Coast to Coast Family Restaurants
Our favorite non-kiddie places to eat with kids.
Otto
Mario Batali's upscale pizzeria pacifies picky eaters with made-to-order pizzas and pastas. For you, there are creative salads, some of the better bruschetta in the city, and the chance to leave worries behind (servers are friendly and tolerant of undertable messes). Go at 5:30 p.m. on a Sunday to avoid a long wait.
One Fifth Avenue, New York (212-995-9559 orottopizzeria.com).
How to Make Family Movie Night Extra Special
Feed
Order your rotisserie chicken with a side of kitsch (check out the thrift store artwork on the walls) at this tiny Humboldt Park spot. Counter service, plenty of sides (mac 'n' cheese, fried okra, corn pudding), and a chicken vending machine that hatches eggs filled with temporary tattoos and erasers make it an easy choice for Sunday dinner. Take cash (and quarters).
2803 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago (773-489-4600 orfeedrestaurantchicago.com
).
La Duni Latin Kitchen & Coffee Studio
Roll your stroller in for a morning caffeine fix or hunker down for Sunday brunch. The lively restaurant butts up against an enclosed lawn, so kids can romp outside while you linger over huevos gauchos with sausage.
NorthPark Center, 8687 North Central Expressway, Dallas (214-987-2260 orladuni.com).
Indoor Activities to Combat Winter Boredom
Brenda's French Soul Food
The Tenderloin's cult favorite is like chicken soup for the preschooler soul. Southern favorites (beignets, buttermilk pancakes, potato hash) are simple, honest, and good for the whole family. The place is usually packed and loud (get there when it opens) - but it all comes in handy when you need to mask the sounds of a meltdown.
652 Polk Street, San Francisco (415-345-8100 orfrenchsoulfood.com
).
Books & Books
Think beyond Goodnight Moon at Miami Beach's bookstore/cafe, where you can page through the latest design and fashion books before settling on the outdoor patio with from-scratch soup and salad. Budding bookworms enjoy putting their noses in the healthy kids' menu.
927 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach (305-695-8898 or booksandbooks.com).
More on DailyCandy.com :
Craft Ideas for Kids
16 Products for Snow Day Fun
Minimize Clutter
The Best Art and Activity Tables
