Pho VN One offers some nice surprises

We've been to Pho VN One in Beltsville, MD a number of times. Always friendly, reasonable, and a quick place to eat, we were happy to take baby there as we were sure they were family friendly. Plus, what better food to eat than a steaming bowl of pho when it's 100 degrees out?

Nana and I started out with an excellent surprise-- the mango bubble smoothie. A real fruit blend of frozen mango and a little bit of ice, barely sweet but oh-so-fruity with the optional tapioca bubbles. Yum. So good before we left we got a coconut one for the road. At $2.75 this is worth it alone to stop in and will bring me back.



We started with fresh rice paper rolls with tofu (not on the menu, but they never seem to mind) and with shrimp. Served with peanut sauce, they are a reasonable rendition of one of my favorite foods, although they could use more mint.

I got the vegetarian pho, packed with broccoli and bok choy and piled in the typical basil, sprouts and jalapenos. But the best surprise was the jumbo onion in vinegar for 85 cents-- crunchy and sweet onion to add to your pho. It was a new favorite and I can crave it already.

Child friendly? Yes, there were other babies in there and if your kids like the two things they offer: pho and spring rolls, it's a great place for them. Take a trip some time and check it out.

Royal Tea room: Proper tea for proper children

Looking for something different to do on a way too hot Sunday, we decided to go for a hike and visit the Royal Tea Room in La Plata, MD.

It was a proper place, full of quirky antiques and more than a few members of the red hat society. Now, I should add that my husband is British, so the idea of going to a tea room for the afternoon with a bunch of old ladies wasn't the least bit off-putting.



We decided on the full tea which started with a salad and soup, moved on to a course of scones with clotted cream and jam, and then to the fancy three tiered tea service with little sandwiches, savories, and pastries and cakes. Included was any tea or beverage (the peach iced tea was lovely) with your meal followed by any teas with your scones and pastries (we had earl grey, English breakfast, and rooibos cranberry.



The food was tasty, fresh, and reasonably interesting-- but nothing fancy for sure. Some of the baked things clearly came from in house, and some clearly weren't which really was the only big negative for me (as well as the inclusion of food coloring in a few things). I didn't go there expecting anything fancy and it was a great way to kill a couple of hours.



Child-friendly? It's a quiet and proper place, and while they do have high chairs and innumerable older women who want to hold your baby, its quiet and the place is packed with antiques little hands could smash in a moment. However, if your child would like to go to a proper tea party, this is your place. They get to choose their tea cups and you can get all dressed up in hats and boas for the occasion. In fact, when we were there, the folks from below came to pay a visit. Who knew?


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Kushi is a tasty treat for parents and older children (and those brave with babies)

Having a fairly accurate guess that the new izakaya and sushi restaurant, Kushi, wasn't going to be bouncing with babies, we decided to brave it at lunch when little ones seem more acceptable. The new restaurant located in the building off New York Ave with the Safeway and Busboys and Poets has had mixed reviews in the press. To sum it up, this is a place with quality over quantity. Translation: if you are really hungry and don't want to spend a lot of money this isn't a great choice.

The restaurant is a modern, open space and has a number of interesting things for children or adults to check out. You can choose to sit in view of the sushi bar or the kitchen which is pretty fascinating. Older children should be very amused by the spectacle here.


A large salmon being turned into sashimi at the fresh fish preparation area.


The open kitchen, pork belly being prepared, sous vide chicken and lots of other preparations going on.

We had the Living Social Deal for $50 of food for $25, so we were feeling a bit more spendy than usual. We focused mainly on the sushi options since this is one of the few places in the District where one can get truly fresh fish. The extra fatty tuna was like buttery ocean, melting away on the tongue.


I opted for the chirashi, which was fresh and lovely in it's lacquer box.


Some other rolls, notably the veggie roll with the interesting addition of raw okra giving in a almost fish-like feel and a delicious taste.

Last, we finished with the pineapple peppercorn sorbet which is not to be missed, and at $2.50 it's the best deal in the house.

Family-friendly? This is a quiet, sophisticated place and a crying baby will likely be glared at. That said, they did offer us a high-chair. There isn't a changing table, but there is a big bathroom good for changing. Older children should find the live cooking interesting and it could be a good place to experiment. It's expensive, however, plan on about $50 - $75 for two adults to eat lightly without drinks.

Eden Center restaurants are baby heaven

The Eden Center in Falls Church, VA is a good place to take the kids to an exotic destination without leaving the country. The large and always busy plaza is packed with more than a dozen Vietnamese restaurants and bakeries and is a fun place to explore before choosing a place to eat.

We're taking Alexander to Vietnam in December, so this was a bit of a preview for us. We went to Huong Viet , an old standby, and were greeting by a 20-something Vietnamese man who told Alexander he loved him-- "I love you baby....I love you". Yes, they like babies here.

Food was good as always. It lacks the precision you might get a Present or Four Sisters, but it was quick and tasty. Above is the grilled chicken with soft rice crepes complete with herbs and lettuce to wrap the meat and rice in and dunk in the sauce-- fun finger food.



Shrimp on a sugar cane skewer bun (rice noodles and veggies).

Oh, and don't miss the iced coffee and bubble tea for dessert...

Family-friendly? Yes, they welcome families and there are many there. No changing table, but there are high chairs and lots of simple things for children to eat.

Pete's Apizza finds tastiness for all

We have a friend in town from the west coast and she is dying for East coast style pizza, particularly pizza from New York. Cheap pizza, greasy pizza, late night after drunk jumbo slice kind of pizza. Not willing to stoop entirely to her level we went to Pete's Apizza in Columbia Heights for a pie.

Pete's has New Haven style pizza, and it's quality. There appears to be extensive discussions about exactly what New Haven style pizza is, as well as interest in their new location. More importantly than specific regional affiliation, you can get it by the slice so there are no disagreements. My husband loves the Sorbillo, a "A rectangular shaped pizza filled with Salumi, ricotta, mozzarella" and topped with tomato sauce. I go for the plain cheese and the chef's special. This time we also tried the antipasti, a compilation of four seasonal dishes, the highlight of which was the fantastic grilled vidalia onion and marinated peach salad. Yum.



I have a special fondness for this place because I went here when I was in labor and succeeded in eating enough calories to get me through the second and third days of labor. It was quite a feat, and Pete's will always have a special place in my heart.

Did I mention that during happy hour their beers are a steal, with micro brews like Lagunita's for $2.50 a pint (in a real glass glass, which is something I love about this place).

As for my friend, it wasn't New York. It was New Haven, and the pizza wasn't greasy or salty enough-- as she put it-- it was far too quality for what she was looking for. Sigh.

Family-friendly? It's pizza, so yes, and the place is mellow. There are high chairs, but no changing table but the bathroom is big and the floor is clean (I realize here that I am assuming other parents change their kids diapers on the floor with a pad, right?). And there are great salads so a balanced meal can be had.

Ethiopic is lovely, tasty, and has their own baby

We are on a roll here with good restaurants. On H St (between 4th and 5th) is Ethiopic Ethiopian restaurant. Being from PG County, this is much closer than Etete and others we have enjoyed, and after dinner last night at Ethiopic I think we just might become regulars.


It's a pretty space, and the owner and is wife are there to greet you. They just had a baby over 2 months ago (and I thought I was busy) and are attempting to make this a family-friendly restaurant. The service is professional and friendly and the space is a relaxing place for a dinner with sunlight streaming in the many windows.


It's not cheap, but it is good. The vegetarian sampler for two was $35, with an additional $2 for fish which was well worth it as the fish was delicious. We also got the spicy Doro Wat, a chicken leg and egg cooked in a delightful red gravy which was the finest version I have had this this dish. I was mopping up the red sauce with my injera and moaning through part of the meal. If you go, be sure to get the veggie sampler as it's the way to start, and meat should be an after thought. For three people this worked out perfectly.

Piglet thought the place was a bit too quiet and boring for his taste, so we rotated wandering around, but everyone was gracious and friendly about it. And the food came out fast enough so we weren't there forever.

Family friendly? Yes, absolutely, they intentionally welcome families with functioning high chairs, a changing table in the restroom, and a good attitude about it. However, your kids will need to try Ethiopian, and eat it with their hands- no utensils here! Seems like a good selling point.

Woodlands is a delight for everyone's senses

If you haven't been to the Woodlands Indian Restaurant in Langley Park for the lunch buffet you should just pack up your friends and family and head over there right now. We've been going for years and continue to be impressed and delighted by our meals here.

The Woodlands is a pure vegetarian South Indian restaurant, but I have yet to meet a carnivore who wouldn't delight in this array of food and sensation. When eating here you can tell that each dish is created from a unique blend of herbs and spices, coconut, chilies, vegetables and all of the other tasty stuff which makes Indian food so wonderful.


There are roughly 18 dishes plus 4 breads, 2 soups and a couple of desserts.


I adore the masala dosai, a thin lentil crepe filed with curried potatoes and onions you dip into one of tangy broths.

There are plenty of children and babies feel welcome as this is a family experience. The buffet is best on the weekends when there are more options and the Indian families are there with their saris and there are plenty of children. It's $10.95 for the buffet on the weekends, lassi and masala tea extra but the dosai are included.


Baby friendly? Yes, for children of any age. Bigger kids can wander around and even our little one liked the look of the buffet. Lots of colors and smells and sounds. There isn't a changing table, but there are high chairs and the staff dotes on children. Plus, the buffet option is perfect for parents who are "alternating" eating. Nothing ever gets cold....

Good Stuff Eatery is madness at lunch time

Not having completely lost my brain having a baby I knew that restaurants on Capital Hill are busy at lunch. So, at 1:10 we headed over to Good Stuff Eatery for a bite. The line poured out the door and the place was a complete zoo at that time of the day. By the time we had ordered and our food was ready it was after 2:00. Not exactly speedy for a burger place where you order at the counter.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the place this is the restaurant opened by Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn and it's popularity has only grown as the President and First Lady have become fans enough to have sandwiches named after them. My guess is that it is appearing in all of the tourist guidebooks by the looks of the place as well.

I applaud the mission of this place: a narrow menu with salads, fries, shakes and burgers and a defined style in each of them. Quality products: local meats, free range, grass fed. Handspun shakes.



It was all good, the food was fresh (as you would imagine with a line out the door), the burgers as promised and true to form, the mayo bar was a nice touch, the fries tasty with fresh herbs and sea salt. But nothing to get too excited about. Given the wait and the madness of getting a table I would probably give it a pass.

Baby friendly? On a weekend or at odd hours this could be a good place to take the kids and get a high calorie lunch. They certainly welcome children and there aren't too many kids who would pass up a burger and fries and shake. It isn't far from the Botanic gardens, Capital, and the Library of Congress, either. Just be aware that that trip will cost you more than $17 and you may have people eyeing your table as you munch along.

Nava Thai is delish as always with or without a baby

We frequent Nava Thai in Wheaton and have for many years mainly because of my addiction to their drunken noodles, papaya salad, Kaprow and Panang curry. That first intense zing of the papaya salad, the spicy coconut and peanut cream of the curry, the singed noodles and chili peppers in the drunken noodles....all the stuff I get some serious cravings for.

It's been fun to watch Nava Thai grow into their new digs. They finally seem to fit in there now, food comes out at a good pace, things aren't too hectic. And amazingly the food is just as good as it always has been. Which is pretty incredible and makes me have faith in all sort of other things in this often complicated world.

The babe, in and out of the belly, has been there more times than I can count. I have to admit it is not his favorite restaurant- it's pretty quiet, there isn't much to look at, and there is, with no creative exception, no place to change a diaper in there. But people don't mind a bit of howling if it happens and the food is so good it's worth it. Children of all ages are welcome (who like Thai food), and they have high chairs and the like. Parking is easy.

Child friendly? Yes, especially for older kids. The lack of a place you can change the baby and the quiet atmosphere make it a touch harder for little ones. But the food is worth it, so just go on and get over there.

Pueblo Viejo es muy bueno para los ninos

One of our favorite regular spots has become the humble Salvadorean restaurant Pueblo Viejo in Beltsville. Besides being 10 minutes away, never having a line, and being a bargain, the food is fantastic and the staff welcoming and helpful.

We found out about it soon after Alexander's birth on Todd Kliman's online chat and once visited we were delighted to find better versions of some of our favorite Mexican specialties as well as excellent Salvadorean items. You start off with a smokey roasted salsa and fresh chips, a prelude to good things to come.


The Regional Platter with chicken taco, pupusa and tamale of choice and fried plantains.


My favorite is one of the regional platters with a sweet corn tamale with chicken, a light and perfectly done bean and cheese pupusa, a crunchy chicken taco, fried plantains and crema. Everything is done with a fresh twist and relies on something other than cheese and grease for substance and flavor.



The Rena's Salad with grilled vegetables and chicken, avocado and a roasted tomato dressing (she got to it faster than I could take a picture, so it's a bit messy).

Child friendly? Absolutely! They have highchairs and the friendly woman working the counter remembers our little one and welcomes him each time we dine. They don't have a changing table but ample floor space and the mellow atmosphere, friendly staff, plenty of parking and great food are more than enough to entice you to try this place out.

Stoney's as a perfect summer day

About an hour south of us is Stoney's located on Broome Island directly south-east of the city. We hadn't planned anything especially ambitious for the holiday weekend with two sets of grandparents in town, so we wanted to have a "day at the beach" without crossing the bridge.

After a lovely morning on the beach at Flag Pond where the little one took his first swim in the wild, we headed to Stoney's out on the water. It's a great location for families and children, with extensive grounds along the water to roam, fish in the bay to gaze upon and plenty of casual outdoor seating overlooking the pretty waterfront. We dined on seafood galore: baseball-sized crab cakes, softshell crabs, oysters and the delicious blackened rockfish gyro with feta and crisp veggies. The beer flowed freely and even in the 100 degree heat there was a lot of shade and a nice breeze.

Child friendly? For sure, it's ideal, with kid friendly food, plenty of places to wander and play and a location near some fun parks like Flag Pond and the Cypress Swamps. It's a great day away with the kids and a perfect one for the adults.