Thursday, October 25, 2007

Wanted: Good restaurant for casual dining experience this Friday. Dinner, drinks, possibly dessert. Must adore children. No chain restaurants, please.

My in-laws are visiting this weekend and they want to take us to dinner on Friday night. We’re looking for a kid-tolerant restaurant that serves food that’s perhaps a step or two above the fare at TGITueBees. We'd like to be able to make reservations, but that's not a deal breaker. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. And please, be respectful of each others recommendations.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

You should go to Tzotchkie's. The Pizza Shooters, Shrimp Poppers and Extreme Fajitas are all excellent.

BlogFreeSpringfield said...

Tzotchkie's is okay, but it seems like some of the waitresses just do the bare minimum when it comes to flair. I expect more for my dining-out dollar.

Chazz said...

If I remember correctly, didn't I go to a Thai restaurant in your neck-of-the-woods about 10 years ago......you know, the bring your own cooler of beer place. I don't know about kid-friendly though.

Nice ambience.....hottest damn food I've ever had. Nothing like sweating while you eat.

Anonymous said...

Go to Westwoods Lodge on W Jefferson. Great place. Good for kids and the owner is super. The food.....excellent.

Anonymous said...

If you're up for a little drive, go check out Pizza Unlimited in Rushville, IL.

Anonymous said...

Maybe try Mariah's. It's local, non-chain, family friendly, and it's made of logs so your in-laws should feel at home.

Anonymous said...

BlogFree, Mario's in Chatham: good local food (pastas, pizza and horseshoes), beer, tvs all-around and kid friendly. Just beware of the giant bowl of dum-dums at the hostess counter!(And NO that wasn't a slam on the staff!)

Anonymous said...

PJ's in Dawson....Only issue--not smoke free...Cant wait until january 1

Anonymous said...

Bella Milano and Tuscany are our two favorites. We take our kids there and have had no problems. Mariahs is good too. But the best ---- ummmmmmm- Gallaghers. Just thinking about it makes me hungry for a steak.

Anonymous said...

Tuscany over Bella Milano, but neither are what a normal family person should consider "kid-friendly". I wouldn't allow any of mine to wander free in either of those restaurants. Both are dimly lit and carry an atmosphere that says more "date night" than family night. Plus, both are slightly more expensive than what I'd want to spend on food for younger kids.

Then again, Springpatchians can bastardize any eatery in town no matter how back alley or penthouse they may be!

D'Arcys or the "new" Barrel Head are both local and more kid-friendly. Barrel isn't smoke-free yet though but I feel comfortable taking kids to either, even during the weekend rush when they're typically full of people drinking.

Good luck!

Henny Penny said...

We like Mexican for child friendly dining, expecially Xoshemilktoast on the east side.

Anonymous said...

For a warm cheerful atmosphere with great food, go to Little Saigon on Wabash. It opened up over a year ago and it immediately became one of our favorites. We have three kids. There is also Thailand which is excellent (get the puk curry-mild) or Gateway to India. Chain restaurants on weekend nights are insane. In my opinion, these three restaurants would be a nice evening out. (not sure about the deserts though)

Marie said...

Bernie and Betty's, Spring and Allen. Pizza, sandwiches, pasta, shoes, best potato skins in town, a video game or two for the kids. For some flair, tell them Miss Carnes sent you.

Anonymous said...

I think all the suggestions are good ones. To Anom 7:34 - I guess we are not a normal family b/c we don't let the kids wander around free. Whether we are at Tuscany, Barrelhead, or at home it is not okay for them to run around at meal time. The kids portions at these restaraunts are HUGE so my kids end up splitting a meal. We don't eat there on a regular occasion, however when my parents are in town and want to have a nice dinner out - we take them there. I have been in both when there were children there. Never been there when children were wandering around free.

Anonymous said...

Maybe if you would spank your little beasts, every resaurant would be kid-friendly!

Beat them until you have broken their little spirits, then turn them over to me.

Anonymous said...

I second Little Saigon. For my $.02, it's the best Thai in town, with selections that could cater to kids who eat Chinese food.

Anonymous said...

To Anon 7:36am, my kids aren't beasts nor do I allow them to wander free in general. But I do expect that if I need to get up with one of them to keep them occupied during the meal that a customers and staff in a kid-friendly environment wouldn't offer dirty looks as they have at Bella Milano. Of course, my experience there wasn't as good as others either and the food is only status quo Italian. Biaggi's in Bloomington/Champaign is much better! And btw, thanks for adhering to BlogFree's request not to slam other's suggestions (which technically you didn't slam my suggestion, just my parenting skills), so nice!

Another thing, our family can share a meal sometimes, but I wouldn't ask my in-laws to share unless they suggested it first. I consider this pretty normal or at least pretty considerate.

Yellowdog said...

I havent been there in a while and dont know if it is still open but my wife and I wandred into Crifasi's on Clear Lake a while back. Its probably the only place that was family owned and considered a supper club from the 60s...It has the same decor from way back......

Unknown said...

Tuscany over Bella Milano.

These Mexican places are great places for kids.