November 2012 - Adventure, baby!

61 Local; Kid-friendly Restaurants And Bars, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York

November 30, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

A favourite with families, particularly those with babies, 61 Local sums up the general parenting attitude in Brooklyn – drink in one hand, baby in the other. On week days you’ll find mothers groups baby wearing their newborns, and SUV-sized strollers in the corners. Weekends see both parents drop by to meet groups of friends. The tolerant staff only ask that babies are changed in the bathroom rather than on tables. Fair enough. Food is simple and tasty – order and pay for food and drinks at the bar, making for fast getaways when the babes start fussing.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Yes – there is plenty of room for strollers.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

61 Local
61 Bergen Street (at Smith street)
New York, NY 11201
Phone: (347) 763 6624
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Thu 7am-12am, Fri 7am-1am, Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-12am
Get directions.

Extra image thanks to Yelp.

two8two Bar & Burger; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York

November 29, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

The name says it all – this low-key joint is all about burger, burgers, and more burgers. They are super-welcoming towards families with kids of all ages too, so it’s a solid choice for a casual lunch out. Friendly, fast service certainly helps, as does the very kid-friendly interior, with very basic tables and chairs. No need to worry about toddlers acting up or throwing food around; they’ll certainly be in good company with the other kids enjoying a somewhat rambunctious weekend lunch with their families.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes – lots of room for strollers.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

two8two Bar & Burger
282 Atlantic Avenue (Between Smith st and Boerum pl),
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 596 2282
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Thu 12pm–12am, Fri-Sat 12pm–1am, Sun 12–11pm
Get directions.

Images thanks to Yelp.

The Atlantic ChipShop; Kid-friendly Restaurants, Brooklyn

November 28, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Brooklyn Heights, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

Deep-fried pizza, deep-fried burgers, deep-fried chocolate. You want it, they fry it. Seriously. If this sounds like the sort of heart attack-inducing lunch you’re after, step on down to the ChipShop for authentic British fare like Haggis, baked beans on toast, fried fish and British-style chips (thick wedges of potato – fried, of course), mushy peas and fried mac and cheese (the menu says “sounds weird but it’s bloody lovely”).

We ventured into the ChipShop after feeling homesick for some British-style chips. This divey little pub feels a bit grotty (sticky tables, sticky chairs, sticky everything!), but on the plus side, no-one cares if your toddler throws their entire meal on the floor.

Highchairs: Yes. They also have booster seats.
Stroller storage: Yes – room for strollers. Bring a folding stroller, however, if you’re coming at a busy time, just to be on the safe side.
Easy access: Yes – one step to enter.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

The Atlantic ChipShop
129 Atlantic Ave (Between Clinton and Henry),
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (718) 855 7775
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon-Fri 12pm-12am (bar until midnight)
Sat-Sun 10am-12am (bar until 12am)
Get directions.

Additional image thanks to Yelp.

E.A.T. Cafe; Kid-friendly Restaurants, UES, Manhattan, New York

November 27, 2012 / Manhattan Munchies, Upper East Side / 1 Comment

E.A.T. was opened by Eli Zabar in 1973. It was the first of Eli’s shops, filled with his ideas on what makes for great food – delicious bread, overstuffed sandwiches and salads made in small batches several times a day. E.A.T. is a great cafe to stop by on the way to or from the Met, particularly if you have your infant or toddler in tow. The cafe has lots of tables and space – we were sat immediately during a busy Sunday lunch period. Right after being seated, water arrived – in a bottle for us, and in a cute little cup with a straw for the toddler.

The service continued to be attentive and fast. A bread basket with three kinds of bread and butter quickly appeared (their tagline is “Everything comes with Eli’s Bread!”), and our meals arrived with astonishing speed. Dining was a bit pricey (a cheese omelette was $20), but hey, it is the UES after all, and it’s worth paying a bit extra to have an enjoyable dining experience with babies and toddlers.

E.A.T. water cup — The straw cup for our littlest diner went down well.

E.A.T. hot chocolate — Cheese captures and destroys a (cooled) hot chocolate.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes – but minimal. We folded ours next to the table and it was no problem. Take an umbrella stroller or baby carrier if possible.
Easy access: Yes – one step to get in, and then navigate through the take away shop before getting to the entrance to the restaurant.
Change tables: No. The bathrooms are tiny (also a bit gross) – no room to even change a baby on the floor.
Kids’ menu: No.
Kid-friendly rating: ♥♥♥♥-

E.A.T. Cafe
1064 Madison Avenue (between 80th and 81th Sts),
New York, NY 10028
Phone: (212) 772 0022

Hours:
Mon-Sun 7am–10pm

Bocca Lupo: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Cobble Hill, New York

November 25, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

——- CLOSED ———————

Brooklyn babies earn their foodie stripes at Bocca Lupo, noshing on authentic Italian fare with their (often hipster) parents. The restaurant is a mix of modern design, with huge glass windows, and traditional, with beautiful wooden accents. We loved the friendly staff, huge wine menu for parents, and the really tasty paninis and salads.

Bocca Lupo is extremely family-friendly, which makes it really surprising that they don’t have high chairs. Babies can be parked in strollers at tables, and we saw an adorable family with three young kids all lined up on a window bench in a row enjoying Saturday morning brunch.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Minimal – on the day we visited, there was a stroller parked at a table, but others parked outside the restaurant. Bring a stroller you’re prepared to leave outside (just incase), or a baby carrier.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Bocca Lupo
391 Henry street (At Warren St),
Brooklyn 11201
Phone: (718) 243 2522
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11:30am-12am
Fri: 11:30am-2am
Sat: 10:30am-2am
Sun: 10:30am-12am
Get directions.

Sugar and Plumm: Kid-friendly Restaurants, UWS, New York

November 23, 2012 / Manhattan Munchies, Upper West Side / 0 comment

Post by guest blogger, Beverly Burgess.

If you’re after a place that’s super-girly AND baby-friendly, you can’t go wrong with Sugar & Plumm. If you have a daughter, you simply must check this place out! She will love it 🙂 Their tagline is “a spoonful of whimsy on the Upper West Side” and it is spot on.

The place is pretty spacious, and divided into a cafe on one side and a little shop and bakery on the other. The staff are dressed in these pretty purple dresses, and are really sweet and friendly. The place is unbelievably baby-friendly, with loads of high chairs, areas to park your stroller, and even super-cute plastic cups with lids that they serve (complimentary) water in for the kids!! LOVE it.

Sugar and Plumm — The whimsical Sugar & Plumm

Their desserts are the stars of their menu, and the GRASSHOPPER (mint chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate sauce, peppermint patty) was a winner. It came in a tall frosted glass and was pretty luscious. Very filling, so two can probably share a milkshake!

I opted for the SMORE’S SUNDAE (chocolate ice cream, marshmallow, graham cracker, chocolate sauce) and really gave myself an ice cream overdose! It was 3 or 4 scoops of ice cream in there, and basically one gigantic sugar overload 😉

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: No.

Sugar and Plumm
377 Amsterdam Avenue,
New York, New York 10024
Phone: (212) 787 8778

Hours: Sun -Wed 8:30am-10:30pm, Thur -Sat 8:30am-11:30pm

Thanksgiving 2012

November 22, 2012 / Family, New York Life / 0 comment

This year I am especially thankful for my wonderful husband, my amazing, beautiful daughter, my loving parents, and both old and new friends.

I’m thankful for mine, Alec’s and Eloise’s good health, and for our situation in life that enables us to live in New York, in a lovely apartment, and for me to take care of Eloise full-time while she’s so small. It’s hard to focus on the big picture when the day-to-day gripes set in. I’m taking a moment today to really feel thankful for how lucky I truly am.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Golden Unicorn Restaurant

November 20, 2012 / Chinatown, Manhattan Munchies / 0 comment

A perfect restaurant for the whole family – a huge, dim sum smorgasbord, where no-one cares how much food you drop on the table or floor. No need to worry about a fussy baby – the noise level from the vast amount of people is already so high that a sad baby won’t be noticed.

The food is delicious and fast, with food carts constantly zooming around, piled high with a great variety of small, bite-sized dishes – perfect for eating single-handed while entertaining a toddler if you don’t mind stabbing them (the food, not your toddler) with a chopstick, or asking for a fork.

The only downside is the long wait for a table. Get there early, or have friends get there before you and mind a spot in the queue for your whole party.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes – and you can park your stroller at the table if you prefer.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.
Baby-friendly rating: ♥♥♥–

Golden Unicorn Restaurant
18 East Broadway,
New York, NY 10002
Phone: (212) 941 0911

Hours:
Mon-Sun 9am–10:30pm

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Via Quadronno

November 19, 2012 / Manhattan Munchies, Upper East Side / 0 comment

Via Quadronno is famous for their mouth-wateringly amazing paninis. Also gasp-inducing? The prices. Two paninis, a latte and a croissant will set you back around $40. Note to pastry lovers: They have Payard’s croissants here! The perfect, buttery pastries are worth the exorbitant prices.

Describing this restaurant as tight-quarters is an understatement. Our suggestion is to order takeaway at the front counter and eat your delicious panini either on the bench out the front of the restaurant, or take a short walk to nearby Central Park for lunch with a view.

Via Quadronne — Sheltering from the rain with lunch at Via Quadronno.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No – this is a tiny cafe. Bring a carrier if possible if you’re planning to eat inside.
Easy access: Yes – one step. There are more stairs however into the main dining area in the rear.
Kids’ menu: No.
Baby-friendly rating: —–

Via Quadronno
25 East 73rd Street (at Madison st),
New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212) 650 9880

Hours:
Mon-Fri 8am–11pm
Sat 9am–11pm
Sun 10am–9pm

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Le Petit Cafe: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

November 16, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Carroll Gardens, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

This sweet little cafe/restaurant is an indoor wonderland, filled with whimsical flowers, trees and fountains. During a long, dreary winter, it’s a haven to escape the bitter cold and pretend spring has already spring.

The food is good, solid French fare, and the omelettes in particular are amazing. The drawbacks to this otherwise great little place are the cramped interior and slow service. Expect to wait for a table for brunch on weekends, particularly if you have a group of people.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: No – bring a carrier or umbrella stoller.
Easy access: No – stairs down into the main dining area.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Le Petit Cafe
502 Court Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (718) 596 7060
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sun 6am–10:30pm
Get directions.

Additional image thanks to Yelp.

Month: November 2012