Parents who like to dine
out usually have two options: eat at a kid-oriented
theme restaurant (Chuck E. Cheese, McDonald's) with a
less-than-gourmet menu or suffer dirty looks from other
patrons at upscale eateries, juggling your salad fork
with your kid's pacifier and gobbling down your food as
quickly as possible. Instead of settling for sub-par
grub or a speed-of-light dinner, try one of these
family-oriented Bay Area restaurants, where you can
bring your kids AND enjoy your dinner, sans dirty looks
from other patrons.
Glen Park's upscale eatery,
Chenery Park, caters to families with kids every Tuesday
night, giving over its top floor to parents with kiddies
of solid-food age. Parents can enjoy first-rate
double-thick pork chops, rare-cooked lamb filets and
zesty seafood gumbo, while their kids eat child-sized
(and priced) portions of gourmet macaroni and cheese,
spaghetti and crispy chicken tenders. Chenery Park also
offers incentives to return: kids can join the free CP
Kids Club and work toward getting free stuff with each
visit.
Located next to the
Monticello Inn, one of San Francisco's unique boutique
hotels, Puccini and Pinetti Italian Grill and American
Bar caters to kids belonging to tourists and Bay Area
residents alike. While adults enjoy Puccini and
Pinetti's deliciously traditional Italian menu,
extensive wine list, specialty cocktails and
comfortable, upscale atmosphere, kids are kept
entertained with a pint-sized menu that features a kid's
coloring-and-activity book detailing kid-appropriate San
Francisco activities. Kids past toddling age can even
build their own pizzas!
Food lovers know that between
the hours of 5:30 and 7 p.m., the Richmond district's
gorgeous French cuisinary, ClÈmentine, offers an
outstanding early-bird prix-fixe menu comprised of
French country-style hors d'oeuvres, entrÈes and
desserts for only $25 per person. What's not so well
known is that these early hours afford parents an
excellent opportunity to teach their children how to
dine in fine restaurants, while enjoying a first-rate
meal. The friendly staff of ClÈmentine is always
delighted to see families with children and will provide
special pasta dishes to ensure the happiness of their
young diners.
The Parkway Theater is more
than just a speakeasy/restaurant/movie theater. Every
Monday night, parents of babies less than a year old can
bring their fussy infants to Baby Brigade, which offers
a chance to grub down pizza, burgers, babaganoush and
beer while watching a new or classic film. Don't worry
about getting dirty looks when your wee one starts
crying ... only parents with infants are allowed!
Regular diners at Ton Kiang
know that eating San Francisco's best dim sum means
sharing the restaurant with patrons of all ages. No one
seems to mind a little extra noise: the wait staff fawns
over families with children, as evidenced by the
out-the-door lines comprising equal parts adults and
children. While parents power down steamed dumplings,
fried seafood delicacies and marinated tofu dishes, kids
can point to their favorite dishes, while picky eaters
stick to plain steamed rice.
When you're in the mood for
authentic New York deli, head over to East Coast West
Delicatessen, which caters to families every Friday and
Saturday night. Tots eat for free from a kid-friendly
menu that includes grilled-cheese sandwiches, chicken
tenders and hot dogs with fries, while their parents
nosh on authentic Kosher-style food, including freshly
roasted meats, bagel-and-smoked-fish combinations with
all the trimmings and fabulous desserts. The bustling
atmosphere will hide any additional noise contributed by
your children.
Finally, step inside Maurice
Sendak's In the Night Kitchen and eat food meant
specifically for tots. Navigate your way through the
Metreon's Maurice Sendak store In the Night Kitchen, the
pint-sized restaurant in back, where you and your
kiddies can munch on gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches,
milk and chocolate-chip cookies before you catch another
viewing of Harry Potter.
