Dear Boston Mamas: Easter Dining With Kids
Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from @papaproducts via Twitter:
Hey @bostonmamas do you have ideas for places to go out to Easter brunch/dinner with little kids? Have you seen a roundup of spots anywhere? Thanks!
Dear @papaproducts:
Thanks for writing in! Both Boston Magazine and Boston.com offer pretty pictorial Easter dining features that are worth perusing. And both handily include adult/kid pricing where relevant. I also recommend you check out OpenTable, where you can browse Boston area Easter brunch and dinner specials (that are, obviously, affiliated with OpenTable) and then make your reservation right there. Two birds with one stone, as it were.
Note, however, that a lot of the brunch specials are expensive regarding fixed kid pricing. As much as I love a fancy eating adventure, and as blissfully well behaved as my daughter Laurel is at restaurants, $25 for a kid seems a bit steep if they're going to eat, say, bunny shaped pancakes. (Note: I imagine the $25+ kid's menus are fancier than bunny shaped pancakes; I'm thinking in terms of what a kid will reasonably be up for eating.)
Subsequently, if you'd like to enjoy a grownup and festive meal while not breaking the bank, I recommend choosing a restaurant that is offering both their holiday + regular menus for Easter so you still have access to the kids menu. Where you choose to dine will depend on geography and what cuisine you have a hankering for, but I will say that I was thrilled to discover how kid-friendly Legal Sea Foods is (and they will offer their regular menu on Easter), and Sel de la Terre also is worth investigating. Sel de la Terre is so pretty and elegant and I recall being similarly surprised when I learned that they offer a kids menu.
Happy Easter! Please feel free to come back and comment in; I'd love to know where you end up booking.
Image credit: Boston Magazine Easter dining feature
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Comments
I second Sel de la Terre. We went to there on Saturday night for an early (5:30pm) dinner with our 2 1/2 year old, and they were fantastic. Crayons and coloring sheets, lots of bread, amazing fries and truffle mac and cheese kept her a very happy girl. It was incredibly kid friendly and made for a nice dinner out for all of us!
Posted by: Susanne | March 31, 2010 3:32 PM | Reply to this comment
Fantastic Susanne, glad you had a similarly awesome experience at Sel de la Terre! The (obvious) reality is that if restaurants treat little patrons well, we'll be more apt to go out!
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor replied to comment from Susanne | April 1, 2010 2:50 PM | Reply to this comment
Hi Christine,
Just wanted to report back that your advice served us well today! We had a great family brunch at Gaslight in the South End (our neighborhood, so great to walk in this gorgeous weather!). We hadn't been there in a while and were reminded of it thanks to your OpenTable link of places offering Easter dining. With tons of comfy booths and a pretty loud dining room, it was a great spot for brunch with our squirmy & noisy daughter. The staff was incredibly accommodating with our stroller and there were lots of other families with kids. A lovely experience overall! Thanks again for your thorough & helpful response to our query!
Posted by: Becca & Will | April 4, 2010 5:43 PM | Reply to this comment
Dear Becca & Will, I'm utterly thrilled to hear it! And of course since they treated you well, now I'm inclined to head to Gaslight.
Hooray for family-friendly, chic dining! -Christine
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor replied to comment from Becca & Will | April 4, 2010 5:51 PM | Reply to this comment