Family-friendly

Just wanted to let you know that, for these few weeks, this time when the weather is warm but not yet too hot, when the mosquitos are not yet thick as clouds, is a great time for suburban al fresco dining.

In our town, there is a ridiculous man-made lake, lined on one side by cheesy chain restaurants. Yes, we are far, far to hip, to earnest, to urban and gritty and socially conscious to really fully enjoy an evening at Don Pablos.

Except.

Except that we have this child.

This little boy has somehow snuck into our family, and we rather like him (and we rather like not having to cook every night), and so we are pleased when we find a place that we can stand that he can also stand.

He adores Don Pablos, because the patio has a view of the lake, where people walk dogs in the evening and where ducks - in large groups - can be counted on to wander up and try to scam tortilla chips. THIS, friends, is entertainment of the very finest sort when you are 17 months old.

It's also pretty decent for us parents; it's pleasant and relaxing and you can put your feet up and get a decent cocktail, none of which can be said of AIRMAX FUNZONE! (the bouncy castle warehouse.)(They don't even have coffee there. Can you imagine?)


So that's my recommendation: sit outside at Don Pablos. Watch the sunset. Feed your kid a quesadilla with some authentic mexican tater tots.

Ducks like them, too.

[incidentally, a DISCLAIMER: Tortilla chips are not good for ducks. Ditto tots. You should not feed ducks any human snack food. Not only is it not good for the ducks, who then get too fat and lazy to look for real food, but having crumbs around gives the rats ideas. So responsible adults don't do this.]