Making the transition from DINK to young parent must be tough, so we thought we’d compile a little list of kid-friendly eateries. For those who are of the Lincoln Park persuasion, reliable sources tell us that John’s Place, 1202 W Webster, is the way to go (see photo by Joeff Davis). Another reasonably kid-friendly restaurant in the L.P. is Charlie’s Ale House, 1224 Webster, although it’s not in the league of John’s Place.
Yours truly, a certified DINK, stopped in at Charlie’s on Saturday night, hoping to get fed and watered before the awkward-first-date crowd arrived. I immediately noticed that the young families were cordoned off by an invisible rope in the outdoor eating area.
Actually, in one case, it was even more overt than that. One toddler was penned into a small area of grass, surrounded by a little iron fence that was attached to the front of the restaurant’s outdoor garden. I may have imagined it, but I could have sworn that the kid mooed at us as we passed.
Anyway, we chose a table near two couples and their kids, despite the waiter’s best efforts to gamely steer us away. The very nice young moms took pains to stop at our table and thank us for tolerating their kids.
There was actually nothing to “tolerate.” They were pretty good kids, perhaps partially coaxed into submission by the fact that a trip to nearby Sweet Mandy Bs, 1208 Webster, for dessert, was on the cards if they behaved. There was the occasional high-pitched giggle or shriek, but nothing that exceeded the usual Saturday night bar-noise-levels.
Any parents tried out the Charlie’s in Andersonville? As for elsewhere in the city, we hear that Le Peep, 1000 W Washington Blvd, is the venue of choice for brunching West Loop parents – but they make sure to get seated and fed before the hangover-crowd rolls in.
A shout out to Hayley and baby Cameron up in Edgewater – have you researched any kid-friendly eateries in your neighborhood yet?