Babies R Us

January 22, 2014



I recently heard a news story about a high end restaurant chef tweeting about the appropriateness of taking children to expensive restaurants. I so enjoy trying new restaurants and different cuisines. It is an activity I look forward to whether here at home or when I travel. I love to read about new places and dishes. Going out to eat is one of my most favorite pastimes.


I HAD to look up the details of this story. The restaurant, Alinea, is in Chicago. It looks fabulous. Pretentious, but fabulous. If you are a foodie look it up. It's amazing. Dinners are $210 per person. AND you have to purchase tickets months in advance. You can not cancel without forfeiting the money for the dinner. Definitely not a place for children, especially 3 month olds. This particular couple had babysitter issues at the last minute so they brought the infant with them. Apparently said infant was unhappy throughout the meal and cried loudly. So loudly that the kitchen staff could hear them in the back.


I have lots of sympathy for that couple. Having kids is HARD WORK. It involves SACRIFICE. And other things I won't mention here as this is not a childrearing post. It is terrible that your big evening was going to be ruined by babysitter problems. Let me clue you into something....lots of evening will be ruined by many issues involving your new addition. And not just evenings, but days and nights as well. But to inflict this on the other diners who were out for a special night is just rude and insensitive. Not to mention stupid.


The chef did not ask this particular couple to leave but put the problem out on Twitter. I think there should be a policy in such a high end, expensive place. No children under age 12? 13? What do you think? And before you say that children should be exposed to all kinds of dining experiences, I totally agree. But the line has to be drawn somewhere. If I'm in a family restaurant a little rambunctiousness is fine. I love to talk to kids, they are great. In fact I love them a lot more now since they are not returning home with me! But if I've gotten myself all dressed up to enjoy a QUIET, adult dinner in an expensive restaurant I don't want to hear a screaming baby or put up with a toddler running around my table. Just saying.

New Haven Restaurant Week

May 16, 2013



Restaurant Week was several weeks ago. I love to try new places and I love to support the New Haven community. Even though they increased the time you have to pay on the parking meters, which was a really stupid move. It's hard enough to get people from the suburbs into big, bad New Haven. This just made it worse.


But I'm a committed street parker. It's part of the fun of the adventure. I have been known to drive around for quite some time before succumbing to a parking lot. But now I need a lot more quarters or find a meter that takes credit cards.


Anyway we tried only two restaurants this time. Josh never ate at Goodfella's so we went there. I've been there many times and I know that I've gotten the same food at Ladies Night for a lot less but it was a place even Hilary would enjoy. So the four of us went one night and more important than the food was the fact that we were all together. The other choice was Crown 116. A place I knew Josh and Jocelyn would love but not so much for Hilary. We went on a night she was working and had amazing drinks and a delicious meal. I picked off the menu and got a great appetizer. Crostini made with burrata, prosciutto, fruit preserve, olive oil and sea salt. I could go there just to have that again. Yummy. And just to top off the week we went to Lenny and Joe's on Long Wharf that Sunday. Not part of Restaurant Week but I had an yearning for fried seafood. Beautiful setting. I've always loved to eat there no matter what the restaurant because of the location. Typical fried seafood. But the best part was I had my first soft shell crabs of the season!


So, now you know why I drag myself to the gym. Hopefully I can break even between eating and exercising!

New Haven Restaurant Week

November 19, 2012


Last week was Restaurant Week in New Haven. In truth not that spectacular of a deal unless you are into eating a lot of food at one time, but fun. So many people were out and about right before the craziness of the holiday season.


I tried Press Pizza twice. Once with my "loving son" and once with my friend Annie. Not your typical New Haven pizza parlor. It is small, intimate and very upscale. The menu features artisnal pizza but has lots of other items as well. The salads are delicious as was the macaroni and cheese and the tuna tartar. On Friday the Christmas decorations were up. A little early for me but beautiful. All gold and glittery.

Next on the list was Ibiza. Another upscale restaurant that I ordinarily wouldn't go to in the middle of the week. Again with Josh and Jocelyn. Delicious Spanish food in a very refined atmosphere. Of course when I made the reservations I called the wrong restaurant. Istanbul Cafe was listed right above Ibiza. I had to grovel at the desk to get a table as they were very busy. But Istanbul is another of my favorites so it would have been okay to eat there.

And finally Carmen Anthony's with friends from work. A delicious steak and mashed potatoes. And a traditional steakhouse cheesecake for dessert. (something I would NEVER have ordered.) All good. And fun to be out during the week when I would have ordinarily be hibernating in my house.

It's a good thing my ankle has healed enough to allow me to start walking again for exercise. (My orthopod friend was right, I needed to wear sturdier shoes. Sexy, huh?)  After this week I certainly need it! Might even be time to start going to the gym with Hilary!