovely looking dishes so we thought it’d be nice to check out one of his Boston establishments. We chose La Verdad right near Fenway Park. Turned out to be a good pick and a perfect night to go. The Red Sox were in town and the area was loaded with people. Made us wish we were going to the game. Nonetheless, we had a great time and it was a great spot to take the kids and get some tasty eats and drinks.
La Verdad
1 Landsdowne St.
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 421-9595
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11a-1a; Friday/Saturday 11a-2a
Prices: Apps and salads, $4.95-12.95; Entrees, $9.50-16.95; Desserts, $4.95-5.95 .
Reservations: Yes, and a must on game days.
Date of visit: April 2008
Called ahead: Yes
High Chairs: Yes
Changing Tables: Not sure
Kids plates: None specific, but Mexican fare makes for great kid eats. Especially quesadillas and guacamole.
Other notes: La Verdad is definitely very good (grilled corn was awesome), and I’m probably biased toward Momocho since I can get to it whenever I want, but if it was up to my vote Momocho would get the #1 in the USA tag. Props to La Verdad though…for now.
_____________________________________________________________________________
This next place makes the catalog thanks to my cousin Trish. She and her family (hubby and five kids ranging in age from 12 years to 10 months) recently visited the Twin Cities. While in Minneapolis, they had dinner at Harry’s. According to Minneapolis & St Paul Restaurant Critics “Harry’s serves classic American fare with a twist and is ideal for many occasions…family gatherings, happy hour, casual dinner, or a pre-show meal.” Here’s what Trish had to say:
We arrived about 5:30 and were seated right away in a small area all by ourselves. They do have a children’s menu, high chairs, and booster seats, we used them all. Ten minutes after we were seated, the place started to pack um in, but still no one seated by us. Are we that intimidating??? We ordered appetizers right away and the wait was acceptable. While waiting we visited the bathrooms and they were very clean. I don’t recall if there were changing tables, I didn’t need them. It took awhile to order our meal, and then a little too long to receive it. Our crowd was getting restless [These kids are SERIOUS eaters]. Anthony and I split a burger and it was awesome, I guess that’s what they’re known for. Aaron ordered yellow fin tuna and it was over done. Over all we were pleased with the place, we got our drink on, the kids got their eat on and still no one was seated anywhere near us.
Trish didn’t think they were intentionally left to an area of their own, but regardless, they liked having their own spot. Whatever works, right? She said they’d definitely go back if the chance arose even though the service wasn’t as prompt as it could be.
Harry’s
500 Washington Ave. So.
Minneapolis, MN 55415
(612) 344-7000
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11a-10p; Friday/Saturday 11a-11p; Sunday 4p-10p; Happy Hour Sunday-Friday 4p-6p.
Prices: Apps and salads, $5.95-13.95; Burgers and sandwiches $11.95-14.95; Entrees, $13.95-27.95; Desserts $6.95-9.95.
Reservations: Yes. Can be made on their website or by phone.
Date of visit: July 2008
Called ahead: Yes
High Chairs: Yes and booster seats.
Changing Tables: Not sure
Kids plates: Separate menu offered, but not listed on the website.
Other notes: The site notes that 18% gratuity may be added to checks of parties of 8 or more.
Add comment August 26, 2008
Tremont Tap House Revisited
This past Sunday (August 10) we headed to the Tremont Tap House for brunch. I posted the details on TTP earlier, but just wanted to give an update.
High Chairs: Nope. But they do have at least one booster seat. Next time I’ll definitely bring the portable, as we did the first time we dined here. There is plenty of room to use them in the booths. Grady is a bit too curious to not be strapped in!
Changing Tables: Also no. One-seater bathroom with plenty of room to spread out for diaper changes or kid clean-up though.
Other notes: The brunch menu had a nice selection of offerings and the food was very good. I also noticed that they’re advertising some quality happy hour prices: $5 burgers and pizzas specifically. And the happy hour runs on Saturday afternoons from 12p-4p as well (Also M-F 5p-7p I believe). Nice touch for grabbing a cheap weekend lunch with the kids. We noticed that some larger groups were accommodated at high tops (pushed together) in the back and they have a gorgeous patio in case you’d rather be out in the open.
Add comment August 13, 2008
Let’s Grab Some Breakfast
I mentioned brunch in the last post, but here are a places we specifically like for breakfast and have become staples for us on weekends. The earlier you go, the less chance for waiting, but aside from one time we’ve never had much of a problem finding a seat. I’ll list them in order of size from small to…well, bigger.
Lucky’s Cafe
777 Starkweather Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 622-7773
Hours: Breakfast, lunch and brunch daily from morning to night according to the website. Breakfast starts at 9a; Lunch at 11a. Sat./Sun. brunch 9a – 2p.
Prices: Subject to change and they change with the seasonal menu. It’s a bit pricey for breakfast with plates running from $8–10, but I did get egg and bacon on a bagel for around $5. Plenty of pastries and breads for much less as well. We love the spot and the tasty eats so we think it’s worth it!
Reservations: No, but I’d get there early, or late because the place is small and the line gets long.
Date of visit: Multiple, but last one was Saturday, June 28, 2008
Called ahead: No
High Chairs: They had two that I saw. We were without Grady on this particular visit, however there were a couple of families there. Not all the tables are suitable to put a high chair next to them, but there were a number of spots that could work.
Changing Tables: Not sure–have to post back on this.
Kids plates: Sides can be ordered and the kitchen always seems friendly with special requests. Plenty of breads and pastries as well.
Other notes: While many probably couldn’t take their family of 5 there regularly for breakfast, the food and atmosphere is, in my opinion, worth the extra cash. Plus it’s a true gem in the renaissance that is Tremont. And we love to support local so we’ll keep coming back. Oh, and the homemade jam rocks!
West Side Market Cafe
1995 W. 25 St.
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 579-6800
Hours: Monday-Tuesday 7a–4p; Wednesday-Saturday 7a-9p; Sunday 9a-3p.
Prices: Breakfast, $2.50-11; apps and sides, $3-7; soup and salads, $1.75-8.25; sandwiches, burgers and wraps, $5-7.50; entrees, $8.50-11.50.
Reservations: No
Date of visit: Multiple but last was Thursday, July 31, 2008
Called ahead: No
High Chairs: Yes
Changing Tables: No
Kids plates: Kitchen always accommodates things like “one pancake and a sausage link.”
Other notes: Great breakfast food with fresh ingredients. It’s not a huge spot, but we always find room even when it seems pretty busy. Quick service, loud, but pleasant bustling which is always great eye-candy for the kids. And it helps when they decide to let out a little loudness of their own.
Grumpy’s
2621 W. 14th St.
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 241-5025
Hours: Monday 7a-3p; Tuesday-Thursday 7a-9p; Friday 7a-10p; Saturday 8a-10p; Sunday 8a-3p.
Prices: Breakfast, $3-8; starters, $3-8; lunch menu, $5-9; dinner menu, $5-14; brunch menu (Sunday for sure, don’t know about the rest of the week), $5-9.
Reservations: No
Date of visit: Multiple but last was on a Sunday in June.
Called ahead: No
High Chairs: Yes
Changing Tables: No
Kids plates: Another very accommodating kitchen for special requests.
Other notes: Plenty of room for larger groups. Food is great and inventive as far as the types of pancakes, omelets and breakfast plates offered. Grumpy’s really takes it to another level. Something to keep in mind: Parties of 6 or more are subject to a policy of ONE check and added 20% gratuity.
Add comment August 7, 2008
Touch Supper Club & Momocho
I’d love to say that I’ll be posting every day, but we’re in the midst of a kitchen remodel (completely gutted the thing and now it’s being put back together) and with working full-time and chasing around Grady there’s only so much time in a day! I’m probably preaching to the choir. However, here are a few more off the list. I’ll try not to go so long between posts, but bear with me.
Touch Supper Club
2710 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 631-5200
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 6p-close; Friday 5p–close; Sunday Brunch 11a-5p
Prices: Apps and salads, $4-12; sandwiches, burgers and pizzas, $7-14; entrees, $9-20. Sunday brunch, $5-10.
Reservations: Yes, but not always necessary.
Date of visit: Sunday • July 20, 2007 (Brunch visit)
Called ahead: No, but I went in and asked if they had high chairs before we all made our way in.
High Chairs: They had at least one and mentioned something about a booster seat as well. We ended up not needing it because Grady fell asleep in the car on the way there and slept through the entire brunch!
Changing Tables: Not sure about women’s, but men’s room did not.
Kids plates: None offered, but tator tots come with each brunch entree. Items can also be ordered a la carte and they offer things like a breakfast pizza. Seems like some items on the dinner menu would work too if you’re looking for a separate meal for the kids.
Other notes: Our waitress was extremely friendly and very welcoming when I told her we had a baby with us. The window booth seat was a perfect spot. Great option for Sunday brunch in general!
Momocho
1835 Fulton Rd.
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 694-2122
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 5p–close; Sundays 4p–9:30p; Happy hour + ½ / Tuesday–Friday 5p-6:30p.
Prices: Inexpensive for apps, salads, guacamoles and sides ($5-10 range). Inexpensive to moderate for taquitos and entrees ($10-20 range). I’ll have to post back with a more exact numbers.
Reservations: Yes, and recommended.
Date of visit: Multiple visits
Called ahead: No
High Chairs: Yes
Changing Tables: No, but the bathrooms are singles and there’s plenty of room to spread out if you need to.
Kids plates: None offered. Lots of finger foods and exciting flavors for the little ones to try. On one visit we had Grady and a 11 and 13-year-old and all were pleased with the offerings. Especially the guacamole.
***UPDATE*** Turns out there is a super-secret kids’ menu after all...
Other notes: Everyone at Momocho has always been very accommodating and friendly, the food is fantastic and not your typical Mexican fare as most probably know by now. This is definitely one of our favorite places to dine, and yet another place to help Grady expand his palate!
1 comment July 30, 2008
Let’s Start the List
To get rolling, and get to the point of this blog, here are a couple places that, in my opinion, should be featured first. The first restaurant was what gave me the inspiration to start this catalog, and the other has become a favorite that I’d love to go back to again and again. More to follow…
Tremont Tap House
2572 Scranton Road
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 298-4451
Hours: Monday-Saturday 4p-2a; Sunday 10a-2a (Dinner served M-Th 5p-1a; F/Sat 5p-2; Sun 4p-10p; Brunch served Sun 10a-4p)
Prices: Small plates and salads, $4-10; sandwiches, burgers and pizzas, $8-12; entrees, $12-19. Sunday brunch, $6-16.
Reservations: Yes, and recommended on weekends.
Date of visit: Winter ‘07…don’t recall the exact date
Called ahead: Yes
High Chairs: Not at the time, but they were getting them. They welcomed the portable and we hooked it to the table inside the booth we sat in. We were told that they would be starting Sunday brunches and were very much wanting a “families welcomed” atmosphere even though the feel of the place was very much “bar.” Very cool space though. Looks like the brunches are happening and we haven’t been back yet, but will be going back soon. You know how time flies! I’ll most likely call again to see what the status on the high chairs is though. Or if anyone knows, feel free to post.
Changing Tables: Not sure. Never used the bathroom while we were there.
Kids plates: None offered, but the food is great and I’d welcome Grady to try anything that we ordered off the menu. He was on solid food then and we gave him some of the mashed potatoes from my mom’s entree.
Other notes: They didn’t have a license to serve wine at the time. Just beer and liquor. I need to find out the status on that because they said they were in the process of getting the wine license. That’s my drink of choice, so added bonus if they offer it now.
Bar Cento
1948 W 25th St
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 274-1010
Hours: Sunday through Friday 4:30 p-2 a; Saturday noon-2a. The bar stays open one-half hour after closing every night.
Prices: Apps, $4-15; entrees, $6-17; desserts, $5. Daily Specials: $10.
Reservations: Yes, and recommended on weekends.
Date of visit: Multiple visits
Called ahead: No
High Chairs: Yes
Changing Tables: Yes *UPDATE* It’s in the back stall (larger, handicap accessible stall) and it’s literally a table. But it’s secure and there’s even a hand sanitizer dispenser above it.
Kids plates: None specific, but this is definitely a place to have your child try some fantastic food! And they will accommodate special requests.
Other notes: Tuesday night is “Cook Chefin’ night” where kids their parents make pizza with the chef and have dinner.
Add comment July 23, 2008
The Guidelines
Here are a few sites that I find to be useful regarding advice on how to dine with kids. I know some people who are a bit timid when it comes to venturing out to restaurants with kids in tow, but I think using advice like this might make it easier. And it might make people think about things that aren’t so obvious as well.
( Where they came from http://www.dinnersfromhell.com/dining-kids.htm)
Dining out with Kids in Restaurants
(non-chain, non family) or, Tales of Training a Future Restaurant Critic
http://www.forkandbottle.com/rants/other/dining_out_with_kids_in_restaurants.htm
7 Mistakes Not to Make When Dining Out with Kids
http://www.fodors.com/news/story_2628.html
How to dine out with kids … and enjoy it! (ages 2 to 4)
http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-dine-out-with-kids-and-enjoy-it-ages-2-to-4_63913.bc
From the point of view of the wait staff
There are a few things I’d add, just from personal experience (really only applies to kids in diapers and needing a high chair):
1) Do Some Research and Call Ahead: If we’re not sure a place is right for taking baby/kids, we call and ask a few questions. “Do you have high chairs?” being first and foremost. Most of the time we know the places that are definitely not for kids, but there are some that you’re just not sure (Tremont Tap House comes to mind, but more on that later). We also make sure to check the restaurant’s web site for hours and menu info. If there’s not one available those are also questions we ask when we call ahead.
2) Take The Portable High Chair: If a place tells us they don’t have high chairs, we ask if it’s cool to bring our own. We have this great chair that we actually use every day. It attaches to our island (no room for a big high chair) and detaches easily. Also folds up for easy portability. A lot of other models don’t fold up.
3) Make Sure You Have the Changing Pad: Not all places are equipped with changing tables so having that changing pad is essential. Counters and sometimes even the floor has worked. Some might think that’s gross, but most of the places we’ve gone have had very clean bathrooms, so we don’t worry about it. Plus the changing pad is washable. And we clean up after ourselves.
If anyone has any other advice to share, feel free to comment!
Add comment July 21, 2008
The Point
I would never claim to be an expert in the world of food, just one who enjoys and appreciates it. What I can say is that my husband Rich and I (and quite a few of our friends and family) really enjoy dining out and taking in all the culinary excellence that Northeast Ohio has to offer — as well as the culinary excellence of the rest of the country…and other countries…you get what I’m saying. We dine out as often as we can and when we travel the first thing we do is figure out where we’ll be eating throughout the trip. Luckily there are plenty of resources out there to give us the low down on just about every eatery out there. And that was fine until about 15 months ago.
May 3, 2007 we became the proud parents of a baby boy (Grady) and as every parent in the world could say “life as we knew it changed.” We expected it and knew we’d adjust, but we really, really, really didn’t want to give up our trek for great food finds. So we decided we’d take the little guy with us wherever we went, within reason of course. There have been date nights and times when it’s just some adults having kid-free time, but most of the time we pack him up and just head to dinner a little earlier than we used to. This is a good thing for a number of reasons:
1) It’s good to get your child out and about. Early exposure to public places gets them used to the world. Living in a bubble isn’t for us or him.
2) Dining earlier is pleasant because there isn’t much of a crowd and you can get in places without reservations (with some exceptions of course). Plus we know that not everyone enjoys children and may not want them around when they’re trying to enjoy a night out at 8 p.m. or later. And 8 p.m. is bedtime anyway.
3) We can come home, put the little man to bed and it’s still early enough for us to sit and watch a movie, play darts, listen to music, chat, hang with friends, etc.
It was especially easy the first few months where he mostly slept and we could tote him around in his car seat. I was amazed by the number of people who’d say to us as we sat at a table, “Enjoy it now! In a few months you won’t be able to do this!” And we’d laugh and nod like we knew our time was limited. But really we always hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Did we really have to give it up eventually? So far no, we haven’t had to. Things have gone well and our son really enjoys restaurants (must be in the genes) and we hope it continues. And this is where it comes back to the dining resources and getting the low down on where to go.
The information we need now is where are the kid-friendly restaurants? And I’m not referring to all the Applebee’s, Fridays, Champps or typical family restaurants out there — not that those aren’t fine at times. I’m referring to the chef-owned, inspired-cooking, local flare kinds of places that say “Hey! Kids can come too!” but it’s not really advertised (maybe for good reason, but we’re interested in breaking that stereotype of the loud, obnoxious kids out of control). These places do exist and we came across a number of them over the last year. And, thankfully, there is quite a selection. It’s good for us because we get out and keep up, and good for them because it’s business they’re not losing.
That brings me to the point of this blog. As we continue to dine with our child, and eventually children if we’re so blessed, I’m going to keep a running list of the places in Cleveland/NEO/wherever we travel that people can feel completely comfortable taking their kids to and still get the culinary experience they desire. Some offer more amenities like high chairs, changing tables in the bathroom and even kid-sized portions, and others don’t offer anything like that, but do welcome kids with open arms regardless. That will all be documented here, along with our own set of “Dining…with children rules.” But more about that in the next post.
Add comment July 18, 2008
