Finding family-friendly restaurants in Vancouver can be tricky, but here are some choices
On The Coast food columnist Gail Johnson has suggestions that go beyond chicken strips and fries
Do you have kids but feel like your dining options are limited?
There are far more family-friendly options in Metro Vancouver than you may realize, says On The Coast food columnist Gail Johnson.
She says many places may not be hankering to be pigeonholed as "family" restaurants. They won't hand your kid an Etch-a-Sketch or a colouring book when you walk in, but they will welcome your kids without rolling their eyes.
"White Spot, yes, is an obvious spot for families. The Old Spaghetti Factory is another one," Johnson told host Stephen Quinn. "Don't get me wrong: I love these places, but sometimes you want to shake it up a little bit."
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Here are some of Johnson's picks for places that are fun for the whole family but go beyond chicken strips and fries.
Trattoria
"Trattoria has locations in Kitsilano, West Vancouver, and Burnaby. Here's the deal: Monday is family night. Kids aged eight and under eat for free. The bambini menu has things like macaroni and cheese, penne pomodoro and breaded chicken breast. Here's a tip: Get there early, before 5:30, and parents can hit happy hour and have a beer or a glass of wine for $5 and 25 per cent off pizzas while your kids are eating for free. What's not to like?"
Seafood restaurants
"Seafood restaurants usually have fish and chips. Supermarine is a small place in Kitsilano that does battered snapper, while the adults can have things like octopus ceviche. WildTale in Yaletown has everything, including lobster and crab, which is really fun to dig into."
Asian restaurants
"Noodles are always a hit with kids, so you could hit any Asian restaurant. Last year, a place called Fat Mao opened in Chinatown, on the 200 block of East Georgia Street. This place is all about Thai-style noodles. Tiny, just a few of tables, super casual. Small menu but a good bet for little eaters would be the Chiang Mai curry noodles. You get a free-range chicken leg in there."
"I wasn't sure what kind of reaction we'd get going in there with two kids. But they didn't bat an eye. And it turned out great! For starters, it makes its own root beer beef jerky. Guess what? It's made with natural root beer from Victoria's Phillips Brewing Company. The menu changes all the time, but when we were there one of the items was osso bucco with maple-syrup glazed chickpeas. It tasted like a grown-up version of pork and beans, and one of the kids loved it. The older one loved the grilled arctic char with purple potatoes. A fish like char has a nice light taste so it's a good one to introduce kids to."
With files from On The Coast