The Kid’s Table (Parents Welcome)
I’ll take the tuna tartar and a high chair.
You’ve spent years refining your sophisticated palette at the city’s top restaurants. But now that you are shepherding a kiddo (or two), you’ve probably given up on the idea of a savory dining experience with your brood. Don’t surrender to a future filled with grilled cheese sandwiches just yet.
Here are some good spots around town for an early dinner (5PM to 7PM) that are kid (and taste-bud) friendly:
Vento (675 Hudson Street, 212-699-2400) will whisk away your stroller in seconds and bring you a high chair. Even the pickiest children will enjoy their Sicilian meatballs and the parmigiano encrusted chicken. Plus, if it’s unseasonably warm enough to eat outside, the bustling view of West 14th street will keep your little ones mesmerized while you happily engage in some adult conversation.
Calle Ocho (446 Columbus Avenue, 212-873-5025) offers Latin fusion dishes and potent mojitos (ok, just one). So even if you can’t salsa the night away, at least you can add a little Cuban flavor to your evening with the chuleta or bistec. Don’t panic, the kitchen can prepare chicken fingers for your kids. Dinner starts at 5 pm.
Hearth, (403 East 12th, 646-602-1300) an East Village Tuscan American, will prepare something for your children like a simple pasta. For your more mature palette, they serve braised veal and roasted pork loin. Reservations are recommended.
Cookshop (156 10th Avenue, 212-924-4440) this New American Five Points offshoot in Chelsea will work for the whole family. An ever-changing menu and a long wine list will keep the adults satisfied. Meanwhile, the kitchen is happy to accommodate the sometimes finicky tastes of kids. Dinner begins at 5:30. Call ahead.
So give the mac and cheese a break, bring your own crayons and paper, and seriously upgrade your dining out experience. I promise, you can still have the children in bed by 8 pm.
PHOTO CREDIT: Tripp Trappe High Chair courtesy of Stokke.
Kelcey Kintner is the creator, writer and editor of the mama bird diaries, a smart, funny and always unpredictable take on motherhood.
Calle Ocho, child friendly restaurant, Cookshop, Hearth Vento
Comments
What a great list of baby/children friendly restaurants! Thanks for that. Too often we forget that parents want to get out of the house too. — from a pregnant NOP reader who is fearing an upcoming life of home cooked dinners
Good stuff. It’s always nice to have a few places to go, where the staff doesn’t roll its eyes the minute you pull up with a stroller. I think the quicker you put kids in restaurant surroundings, the quicker they get used to it and behave appropriately. Thanks for the great ideas.
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