Dig In for a Parent-Friendly Dining Experience in Kirkland

CALL US selfish. But when we decided to have kids, we promised ourselves we would be the type of parents who still got out and did things – even with the kids in tow. We’d be the people at the cool street festivals pushing a stroller with beer in hand. We’d still go out to dinner and our kids would learn to behave. We’d have cool kids. We’d be cool parents. Parenthood didn’t have to mean the end of our social life.

And then we had kids.

Turns out, as any parent knows, getting out with kids is easier said than done. We understand now why parents often opt to stay in with the kids. It takes effort and planning – and a lot of stuff – to go out with kids. Or, at least with little kids. You need the transportation apparatus (carriers, strollers, etc.), feeding impliments, diaper/potty supplies, wardrobe changes, and of course, entertainment.

And then there’s the scheduling. You’ve got naps and bedtime to work around. Do you forsake the sanity of the routine for a little out-of-the-house time? Push mealtime and risk a meltdown? Put off bedtime, prepare for the waterworks. Confine a toddler to a chair for more than a few minutes? Good luck!

While we’re committed to our own sanity, we’ve also committed to making sure our brood doesn’t disrupt others. And that means not every venue is open game for the whole family. Outing options must come with a pre-existing noise level sufficient to drown out occasional shrieks, sobs and overly enthusiastic potty trip reports.

Success, for us at least, is that the venue must be “parent-friendly.” Note, we’re not looking for kid-friendly or even family-friendly. No, call us selfish, but when we decide to bring the whole crew for a night on the town, we want to go to a place where we adults can feel like we’re getting, well, a night on the town. The venue needs to have good, interesting, real food and beverage. It needs to be set up to make bringing kids comfortable and as easy as possible. And the staff and patrons need to be prepared for kids to show up on the scene – and be happy about it. The kids have to love it (which our three-year-old almost always does), but ultimately for us, it’s got to feel like a place that caters to the adults.

Fortunately, in our seven months in Kirkland, we’ve found a number of great, parent-friendly restaurants. We’re still exploring. There are plenty of places we have yet to visit. So, this is in no way a complete list. But here are the places our family has given the great big “parent-friendly” stamp of approval:

 – They’ve mastered parent-friendly here. Great, interesting pizzas and salads. Great beer and wine. Plenty of noise to drown out the kids. Pizza dough given to each kid to use as play dough. And the place comes with a fun pizza dough roller viewing station where the kids can (leave your table!! to) watch the typically fun-loving dough-rolling crew.

 – “When you’re talking about a restaurant where you actually feel like you’re on a date, but with the kids,” my husband says, “this place pretty much tops the list.” Veloce has fantastic Italian food, an extensive wine list and… real table cloths. The décor of vintage Italian motorcycles and motorsports memorabilia keeps kids of all ages interested and with tables packed tightly together Europe-style, the noise level keeps every parent happy.

 – Our new, nice-place favorite. Casual yet elegant atmosphere, spectacular lake views, delicious food and drinks, and acoustics that keep noises from carrying too far. Kids get a great kid’s menu, coloring supplies and a cool fish tattoo that lasts surprisingly long. You can even cap off the night by roasting s’mores at the table.

 – This place has been packed with families every time we’ve been there. The Mexican food and drinks are great, the pace is quick and the noise level is cheerily sufficient to make parents feel comfortable with their own chaos. Service, in our experience, has ranged from fantastic to lacking (although usually on the upper end), but the kids love it and we can always count on it to satisfy our burrito and margarita cravings.

– This was a surprising find. For some reason, we didn’t expect a Thai restaurant to appeal to our preschooler. Wrong! At the center of the dimly lit restaurant is a giant, lighted fish tank. Need I say more? The noise level works, the food was great for us grown up Thai food lovers and our daughter loved the satay chicken and noodles.

 – Last but certainly not least, this was the place that inspired our move to Kirkland. House hunting last summer, we stopped for lunch here and the rest was history. It reminded us of our favorite parent-friendly restaurant in Chicago (Chief O’Neils). Casual, great food and drink and an ambiance that says “kick back and stay all day,” Wilde Rover is our go-to Irish pub.

Going out with the kids doesn’t mean having to compromise your dining experience. And it doesn’t mean having to offend other diners. We’re so glad we’ve found these parent-friendly Kirkland restaurants and look forward to discovering even more.