More on the Kid-Friendly Front

I wanted to do a follow-up on a post I published a month or so ago. The topic was on kid-friendly or family-friendly restaurants that were nicer restaurants. Since that I post, I have been on the lookout for other restaurants that would fit this description and I found another one!

Cap City Diner, with 2 locations in Columbus, Ohio, is a Cameron Mitchell owned restaurant that takes your normal diner cuisine and makes it a lot better. A couple of our favorite items are their meatloaf, the pork chops are amazing, and my husband really likes the grilled cheese sandwich which has a friend egg on it. Anyway, we went there for dinner a few nights ago with my 1 year old (ok, he's 1 on the 21). I looked over the children's menu briefly to check out the offerings when something at the top caught my eye. There was a spot on the menu that said "Complimentary Baby Food Available". I asked the server about this, wondering if Cap City takes the time to make baby food or what. Turns out they have Gerber baby food that is available for free upon request. They had a nice selection of fruits and vegetables too. I was surprised that they had any, let alone 5 or 6 types to choose from! We ordered some for my son since he still only has 2 teeth, though 4 new ones are well on their way.

I think it is awesome and noteworthy that Cap City Diner has taken the time to consider their customers with small babies! Bravo! We will definitely be back!

Family-friendly Restaurants

The terms "Kid-friendly" or "Family-friendly" restaurant has always made me cringe. Before I had a baby of my own, this term always conjured up images of a restaurant that welcomed messy, bratty children either sitting in their high chair screaming or traipsing around the dining room while their parents continue to chow down on their meal, all the while being totally oblivious to the disruption their children are causing. Now as a parent, both terms still makes me cringe as I image places like Applebee's or Chuck E Cheese. Just because I have a child doesnt mean that I need to dumb down my palette so to speak. So when I talk about family-friendly or kid-friendly I may not be looking at the best restaurants (I dont expect a 5 or even 4 star restaurant to go out of its way to attract families), but I also hope to look at dining establishments that are at least a step above Applebee's. I also would like to add, however, that if I do choose to take my infant to a nice restaurant I would prefer not to get glares from the wait staff.

My son is currently 10 months old and so far only has 2 teeth. He doesn't seem to mind going to restaurants so we occasionally take him places with us. My son likes to watch my husband and I eat and try to eat with us, even if he has already had his dinner. However, with only 2 teeth, we have to be careful about what we give him to chew on. That is why I was quite pleased one Sunday when our little family went to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast. When we were seated they brought a complimentary "kids plate". They brought an appetizer plate full of goodies well beyond the normal fare. The plate consisted of a ramekin of Cheerios, an orange slice, crackers, and of course a kids menu full of activities and crayons. I found this to be very thoughtful! I can't really order off the kids' meal for him yet, so I think it is nice that someone in the company took a minute to think about families with little babies.

I have also been to the Cheesecake Factory when they have offered crackers and fruit! Why don't more restaurants do this? Though this would not be a major factor in my decision on where to dine, I would certain lean more towards a restaurant that took this kind of consideration!

It isn't complimentary Cheerios, but Bravo Cucina Italiana will often give kids a ball of raw pizza dough to play with. They will even bake it for children so make dough sculptures of shapes! What fun! My son had fun squeezing the dough which occupied him for a good 10 minutes!

I'm curious if there are other places out there that have similar services. If anyone knows of other restaurants that give complimentary snacks to babies and toddlers, please feel free to share similar experiences with other great restaurants.

Bravo Cucina Italiana

I thought I would rate the experience we had at Bravo Cucina Italiana on Hayden Run Road in Columbus, Ohio last week. My brother is a chef there so my husband and I go there quite frequently as does the rest of my family. We decided to have dinner there because my brother had given me coupons to use that were good through October. Though we usually try to go when my brother is working, the night we went in, he was not there. My brother always wants me to tell the server, host, etc., that I am his sister to try to get free food , but I do not like doing that. When I go to Bravo, I am a paying customer like every one else.

Anyway, the evening we went in we were given a waiter that I was not thrilled with. He had never served us before, and I did not like his style. I was surprised, as we normally get great service there. We asked for bread while we looked over our menu, which our server brought. Bravo serves bread with olive oil, but the olive oil has a mix of sun dried tomatoes and herbs in it that the staff calls the "guts". We love the "guts". The oil our server brought us didn't have any of the "guts" in it(or very little) so I asked the server if we could have more "guts". Since my brother works there, I know that they have more "guts" without oil in the back. The kitchen staff puts the "guts" in the oil themselves. If a customer wants more, all the server has to do is go to the refrigerator and scoop out more. Instead, our server told us that he didn't think he could give us more "guts" than any one else because it would throw off the "distribution" for all the other guests but he would "see what he would do". He brought us more oil with a little more "guts" but not much. I think all he did was pour it from a different bottle.

My husband Adam texted my brother jokingly saying that Bravo is stingy with its "guts". My brother quickly got caught up with what was going on and was not pleased with the situation. By this time we had moved onto our entrees. My brother quickly called the store and let one of the chefs know what was going on. I certainly did not ask my brother to do any of this. It really was not a big deal to us, but apparetnly it was a big deal to Bravo. We began getting our 6 month son ready to leave when the manager came up to us. By this time we had already paid our bill. The manager told us that he wanted to take care of our dinner. I felt so bad, that was not my intention at all which I let the manager know. We told him several times that it really was not necessary but he insisted over and over, so we finally gave in. I was impressed that whether I was family or not, the manager and other employees took so much pride in their service.

I also did not like this servers manners but perhaps that is just me. My husband and I are grammar snobs sometimes and get irritated when educated adults use poor grammar (though I am sure I am commas in wrong spots through out this review, but I was never good with commas). When asking if I was finished with my plate, the server just said, "You done with that?" Maybe I am being too picky, but I would have preferred to hear something along the lines of "Are you finished with your plate ma'am?"

I would also like to mention that my husband Adam had a new scallop entree that was delicious! The scallops were pan-seared on top of gnocchi with sweet potatoes on the side. It was probably one of the best dishes we have had there.

My point to this review is not to critique the food but mention the excellent service. My brother told me a story of how Bravo will always go out of their way for a guest. He was working a very busy Friday night when one of the head Chefs told him that he needed to run across the street to the local grocery store for a jar of pickles. My brother was confused by why they would need a jar of pickles. Apparently there was a couple dining who had their baby with them and forgot to bring pickles, one of the baby's favorite things to eat. So my brother went and bought a $5 jar of pickles for the baby. Is this kind of service going over the line? Maybe, but if they are willing to do it, that is up to them. I think it is nice that there are businesses out there that still value their customer.

Rigsby's Kitchen

For my husband's birthday we decided to try Rigsby's Kitchen. We were a little nervous about trying something new again on his birthday, because the previous 3 years we tried new places and were sadly disappointed. We decided to risk it this year and Rigsby's managed to break the streak.

Rigsby's is located in the heart of the Short North, on High Street, right next to RJ Snappers. The space is open and contemporary with notes of tradition like an interior wall of exposed brick. The atmosphere is trendy and casual with hints of sophistication.

Let's get the important part, the food. We began with 2 different appetizers, the Steamed Mussels and the Prosciutto and Melon plate. Both were wonderful. The Steamed Mussels were done to perfection in a tomato and wine broth with a hint of spicy. The prosciutto was also wonder paired with the ripe melon soaked in Sambucca.

For dinner I had the special, Walleye poached in a tomato and wine broth(different from the sauce in the mussels), and served over various vegetables cut in a julienne style. My was very good, however, my husband's entree was much tastier. He had the Barbecued Pork Porterhouse. Now, I am always wary of ordering pork because it can be hit or miss. I am always afraid that it will come out touch as leather. Rigsby's pork porterhouse was not touch at all! It had a nice crisp and salty pan-seared quality to the outside and full of flavor on the inside. It was paired nicely will crisp mushrooms and sweet potatoes. He enjoyed it so much that it was gone before I had the chance to ask for a bite.

Another entree that could definitely steal the show are the sea scallops. They are wonderful! The sea scallops were so large that they reminded me of tenderloin medallions. They had a nice salty and crisp exterior and a nice moist center, not at all rubbery or overdone.

Rigsby's is wonderful and I would recommend it in a heartbeat!

Rosendale's

Last week my husband Adam, Jerry, my father-in-law, and I went to a new restaurant in the Short North called Rosendale's. I can not say enough about how wonderful Rosendale's is! Their philosophy, to quote the website, is simple. They boast using the highest quality meats and seafood available, in addition to the freshest fruits and vegetables, with a focus on American regional ingredients. They only use ingredients that are in season and are the freshest possible. And it shows!

We started off with appetizers. We decided to choose 3 starters and share them with each other. We ordered the Goat Cheese Dumplings, Sea Scallop, and the Maryland Crabcake. The Sea Scallop and Goat Cheese Dumplings were definitely the best of the 3. The dumplings were wonderful and had lumps of warm, creamy goat cheese in a light broth that we all dipped our bread in after the dumplings were gone. The sea scallop was also wonderful with foie gras. It was full of flavor, but maybe not the best one to split as it was really only meant for 1.

We decided to skip salad and went right to the entree. I had the 48 Hour Braised Angus Beef Short Ribs with Parmesan Potatoes. The short rips were so tender they melted in my mouth, and the potatoes were rich and creamy. Adam had the Lobster stuffed Chicken. He loved it! He said it was one of the best meals he had ever had and that the Chef really understood him, because he was only given the asparagus tips. That is the only part of the asparagus he eats!

Jerry had the Soy soaked Chilian Sea Bass. It was also wonderful also, and bursting with flavor.

Since we skipped salads, we also ordered dessert and coffee. I was so excited when my coffee came out in its own little french press pot along with cubes of granulated sugar and cubes of brown sugar. I had the molten chocolate cake which was wonderful. Adam had the creme brulee, which had huckleberries at the bottom of it. He must have enjoyed it, because he didn't have any leftovers!

Rosendale's also sells a cookbook and offers cooking classes. There are classes at the restaurant or the chef will also conduct private classes at another location.

I would recommend Rosendale's in a minute and look forward to my next visit there!!