The Many Faces of Cheesy Grits: More on Busboys and Poets

Fourteenth Street's Busboys and Poets continue to be a go-to destination to get out of the Polar Vortex. Mom and Dad cling to the fact they can for a fleeting moment sip cappuccinos amongst DC hipsters, and I can bang the spoon pretty loudly before anyone notices. As my appetite increases, so does our brunch tab. To minimize budget-busting, I usually bring something from home (e.g. clementines, cheese stick) and then Mom orders a side of fruit and Dad a side of the cheesy grits. The Oaxaca omelette, french toast, scrambled eggs and tempeh sausage continue to be a parent favorite. And when the grits arrive, I go all in and can't think of any other way to express my delight:

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Clyde's in Chinatown is Kid-Ready

You are off to a good start when you sit down to a packet of crayons and a coloring book. I also try to win over my waitress with a high-five and fist bump to send the message that no matter what the floor looks like post-meal, let's try to be friends until then. 

We went to Clyde's today before my first Georgetown Basketball Game, where I must proudly say, I made it until the final buzzer. For any of you uncertain parents or babies out, between the band, the music and the cheerleaders, you should go to a game. Basketball games might be the only thing more stimulating than the Baby Einstein Musical Motion Exersaucer! 

There was a kid's menu, but at $8 an entree, I was forced to share. I munched on pieces of the tasty croissant egg sandwich and breakfast burrito. I also brought some clementines and veggie sticks of my own. We had a booth so as the meal ended along with my attention-span, I was able to jungle gym over my very forgiving friends rather than beeline it for the door.  

Learn ABOUT ME and check out some of my BEST PRACTICES for eating out.

Matchbox

Nothing overly spectacular about the cuisine at 14th Street's Matchbox, but sometimes families traveling with little critters care more about predictability and high-ceilings than artesenal gastronomy. And that is exactly what Matchbox has to offer. Staff is laudably professional, not batting an eye at the sight of disheveled and snotty-nosed me.

Important note: the Chinatown and 14th Street Matchboxes offer raw pizza dough for kids to play with at the table, so remember to ask for it. 

Word on the playground is they will even bake your pizza dough sculpture in the oven for you. However, while I won't eat the 15 other things Mom brought for me, I gladly tried to eat lots of pizza dough! This latest Matchbox luncheon in which I managed to bite off large portions of dough encouraged my parents to do a little research. Pizza dough: totally fine. 

Crayons at Capurro's - San Francisco

Capurro's in San Francisco really seemed to have it all - high chairs, kids' menu and crayons. This made for a very "busy" lunch for me and very content parents who ate a two course meal with few disruptions. 

The hostess sat us quickly, bringing over all the baby essentials and menus. Two plates of fresh Budin sourdough awaited us, and I promptly got right to business. First order, methodically taking each crayon out of the box. Then, putting each crayon back in the box. I then dabbled with some coloring (although still a bit out of my fine-motor-skill-league). Turn the children's menu over, and a ship for coloring is on the back. I then helped myself to the already emptied oyster shells for some table drum circle before Mom botched that idea. 

Dad ordered the full Dungeness crab meal which arrived with a generous serving of fusilli in marinara sauce as a first course. I welcomed his offer to share half with me and then completed my lunch with the sourdough and oyster crackers plus a string cheese and grapes that Grandma had packed me. (I have a feeling my dinner will look very green.)

My mom and uncle took advantage of the $12.95 lunch specials which included, among other selections a chowder bread bowl with Caesar salad and fish tacos. 

Reflecting on my first trip to Fisherman's Wharf, I would definitely avoid the congestion and touristy spots of the main strip, walk down a bit more and satisfy seafood cravings while keeping baby entertained at Capurro's

Louis' on the Pacific - San Francisco

If you like three-egg spinach omelettes and first row seats for breathtaking vistas of Ocean Beach as much as I do, then the newly remodeled Louis' on Point Lobos Avenue in San Francisco is for you.

Service is remarkably friendly and speedy, and there is something about breakfast foods and babies that just goes well. I've been here several times with my SF family, and it has consistently been fresh (e.g. you will not find frozen spinach in my omelette!) and unusually relaxing for my companions.

Arrive on the early side (it opens at 6.00 AM), but if you get there before 9.00 AM you will likely avoid a wait. The only minor downsides are that it is too small an establishment for my Britax stroller and the bathroom has no changing table. But now that you know that, you can just plan ahead. There is a reason that this place has been in business for the last 75 years.

Leatherneck Steakhouse & Lounge - San Francisco

Thanks to Mike the Piano player, a rather quiet 5:30 PM Saturday night seating and a waiter who pretended to ignore my throwing bread rolls, a formal family dinner out at the Leatherneck Steakhouse went surprisingly well. 

As expected, there wasn't much my eight teeth could eat through on the steak menu yet I did nibble a bit on the creamy mac and cheese side. Although thanks to a vacation routine of grazing and Grandpa sneaking in chocolate eclairs, my routine of balanced mealtimes has fallen through the cracks, and "nibbling" has been all I've done for the last week.

By the time I started throwing peas and bread rolls, most of my dinner guests were finishing up their last bites of steak (all entrees include an iceberg wedge, so I should technically get credit for patiently dining for two courses). At that point, my aunt willingly scooped me up to walk a few laps around the bar where I ended up peaking over Mike the Piano player's shoulder. He even let me bang out a few notes. 

Leatherneck works if (a) you are looking for a more formal night out yet don't feel like a sitter, (b) want sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline and (c) seek a place that could shrug off a flying roll or two. Maybe the other kids dining weren't quite playing catch, but I did see a game of hide-and-go-seek happening under a neighboring table - behavior by other restaurant patrons which always puts my mom at ease. 

San Francisco's Fairmont for the holidays

Looking for a family-friendly activity on a wet and/or blistery San Francisco day? Check out the Fairmont Hotel's lobby chock full of over-the-top Christmas decor, Santa's workshop, a larger-than-life gingerbread house, train set and the occasional Snow Fairy decked out in wings and wand granting wishes for those having High Tea.

For the second year in a row, I came here with my family for lunch. A slightly calmer experience as a 3 month old than as a 15 month old, yet then again everything was. 

Small children definitely don't come to dine that often at the Laurel Court restaurant as evidenced by the leisurely arrival of the server and the high chair strap that allowed me to stand up, grab a spoon and do a three-sixty all while my mother took a sip of water. 

Dad took me to walk around the lobby to burn off steam while Mom and Grandma waited for the meal. That allowed me to work up an appetite - although my parents withheld recent requests for food for strictly that purpose. By the time the meal came, I went nose first into my bowl of peas. 

We had to ask for a bread basket which then came promptly and was stocked with baby-friendly breadsticks. Despite a snafu with the Heinz ketchup bottle top ending up in my mouth after I was allowed to play with it by my somewhat desperate mother, things started going smoothly.  My family enjoyed their entrees, and I tried to get as many peas on the floor as possible

Not much for me to eat off the menu, and there was no children's option, so Mom packed a grilled cheese and the peas. Especially parent-friendly were the Vietnamese spicy cilantro tofu sandwich, the French Onion soup for those needing to double their cheese intake for the week and the crab cakes. Dad suffered mild sticker shock when he realized they had washed their meals down with $5 Coca-Cola's, but then again it is the Fairmont.

In all honesty, with baby in tow you could still enjoy the sights, sounds and even some Fairmont fairy dust yet opt to expand baby's palette at a simpler joint in nearby Chinatown neighborhood.