I’ve seen the looks. I’ve heard the comments. We’ve felt the tension as we walk past your table and our party of three is seated next to you. You’re out for a nice evening and the last thing you want is some screaming kid about to ruin your night out. Or worse, we are seated in your section and you’re stuck waiting on us and left picking up the mess that our daughter will enthusiastically leave behind. Or so you think.
From the time Natalie was three weeks old, we’ve taken her out to dinner with us. She’s been everywhere, from Lola to Momocho to L’Albatros to Valentine’s dinner at Fahrenheit last week (Natalie loved Rocco’s short ribs) — she is well on her way to taking over this blog someday. We decided before she was born that we were going to incorporate her into our life and our routine as much as possible. And we believed the more we exposed her to early on, the better off we’d be in the long run. Granted we’ve only been parents for 14.5 months, but so far so good.
Sure, there are plenty of times when we get a sitter and dine sans toddler, but for the most part, we like keeping the band together. Our goal when dining out as a family is to have an enjoyable night out and maybe make a new memory; not to ruin your evening in the process. So when Natalie is with us, we plan ahead so that we can avoid being that family. We eat early (last week at Fahrenheit we made rezzies for 4 and were out by 4:45 before the rush), we ask for the check as soon as our food arrives (you never know when the meal could be to go), we have snacks handy (and when we leave we make sure all goldfish are accounted for, it’s not a server’s job to clean up after our kid – I was a server once and am very consciousness of this) and always bring table toppers so she can be a neat little diner. And if Natalie should cry, and it’s one of those cries, we’re outta there in 60 seconds flat (we have an escape plan and to date have only had to execute it twice). Like I said, we do not and will not ruin anyone else’s meal.
I will say this though, most of the looks we’ve had have been from fellow customers, but once we’re well into our meal and they see how well-behaved and happy-go-lucky our daughter is, and just how ridiculously cute her chubby cheeks are, people are won over. And for the most part, restaurants are extremely accommodating and welcoming. Parallax encouraged us to bring our daughter, the staff at Lola oohed and aahed, Greenhouse Tavern and Momocho are simply fantastic for families and when Natalie met Rocco Whalen, he looked at our daughter with a big smile and told her how excited he was to cook for her for the next 20 plus years. And we know he meant it.
Our daughter truly is a foodie in the making. Saying she loves food is an understatement. We have yet to find anything she won’t eat – from Indian to Thai to Mexican to Italian, she’s an equal opportunity eater. And boy can she put it away. Just this morning at Vine & Bean, she enjoyed a plate of waffles for breakfast and fruit (I was a mean mommy and refused to share my pecan-crusted bacon). And at B Spot, she ate half a Plain Jane burger and helped us finish a shake. But her favorite dish just might be short ribs of any kind (the kid’s got good taste). If we order them out or make at home, look out – she will throw down her bib and fight you for every last bite.
So if you’re part senior citizen like us and are eating out before 5 and see us coming, don’t worry – I guarantee you won’t even know we’re there. And if you’re a family with little ones and have been sticking to the chains when dining out as a family for fear of what might happen, give one of our many local places a shot. With a few modifications, you can have a great family night out – and a much better meal in the process (and pay just the same, sometimes less – hello Lolita, Bar Symon, GHT, Sunday Supper at Momocho just to name a few). And if your kids are older than mine, you may not even have to alter a thing. Happy eating!
Would love to be sitting next to your table, anytime!! What a doll you have. Sounds like she eats better than many of the people we know.
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