LTH Home

kid-friendly restaurants

kid-friendly restaurants
  • Forum HomePost Reply BackTop
    Page 3 of 4
  • Post #61 - January 27th, 2006, 4:29 pm
    Post #61 - January 27th, 2006, 4:29 pm Post #61 - January 27th, 2006, 4:29 pm
    My friends have two little ones and live in Wicker Park. My friend is rather proud of his "dinner with family strategy" which is to go early, early early. (Dinner is always around 5:30.) Some of his favorite places are Greek Islands (plenty of families in that place), Twin Anchors and Club Lucky (with the understanding that they would be gone before 7ish). He has also been known to take an early seating at Las Palmas and has always had good luck.
  • Post #62 - January 30th, 2006, 10:49 am
    Post #62 - January 30th, 2006, 10:49 am Post #62 - January 30th, 2006, 10:49 am
    Yes, going early is key. You can bring a child almost anywhere if you go at 5 pm.

    We made a great kid-friendly discovery this weekend: Flat Top Grill. Apparently, kids under 4 eat free there! The grill provides built-in entertainment while you wait and the servers were very friendly. They even gave my daughter some trainer chopsticks which she actually got pretty good at using. Lastly, and this is a big deal for us, they are very sensitive to food allergies and will cook the allergic person's food in a separate pan.
    Good Americans, when they die, go to Paris.
    -Oscar Wilde
  • Post #63 - February 16th, 2006, 11:21 am
    Post #63 - February 16th, 2006, 11:21 am Post #63 - February 16th, 2006, 11:21 am
    A coworker of mine takes his kids to Scoozi on Sundays where kids get to "make" their own pizza. With the purchase of each adult entree, three kids get to make and eat pizza for free. I checked the Scoozi website at Levy and didn't see this mentioned so maybe it's a well-kept secret.
  • Post #64 - February 17th, 2006, 7:10 pm
    Post #64 - February 17th, 2006, 7:10 pm Post #64 - February 17th, 2006, 7:10 pm
    Akane wrote:It's tough to take him to places if they don't serve some sort of chicken nuggets/fingers/strips. ....Can you imagine? A toddler that does NOT eat mac and cheese or grilled cheese? :/


    Most kids go through a picky stage around that age - we instituted the one-bite rule about when he turned four (along with coaching on how to choke something down, and the understanding that, though some things are, not everything is delicious - but it had to go down anyway) Now that he's five and a half, he approaches food with a sense of adventure and occasionally asks to "eat somewhere new" I think, all in all, the picky stage only lasted a year - it was pretty freaky at the time, though.

    We recently had a fabulous meal at Dozika on Dempster/Chicago in Evanston - they have a terrific kid's menu: mac and cheese or gyoza or satay (which we call peanut-butter-chicken) all with a side of steamed broccoli and miso. When we mentioned he liked sushi, the chef sent him a Tamago all his own - and he had fun trying our maki.
  • Post #65 - February 17th, 2006, 7:25 pm
    Post #65 - February 17th, 2006, 7:25 pm Post #65 - February 17th, 2006, 7:25 pm
    Mhays wrote:We recently had a fabulous meal at Dozika on Dempster/Chicago in Evanston

    Mhays,

    I've been meaning to try Dozika for quite a while, but always seem to notice/think of going when I'm on my way to Davis Street Fish Market. Since I am not a fan of recent changes at Davis Street, no oyster bar for one, completely different tater tots, if one can even still call them that, for two, looks like I won't be on my way somewhere else next time I drive past.

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #66 - February 18th, 2006, 8:37 am
    Post #66 - February 18th, 2006, 8:37 am Post #66 - February 18th, 2006, 8:37 am
    No oyster bar? When did that happen? Can you still get the same variety of oysters and do the "tasting" thing at your table?

    EEP

    PS. We've had success bringing our son there, too - though he's never had a raw oyster!
  • Post #67 - February 18th, 2006, 3:33 pm
    Post #67 - February 18th, 2006, 3:33 pm Post #67 - February 18th, 2006, 3:33 pm
    Gary,

    Sorry to hear of the loss of the oyster bar and demise of the tater tots at Davis Street.
    Why would they mess with a good thing?
  • Post #68 - February 27th, 2006, 7:10 am
    Post #68 - February 27th, 2006, 7:10 am Post #68 - February 27th, 2006, 7:10 am
    DBigg wrote:Gary,

    Sorry to hear of the loss of the oyster bar and demise of the tater tots at Davis Street.
    Why would they mess with a good thing?

    Dave,

    No idea, but they sure has hell did. The new bar addition looks very pretty with lots of polished wood, and I'm sure there are those who will appreciate the battalion of flat screen TVs, but the oyster bar is no more, Tony, oyster shucker extraordinaire, is now relegated to the kitchen, the oysters are $2 more per dozen and there were only two kinds, one of which was the (relatively) mundane Blue Point.

    Worse yet they fu**ed with the tater tots. They now use non trans fatty acid potato stars which are chunkier and, ironically, seem to absorb more oil than the Ore-Ida gold standard tater tot they once used.

    ~sigh~

    Enjoy,
    Gary 'All change is for the worse' Wiv
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #69 - March 5th, 2006, 11:08 am
    Post #69 - March 5th, 2006, 11:08 am Post #69 - March 5th, 2006, 11:08 am
    http://www.purpleasparagus.com/

    The last event was quite wholeheartedly out of our price range, but seems interesting...
  • Post #70 - March 6th, 2006, 7:41 am
    Post #70 - March 6th, 2006, 7:41 am Post #70 - March 6th, 2006, 7:41 am
    Mhays wrote:http://www.purpleasparagus.com/

    The last event was quite wholeheartedly out of our price range, but seems interesting...


    This looks very interesting. I'm looking forward to the next event.

    Thanks!
  • Post #71 - March 6th, 2006, 8:38 am
    Post #71 - March 6th, 2006, 8:38 am Post #71 - March 6th, 2006, 8:38 am
    Mhays wrote:http://www.purpleasparagus.com/

    The last event was quite wholeheartedly out of our price range, but seems interesting...

    Mhays,

    The Purple Asparagus web site needs to be updated the last event was $25 at 'Little' Three Happiness and was great fun. Betty, co-owner of 'Little' Three Happiness, demonstrated Chinese lettering and chopstick technique, put on a puppet dragon play with her nieces and MAG and company brought crayons and other games, not to mention the Chinese toys Betty provided the kids. Oh, and there was also a boat load of food. :)

    Purple Asparagus at 'Little' Three Happiness
    Image
    Image
    Image

    The next Purple Asparagus event will be at Kaze Sushi on Roscoe, though I am not sure of price or date.

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #72 - March 10th, 2006, 6:16 am
    Post #72 - March 10th, 2006, 6:16 am Post #72 - March 10th, 2006, 6:16 am
    GWIV, thanks for posting the pics. The event at LTH was great fun, and Cecil, Rachel and I are greatly looking forward to the next one.

    Happy Taster Gal
  • Post #73 - January 6th, 2009, 1:28 pm
    Post #73 - January 6th, 2009, 1:28 pm Post #73 - January 6th, 2009, 1:28 pm
    Resurrecting an old topic... have something even more specific. Want to take my son to a good diner for his 2nd birthday on Thursday. Basically, I want to go to something like Cozy Corner (2294 N Milwaukee Ave), but it does not serve during dinner hours. Would like to avoid the Golden Nuggets etc... Trying to brainstorm and coming up short. I could make the drive out to that fantastic diner in Austin, but would love to stay closer to home. A place with good cake/pie is a plus.

    Any suggestions appreciated.
  • Post #74 - January 6th, 2009, 1:42 pm
    Post #74 - January 6th, 2009, 1:42 pm Post #74 - January 6th, 2009, 1:42 pm
    Feed.
    Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
    New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
    Watch the Reader's James Beard Award-winning Key Ingredient here.
  • Post #75 - January 6th, 2009, 1:44 pm
    Post #75 - January 6th, 2009, 1:44 pm Post #75 - January 6th, 2009, 1:44 pm
    ab wrote:Resurrecting an old topic... have something even more specific. Want to take my son to a good diner for his 2nd birthday on Thursday. Basically, I want to go to something like Cozy Corner (2294 N Milwaukee Ave), but it does not serve during dinner hours. Would like to avoid the Golden Nuggets etc... Trying to brainstorm and coming up short. I could make the drive out to that fantastic diner in Austin, but would love to stay closer to home. A place with good cake/pie is a plus.

    Any suggestions appreciated.

    Have you considered The Brown Sack? They're open until 8 pm Tuesday - Saturday.

    =R=

    The Brown Sack
    3706 W Armitage
    Chicago, IL 60647
    773 661-0675
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #76 - January 6th, 2009, 1:53 pm
    Post #76 - January 6th, 2009, 1:53 pm Post #76 - January 6th, 2009, 1:53 pm
    thank you - both those places are exactly the type of place I was thinking of...

    I also just thought of the Palace Grill (west loop), really good people and decent desserts. Still might go to the Depot as well. It's good to have options.
  • Post #77 - January 6th, 2009, 2:07 pm
    Post #77 - January 6th, 2009, 2:07 pm Post #77 - January 6th, 2009, 2:07 pm
    No advise on diners, I rarely eat at any.

    However, I will contribute to this thread as a parent of a 2 year old with adventurous tastes. I find myself asking the same "kid friendly" question alot when considering where to dine & appreciate an index of places others have gone and enjoyed. When we are going out to "white table cloth" restaurants we go for late lunches or early dinners. The staff, and other diners seem more forgiving if a child acts like a child for a second before they can be taken away from the table.

    Places we have been and felt welcome:
    Joes Stone Crab, Shaws, Renga Tei, Saloon, San Soo Gap San, Lao Sze Chuan,Klas, Cajun Connection, Amanacer Tapatio, Coalfire, Fabulous Noodles, Semiramis, Sun Wah, Tank Noodle, Rips, Cherry Supper Club, Monaris 101.

    Luckily we have a daughter who eats pretty much anything, prime beef, bbq pork, duck, shellfish, any pasta, any rice dish, crawfish, alligator, frog legs, etc.

    As far as the allergy issue brought up upthread, we feed our daughter peanut butter, as well as shellfish(she is a crab, lobster, and shrimp eating fanatic), and have been since she was about 2. Peanuts we try to avoid not because of potential allergy issues, but because of possible digestive issues I have heard about(we also dont feed her lettuce for the same reason). I have my own opinion on the influx of allergies(I think it is more due to kids living inactive lifestyles,being cooped up indoors, and not outside playing as much as kids did back in the day). But that is a debate/discussion for a different day.
    Last edited by jimswside on January 6th, 2009, 2:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
  • Post #78 - January 6th, 2009, 2:15 pm
    Post #78 - January 6th, 2009, 2:15 pm Post #78 - January 6th, 2009, 2:15 pm
    It does really come down to waitresses for us - the old diner waitresses have no problem keeping him entertained and always bring some food out early. Same goes for a lot of ethnic places - family-run, family-familiar, they have no problem dealing with a raucous toddler.

    They're just something about diners that I really like, and my son takes to them very well (the food, the atmosphere...). At his age now, diners and family ethnic joints are the only two real options I consider if we are trying to get out to eat with the boy.

    Actually, beef places are great too. He loves Chickies, Portillos downtown, Joe Boston's etc...
  • Post #79 - January 6th, 2009, 3:16 pm
    Post #79 - January 6th, 2009, 3:16 pm Post #79 - January 6th, 2009, 3:16 pm
    you might want to hit the choo choo diner before the bulldozers arrive.
    http://edzos.com/
    Edzo's Evanston on Facebook or Twitter.

    Edzo's Lincoln Park on Facebook or Twitter.
  • Post #80 - January 7th, 2009, 1:45 pm
    Post #80 - January 7th, 2009, 1:45 pm Post #80 - January 7th, 2009, 1:45 pm
    One of my 3 1/2 year old sons walked into the kitchen the other day and said to my wife,

    "Mommy, it smells like a Chinese restaurant in here."

    Now, this was a fabulous statement on a number of levels. However, I take most pride in the fact that he's been to a Chinese restaurant enough times to know what they smell like. His most recent trip to Sun Wah, along with his twin brother and 5 month old sister, was a great time.
    Did you know there is an LTHforum Flickr group? I just found it...
  • Post #81 - January 7th, 2009, 3:36 pm
    Post #81 - January 7th, 2009, 3:36 pm Post #81 - January 7th, 2009, 3:36 pm
    We had a great experience with our four kids (ages 2 to 12) at Tapas Barcelona in Evanston on New Year's Eve. We also had a lot of fun with our two oldest daughters at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba this past summer. There tends to be a wide variety of choices at tapas restaurants, with different dishes coming out of the kitchen fast and furious, which keeps the kids interested. Also, the wait staff tends to be used to a somewhat "frantic" pace, and they're loud (the restaurants, not the wait staff). Those are all good things while the grown-ups enjoy a pitcher of sangria.
  • Post #82 - January 9th, 2009, 12:06 pm
    Post #82 - January 9th, 2009, 12:06 pm Post #82 - January 9th, 2009, 12:06 pm
    Thanks for the Choo Choo rec elakin. We went and my son LOVED the train. He's a bit of a train freak, so this was the perfect place.
  • Post #83 - January 9th, 2009, 4:08 pm
    Post #83 - January 9th, 2009, 4:08 pm Post #83 - January 9th, 2009, 4:08 pm
    Itto Sushi on Halstead is very kid friendly. You can get a kid's plate with tofu, fruit, rice, avocado for I believe 2.50.

    The staff there loves kids and we take our 16 month old there all of the time
  • Post #84 - January 10th, 2009, 9:26 am
    Post #84 - January 10th, 2009, 9:26 am Post #84 - January 10th, 2009, 9:26 am
    good to hear that it worked out for you, ab. my son is a train fanatic as well and the choo choo is a huge special treat for him.

    the bonus of going there is that i really enjoy their food. they have great smashed-on-the-griddle style burgers, awesome old-school shakes mixed on the old hamilton beach shake thing and served in the classic metal cup, and really good turkey chili.

    re the recent tapas/kids thread; we've discovered that tapas is a great option for groups with kids too, since there are always so many plates going around, there's bound to be something the kids will like. we recently had a very good meal with our three-year old and another couple at cafe marbella.
    http://edzos.com/
    Edzo's Evanston on Facebook or Twitter.

    Edzo's Lincoln Park on Facebook or Twitter.
  • Post #85 - January 10th, 2009, 10:24 pm
    Post #85 - January 10th, 2009, 10:24 pm Post #85 - January 10th, 2009, 10:24 pm
    I have an infant daughter and am really suprised about this entire thread. I already feel selfish about bringing our daughter to restaurants, including kid friendly restaurants, based upon my respect for other diners. If I hired a sitter and wanted to go to a dinner at some of the places descibed in this thread, I would actually be pissed that someone brought a child. Sorry folks, but I think that there needs to be some consideration of the dining experience for others as opposed to taking a kid out for what you think will be a fine dining experience. I await your backlash, but I feel better and less stressed when I know I am not ruining someone else's night out. My daughter will have great dining experiences and will develop a great palate, but this will definitely not come at the expense of others.
  • Post #86 - January 11th, 2009, 12:11 am
    Post #86 - January 11th, 2009, 12:11 am Post #86 - January 11th, 2009, 12:11 am
    Davebs wrote:I have an infant daughter and am really suprised about this entire thread. I already feel selfish about bringing our daughter to restaurants, including kid friendly restaurants, based upon my respect for other diners. If I hired a sitter and wanted to go to a dinner at some of the places descibed in this thread, I would actually be pissed that someone brought a child. Sorry folks, but I think that there needs to be some consideration of the dining experience for others as opposed to taking a kid out for what you think will be a fine dining experience. I await your backlash, but I feel better and less stressed when I know I am not ruining someone else's night out. My daughter will have great dining experiences and will develop a great palate, but this will definitely not come at the expense of others.

    I guess some kids are just more well-behaved than others. If you don't think your daughter could handle a restaurant without disturbing others, it's great that you don't bring her.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #87 - January 11th, 2009, 8:27 am
    Post #87 - January 11th, 2009, 8:27 am Post #87 - January 11th, 2009, 8:27 am
    We take our 9 month old out to dinner almost everywhere we go and have had no problems. I seriously doubt that it has distracted from or upset any of our fellow dinners.

    Fine dinning has not really been explored, but we have had many visits to a wide variety of restaurants. Not sure if its already been mentioned, but a favorite of ours which has been very kid friendly is Spoon Thai.

    If we don't find it kid appropriate, we wait until we have a sitter, which is why I have not been to Publican yet.
  • Post #88 - January 11th, 2009, 8:36 am
    Post #88 - January 11th, 2009, 8:36 am Post #88 - January 11th, 2009, 8:36 am
    I had a cranky infant son and it was very difficult dining out with him. We tried a few times, stayed to family friendly restaurants and wound up getting to-go containers as soon as our food was delivered. So, we waited with him till he was about 3, which is when his sister was born. However, my daughter was a different baby and we could bring her anywhere and dine out--and I can confidently state that we did not disturb others.

    I agree that some kids are better behaved then others and you can't teach an infant how to behave at a restaurant. To each their own I suppose, but I do not feel guilty in the least of dining out with my family and look forward to bringing my children (now 5 and 7) out with us to experience new places and dishes. But I sure wasn't pissed when we hired a sitter to watch my son when we went out. I was jealous that I couldn't bring him with. I was at Arun's and was jealous that a set of parents and their 2 year old daughter were having the same 7 course meal as we were and the little girl was perfectly behaved. I couldn't have done that with my son--and wished that I could have.
  • Post #89 - January 11th, 2009, 8:48 am
    Post #89 - January 11th, 2009, 8:48 am Post #89 - January 11th, 2009, 8:48 am
    I have a 20 month old, and for me, I've found that outdoor seating (when available) is great because the street goings on entertain him and keep him interested. Also, lately restaurants with open kitchens have appeal. We went to Stir Crazy in Northbrook Court and had a table where he could see the line. This provided a lot of amusement, especially when any flames jumped up high.
    Frasca in Roscoe Village sees a huge number of child diners and the waitstaff is good with them. I can actually take my son by myself and have a somewhat relaxing meal.
  • Post #90 - January 11th, 2009, 10:06 pm
    Post #90 - January 11th, 2009, 10:06 pm Post #90 - January 11th, 2009, 10:06 pm
    I already feel selfish about bringing our daughter to restaurants, including kid friendly restaurants, based upon my respect for other diners.


    why???

    i mean, i understand if the kid's screaming, that would take away from the dining experience of others. but if my kid starts screaming, we go outside. if we can't get him to stop, we leave.

    is there some reason i should feel selfish about eating in a restaurant with my three year old and five month old if they're not screaming?
    http://edzos.com/
    Edzo's Evanston on Facebook or Twitter.

    Edzo's Lincoln Park on Facebook or Twitter.

Contact

About

Team

Advertize

Close

Chat

Articles

Guide

Events

more