Eating out with the kid

I saw a link to this awesome idea - pay $30 for a deck of $10 coupons to 52 restaurants. Not just any restaurants, but chef-driven and locally owned. OK, yeah, I had to Goodsearch "chef-driven" cause I'm that lame...That's why I'm a lame hipster. So instead of a $10 card for a chain restaurant, it's for that place you never heard of (again, lame hipster) or have and kept thinking, "Why haven't we gone there yet?"

Add to that the idea that if you buy a deck now there is a $5 donation to a charity. I'm sold.

But then I start to scroll thru the list of places in the deck and start wondering...How am I going to get to any of these? Some had names and menus and practically scream "don't even THINK about bringing your brat in here!" Yes, I'm totally profiling based on cuisine. I get a feel from the website as well who their target audience is too.

Outside of hot dogs and pizza (even hot dogs made of non-traditional meats) there doesn't seem to be many places where I can take the kid. And honestly if we can't take her, chances are we won't be going.

I don't have a problem with the deck...I think it's great and if you are in Chicago you should get one. What I have a problem with is that it seems that a lot of the kewl, hip places to eat are no kids allowed. I'd like to take the kid places where hot dogs, even ones made by chic goose torture, aren't on the menu. She likes veggies, loves salads, and sometimes will be adventurous with her eating. And it's not like I'm*that adventurous with my eating. I'm not looking for a place where the food is prettier than it is hearty. I'm just looking for a place like this cute lil French place I ate in NYC. Chicken. Potatoes. Salad. Gravy....yes, I ate gravy there because well, it just looked that good. But it wasn't made in that "family restaurant/buffet" way. And oh, it was sooooo good.

Then again, maybe I've had too many bad experiences in too many kid-free places to even try to venture outside of chain restaurants (no one looks at you unless the kid is screaming) and the same 3 local eateries. Maybe these hip places need to institute family hours where kids are encouraged to attend...Think like the cigarette companies. Once a kid gets hooked, they ask for it over and over.