Family Dining in Seattle
August 25th, 2008
There is nothing quite as exciting and exhausting as a family vacation. It’s the perfect time to spend quality time together and turn some exciting adventures into learning experiences. But it can also be a hassle and stressful. One of the biggest stresses when it comes to families on vacation is where to eat. Family dining experiences can be a nightmare when you’re on the road but if you’re lucky enough to find a restaurant that is family friendly then you’ll enhance the experience for everyone and your vacation won’t be marred by a bad dining experience.
Traveling to Seattle is a great family experience as there is so much to see, you can literally go from the Space Needle to the secret downtown city underground. From top to bottom, Seattle is full of excitement, fun and educational opportunities. It is also a city that kindly welcomes children and you’ll find a variety of family dining options.
Skip the chain restaurants and the grilled cheese and go for something a bit more interesting for both parents and children. Eats Market Café is a great place to pick up some fresh seasonal local concoctions for a picnic in the park of a healthy meal on the go. Eats is the brainchild of two chefs with an extensive background in culinary arts. Their goal was to create a warm friendly environment with nourishing seasonal comfort foods. Be sure to try the pastries.
This is a perfect place to stop and dine because there is so much more to see and do at Agua Verde. Hourly kayak rentals and guided tours give you a first-hand experience in sea kayaking and the surrounding marshes and waterways. This is an educational and visual experience your children will likely never forget. But it’s the dining that’s really the highlight. Casual waterfront dining gives everyone a chance to relax and soak up the environment and it comes at a very reasonable price. The food at Agua Verde is prepared fresh form scratch every day and as is becoming the Seattle custom, local and sustainable foods litter the menu.
Filled with small town charm, local delights, retro designs and homestyle comfort foods, Geraldine’s Counter will instantly feel like home away from home. If you’ve got finicky eaters this is the place to go as you can get a no frills burger, mac and cheese and other favorites and familiars. But be prepared, Geraldine’s Counter feels like home to visitors and locals alike and can be jam packed on weekends.
Everybody loves pizza right? Well, skip the old standbys that are nothing more than decorated cardboard and go for the most celebrated authentic Neapolitan pizzeria in the Northwest. Tutta Bella is one of the few restaurants in the United States that has received authorization from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana in Italy to make an authentic pizza. This means that the process is governed from the preparation of the raw ingredients, selection of only certain approved ingredients all the way to the cooking method of using an approved wood fired oven. So it’s a restaurant with a bit of a lesson tied in for both parents and children. And if you don’t want the hassle of sitting in a restaurant and watching your pizza cook in the wood fired oven, simply order it to go and take it back to your hotel room.
At Atlas Foods its simple foods that are dressed up by some of the finest ingredients gives kids what they want and parents what they want the kids to have. Comfort foods filled with quality. The atmosphere is cozy and full of artistic expressions that keep it exciting and lively. The stroller parking and fully loaded toy box let you instantly know that although this restaurant has a well appointed bar, you’re more than welcome to plop down at a table and have dinner with their children. Let the children play and have a stress-relieving martini at Atlas Foods.
Known as the best burger joint in town, Red Mill Burgers offers guests a traditional all-American hamburger and malt experience. Family run, this business is all about bringing people together, giving them a great meal at a good price and sending them on their way only to welcome them back again in the near future. Vegetarians in the crowd take note, if you’re missing the taste of a hamburger or just really like the idea, a veggie burger is available that’s almost as good as the original.
Sure, it’s a chain, but the Old Spaghetti Factory is one place you can count on to create one of your kid’s (and your) favorites without changing the recipe so much that it’s unrecognizable. Get the standard spaghetti meal that you have come to trust. Like most chain restaurants of this variety, kids are more than welcome and are expected by other diners. So head to an old favorite for a classic quality meal that you know everyone will love.
And who can go to Seattle without taking advantage of the fresh seafood delicacies. Ivar’s Acres of Clams is one of the best offering fresh fish and, of course, clams in the area. Ivar’s has become such a local institution since its opening in 1938 that today there are 27 fast and casual Seafood Bars and three full-service waterfront restaurants. The Seafood Bars are the best choice if your kids aren’t apt to sit still through a dinner service. But if you have older children or some well behaved ones, go for the waterfront restaurant. The atmosphere is great, the view is incredible and the staff is more than happy to have them there.
If you and your family is headed to Seattle for a vacation, use the above family dining guide to help you make mealtime as enjoyable as the rest of your trip. Find restaurants that not only make you feel happy and comfortable but that also make your children feel welcome. And you’ll be happy to discover that Seattle is wholeheartedly embracing the local organic food movement and your entire family can experience fresh healthy meals while on the road.
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(cc: photo credit: IL Bistro Photo Stream)
Categories: Restaurants and Dining
