Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
124
Tips
Dining Out in (Relative) Peace
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Set the gr ound rules.
Before entering a r estaurant, remind kids that y ou
are going t o a special plac e and that a f ew key rules apply , such as inside
voices and good manners .
•
Bring entertainment.
Crayons, markers, paper, stickers, and so on will give
your children something to do while awaiting their food. If the kids are old
enough, bring post cards for them t o write on.
•
Try word games.
“I Spy” is a good one . Another w ord game in volves one
person naming something in a cat egory, such as f ood. The nex t person
names a w ord in the same cat egory that star ts with the last lett er of the
previous word. (For example: orange , eggplant, tomato, onion. . . .)
•
Remember the v alue of c onversation.
Talk with y our k ids about what
you did during the da y or what y ou have planned f or the nex t one. That
will help pass the time and enc ourage restaurant-appropriate behavior.
•
Decide who's “on duty.”
Decide ahead of time which adult will ha ve t o
interrupt his or her meal , should a child ac t up. Take turns at each meal .
•
Use timeouts.
If your normally polite child acts up, immediately and quietly
take him or her outside. This will avoid embarrassment, and will be a lesson
to the child. You shouldn't have to do this mor e than once or t wice before
your child gets the message .
•
Make exceptions.
Your child ma y normally drink milk with dinner . Permit
him or her t o ha ve a Shirley Temple (7UP and g renadine with a cherr y).
This will make dinner out seem special .
5
bit too smoky fr om that open fir e, but in the winter time it gives Bandera a cozy, rustic
Western feel. If your kids will eat cornbread and roasted chicken with mashed potatoes,
they'll do fine her e. M enu offerings include r oasted prime rib , por k tenderloin with
barbecue sauce, Western beef back ribs, and wood-r oasted salmon. This is a national
chain, so the restaurant might look awfully familiar; but a location on Michigan Avenue
that affords views of the street life below makes this branch particularly well situated.
535 N. M ichigan Ave.
&
312/644-3524.
Kids' menu, highchairs, boosters. Main courses $15-$25; k ids'
menu $5-$10. AE, DC, MC, V. M on-Thurs 11:30am-10pm; F ri-Sat 11:30am-11pm; Sun noon-10pm.
Subway/El: Red Line to Grand. Bus: 151 and 157.
Mike Ditka's Restaurant
STEAKHOUSE For many Chicago football die-
hards, the glory days of former coach “Iron” Mike Ditka, who led the Bears to victory in
Super Bowl XX in 1985, ar e still alive and well. Football memorabilia lines the walls of
this restaurant, filled with amber light and dark wood. Kids who are at all into the game
might inadvertently get a little histor y lesson—even the B ears' 1985 victor y, seemingly
still fresh in the minds of Bears' fans who love to relive the glory days, probably qualifies
as ancient histor y to y our kids. Televisions in the posh bar allo w patrons to simultane-
ously sip Scotch and pray for “ da Coach” to return. Upstairs, there's more dining space,
often accompanied b y live music (last time I was dining her e, Ditka himself was at a
