Babies: Too Fancy For Their Own Good?

tyler florence

We’re always down for a good kid-people versus kid-haters food debate here at ES, whether it’s about child menus, kid-friendly cooking or hot dog design, so two items over at Good Bite caught my eye this week.

The first covers the growing debate about whether it’s kosher to take your tots to fine-dining venues:

It seems like the debate is separated into those who feel their dinner will be ruined by a crying child (and thus feel it’s an incredibly selfish move to bring a young child into a restaurant) versus those who want to teach kids restaurant etiquette and believe kids should be welcome in more formal dining venues.

What do you think? Is bringing your rugrats to Jean-Georges a great way to teach them about sophisticated food or a waste of your money and everyone else’s eardrums?

Which brings us to the second item — at least one celeb chef is firmly on the kiddies’ side:

You’ve heard of kids menus at restaurants, but have you heard of baby menus? Tyler Florence has recently released a line of baby food called Sprout and now he plans to serve Sprout in his three NorCal restaurants. What makes his baby food better? Florence says he “uses techniques like roasting to caramelize produce and bring out the natural sugars. The result is delicious, pure food.”

Hmm…I have to say that paying Tyler Florence to cook for your infant falls decidely on the “waste of your money” side of things. I mean, what’s next? Breast milk on the menu? Oh, right.

(Photo: Sprout)

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5 comments

  • ML May 18, 2010  

    Parents need to teach their kids not to throw shitfits in restaurants, THEN take them to the fancy places. Had I ever whined in a restaurant, my mother probably would have strangled me. She hates kids more than I do.

  • Maids May 18, 2010  

    Oh good gracious! There was a debate similar to this about baby-friendly happy hours in the DCist and the Washington Post recently. I have no kids but I have no problem with parents having the opportunity to sit out on the patio with their munchkins at Wonderland’s happy hour. People need to get over themselves. I mean, really. Unless the kids are crying and unhappy or are out of the control of their parents, I have no problem with seeing babies and kinders out at venues that are normally adults only. I’m all for inter-generational play time.

  • Christine May 18, 2010  

    Baby menu is a bit funny, though anybody can do anything to earn money. =)
    I bring my 3-year-old to fine dining and i don’t care if she eats with her hands and her mouth gets all saucy with spaghetti sauce. As long as she enjoys eating and we enjoy eating together. Others should mind their own business. 🙂

    There are weddings also that doesn’t allow kids. That’s funny too. They say weddings are adult affairs… or family affair?

  • Mr Mean May 18, 2010  

    If I’m at Outback steakhouse no problem, but if I’m at Komi and you decide to bring your screaming infant to child (does not know how to behave) along with you….
    SHAME ON YOU….you selfish piece of shit

    Its the same as going to a concert and the people around you are having a conversation while you are standing there trying to enjoy the art form…

    Its not cool at the movies so why should it be at a nice place to eat. I don’t have 200 plus dollars to throw away at just anytime or anywhere.

    hire a babysitter

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