Upscale restaurants: Not "family-friendly"

If you're spending $250 on dinner for two, the kids at the table next to you ain't your problem, JR.

 

Not difficult to do in a big city.

 

Yeesh. I've spent more than $100 a few times, but never close to two.

 

Lil 93 has had a few dinners out and it is tricky.

Here is what we look for, and what we try to avoid.

1. Lil 93 (nine months) goes down at 7 p.m., so if we do take her out to eat, we are eating at 5 p.m. and home at 6 p.m. or 6:30 tops. We are idiots if we think she is going to be quiet at 7:30 p.m.

2. Lunch is good to do with a little one.

3. I will scope a place out ahead of time. If a place in naturally noisy, I have less of a problem taking Lil 93. If a place is quiet, then we won't take her.

4. If you eat early, chances are the place is half empty. I will try and ask to sit away from people.

5. Lil 93 takes a 4 p.m. bottle, so her making it to 6 p.m. is no problem. We have some finger foods for her to eat as well.

 

Yes, but …

Serendipity led to the best family dining experience so far. On the road with the then 6-year-old princess and her 12-year-old brother when the wife demanded a diversion into Nashville. Saw sights, yawn. Got hungry, looked for dive. Wife spies an old hotel and just has to go in.

Hotel has doorman. Bad sign because Clan McTourist is garbed in its traditional traveling clothes: shorts, sandals, T's. Doorman does his door opening thing, then stops the 6-year-old princess and pulls a paper rose out of his inside uniform pocket for her.

Wife does the gawking while the princess dances around the lobby with her rose. Son No. 2 (in his bi-colored hair) and I lean against the wall in a dark corner looking terminally cool.

After taking in the sights of the grand hotel, wife suggests exploring down the stairs to check out the restaurant. Not cool, say I. Alas, too late.

The 6-year-old rose-wielding princess is already flip-flopping down the stairs.

Catching up, I find her staring up at the imposing, full-tricked out maitre de. Ah, princess, say I, we aren't dressed for this. We'll find you a happy meal, OK?

Interrupted by the deep bass of the maitre de, who assures one and all that it would be his great pleasure to seat us. Calls the hostess who ushers Clan McTourist to a great round table in the middle of the dining room. Clan McTourist is surrounded by power diners — lobbyists, legislators and the cream of Southern society all dressed to the nines.

The waiter is a pro. Worked the table with a deft touch. Provided history lessons of the city, the hotel and the restaurant. With a sure hand, guided his guests through the menu, wine list and later the dessert offerings. He created for each a special meal both age and palate appropriate.

He drew out the mono-syllabic 12-year-old on the culinary possibilities of grits, while explaining to the princess the Native American origins of flatbread.

Left two hours later well sated. The bill matched the quality of the food and service.

No gathering of the clan is complete without recalling that meal and those folks. They made a lasting impression on the two heathens.

 

Great story

That reminds me of a story about two women who went shopping with a young child and decided to eat at an nice Italian restaurant.

The while the order was being taken, the little girl said she wished they had mac and cheese but it was not on the menu.

The waiter said he would see what he could do, and when the lunch was served the little girl had a plate of special mac and cheese.

The chef gave it to her himself and joked that he was offended that she thought his kitchen could not prepare mac and cheese.

Reason #186 why you should always choose a mom and pop over a chain.

 

Great story.

 

Back to the original post, and some complaint issued on a web site that was obviously vague with specifics, I will say this, I miss the times with the little ones when they are 1-2-3 months old and you CAN take them anywhere. To a restaurant, in a plane, car trip, etc, at that age a baby is perfectly portable. If a couple wanted to bring a newborn to an upscale place, good for them, and if they expected a waiter to actually wait on them and bring them a cup or bowl of hot water, why would they expect any less? Newborn with a bottle=wonderful; newborn without a bottle=not good.

The changing station in the bathroom is a little different. Hell, we usually take the little ones to the car when necessary anyway (I don't care what kind of restaurant, I'm always disgusted by laying my baby on some strange surface in a room that people do their business in).

And, as always, be respectful, if they baby cries, leave, if the baby sits the carrier and sleeps, why would anyone care? As a side note, when I went to see the latest Indiana Jones, there was a young couple with a newborn across the aisle. Aside from an early peep, I never heard another sound out of that baby. Good for them.

Now after that ramble, I will say older kids in an upscale place is a different story. But I wanted to clarify infants/toddlers.

 

Your infant never cried?

 

We've only had to take Anna Claire out of one restaurant. We simply couldn't get her to be quiet, no matter what we did. Even feeding her didn't work. So, we took turns. Mrs. tbf took the first shift, while I finished my meal, then we swapped. She's 10 months now, and a little more active, but still quiet. We take her out to eat at least once a week.

 

Of course, but like I said, if the baby cries, leave. My point was as an infant, they're portable as a purse and easy to take care of for the most part. 0-3 months is a great time for parents to carry on their old business before the next stages limits their choices of entertainment.

As a matter of fact, we never had to leave a restaurant with a baby (OK, we were never crazy and went to a real upscale place, either. Damn, am I proving the wrong point here?) but we did with a 3 year old.

 

Oh ok.

Lil 93 has never peeding in a restaurant. She normally is satisfied just looking at everything and soaking up the new environment.