TCK wrote:My kid is 6 months old and I'm still afraid to take her anywhere for fear of being "that parent" that can't control them.

We ate out regularly with our kids, starting barely after birth. Having a sleeping newborn or a slightly fussy infant or even a well-behaved but needy toddler at a neighborhood ethnic spot (we lived right off Argyle at that time), breakfast spot or Malnati's or any number of casual family-friendly spots is a non-event. I can't imagine anyone in those settings raising an eyebrow to a 6 month old.

spinynorman99 wrote:I don't care how angelic a child may be, a four-hour slog through Alinea isn't infant-appropriate.

Yeah, I cannot imagine doing that myself but I'd have no problem being in the dining room with a family who did, as long the kid was handling it and not disrupting other diners. At that point, it's quite simply none of my business. Everyone's different, so it doesn't make sense trying to apply a uniform rule of thumb to a situation like this. Of course, in the case that prompted this thread, the baby wasn't handling it.

On the flipside, I have several adult friends who've never been to Alinea because they cannot even bear the thought of a meal so long.

=R=

I'm confident there was a baby at Next when we were there last summer for Vegan. I knew, because I saw the carrier. That was the only reason I knew. Still, I remembered thinking they were quite daring. It was a non-issue. I assume they would behave like Ronnie & Rich. I expect babies to cry and I expect little kids to be disinterested in sitting still. Those behaviors, as are those of obnoxious adults, should not be tolerated by the other guests in certain venues. I think Next, Aliniea, a play at the Goodman, or a movie at Showplace Icon, all count as "certain venues."

I can also recall one of my last visits to Great Lake with a friend and her 3 year old. It just wasn't appropriate. Lydia had to say something to me at least twice because while I was talking to my friend her 3 year old was wandering around the restaurant. It wasn't my kid and I wasn't paying attention. I didn't even realize she wasn't sitting down with us until Lydia pointed it out. That's saying something given how small the space is at Great Lake. If I were a diner, I would not want a kid wandering around me like that and I understood. It was not appropriate to expect a 3 year old to sit still. It just wasn't the right venue for that. I've also been to Great Lake on several other occasions where there were non-crying babies and older kids willing to sit still. In all of those instances, it was a non-issue for me as a diner that those kids were there.

FWIW, I don't recall seeing any signage at Great Lake or Next about no kids permitted or any mention of children. Perhaps, by remaining silent on the matter, they did not wish to deal with what Taste of Heaven did almost a decade ago as Cathy2 mentioned upthread.

Peace,

Vitesse98 wrote:

Are you saying that parents shouldn't make reservations at Alinea because their child care plans might fall thru?

Why would parents be the only one whose plans might fall through?

I have no clue. I'm sure there are a million reasons. I couldn't care less. Shit happens. However, my response was because I thought the post that I quoted was saying that she thought parents with infants shouldn't make reservations at Alinea because their plans might fall through, which I thought was a bit silly. As is this entire topic in my opinion. Making pronouncements about what other people should or shouldn't do, particularly when we know NONE of the facts of the situation we're commenting on, is one of those things about social media and the Internet that I think we could all use a bit less of. Not that it will stop it and not that I haven't succumbed to it. But standing back and looking at it, it is pretty silly. Having a conversation about the hypothetical subject of should we bring babies to restaurants is fine, though I know it's been covered (to death!!) here http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=22492 before.

So toddlers were inappropriate at a corner, neighborhood pizza joint in stroller-rich Andersonville -- ableit the best the world has ever known, yet so obscure that perhaps it never existed at all (prove it to me)? Goes with the ice cream parlour, I guess.

Speaking of "prove it to me"--isn't it interesting that not one person has come forward who dined at Alinea last Saturday night--or even one "anonymous" server? Hmmmm....weird. You'd think that someone would want to get in on all this attention and get to say how awful it was (or, conversely, I guess, that it didn't happen but that would ruin my conspiracy theory which would be no fun at all !!!)

Note that the parents have not surfaced either.

JeffB wrote:So toddlers were inappropriate at a corner, neighborhood pizza joint in stroller-rich Andersonville -- ableit the best the world has ever known, yet so obscure that perhaps it never existed at all (prove it to me)? Goes with the ice cream parlour, I guess.

It just wasn't Chuck E Cheese, where a kid can be a kid. I couldn't help myself.

boudreaulicious wrote:However, my response was because I thought the post that I quoted was saying that she thought parents with infants shouldn't make reservations at Alinea because their plans might fall through, which I thought was a bit silly.

There's a blurry gray line between being "judgmental" (which we are all taught these days is a bad thing to be, even though we all constantly make judgments all the time, because that's what humans do) and simply saying, "if it were me, and I bought a nonrefundable restaurant ticket, and a sitter fell through, I'd accept the consequences of my decision-making and forego the Alinea experience in order to stay home with my baby." I can certainly say the latter; if others infer that this means that in my heart I've committed the sin of judgmentalness about others who make a different decision, they're not necessary wrong, but at least I've refrained (in this example) from saying what anyone else "should" or "shouldn't" do, since I'm only speaking for myself. My one post on the topic was somewhat prescriptive, for which I apologize.

I will say that I sure do sympathize with the couple's childcare/sitter falling through at what seemed like the last minute and being totally stuck. That sucks. I know I personally hate the trepidation that comes with trying to make plans and hoping that all the arrangements stick, that no one gets sick or cancels or whatever. Maybe the cost of a dinner at Alinea should include free babysitting? Maybe one could choose between adding either wine pairings or childcare to the meal? ; )

Given the alinea terms of purchase I think I would have had a back up babysitter planned.

In all seriousness, though, how does one practically do that? Not trying to turn this into a childcare thread, but it's hard enough to find one good sitter and many folks don't have relatives nearby that they can count on to watch a baby in a pinch. I think whatever Grant Achatz's next big project will be one day, it must include a childcare facility. : )

rehorn wrote:In all seriousness, though, how does one practically do that? Not trying to turn this into a childcare thread, but it's hard enough to find one good sitter and many folks don't have relatives nearby that they can count on to watch a baby in a pinch. I think whatever Grant Achatz's next big project will be one day, it must include a childcare facility. : )

Yes! Like Gaetano's on Monday nights!

=R=

Please, there is an easy solution for a canceled sitter - just call me!
Will work for food.

Ronnie - Please do tell re: Gaetano's. Their Facebook page makes some reference to what appears to be a periodic Parents' Night (?). They'll watch my screaming toddler while I enjoy gourmet Italian food?

I'm sure it's on the respective thread, but it's one of the best deals: You, the parents, dine in front. The kids, in back, get to make/eat their own pizza/pasta, do a craft, watch a movie, be entertained and get dessert for I want to say $11 a kid, generally the first Monday of the month. That's just awesome.

That definitely sounds awesome. Thanks!

The most recent Gaetano's email advertising parent's night says the following:

Parent's enjoy a quiet dinner while we entertain the children with a pizza/pasta/ice cream sundae party, crafts and more! We're making a snowman tonight!

Children ages 2-12 $15 each. Please indicate your childs' allergies upon arrival.

Make your reservation anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. for Parent's Night!


Edit: Monday's are also half off bottles of wine (or $20 off Reserve bottles)

Wasnt one of the dinners at next called childhood? Maybe he put a jinx on his places.

There was a tiny baby at Next Sicily when I had that menu. I saw the baby come in in their mother's arms, but didn't hear the baby even once.

My own impression not having had babies is that some people have babies that can sleep through anything and others don't. Seems mostly the luck of the draw. Next/Alinea seem risky to me, but Next has a lounge in the bathroom area that can be visited if the baby starts up. Not sure about Alinea. You might miss a bunch of courses though. I sat in the lounge for a bit during the Next Vegan menu because I had a headache. It's pretty nice.

Wish I had the kind of scratch to give a damn about this nonsense.

Ha ha! Where's the like button?

AlekH wrote:Wish I had the kind of scratch to give a damn about this nonsense.

And then there exists a category of people who may be able to afford it, but to whom spending $1000 on dinner for two makes no more sense than losing $1000 at a blackjack table.

But I suppose that's another topic.

Boom

"Has Achatz ever had a call from anyone whose babysitter canceled at the last minute?

Not exactly, he said, but he was in a similar situation just a couple of weeks ago, thanks to the polar vortex. "A lot of our guests come in from New York and San Francisco, wherever," he said. "And a lot of flights were canceled. We refunded their tickets. If this party would have contacted us and said, 'Here's the situation. What can we do?'—and everybody is saying the babysitter canceled at the last moment and I have no idea how that got into the ether, but as far as I know it's untrue—but if they had, of course we'd have been accommodating. We do this all the time.""

(h/t Chicago Reader)

I don't know how often it happens that babysitter problems arise, but it seems that a restaurant (especially one with a no refund policy) might want to have a list of last-minute childcare options. There must be somebody that needs the income. I would think that a couple having laid out $600-800 for a meal, would be willing to pay a premium price for a sitter. Venues could even offer that as part of a package deal like a tasting menu with wine and babysitter add-ons.

Actually, that might be a good business for somebody. One could offer childcare services to restaurants, theaters, concert venues etc. for patrons that need a sitter for a few hours. I suppose they would have to be insured and have whatever licenses or certifications needed for liability coverage. Maybe an existing daycare facility could open at night specifically to accommodate parents looking for a relaxing night out. If somebody had a facility located in the theater district or near the Randolph street market, it would be perfect. Maybe the childcare service could even have a driver pick up the kids at the restaurant/ theater etc. at the time of the reservations, or in the case of a theater, contract to provide onsite child care during the show. I suppose that somebody could even offer onsite childcare at a restaurant if the price was right. Like I said, a couple who is faced with forfeiting $800 worth of dinner tickets should be willing to pay a hefty price for emergency childcare arrangements.

Like I said, a couple who is faced with forfeiting $800 worth of dinner tickets should be willing to pay a hefty price for emergency childcare arrangements.

As noted in the Reader story, the cancelled-sitter scenario seems to have invented out of thin air. Achatz, from the post just above: "If this party would have contacted us and said, 'Here's the situation. What can we do?'—and everybody is saying the babysitter canceled at the last moment and I have no idea how that got into the ether, but as far as I know it's untrue—but if they had, of course we'd have been accommodating. We do this all the time."