Family-Friendly Eats
Parents, of course, hope their children will be perfect ladies and gentlemen when they take them out to eat, but savvy moms and dads know better than to press their luck. The challenge is to find a restaurant that is entertaining enough to keep kids occupied and has a menu that appeals to both pint-size and adult palates. Here are three that fit the bill.
Nature is the diversion at Snappers, a waterfront spot in Key Largo. There’s an indoor dining room, but the dockside option is definitely more fun. Pelicans and egrets swoop in and land on the pilings, but the main event for kids is feeding the fish. Parrotfish, barracuda and tarpon wait for handouts, and there are machines that dispense fish food. Live music and over-the-top tropical drinks add to the Keys vibe, but the food is the star at Snapper’s. On a recent visit, the standouts were jumbo scallops wrapped in apple-wood smoked bacon with a teriyaki glaze, a lobster reuben with grilled lobster substituting for the pastrami and the “Big Tuna” sandwich — yellowfin punched up with artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives and feta cheese. Burgers, chicken and fish fingers and a shrimp basket suit the younger crowd. Fresh fish arrives daily at the Snapper’s dock — and so can you. They’ll even cook your catch.
Buca di Beppo takes its inspiration from the family-style basement restaurants (bucas) of New York’s Little Italy, and it’s got the style down pat, from the red-checked tablecloths to the kitschy photos and art that cover every inch of wall space. It’s loud, family-oriented and fun. There’s even a banquette set up in the kitchen and a “pope’s table” where you can dine surrounded by papal paraphernalia. Portions are meant to be shared, with the smallest big enough for three. Large portions serve up to six. There’s a children’s menu, but the kids may as well dig in with the rest of the family. We started with the apple Gorgonzola salad on a mountain of greens, and moved on to chicken saltimbocca — three pieces of pounded, sautéed chicken breast with artichokes, capers and rosemary in a lemony sauce. A side order of fettuccine alfredo was just right for two people, and we couldn’t resist a side of the baseball-sized meatballs.
The adults are corralled at Cool-de-Sac, a play café at the Shops at Sunset Place, while kid-friendly activities — arts and crafts, plastic blocks, computer games and so on — fan out around the central dining area. There’s also a multilevel play area with slides and a separate toddler section. Between high-energy kids and the piped-in soundtrack, it was a high-decibel place on a recent Saturday night. Cool-de-Sac tries to upgrade the parent experience with table service and a more ambitious menu. It also serves wine and beer, and you can linger over an espresso or a cappuccino. The menu kicks up the health factor with a puree of carrots and sweet potatoes that it sneaks into some of the kids’ dishes. Skeptical, I sampled the cheese pizza and couldn’t detect the vegetables. My Thai salad with mixed greens, sesame-crusted grilled chicken, bean sprouts, cilantro, cucumbers, mandarin orange slices and chopped peanuts was fresh and light, and my guest was happy with the chicken, bacon and avocado panino served with crisp sweet potato fries. We finished by sharing two scoops of ice cream on a raft-sized brownie.
This story was originally published September 21, 2010 at 9:09 PM.