Food for the Brood : Or, Surviving a Meal Out With the Kids

It’s not easy to choose a restaurant that keeps adults and their offspring happy.

Until recently, North County--with a few exceptions--did not distinguish itself with the dining possibilities it afforded the two generations. As one Poway mother of two young children summed it up: “We’re talking chains and more chains. Fast food.”

But the culinary tides are shifting along the coast and inland.

The city of Escondido recently hired a consulting firm to explore what it will take to encourage more full-scale restaurants to open in the area. North County also is experiencing welcome growth at the grass-roots level of the dining spectrum.

Two parallel trends are evident throughout San Diego County, according to Paul McIntyre, executive director of the San Diego chapter of the California Restaurant Assn.

“Along the coast, the newest development has taken the form of upscale dining,” McIntyre said. “That’s family dining only if the families are upscale. Inland, we’re seeing a general trend toward catering to young families. There’s more casual dining and a proliferation of fast-food eateries.

“Diners throughout the region are down-scaling,” McIntyre said. “People who patronized upscale restaurants in the past are dining more often at mid-range restaurants; mid-range diners are eating more often at fast-food places. It’s not only a reflection of the economy; if money is tighter, people are also more and more pressed for time.”

The emphasis on casual cooking at reasonable prices rather than haute cuisine for high sums reflects a national trend. Americans are eating out more but are less willing to spend big bucks.

So-called “comfort foods”--meat loaf, pot roast, chunky mashed potatoes and peach cobbler, for example--have made a strong comeback in an era when the preponderance of two-career couples and single-parent homes have made the notion of “home cooking” a fond memory in many instances.

“Home cooking is a dying art,” McIntyre said. “It probably won’t be long until tuna noodle casserole turns up on restaurant menus.”

And the question, “What’s for dinner?” will remain, no matter where the meal is eaten.

If toys to take home are a priority when the family dines out, chains and franchise operations may well be the best bet. Many of the popular burger, flame-broiled chicken, pizza and Tex-Mex fast-food outposts offer kids’ meals, some of which include coloring books or inexpensive toys as part of the deal.

For families suffering from burgers and fries burnout, going ethnic is a worthy alternative. In some cases, the style is more casual and the attitude less harried at family-run ethnic enterprises. Besides, a bowl of pork udon, a platter of pasta or a couple of tacos may be a welcome reprieve for the children as well as parents.

As an ace in the hole for those with children who are not yet charmed by the spices of life, many restaurants have fresh fruit, cottage cheese and Jell-O somewhere in the house, if not on the menu.

A few general survival tips: If the kids are famished, let them have a snack before you leave home. There’s something to be said for avoiding the 6-7 p.m. crush, especially at restaurants that don’t accept reservations.

Plan ahead; let the kids know what the food options are likely to include. Don’t head for sushi if the crew is intent on pizza. Order as quickly as possible after being seated; signal the waiter when you are ready for the check.

Bring along small finger puppets, coloring books or unobtrusive toys so young children can entertain themselves while dinner is being prepared.

A few random observations from a recent cook’s tour of family restaurants throughout North County:

* The 3-year-old spontaneously sings the Chuck E. Cheese theme song. You know, “where a kid can be a kid.” This circus-cum-pizza emporium with locations in Escondido and Oceanside is a hands-down favorite with the short set, perhaps as much for its video games and myriad other diversions as for its pepperoni pies and the like.

* The 6-year-old shares his younger sister’s passion for Chuck E. Cheese, but the 8-year-old would rather put his allowance into the video games or photo booth at the T-Bird Diner in Escondido. Could be he’s easily won over by the free Bazooka bubble gum that comes with the price of a meal. A warning to parents: If you’re thinking of ordering the “Jell-O shooters” for the tots, think again; they’re loaded with schnapps and vodka.

* Kudos to the pleasant sushi chefs at Samurai of Japan. When the 3-year-old started to fidget, he held forth a handful of pretty quail eggs for her inspection.

* Ditto to the seasoned waiter at Carlos & Annie’s Cafe in Del Mar for presenting a stack of napkins along with the 3-year-old’s lunch.

* There’s lots of evidence that Taco Auctioneers in Cardiff is a good spot for family dining. Consider the childish scrawl on many of the comment cards posted at the entryway: “Are ( sic ) waiter was funny and nice. Ask Antonio to sing.” “Vare good food, deleaches.” (Let’s assume the translation is “Very good food, delicious.”)

* Dining in a mall can have advantages. At Flower Hill, for example, which houses Papachino’s Ristorante, the tots can run off excess energy along the flowered paths behind the shops. Parents can take a detour before or after dinner into the Book Works, where the wee ones may curl up in the cushioned children’s book corner. Also consider that the children can be fed, clothed and shod in a one-stop excursion.