|
More parents taking kids to upscale restaurants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Erin Richards, MCT
|
|
Thursday, 16 August 2007 |
|
|
|
|
When Sharon Edwards' daughter turned 15 a few weeks ago, the teen didn't request fried chicken or a pizza party.
She wanted filet, crab cakes and hollandaise.
And when Joe Bartolotta toured Italy last month with his 12- and 16-year-olds, both kids ate clams and fresh fish.
"They were eating escargot and oysters when they were 7 or 8," said the owner of the Bartolotta Restaurant Group.
But the children of industry professionals — Edwards is the food and beverage director at Milwaukee's Metro Bar & Cafe — aren't the only youths whose palates are growing along with their bodies. High-end restaurants, once the exclusive domain of adult foodies, are seeing a small but growing population of underage diners.
Traditionalists might grumble about the grade-schooler at the next table, but restaurant managers say the competitive industry compels them to make all diners — including children — feel welcome.
"We deal with a more affluent clientele, and it seems to be easier for them to bring their children along rather than leave them at home," said Dean Schmitz, the executive chef at Andrew's Restaurant and Jazz Bar in Delafield, Wis. Schmitz says he thinks parents may be distancing themselves from the fast-food scene and the notoriously fatty — and bland — kids' meal menu items at casual restaurants.
"I'd say three-quarters of them still do the standard chicken strips, but the other 25 percent of kids are more adventurous. They're going for smaller portions of main courses, or interesting appetizers," Schmitz said.
Both Schmitz and Bartolotta, who said he's seen more children over the past two years at his restaurants, said their employees are eager to create customized meals for the younger crowd. A manager at Roots Restaurant and Cellar in Milwaukee also said that if parents ask, they'll halve an adult portion and adjust the price accordingly.
"These are our future clients; it's in our best interest to train them to appreciate good food," Bartolotta said.
The Bonefish Grill in Brookfield, Wis., has started offering healthier kids' meals, including grilled chicken and vegetables and fish, but the latter isn't listed on the kids' menu. Manager Jim Wright said chicken fingers, mac `n' cheese, and spaghetti are still the most popular.
This week the Metro Bar and Cafe will unveil new menus for the restaurant and the hotel. For the first time, the children's menu will offer more high-end items, including salmon, a chicken Caesar salad and boneless wings made with higher-quality meat than the ousted chicken tenders. The meals include milk or juice and dessert.
"Hopefully, this will help us get a few more kids in here," Edwards said.
A model might be the Red Geranium in Lake Geneva, Wis. There, the kids' menu is mostly high-end, except for chicken fingers ($9.50) and grilled cheese ($7.50). There is a place on the menu to color. A grilled boneless pork chop with sauteed mushrooms for $12.95 is half the size of the adult portion (two chops for $20.95). Kids can also choose brandy cream chicken ($12.50), half of a salmon fillet ($9.95) or the garlicky, buttery Shrimp DeJohne ($14.50 for kids, $23.95 for grown-ups).
"We've had kids order lobster," Red Geranium executive chef Troy Bartz said. "With as much as you have to pay a sitter these days, you'd be better off taking the kid out for a good time and developing a relationship with them."
Eleven-year-old Jack Bechthold has dined with his parents and two siblings at the Union House in Genesee Depot, Wis., and Jake's Restaurant in Brookfield. When he's handed a kids' menu, he said, he asks instead for the version mom and dad are holding. The soon-to-be sixth-grader at Brookfield Academy has ordered squid and loves duck but has not yet acquired a taste for scallops, mushrooms and — you guessed it — some vegetables.
"I'm usually one of the youngest in the restaurant, but it's worth it because of the food," said Jack, whose recent Sunday brunch at Lake Park Bistro included carrot soup and eggs Benedict.
Val Drabkin, 53, dines out about twice a week with his children, ages 9 and 16. A native of Russia who used to live in New York, Drabkin said he started taking his kids to Bartolotta restaurants because he didn't want them eating food from McDonald's or Taco Bell. Also, he didn't want to give up going to gourmet restaurants.
"The kids like rock shrimp and tuna tartare," said Drabkin, who says he enjoys living each day to the fullest and doesn't appear to mind passing that philosophy to his children. "An order of tuna tartare with crispy crackers and the way it's shredded, it not only tastes great but it's visually appealing."
Drabkin said fine dining has helped shape his children's behavior.
"For the past 10 years, my teenager has been hanging out in nice restaurants on Fridays and Saturdays, and you can see he's different," Drabkin said. "He's got manners, style. He's mature. That's what restaurants will do to you."
Other diners haven't been so keen on sharing in the development of young foodies. At Bacchus, a Bartolotta restaurant in downtown Milwaukee, manager Ted Anderson said some customers don't want to be seated next to children.
"Honestly, people complain about everything," he said.
Drabkin said he used to shoot angry looks across the restaurant at the diner with the crying child.
"I didn't have any kids at the time," Drabkin said.
And now?
Drabkin had a simple response.
"Kids change you."
— — —
TIPS FOR PARENTS
If parents are prepared to ask the right questions, dining with kids at upscale restaurants can be an affordable and even educational experience. Here are some tips:
High-end restaurants pride themselves on flexibility, so go ahead and ask for a kid-size portion of an item on the adult menu. You can expect to pay a little less than half price — sometimes even less if you request leaving off the protein or some other ingredient you know your child won't eat.
Dining with kids offers a chance to teach them why manners matter (your fellow diners will appreciate it). Parent Val Drabkin said that, when his children were younger, he would point out diners with poor manners as models of what not to do.
If your child has a hard time sitting still, schedule dinner out after a long day of physical activity.
Challenge your child to eat something new. At upscale restaurants, fruits and greens in savory combinations are likely to make trying them more of an adventure than a chore, and it may even instill a lifelong fondness for fresh ingredients. | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
