Family Dining

It's no secret that I am passionate about food. I will go to three different markets to get the right ingredients. Margaritas, for example, must be made with key limes - not their thick-skinned counterparts found in most supermarkets.

I have always rushed to distain "family dining" establishments and their coarse, doggy-bag approach to eating out. In doing so, I overlooked a critical factor. Family dining means more than just kiddie menus and crayons. Most family restaurants also have a full bar! In attending the younger generations, they did not neglect the needs of harried parents. Since we can no longer pop into a bar for a pre-dinner cocktail or happy hour gathering, we have a new found appreciation for loud restaurants that will both absorb our offspring without question and pour generous drinks for mommy and daddy.

That said, one must continue to discriminate, and find options that meet our standards - even if those standards have shifted a bit.