Happy Meals: Where to Take the Kids

To eat out or not to eat out; that is the question.
Whether ‘tis nobler to eat take-out at home,
Providing your own service and
Cleaning your own mess or
Suffer the slings and arrows of embarrassment from dining with children in public?

Such is the dilemma of parenthood.

While take-out has its place, restaurant dining need not be stricken from the menu at birth. Kids of a certain age (say three and up) benefit from observing your impeccable manners (although it may take a few excursions) and you will benefit from a meal served on non-plastic plates by someone paid to do your bidding.

That said, we have a couple of new restaurant recommendations for family pizza night, date night, or girls’ night out.

Without Papers, located in trendy Inglewood, serves gourmet, handmade pizza with a deliciously thin, dry crust (try the Baby Doll). There are other goodies on the menu like homemade ice cream and Grizzly Paw soda floats guaranteed to delight you and your children. Note: pizza crusts can be made gluten-free.

Without Papers is open from 11 am to 11 pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 3 to 9 pm Sunday. We like that they project silent movies on bare walls throughout the day for your junior image junkies. Consider an early dinner at 4 pm with kids in tow, just in time for the daily family-friendly feature film (often animated). No reservations required (or taken).

Home Tasting Room is located on Stephen Avenue and caters to the small-plate crowd. Homey fireplaces complement hardwood floors and rows of canning behind the open kitchen. If you go for date night, we recommend sitting at the tasting table (aka bar) and asking chef Geoff Rogers for his take on the tapas menu providing a less-filling, lower-cost alternative to traditional à la carte. He might serve favourites like the Rock Crab Ravioli and the Chorizo Sausage smothered Salt Spring Island Mussels. Or, he might surprise you.

Skip the styrofoam containers and plastic forks in favour of an outing with friends, family and even the kids at one of Calgary’s latest additions to the culinary scene.

Aye, there’s the rub.