Eating out with a hungry toddler and pre-schooler can be challenging but in the many mini-cities of south Orange County there are plenty of diners where a "terrible-two's" unpredictable behaviour raises no eyebrows. On this short trip I had occasion to try out two kid friendly places; Ruby's Diner, a regular favorite for the kids, and Deemer's American Grill, to which we had never previously been.
P.F.Chang's China Bistro
61 Fortune Drive,
Irvine, CA
Ph: (949) 453-1211
For our last dine-out with kids at family friendly restaurants in South Orange County before I head back to Vancouver, we decided on P.F. Chang's China Bistro at the Irvine Spectrum Mall.
As usual we got there early, around 5 PM but already there was a 35 minute wait for inside tables. Fortunately it was a warm afternoon and early evening so we opted for a patio table . Three space heaters also added warmth.
"Happy Hour" extends from 3 PM to 6 PM with a special menu of reduced price drinks and dishes. I had a 7 oz glass of Riesling S.A.Prum for $5.00 and the others shared a large Gekkeikan Sake for $4.00.
Mangia Bene Ristorante
27281 La Paz Road,
Laguna Niguel, CA
Ph: (949) 831-0140
Why you may wonder would I choose a plate of garlic bread as the primary picture for Mangia Bene? it's because it is simply the most sinfully satisfying garlic bread ever - and the servers keep the supply coming until you beg them to stop.
OPAH Restaurant and Bar in Aliso Viejo Town Center
26851 Aliso Creek Road #C
Town Center, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Phone: (949) 360-8822
We decided that we should try to fit in a nice dinner out one night BBC (Before baby comes) and decided on OPAH Restaurant and Bar which was about 5 minutes away by car. Thinking that our party of three adults and a 4 year old would be better off away from the bar area, we decided to try the patio. I was a bit sceptical at first but the overhead heaters worked fine to take the slight chill out of the air and we were very comfortable.
I found a special sheet tucked into the regular OPAH menu that said they were offering a Restaurant Week $30.00 prix fixe - appetiser, entree and dessert. It seemed great value and the choices were appealing to me so I decided to try it. While waiting for the rest of our party to decide on their choices, I resisted the recommendation to try one of their interesting martini choices and instead opted for a glass of Saint M Riesling 2006 from Germany. Very nice.
Eating out with a hungry toddler and pre-schooler can be challenging but in the many mini-cities of south Orange County there are plenty of diners where a "terrible-two's" unpredictable behaviour raises no eyebrows. On this short trip I had occasion to try out two kid friendly places; Ruby's Diner, a regular favorite for the kids, and Deemer's American Grill, to which we had never previously been.
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