I had a massive craving for mac & cheese, so off we went on a freezing cold day to Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese – AKA S’MAC. There are so many things I love about S’MAC – the number one thing being they share my philosophy that mac & cheese is more than just a side dish – it’s a genre of meal to be celebrated.
Orange exterior – can’t miss it.
The restaurant is pretty tiny, with tables squished together. Come on a weekend at peak lunch time and be prepared to stalk other diners to score a table.
Major Munch Garden Lite – not pretty but sooooo good.
There are several size options for your mac & cheese. I like the Major Munch because it means I have leftovers to take home.
You will also be overwhelmed with options for your mac dish – do you want it classic, with veggies, garlic or meat mixed in? If you have special dietary needs you’re taken care of. S’MAC offers gluten-free and multi-grain pasta, as well as lactose-reduced and vegan cheese.
When your dish arrives (they’re pretty quick!), it comes piping hot in a little pan. It’s not the prettiest dish in the world, but damn, it sure is tasty!
Cheese loves mac & cheese.
While the restaurant isn’t the most baby-friendly place around, it’s very welcoming to kids with its chaotic, colourful environment, and fun food that most kids will love.
Highchairs: No. Stroller storage: No. This place is super tiny. Bring a carrier or folding stroller and prepare to squeeze in. Easy access: Yes. One step to get in the entrance. Change tables: No. Kids’ menu: No. But did I mention pretty much all they serve is mac & cheese? Baby-friendly rating: ♥—-
With Restaurant Week hitting New York, I was excited to try out Norma’s for their all-day breakfast. The Restaurant Week deal was pretty sweet ($25pp for continental bread basket, entree and smoothie), and made the over-the-top prices seem more reasonable. We booked a table for 9am on a Thursday since I thought it would be a good time with Cheese’s naps. Sadly, when we arrived, we found out that the Restaurant Week promotion was only in effect from midday, despite this not being written anywhere on the Restaurant Week promotional material. Since we’d come so far and we already being led to our table, we felt like we had to sit down and order a ridiculously expensive breakfast. So disappointing.
Note to those visiting Norma’s for the first time. The dishes are all stupidly expensive. They average at about $21 an entree. They are huge however and will definitely fill you up for a while. Where you have to watch out is the extras that they they push on you. When we sat down, a waiter approached and gave us free samples of a smoothie (which we were supposed to receive as part of the Restaurant Week deal), and offered us glasses of juice from a pitcher instead of water. An unsuspecting diner might think this was either a) complimentary or b) reasonably priced. Just so you know, it’s neither. The orange juice is $9. Apparently you get unlimited refills, but still. $9. Be warned!
I was hoping that Norma’s would be really kid-friendly after I read their website. The whimsical, fun description of the restaurant is below:
“Breakfast for lunch? Always.
Will I still be hungry? You gotta be kidding.
Do we like kids? More than whipped cream.”
Sadly the reality was very different. While they did have a highchair, that was the extent of the baby-friendliness. The menu is so exorbitantly-priced that it’s way too pricey to order a kid their own meal, and there is no separate kid’s menu. Our waiter was aloof and made us feel unwelcome. The food took forever to come out. We had to break out the Cheddar Bunnies to keep Cheese amused while we were waiting.
Reading and snacking while waiting for food.Sweet Suzy
Alec ordered the Sweet Suzy. He said it was amazing and was really happy with his dish.
Nutella Packed Jacks
I ordered Nutella Packed Jacks and while the fruit was really fresh and sweet, the pancakes were undercooked and doughy. Usually I’d send them back, but it had taken so long for us to get them that there wasn’t time before we had to leave and take Cheese home for a nap.
Ready for home.
I have to make a note here to say that we came on a weekday – the restaurant may be more kid-friendly on weekends. If you’re keen to give it a try, book a table to minimise your wait. They have long queues every day of the week as they have a restaurant that seats 100 and service the hotel they’re housed in, which has 700 rooms.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Minimal. Bring a folding stroller or carrier. Easy access: Yes. They have elevator access. Change tables: I didn’t get the chance to check out the restrooms, but there is ample space to change a baby on the benches in the foyer. Kids’ menu: No, but lots of food kids can share with you. At an average of $21 per entree, you probably won’t want to buy them their own dish. Baby-friendly rating: ♥—-
Norma’s
At Le Parker Meridien
119 W 56th St,
New York, NY 10019
We were walking through Chelsea Markets when I spied this …
Pastaaaaaaaa!
I am completely unable to pass by pasta. I’m a carboholic and would eat pasta every day if I could. It was midafternoon and prime brunch-time, so we thought we’d peep in and see if they had tables available. The hostess gave us a very warm welcome, especially Cheese, and said they could seat us right away. She helpfully whisked away our stroller to a cute stroller parking area, and we were sat at a table ready for us with a highchair, all while the hostess smiled and chatted with us and the Cheese. So far, total score.
While we waited for our server, we looked around us at the many other families tucking into delicious-looking pasta dishes. Lots of toddlers and small kids shovelling spaghetti bolognese into their mouths, as well as older kids and teenagers, all sharing and enjoying beautiful pasta. Heaven!
Huge dining space.Give me food!
We did wait a while for service, but when the server arrived he apologised and explained that it was shift changeover time and he was sorry that we were overlooked as the previous server for our section had just left. After our orders were taken, we thankfully didn’t have to wait very long before our dishes arrived. We ordered a pasta dish each, thinking we would share them with the Cheese. We didn’t count on the pasta dishes being on the small side – Cheese quickly inhaled about half of one dish on her own. She is clearly a carboholic too. She particularly loved the spinach and ricotta girasole dish, and enjoyed crunching down on the parmigiano reggiano basket after the pasta was gone.
Spinach and ricotta girasole, crispy parmigiano reggianoWine = happy husband.Put more pasta in that baby, stat.
After lunch we went for a walk on the waterfront nearby to a small playground. There are options for kids to blow off steam in all weather – the nearby Chelsea Piers has indoor play space, as well as the outdoor playground we discovered and the Chelsea water park on 23rd st for the warmer months.
Having a ball despite the cold.
Highchairs: Yes. Stroller storage: Yes – plenty of storage space for full-sized strollers. Easy access: Yes. Change tables: No. There is one disabled restroom on the upper level for both men and women, and one restroom down two flights of stairs – not enough restrooms for such a large restaurant. No change table, but plenty of space on the floor if you’re desperate to change a baby. Kids’ menu: No, but what kid doesn’t love pasta? Baby-friendly rating: ♥♥♥♥-
Cupcakes, cupcakes, and more cupcakes. Magnolia is still the go-to place for cupcakes in New York. They’re the perfect mix of fluffy, moist base, with just the right amount of buttercream frosting. Visiting the original, and most famous, location in the West Village however, is a bit tricky when you factor in an infant. The shop is tiny, with nowhere to sit down at all. There is just enough room inside for a giant queue of tourists making the Magnolia stop on their trip.
This doesn’t mean that you should skip the deliciousness however. The best method is to come with a friend if possible, who can wait outside with the baby while you duck in and buy the food. Right across the road is a little square with benches and trees, so you can take your treats there to relax and eat. If your baby is more towards toddler age, head to the park attached to the square so you can let your kid run wild on the play equipment and still enjoy your precious cupcake.
Raspberry ice tea and cupcakes.The cupcakes! They are glorious!Entranced by the toys in the playground while we ate our treats.
Highchairs: No. Stroller storage: No. Easy access: Yes – one step. However, the bakery is always packed to the rafters, so you’ll be lucky to be able to squeeze in there with a stroller. Change tables: No. Kids’ menu: No. Baby-friendly rating: ——
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.
Lunch at E.A.T.The straw cup for our littlest diner went down well.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
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.
The whimsical Sugar & PlummPretty shop with super adorable eats and knick knacks
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!
GRASSHOPPER (mint chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate sauce, peppermint patty)
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 😉
SMORE’S SUNDAE (chocolate ice cream, marshmallow, graham cracker, chocolate sauce)
