While Mother’s Day is considered the most popular restaurant day of the year with about 80 million people dining out for brunch, as many parents know, combining young children and restaurants can be a recipe for disaster.
Famed Chicago restaurant Alinea recently sparked a heated debate between parents and patrons when a couple brought their crying baby to dinner sparking outrage and a headline on Eater.com reading: “Breeders Behaving Badly.” Incidentally, the baby also received its own Twitter account, @AlineaBaby with the bio: I’m a baby who likes fine food, fine drinks, and crying.
In order to avoid making headlines for your Mother’s Day celebration, we asked a few of our favorite mommy bloggers for some tips on how to dine out with kids.
Check the Menu
Brianne Manz of Stroller in the City says that she has always “celebrated Mother’s Day with a brunch” but with three children under the age of five, “it can be quite a handful.” To try and ensure things go smoothly she “always makes sure she chooses a restaurant that has a children’s menu.” In addition to checking the menu for kids friendly meals, Jak Burke of Baby Does NYC recommends scanning the menu online for yourself as well. That way, “you will now what you want to eat and order immediately.”
Check the Service
All of our mommy bloggers agree service is important. This encompasses everything from how fast they are to whether or not the restaurant is baby friendly. Marz likes to check restaurants ahead of time to make sure the service is relatively fast. Burke stresses the importance of high-chairs and the same goes for ample room for strollers if your child is too small to sit up on her own. She also suggests arming yourself with the right kind of entertainment for each age group: “a small toy” for 0-3 months, 2-3 comfort toys to mouth on for 3-6month olds and finger foods and board books for 6-12 month olds. For toddlers, Manz is always prepared with “coloring books, crayons, toys and snacks for when we are waiting in between courses.” She is a strong believer in keeping small children entertained the “entire time.”
Once they get a little older, Anna Fader of Mommy Poppins suggests trying restaurants that have entertainment just for kids. She tells us, “The Tribeca Grand family brunch has free screenings for kids and Isa in Williamsburg offers BrunchCraft where kids can do crafts while their parents linger over their food.” She also recommends Cercle Rouge in Tribeca for their “hysterically funny magician who entertains at their Magic Brunch” and Jimmy’s BBQ Union Square which offers free entertainment and kids eat for free.” Manz says she already made her reservations this year for Langham Place on Fifth Avenue where they are hosting a family-friendly sing along she thinks “the kids will enjoy a ton!”
Timing is everything
Marz sticks to a two hour limit and says based on her experience, “if we go over we tend to lose control.” She is dedicated to the “short and sweet” approach to dining with children. Fader says that since “kids generally wake up early” you can get to brunch on the earlier side and be “in and out before the rest of the city wakes up.” It’s also a good way to “avoid the crowds.” On Mother’s Day, crowds are most likely to be an issue and long waits plus hungry children is generally not a good combination. Fader says that one of her favorite tips is to “try a hotel for brunch because you have a wonderful experience at some of NYC’s hottest brunch spots without the wait.” http://mommypoppins.com/best-nyc-brunch-spots-for-families-kids-hotel-brunch.
Don’t Stress
The pressure of worrying about whether or not your children will behave while dining out can be very stressful. Burke advises moms to “relax and not make baby the focus.” Her reason? “Babies absorb anxiety.” So if you are anxious your baby will be too. She says, “Let baby know she is part of a new experience—one that is safe and fun.” But Burke says, “If your infant does spiral into a meltdown, ask for a to-go bag with plastic utensils/napkins and get some air.” And if the weather is nice, “you could wander to the local playground and finish your entrée their or picnic on some open grass.”
What to do if your child can’t seem to sit in their chair any longer? Fader warns strongly against letting them roam the restaurant. Children should not be allowed to wander around a restaurant alone saying, “it would be very dangerous since waiters are usually rushing around carrying hot food.” Burke agrees and says you should “be prepared to wander with your child until the food arrives.” Fader also suggests that if “you need a little wiggle room, “the best option is to eat somewhere with outdoor space (http://mommypoppins.com/newyorkcitykids/outdoor-restaurants-new-york-city) or a play area (http://mommypoppins.com/newyorkcitykids/nyc-restaurants-kids-play-games-arcade-crafts-moxie-spot-moomah-brother-jimmy). Another option? She says “someone needs to get up and take the child out of the restaurant to wander. In Italy this is the job of bachelors in the family.”
As for the patrons that might be taking to their twitter accounts as soon as your child uses her “outside voice?” Fader had this to say: “As New Yorkers we basically live in a communal living room so we all just have to have a little bit more patience and flexibility to deal with other people and their issues. Yes, sometimes kids are annoying. Sometimes grown-ups are annoying too. If living around other people makes it impossible for you to enjoy your life, you will probably be happier in Montana.
Whatever happens, Burke reminds us, “it’s your day and whatever happens will be perfect.”
Try These Mom Tested Brunch Spots:
Bubbys 120 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013 – TriBeCa
Indian Road Cafe 600 W 218th St #3, New York, NY 10034 – Washington Heights
The Brass Monkey 55 Little West 12th St, New York, NY 10014 – Meatpacking District
Route 66 858 9th Ave #1, New York, NY 10019 – Midtown West
Friend of a Farmer 77 Irving Pl, New York, NY 10003 – Flatiron
Langham Place on Fifth Avenue 400 5th Ave, New York, NY 10018 – Midtown East
Tribeca Grand Hotel 2 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013 – TriBeCa
Isa 348 Wythe Ave, New York, NY 11211 – Williamsburg
Cercle Rouge 241 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013 – Greenwich Village