Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

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

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.

One Girl Cookies Cobble Hill: Kid-friendly Cafes, Brooklyn

November 15, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Cobble Hill, New York, New York Food / 3 Comments

Delicious cookies are not the only offering from this adorable cafe, but you’ll find it hard to leave without eating a few. Great for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea, One Girl is the perfect place to meet friends for a catch up, especially during the week days when it’s quiet. Order a hot chocolate with a marshmallow and whoopie pie (their speciality), sit back and prepare to while away the afternoon with your babe.

Highchairs: No, but you can park your stroller at the tables.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Kind of – entrance has only one step, but also has two doorways in a row on an awkward angle, making it a bit tricky to get in if you’re on your own with a stroller.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

One Girl Cookies Cobble Hill
68 Dean Street,
New York, NY 11201
Phone: (212) 675 4996
Prices: $
Hours:
Mon-Thu 8am–7pm
Fri 8am–8pm
Sat 9am–8pm
Sun 10am–7pm
Get directions.

Magnolia Bakery Upper West Side

November 14, 2012 / Manhattan Munchies, Upper West Side / 0 comment

This upper west side branch of the famous bakery was blissfully quiet the weekend we dropped in. No queues! No crowds! A row of tables by the windows leave ample room for strollers to be parked while you enjoy a delicious cupcake or banana pudding. It’s worth noting that we came by with friends and three babies all under the age of 1.5, and managed to have a relaxed morning tea here. A miracle by any parent’s standard!

Magnolia Bakery Upper West Side — Spacious, quiet interior.

Magnolia Bakery UWS kids — Morning tea with friends

Highchairs: No, but you can park your stroller at the tables.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes – there is a ramp entrance.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.
Baby-friendly rating: ♥♥—

Magnolia Bakery, UWS
200 Columbus Avenue (at 71st st),
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 724 8101

Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 7:30am–10pm
Fri-Sat 7:30am–12am

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Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain

November 13, 2012 / Brooklyn Bites, Carroll Gardens, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

The Farmacy (as the locals call it) is a beautifully restored 1920s pharmacy in Carroll Gardens, well-known for their amazing grilled cheese sandwiches and egg floats. They’re also a haven for neighbourhood families to bring their babies and kids of all ages to enjoy lunch, sundaes at the counter, or musical jam sessions with kids’ entertainers, the Jitterbugs, on Thursdays at 11am. Don’t let the lack of highchairs put you off. If your tot isn’t happy sitting in their stroller or on your lap, they’ll be in good company running around the store.

Brooklyn Farmacy Jitterbugs — Floor space only left during the weekly Jitterbugs show.

Highchairs: Yes – but only one. There is, however, plenty of room to keep your baby in their stroller at your table.
Stroller storage: Yes – if it’s not too busy you can leave your stroller in the back room or by the front door.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No (there is a large bathroom where you can change your baby on the floor if needed).
Kids’ menu: Not a special menu, but most of the food is friendly for bigger kids.

Brooklyn Farmacy
513 Henry Street (at Sackett st),
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (718) 522 6260
prices: $
Fall Hours: Sun-Thur 10am-10pm, Fri-Sat: 10am-11pm
Get directions.

Building On Bond: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Boerum Hill, New York

November 12, 2012 / Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Bites, New York, New York Food / 1 Comment

A total hipster hangout – with delish, reasonably-priced food? It’s true, it does exist. Quarters are a little tight indoors, but still workable with a stroller or highchair. The food is stellar – our budding gourmet loved the egg scramble with mushroom, gruyere and broccoli. You can also order easy add-ons like a cup of yoghurt or side of toast for babies on solids.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes – and you can park your stroller at the table if you prefer.
Easy access: Yes (one step to get in).
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Building On Bond
112 Bond Street (at Pacific st),
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Phone: (347) 853 8687
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon-Thu 12–4pm, 5–10pm
Fri 12–4pm, 5–11pm
Sat 11am–3pm, 5–11pm
Sun 11am–3pm, 5–10pm
Get directions.

Additional image thanks to Yelp.