I started this blog in 2005 when my monkeys were three and one. Eating out, something I had always loved to do, was suddenly not fun anymore. Taking my kids to restaurants was incredibly stressful! Dining with Monkeys was therapy for me.
After years and years of dining out with my kids, I now have two little boys who like to eat a variety of foods and who, for the most part, know how to properly behave in restaurants. Going out to eat is one of our favorite things to do now. You know what they say--practice makes perfect!
This blog in no way exists to excuse the behavior of parents who ignore their children and allow them to ruin the dining experience of others. Quite the opposite, I hope to show parents that with some planning ahead they can have a good dining experience with their kids and avoid disturbing others.
Unfortunately kids don't always do what we want them to do, and things don't always go as we planned. However, I firmly believe that if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when taking your kids out to restaurants:
1. Research the restaurant and try to look at the menu before going
2. Go when your kids are hungry, but not tired
3. Try to go early and beat the rush
4. Bring along some paper for the kids to draw on, play "Eye Spy" with them, talk to them, or find something else to keep them engaged
5. If your kids aren't cooperating, cut the meal short and try again another time
6. Always tip your servers well, and add a little extra if your kids make an extra mess
7. Come back here and leave helpful comments for other diners
Happy eating!
9 comments:
How about a review of Chez Alley?
I have enjoyed reading you blog with my wife. Here are some of my favorite restaurants that I think you might like.
Super Sub Shop on Highland by UofM
the Chicken sandwich on hard bread.
Blue Coast Burrito next to Garibaldi's
Wing's of Wolfchase on Germantown PKWY north of 64. The sweet heat are divine.
Wiseguys pizza on 51 in Horn Lake has a Deep Dish pizza at Lunch shaped like a heart for $5.95 and comes out in 20 minutes.
I love Jimmy's Hot Dog's in Bartlett down from the Hollywood theaters at 64 and Kirby-Whitten.
Sheridan's Frozen Custard is an added bonus to Jimmy's and would make it worth the trip.
Also Best Pizza in Town and Olive Branch Catfish Company have great hamburgers.
I am not a food critic but I have been enjoying going to lots of different restaurant around the city to see what they have to offer. That is why your blog and other like it are fun and informative to read.
Andycamp3500@yahoo.com
thanks for reading and thanks for the great suggestions!
I just found your blog today through a co-worker. I really like your plain-spoken and honest comments about the places you go! I may follow your lead and start a blog about restaurants that are actually handicapped accessible. We need wheelchair access in dining rooms and restrooms when we dine out, so knowing who has plenty of room, wide doors and tall toilets as well as good food is a MUST!
I enjoyed seeing some of our favorite spots on your review list. Here are some in our neighborhood that we're quite fond of:
La Michoacana - It's only just opened, but I'm already a fan of the new Mexican ice cream place on Winchester just east of Kirby (the Blockbuster sign is still out on the street).
Tycoon Noodle - My kids have hooked several of their friends on the sesame tofu, believe it or not.
Apologies if you've done one and I'm missing it, but I'd love to see a review of Casa Mexicana on Hacks Cross Rd.
Love reading the blog.
Check out Peggy's Heavenly Cooking on Cleveland.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/50/1539016/restaurant/Midtown/Peggys-Heavenly-Home-Cooking-Memphis
If you like dining with monkeys, you might want to try Alf's Ice Cream in McMinnville, Oregon, where a quarter of the dining room space is a room (behind a glass wall) that belongs to the the monkey.
My grandkids like it, although I won't take them there myself, the rest of the family doesn't share my personal aversion to monkeys kept locked in the adjacent room.
It's quite popular locally and as you can see from the YELP reviews, it gets mixed reactions from diners. Anyway, I stumbled on your blog while looking for something else and the title prompted me to tell you about Alf's. http://www.yelp.com/biz/alfs-ice-cream-and-burgers-mcminnville?hrid=OzJSGlCnLnwDnpjeEkiNOQ
Loved reading your blog! I learned about a lot of new places to eat that I have never heard of and you've made me want to try them! Thank you for sharing!
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