Going Out To Eat With The Kids: Where Do You Go?

I’d like to tell you I’m the type of mom who has never let a McDonald’s chicken nugget pass their lips. I’d like to tell you I have never gotten to 5 o’clock and thought, "The hell with it, I’m gonna order pizza." Of course, if I told you all that, I would be lying my face off, because my kids have had piles of McDonald’s and I’ve ordered more than my fair share of pizza. Actually, one time the pizza dude commented that I ordered pizza nearly every Wednesday. I now try to change up the days I order pizza, lest they remember me and think I"m a bad mom or something.

I was reading a pal of mine’s blog who was writing about some of his fave Nashville restaurants, and he wrote about Calypso Cafe. I’ll let you go read what he wrote about it, it’s a better description than I am capable of. The biggest draw for me about Calypso Cafe is, there are not chicken nuggets and french fries on the menu, which means my kids actually order (and eat!) something other than "the usual" when we go out. I’m not aware that there are a heck of a lot of restaurants (especially chains) that have a whole lot of different foods on their kid menus. Typically it’s chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, hamburgers, maybe pizza and steak tips if you’re lucky. Ick. And french fries galore, there are. I’m concerned my kids are going to turn into a french fry eventually.

So, help a sista out: where do you take your kids out that there aren’t chicken nuggets and the other usual crap on the menu?