As I entered the dimly lit dining room with its pulsating music, chic decor and beautiful people, I was stricken with fear that my height-challenged date would embarrass me once again.
He raced ahead through Vong’s Thai Kitchen but mercifully stopped when he got to our buttery leather booth. It was 7 p.m., and the dinner rush was in full swing. I started to question my sanity for bringing such a volatile dining companion (with a weird hairdo to boot) to this undeniably hip adult environment.
When our cheerful server arrived with an adorable little bowl of warm jasmine rice and a special menu just for him, I felt relieved. And my date–my 4-year-old son–was happy too.
Yes, you read it right; VTK does have a kids’ menu. And although the restaurant is not quite as swank (or expensive) as it was when it was called Vong, it is still not the kind of place one would naturally think of taking a child. But in these tough economic times, Vong and a handful of upscale dining spots are changing the landscape of kid-friendly dining options.
No longer are parents of youngsters banished to fast-food joints, diners and loud Italian eateries. These days, moms and dads, avec enfants, can feel welcome at Brasserie Jo, Shaw’s Crab House, South Water Kitchen, Bistro Campagne and, to our surprise, even the chi-chi Spring.
While some of these places are aggressively marketing to the sippie-cup crowd with children’s menus and table-top activities, others simply do their best to make it work once the tots are there. The logic: In this uncertain economy, many restaurateurs seem to believe the more diners–even very young ones–the better.
“One of the reasons we converted to VTK [from Vong] was to make ourselves more accessible,” explained Jeff Alexander, general manager of VTK. “Not a lot of people could afford Jean-George’s food because of the price, and not a lot of families felt like they could come because they had kids.”
The arrival of “The Lion King” at the Cadillac Palace Theatre this spring also makes it important for downtown restaurants to position themselves as kid-friendly. In fact, Shaw’s Crab House put together a dinner and theater package for the play’s first month, and they sold out right away.
“With `The Lion King’ coming up and other children’s attractions in the area, we don’t want parents thinking that they have to be pigeonholed into one type of restaurant,” says John Inserra of South Water Kitchen. “And this is also a way of telling people that we are value-oriented.”
We recently tried the kids’ menus at a few upscale eateries and visited a few others that don’t cater to kids to see how they would react to an invasion by a rambunctious, super-hero-loving 4-year-old. Here’s what we found:
Brasserie Jo, 59 W. Hubbard St.; 312-595-0800.
Downtown French restaurants and toddlers may seem like natural enemies but not when you are at Brasserie Jo, where they not only offer children an Etch A Sketch to play with during dinner but feature a cool kids’ menu stuck to the back of the toy. On our visit, friendly servers were ready to accommodate my grumpy child and made sure we had a banquette seat for extra room. Kids’ dinner items ($6-$8) include grilled cheese, tomato and cheese tarts, pasta with tomato sauce, chicken escalope and fillet of salmon. Each children’s meal also comes with a petite chocolate mousse. Although my son opted to sample the sausages from my generous choucroute instead of getting his own meal, he also munched liberally on Brasserie Jo’s fresh hot bread and terrific frites. The ladies’ room features a handy changing table on the wall.
Bistro Campagne, 4518 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-271-6100.
While there is no kids’ menu at this French bistro that took over the cozy Lincoln Square spot formerly occupied by Villa Kula, we were made to feel very welcome and had little problem keeping the youngster happy. Warm bread kept coming and the cute little Sprite bottles with a straw made him feel like he was getting a special drink. Campagne makes some mean frites in a cup that may not be the healthiest kid snack, but does keep them happy. They also serve a great bistro burger ($9); most kids will only be able to eat a third of it. The baked mac and cheesethat comes with the pork chop is also a real tot pleaser. Campagne is not cheap, but could be a good destination for families looking for a nice French dinner after kids’ concerts and classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music down the street.
South Water Kitchen, 225 N. Wabash Ave.; 312-236-9300.
The former Mossant has scaled down a bit, although they do have at least one $22 entree. Still, staffers make families feel very comfortable in this big, warm, bi-level dining room in the Hotel Monaco. Upon being seated, kids ages 12 and under are given a Just 4 Kids placemat and menu along with crayons and a short-order chef hat to draw on. Kids meals cost $8 and include an entree (pizzas, macaroni and cheese, chicken filets and hamburgers), drink and ice cream sundae dessert. My son didn’t go for our mushrooms or fried chicken entrees, but heartily enjoyed his big kid burger and fries and even a few bites of his dessert. The menu was selected by a panel of kids and 50 percent of the proceeds from kids’ items will go to support the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
Spring, 2039 W. North Ave.; 773-395-7100.
This was the final frontier, a restaurant with $14 appetizers that doesn’t actively welcome children, but doesn’t freak out when you call to announce you are coming with them either. “Our policy is to not refuse anyone,” said the voice at the end of the phone, “so it should be all right.” “Even if I bring an infant in addition to the toddler?” I asked. “That should be fine,” the voice said calmly. It turned out that the infant had to be left at home. Still, a 4-year-old who had not taken his nap seemed challenge enough. But the no-nap thing turned out to be rather fortuitous as my son ate a few bites of Spring’s lovely warm whole grain rolls and promptly conked out on the soft beige booths that line the back wall. He snoozed through the appetizers but did get to try the entree of fluke with shaved artichoke and black truffle over a risotto ravioli. All the flavors in this subtle dish were mild enough to suit his tastes. But what he really loved were the little cups of thyme-scented hot chocolate that came with the bill and steamed handcloths at the end of the meal. Is this an ideal place to take kids? Maybe not, especially if you have a problem with paying $20 for their entrees. But will the staff make you feel weird for doing it? No. On our way out, the restaurant’s zen stone garden display caught my son’s eye and he promptly knocked down a large tall rock. The hostess couldn’t have been nicer about it.
Shaw’s Crab House, 1900 E. Higgins Rd., Schaumburg; 847-517-2722 and 21 E. Hubbard St.; 312-527-2722.
While the downtown location of this venerable seafood house doesn’t yet have a children’s menu, general manager Todd Barber says he plans to introduce it in early March. The Red Shell Lounge at the Schaumburg location with its lively, comfortable dining room and live music on Fridays has always been a family-friendly option. Parents can order from the many sophisticated seafood offerings, while youngsters under 10 get a coloring-friendly placemat with a lobster mask and now a kids’ menu. For $5.95, children get a selection of milk soda, or a kiddie cocktail, entree and hot fudge sundae. Entree items include pasta with marinara or butter-cheese sauce; popcorn shrimp, chicken fingers, coconut shrimp or fish sticks. My son loved his kiddie cocktail in a plastic sippie cup, his generous portion of fried fish filets and fries and the lobster mask that he used to entertain the boy at the next table.
Vong’s Thai Kitchen, 6 W. Hubbard St.; 312-644-8664.
Formerly known as Vong, this spot reopened last year with a new name and dedication to make Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s food more accessible, not just to adults but to families. Although much of its regular menu is packed with complex flavors, its VTKids menu includes crispy chicken strips ($4.95), chicken satay ($4.95), chicken-fried rice ($5.95) and a very mild grilled chicken with chicken broth soaked-Thai rice noodles ($6.95). The Thai rice noodle dish sat very well with my son, even after he devoured the petite bowl of jasmine rice that comes atop a large square saucer great for catching stray rice. Even youngsters who don’t eat their broccoli may like the steamed Chinese broccoli with a creamy dipping sauce from the regular menu. And what kid wouldn’t be thrilled to start dinner with a pink elephant (grenadine, Sprite and pineapple juice)? If you visit during the dinner rush, be prepared to feel a little out of place initially, but the staff does its best to make you feel at home.
We called top restaurants and asked: Could I bring a 4-year-old?
“No.” Charlie Trotter
“Yes you could.” Ritz Carlton Dining Room
“That would not be a problem.” Le Francais
“We don’t encourage it, but we’ll take it.” Tru
“Four years old? I don’t think we could take that young.” Les Nomades
“Of course. We don’t discriminate against young children.” NoMi in Park Hyatt Hotel
“We have no children’s menu . . . but if they are well-behaved they can attend.” Everest Room
“Dinner at Trio is an adult experience that can last anywhere between two to four hours.” Trio
