Adventure, baby!

Month: February 2014

Cold outside, cosy inside: The 7 A.M. Enfant Blanket 212 Chevron

#7amenfant @7amenfant #blanket212chevron via brunchwithmybaby.com

New York winters are brutal. Icy winds, sleet and snow, and long, gloomy days. What you need to survive the long cold days is warm things, lots and lots of them, for you and your baby. We are particularly enamoured with the new stroller bunting from 7 A.M. Enfant — the Blanket 212 Chevron. You might be freezing as you’re trudging through grey sludge, but at least your kid will be so warm and snug that you’ll want to climb in there with them.

If you haven’t heard of the 7 A.M. Enfant brand before, they are known for their innovative, high-quality line of baby and children’s products, particularly those suited to the cold. Designed by French designer Rebecca Campora, the brand is colorful, playful and stylish, using the kinds of luxurious fabrics that you wish your own bags and clothes were made out of.

#7amenfant @7amenfant #blanket212chevron via brunchwithmybaby.com

Their latest version of the popular 212 stroller bunting is called the Chevron. As well as being the most attractive and eye-catching bunting we’ve ever seen (CHEVRON!), it fits any stroller, so you can easily use it on your SUV-sized or umbrella stroller equally well. The new Chevron pattern comes in six color combinations, from bright pinks, greens and reds, to subtler blues and the black and tan one pictured.

#7amenfant @7amenfant #blanket212chevron via brunchwithmybaby.com

The exterior is a water-repellent shell, designed to withstand rain and snow, with ultra-soft premium fiber insulation (read: super, super, super warm). The interior is anti-pilling micro-fleece that is not only warm enough for extreme New York winters, but also comes out of the washing machine looking like new. They’re not lying about the anti-piling — that feature alone makes this bunting worth its cost.

Other features you’ll love:

  • 2 length extensions so it grows with your child

  • Ergonomic hood with safe buttoned elastic adjuster

  • 5-point harness openings for securing into any stroller and car seat

  • Side strap attachments to secure the footmuff

  • Anti-slip back panel

  • Large front pocket

As mother to one very squirmy child, what I also love about this bunting is the strong zip up the middle. It means that tricksy toddlers like mine can’t kick it off – they must submit to being warm.

Bottom line is, this is an investment piece. A gorgeous-looking bunting made from high-quality materials, that’s made to last. Not kidding — you will pass this bunting down from kid to kid to kid, and it will still look fantastic when toddler number three is using it.

Brunch With My Baby was provided with a sample for reviewing purposes. All opinions are our own. 

Kids’ Birthday Parties: What to focus on, and what’s not worth the effort

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Planning a kid’s birthday party: I go by the theory of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

But if you’re a bit of a perfectionist like me, it’s gonna come reaaaallllll close to killing you!

I’ve done (ie. planned, purchased, created, set up, take down) 3 birthday parties for my kids so far. That doesn’t sound like much, and it isn’t, but I went all-out with the decor each time (driving myself half-mad in the process). And based on those parties, I’ve learned each time what works, and what doesn’t work.

I hope you find these little tips helpful!

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON FOR YOUR KIDS PARTY:

  1. Pick a theme – if you’re like me and like structure and order, having a theme is the way to go. Plus, guaranteed your child is madly into some sort of toy/concept right now, be it Barbie, Disney Cars, Ben10, etc etc. Having a theme makes all the decor cohesive, and actually makes it easier to buy in shops or online (you have a keyword to use!). Most importantly, nothing beats the look of sheer delight when your kid sees the party area decorated in their favourite thing of-the-moment!
  2. Get a ‘wow’ cake – this isn’t an open invite to spend top dollar on The Cake 😉 In fact, one of the more memorable cakes my kids have had was a simple chocolate cake from Lana, that had the words “Happy Birthday” iced on it. What made it stand out was just some simple tiny candles in spaceship shapes, that we stuck around. It was the most basic of decor, but somehow, it worked. The kids there were captivated with the wee candles! That said, we’ve also gone the whole shebang and gotten one of those fancy fondant multi-tiered cakes. I don’t regret that either, because it was delightful seeing the kids’ faces when the cake was wheeled out, and the photographic memories of that awesome cake last forever. Considering The Cake is often the main feature of the party, it’s worth making sure it’s memorable. Try baking it yourself too – a cake baked with a parent’s love will steal the show!
  3. Have a main event –  throw a bunch of kids into a limited area and you’ll have a disaster on your hands unless you have at least one form of entertainment for them. This can be something simple like a poolside party (which has always worked a charm for us), or something captivating like a magician or face painter. I’ve always been averse to the cost of paying for something like a Magic Show, but after seeing one first-hand at a recent party we attended (and seeing how completely enthralled and delighted the kids were), I’m having second thoughts and seriously considering getting one, if budget permits!

 

WHAT’S NOT WORTH YOUR TIME:

  1. Party favors – from observation and doing random checks with friends, hardly anyone remembers what their kid received as a party favor. More often than not, the stuff just gets chucked out after the kid’s had 5 minutes with it anyway. I’m not saying don’t give them out, because it’s still a sweet ‘thank you’ gesture to give a small present to your kid’s friend, but there’s no need to go overboard wringing your head for ideas on what to pop in. Try focusing on giving just ONE quality item as the favor, something that the kid will enjoy and use for awhile. Beware though, it also translates to more expensive, and if you x10 or x20 the number of favors you’ll need, the cost can get quite prohibitive. If you’re in this pickle, just get some really cute (and disposable) cheap toys and some lollies and chuck it into a simple bag, and you’re done!
  2. Making your own food – I’ve been to parties where the parents made their own food, and they’ve all complained later they wouldn’t try doing that again! Unless you’re cooking/baking for a relatively small party, outsource. It can be tasteful and simple (the afternoon tea pastries from Delifrance work a treat!), or something more filling (there are loads of hot food caterers out there, starting at just $8 per guest), but it takes a load off your plate when you’re trying to prep decor for the party AND handling your child.
  3. Agonizing over the decor – don’t sweat the small stuff! That’s my new mantra. Whenever I’ve done the decor for parties, I’ll be a nervous wreck how all the colours don’t match up, or if a piece of decor falls off the wall. The handicraft wasn’t cut out with perfect edges? Heaven forbid! But you know what? No. One. Notices. People are busy watching their own kids and having a good time, they aren’t speculating the quality (or lack thereof) of your craft work. So feel free to cut corners (literally and figuratively) and just chill out.

 

Not convinced?

Pretty sure you’re a perfectionist and that you’ll drive yourself (and everyone else) crazy planning a party?

Leave it to the professionals like Party Perfect, who will be your fairy godmother and save you a LOT of time, effort and energy (and hair pulling). We offloaded all the grunt work to them for Hunter’s 3rd birthday recently, and boy, I ACTUALLY HAD SOOOO MUCH FUN!! I could completely switch off and sit back and relax, both before, during and after the party.

 

The Palms Cafe; Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Stanwell Park, Sydney

#palmscafe #stanwelltops #sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com

In the heart of scenic Stanwell Park lies an unassuming little cafe: The Palms. Drive too fast around the bendy road and you’ll miss it completely — much to your own detriment, as it’s a perfect spot to grab lunch with family.

We dropped by on a Friday afternoon. The cafe was busy with couples and families with young kids (perfect!). Nothing special for the kids — just friendly staff, fast service and really, really, really good food. The cafe features all-day breakfast, hearty meals made with fresh, local produce, and devonshire tea and cakes baked fresh on the premises.

#palmscafe #stanwelltops #sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com

Our party ordered the Fish of the Day ($24), Homemade Meatloaf (potato mash, tomato jam, salad & turkish bread, $18.50),  Slow-roasted Honey Mustard Beef on Damper (mustard dressing & fresh coleslaw, $17), The Palms Big Breakfast (smokehouse bacon, old english pork chipolatas, tomato, mushroom, hash brown, fried eggs & toast, $20), Sweet Corn & 3 Cheese Fritters (usually comes with chorizo but I swapped it for avocado, tomato & spinach salad, $17), and Bluberry Banana Bread (with ricotta and strawberries, $8).

Every meal was perfectly prepared and presented. The waitress was extremely flexible with our picky eaters, offering substitute items for things that weren’t wanted (the first time I’ve ever encountered this!). My sweet corn fritters were bursting with juicy corn, and the salad lightly dressed — a perfect combination that left other members of our party with food envy. Miss E wasn’t overly hungry and snacked on bread, refusing to even try the delecatble blueberry banana bread.

#palmscafe #stanwelltops #sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com

#palmscafe #stanwelltops #sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com

#palmscafe #stanwelltops #sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com

#palmscafe #stanwelltops #sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com

#palmscafe #stanwelltops #sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com

#palmscafe #stanwelltops #sydney via brunchwithmybaby.com

The Palms Cafe is in a perfect location for lunch on the way to or from some fun outings in the Sutherland/Wollongong area. A few minutes further down the road and you’re at the beach. The cafe is also only a few minutes from Symbio Wildlife Park (check out our blog post for more info!).

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

The Palms Cafe
111 Lawrence Hargrave Dr,
Stanwell Park NSW 2508
Phone: 02 4294 3371
Prices: $$
Hours: Open Breakfast & Lunch Thurs-Mon 9am-4pm
Get Directions

The Palms Restaurant & Bar on Urbanspoon

Symbio Wildlife Park; Helensburg, NSW

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

Nestled in the quiet suburb of Helensburg lies Symbio Wildlife Park,  a tiny zoo that makes for a great afternoon of wildlife encounters — particularly for little kids. Symbio boasts “we’ll get you closer”, and there are indeed opportunities to get up close to lots of animals. The grounds are spacious and well-kept, and the animals all healthy and happy looking. No sad depressed animals in tiny enclosures here.

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

We arrived just in time for the koala talk. It was an informative session with lots of great info that I didn’t know about the koala. It was a little over the heads of the littler kids though — better for older kids and adults, as the tiny tots were getting restless. The talk usually ends with the opportunity to touch a koala, but our koala was a newbie and people-shy, so no pats for our sad toddler, despite her repeated exclaimations that “he’s so cuuuuuuute!”.

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

The biggest hit for all of us was the walk-through kangaroo enclosure — a large paddock filled with kangaroos. We had bought bags of animal feed at the entrance so we were ready to get up close and personal with some Aussie icons. The kangaroos were extremely docile — I would imagine because they’re so used to lots of people being around them. They were very happy being touched and would munch the grass off your hand, tickling your palm with their teeth. We showed Miss E how to feed them carefully, and pretty soon she was able to feed them on her own.

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

The goats also were excited to be hand-fed — they were in an enclosure that they were desperate to escape in their enthusiasum for our grass-like food. These super friendly goats were actually very gentle, and E was able to feed them without loosing any fingers.

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

There were actually a lot of animals roaming wild, but they kept their distance from us (good call, toddlers are notorious animal-chasers). We spotted peacocks, ducks and cockatoos cheerfully roaming the grounds.

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

As well as having standard farm animals, the zoo is home to a few exotic creatures like a Sumatran tiger (who was MIA when we visited his enclosure), red pandas, crocodiles, adorable marmoset monkeys and meerkats.

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

A surprise standout was an albino echidna — something none of us had ever seen before.

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

#Symbio #Wildlife Park via brunchwithmybaby.com

 

Symbio Wildlife Park is a great way to spend a few hours entertaining kids. I would recommend lunch at a nearby fave, The Palms Cafe, for delicious food before exploring the park.

Symbio Wildlife Park
7-11 Lawrence Hargrave Dr,
Helensburgh NSW 2508
Open daily, 9:30am-5pm
Phone: 02 4294 1244
Prices: Adults $27, children 3-15 years $15.

MU PARLOUR: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Holland Village, Singapore

Mu Parlour

Tucked away on the second level among the Holland Village shops, Mu Parlour is accessible via a narrow and nondescript staircase. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of entrance, so you really need to be on the lookout to realise there’s a cafe upstairs.

For this reason, Mu Parlour is generally pretty quiet, with customers that are either regulars or via word-of-mouth. It’s an excellent choice if you’re after a relaxed and quiet brunch, and also kid-friendly because the area is very self-contained and the large window offers kids a bit of a birds-eye view of the people below, which keeps them quiet for awhile 😉

MUparlour02

 

I loved their Strawberry milkshake ($7.80). It was creamy and cold, and just the refreshment we needed on a warm day. Bonus points for the cool glass mason mugs they use!

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The No. 11 Beef, avocado, bacon, MU secret sauce ($15) was quite the stunner. The black bun (squid ink?) was soft, and the beef patty was perfectly juicy and the richness of the beef really came through. I loved the generous helping of cheese and ‘secret sauce’ and thought the burger was very well executed. I’d get this one again for sure.

Special mention to their fries too – I love how they serve shoestring fries, my favourite! They add a generous scattering of fried garlic and herbs on top of the fries, which elevates them to yummilicious levels.

MUparlour04

 

 
 
Last Bite: Mu Parlour offers a quiet and relaxed reprieve from the busyness of Holland Village. Their milkshakes and No. 11 burger comes highly recommended!
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: No (stairs up to second floor)
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Mu Parlour
16A Lorong Mambong
Singapore 277677
Phone: 6466 9336
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Thu: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm, Fri: 11:00 am – 1:00 am, Sat: 9:00 am – 1:00 am, Sun: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
 
 

GIVEAWAY: Win one Free Play Pass worth $40 (ie. 4 visits) from Gymnademics!

 

giveaway!

Remember when we did a feature on Gymnademics?

Carter’s started with them! He’s been to two sessions now and is really enjoying it. I’ll be frank though, his first session there was just him being aaaalllll over the place. He couldn’t focus on anything the teachers were saying/doing, because he was just so fascinated with the room and all the fun things in it! But, when he came back a week later for the second session, he went through all the routines just fine, and was actually interested in the flash cards and activities.

It’s so nice seeing your child captivated during class, you know? Seeing him happy and soaking in all this information and activity makes my day! I think he really enjoys the fun and music during each class.

 

Gymnademics are giving away one Free Play Pass worth $40 (ie. 4 visits)! 

 

a Brunch with my Baby giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaway will run from 7 Feb– 13 Feb 2014 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).

 

 

Free Play @ Gymnademics at Alexandra Retail Centre 
Wednesdays to Fridays
10am-4pm
From children aged 5 months to 5 years
1 hour $15, 4 hours $40

 

So what of their regular classes?

They go for a 1 hour duration and, believe me, will have you pretty tired out afterwards! It’s a lot of activity, coupled with learning exercises. Here’s a rough idea of what happens during Carter’s class:

First there’s flash card matching revision, from words learned last week. Hunter did a term of this last year and, believe me, you’ll be reaaalllyyy impressed by what they remember from the previous week’s lesson!

This is Carter matching up “sectional sofa” with the picture. I’m not sure if that was a fluke 😉

GymnademicsClass01

 

After that, it’s a bit of musical instrument playing (or banging) time. Both my kids have always gone for the little drum! Carter is an incredibly serious drummer (fat cheeks and all) and will studiously whack the stick onto the drum.

GymnademicsClass02

 

Then there’s word flashcards, based on the theme for the week. This week, it’s Electrical Appliances. As you can see, Gymnademics doesn’t ‘baby’ down words or concepts. They use adult (and pretty difficult!) words. And, again, you’ll be really impressed by how much your kid can absorb within a few classes.

GymnademicsClass03

 

And it’s onto musical activity again, this time with wooden sticks! The kids love to wave them high and low and bang around, creating a mega ruckus 😉

GymnademicsClass04

 

One of the most popular activities comes next – obstacle course/circuit. It is one phenomenal way to tire an active kid out 😉 There’s balance beam, tunnels, steps, slides, stepping stones – you name it!! Carter was a basket case during his first class (ran around everywhere!) but during his second class, he went through the circuit systematically.

GymnademicsClass05

 

Then there’s picture time based on the concept of the week. This week, it was Flying Machines! CARTER’S FAVOURITE. Needless to say, he was captivated, especially when the teachers whipped out a helicopter that had moving blades.

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And then, flying trapeze!!! I’ve always thought this was brilliant fun, but I don’t think I’m allowed on it. This is Carter, being assisted (the teacher is holding his hands) on the trapeze. After 5 swings, he ‘flies’ into my arms! And, the idea is, with a bit of training, your kid can soon hold themselves up with no assistance. This activity trains their upper body muscles, and also increases oxygen to the heart due to the position.

GymnademicsClass07

 

Gymnastics time! Every week, they progress in their activity. In this picture below, Carter is practicising his hand stand. And, after a few weeks, he will be able to do an (assisted) forward handspring! I thought Carter would go ballistic being held up like that (I think I would!!) but nope, he was actually really calm and quite pleased with himself afterwards. Go figure.

GymnademicsClass08

 

A bit of calm down time, so we did daily activities to music. This week, it was using a cut-out doll to “jump on the bed” and a toothbrush to “brush teeth”, which kids are supposed to respond to when they hear the appropriate “boing!” or “brush brush” sounds. It’s ridiculously cute to watch 😉

GymnademicsClass09

 

The craaaaziest part of the session – relay race!! Kids have to grab a toy fruit/veg, and run a short distance to drop it into a container, then run back to you to collect the next fruit. This is MAJOR EXERCISE for kids, considering the amount they run and how small they are. And they really have so much fun running back and forth, giggling away!

GymnademicsClass10

 

A much-needed water break

GymnademicsClass11

 

And then it’s parachute time, flipping it around to the music. Carter was pretty overwhelmed/scared when he saw it during his first session, but he loved it during his second session.

GymnademicsClass12

 

Story time, using flashcards. I’m not sure why Carter looks so transfixed by the picture of a Daddy ironing his clothes 😉

GymnademicsClass13

 

Magic box time! This houses a super fun hands-on activity, so it’s always a hit for the eager kids. This time, it was sticking on the matching number/colour. And Carter could do it after I showed him a couple of times! We’ve never done this activity before, so I was chuffed to learn of his new skill that I never knew he could do 😛

GymnademicsClass14

 

I love the catchy “Hip hip hooray, we learned something new today!” goodbye song near the end. I always get up and dance like a crazy person too 😉 And so do my kids! Both Hunter and Carter like to shake their booty and stomp around 😛

GymnademicsClass15

 

The class lasts for an hour, and frankly, I’m glad it doesn’t go any longer. I don’t think I have the stamina! It’s very go-go-go, and the kids lap it all up.

I really enjoyed Gymnademics for Hunter because, being a cautious child, I thought the high level of activity and gymnastics would help him out of his shell a bit.

And I enjoy Gymnademics for Carter because, a very active child, it gives him what he craves for and he completely knocks out afterwards. WIN.

GymnademicsClass16

 

Outlet Details
Address: Alexandra Retail Centre, 460 Alexandra Road #02-25, Singapore 119963
Telephone: +65 6271 7569
Email: arc@gymnademics.com
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm

THE MISSING PAN: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Bukit Timah, Singapore

The Missing Pan

We’ve been on a bit of a hiatus recently. Between birthday parties, a trip to Perth, and Chinese New Year shennanigans, it’s been a really busy past few weeks!!

But, we hope to get back in the swing of things ASAP 🙂

It’s with great delight that I bring to you The Missing Pan, a gorgeous cafe that opened just three months ago. Located next to Coronation Plaza along Bukit Timah Road, the cafe has me ecstatic because THEY OPEN AT 9AM!! I do love my breakfasts, and rarely do I find cafes that are open this early (if you know of any more, please give me a holler).

When we stepped in, we were a bit confused as the place was tiny. Turns out that that’s just their first/entry level, which showcases their freshly-baked breads and pretty cakes. We were ushered into a lift and brought up to Level 2, where the sit-down area was.

The soft grey, tan and turquoise colour palette of the cafe had me swooning. Doesn’t it look so pretty and relaxing?

TheMissingPan02 TheMissingPan03

 

Their menu is, surprisingly, pretty extensive. And WOW, it also looks pretty spectacular. You will not find the standard brunch dishes here, but unique twists to regular dishes as well as new ones. The menu itself will take you a good few minutes to pore through!

TheMissingPan04

 

I was pleased to see that they had a kids menu, which looked really enticing:

TheMissingPan05

 

We kicked off with a rich Latte ($5.50) and a giant-sized Lychee and lemon mint homemade soda ($6):

TheMissingPan06

 

And this is my favourite dish, their 62 degree eggs benedict with smoked salmon ($22). The Missing Pan’s rendition is absolutely superb, and very different to regular Eggs Benedict dishes I’ve had in other cafes. Served on homemade sourdough, the free range eggs were slow-cooked at 62 degrees, resulting in an extremely creamy egg with a molten gooey egg yolk – it was absolutely luscious.

The smoked salmon was like nothing I’ve ever had. Normally, smoked salmon is sliced thin, and very salty. You know, just the regular stuff. Their smoked salmon was FAT chunks of salmon, that was meltingly tender – almost like a sous vide salmon. It was nowhere near as salty as regular smoked salmon, so the delightful creaminess and sweetness of the fish came through.

Frankly, I thought this dish was outstanding and would get it again.

TheMissingPan07

 

The Over Hangover (chicken schnitzel, bacon, sunny-side up egg on sourdough and bacon vinaigrette) ($19), I hear, is recommended for hearty eaters. And they’d be right – this will fill you right up. Using the same home-baked sourdough bread, the mountain of eggs, bacon, chicken and salad greens impresses when it arrives.. not to mention the tumble of crisp fries next to it.

At first, we thought the chicken would be dry and tough because the crumbed exterior was so dark. However, once we tried it, we realised the chicken was so succulent and juicy on the inside! It was actually perfectly cooked.

Two thumbs up for this dish, especially if you prefer your brunch to be fried 😉

TheMissingPan08

 

I personally found the Rosemary rosti stack with bacon, sunny-side up egg, tomato, grilled zucchini salad ($16) to be least interesting. The potato rosti was cooked perfectly and the egg was delicious, but I just found the dish a bit boring because it’s just a whole lot of potato. Perhaps it would have been even better served with some of their fat chunks of smoked salmon, just to create variety?

That said, this is a winner if you’re on a bit of a carb fix.

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I adored the Brownie bite, which was going at $2 a pop. The brownie was rich and fudgey, and I loved how it was encased in chocolate.

TheMissingPan10

 

The BYO (homemade orange yogurt ice cream, raspberry jelly, macerated strawberries, basil, chocolate crisp) ($14) didn’t interest me, as I’m not a fan of any type of fruit-based dessert. But, the large chocolate crisps on top were delicious!!

TheMissingPan11

 

 
 
Last Bite: The Missing Pan has only been open for a few months, but nails their unique menu. The food is excellent, as is the service and ambience. Plus, it’s open at 9AM for breakfast!
 
Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: Yes

The Missing Pan
619D Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 269724
Phone: 6466 4377
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue – Sun: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
 
 

Cafe Colette: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Williamsburg, New York

Cafe Colette, #kidfriendly #restaurants #Williamsburg via brunchwithmybaby.com

On a cold winter’s day, we made a trek on the G train to Williamsburg to visit friends and try out Cafe Colette. With a lot of restaurants cramped with elbow-tight tables, it can be hard to find kid-friendly restaurants in the ‘Burg. This little gem was a lucky find for this hungry family.

Serving New American cuisine, Cafe Colette serves up primarily locally-sourced in a menu that is influenced by flavors and techniques from Spain, Italy, Central America, and beyond.

Cafe Colette, #kidfriendly #restaurants #Williamsburg via brunchwithmybaby.com

The vintage feel, with the tin roof and cosy booths, conjours up a scene from a movie. Luckily for us, we arrive just when the cafe opens, and are shown to the corner booth, where there is plenty of room to park our stroller (and toddler).

The staff are welcoming and friendly to our crazy two-year-old. Missy E chose that morning to wake up pre-dawn, and so, by brunch-time, was a hot mess. While we felt stressed out by her antics, the staff showed no signs of dismay or judgement (thank you!!) and could not have been nicer, even when she tipped over a large glass of water all over the floor, requiring mopping.

We visited on a Monday and were served the lunch menu. I chose the Soup and Sandwich (tomato soup and grilled cheddar cheese on sourdough, $11) and the Hand Cut French Fries, $6, hoping missy E would eat some, and the rest of our party selected Breakfast Sandwich (fried farm eggs, cheddar cheese, smoked paprika aioli, lettuce, choice of bacon or sausage, $10), Garlic Herb French Fries (red chili oil, cracked black pepper, $8), Grilled Flatbread (caramelized onions, arugula, pecorino romano, garlic chili oil, $11) and the Grilled Fish Tacos (cilantro, red cabbage, pickled onions, chipotle mayonnaise, $12).

Miss E did indeed enjoy my lunch choice — after she ate all the fries, she progressed to demanding my soup to feed to herself (not a good idea, let it be noted). She’s a fussy eater, so it was actually great to see her wanting to try something like tomato soup, even if it had messy results. She wouldn’t try my grilled cheese, but I enjoyed it immensly. I adore sourdough, and this was good sourdough (not the fake kind with vinegar), with the right amount of cheese (not too little so it’s dry, but not too much to make it artery-clogging).

Missy E was a manaic and I spent most of the time trying to stop the tomato soup flying through the air. Alec and our friends enjoyed their meals, although the flatbread and garlic herb fries were deemed a bit too hot (both contained chili oil).

Cafe Colette, #kidfriendly #restaurants #Williamsburg via brunchwithmybaby.com

Cafe Colette, #kidfriendly #restaurants #Williamsburg via brunchwithmybaby.com

Cafe Colette, #kidfriendly #restaurants #Williamsburg via brunchwithmybaby.com

Cafe Colette, #kidfriendly #restaurants #Williamsburg via brunchwithmybaby.com

Cafe Colette, #kidfriendly #restaurants #Williamsburg via brunchwithmybaby.com

Cafe Colette, #kidfriendly #restaurants #Williamsburg via brunchwithmybaby.com

Last Bite: A bustling brunch or lunch joint, perfect for a casual lunch with friends AND a crazy baby or toddler. 

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

Cafe Colette
79 Berry St,
New York, NY 11249
Phone: (347) 599 1381
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Thur 11am-12am, Fri 11am-1am, Sat 10am-1am, Sun 10am-12am
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