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Kids’ menus are starting to grow up.
The kids’ corner of a menu often feels like some sort of dining purgatory, where children are expected to eat butter noodles, chicken nuggets, and mac and cheese on a loop forever. The simplicity is a function of both supply and demand: A lot of that stuff is cheap and easy for restaurants to keep in stock and prep in a hurry. Plus, it seems that’s what kids want to eat, with their still-developing palates and (deserved) reputation for whining.
But this is Portland, one of the most innovative foodie cities in America. Can’t we do better? A few restaurants are saying yes.
Wael Elasady is the chef and owner of Shami Café (5513 SE 72nd Ave., 971-383-3938, instagram.com/shamicafepdx), a Syrian restaurant in the Mount Scott-Arleta neighborhood that opened last summer. The kids’ menu offers Teta’s Specialty (“teta” is grandmother in Arabic), which is soft white Syrian cheese, olive oil, nigella seed, and dry mint pressed into triangles of warm pita, served with a side of carrots and cucumbers ($8). It’s what Elasady’s grandmother made for him in the mornings when he was a kid, along with a little tea.
Elasady is a Portland parent of three—ages 2, 5 and 11—so he understands the struggles of family dining on a cellular level. The name of one of Shami Café’s kids’ menu items, No More Snacks! ($11), comes from that moment in parenting when the kids have been downing crackers all day and it’s time to cut them off. The meal is a choice of protein (grilled chicken, kebab or falafel) served with rice and a generous portion of hummus.
“We were really happy to be able to do something a little bit different,” Elasady says, during a weekday lunch rush, “and so far, we’ve gotten both sides happy, the kids and the parents.”
(Our 10-year-old menu tester gave a thumbs up to Teta’s Specialty. His review offered a glimpse into kids’ unpredictable criteria: “The pita is nice and thin and the cheese isn’t too stretchy.” He also said the basket of fidget toys on the counter is “a big plus.”)
Mom and pop Stacey and Joey Gibson of Parallel (3101 NE Sandy Blvd., 971-339-3143, parallelpdx.com) also earned their kids’ menu expertise through parenting. Stacey is the sommelier and Joey is the chef of the wine bar that opened about 18 months ago. Their daughter Bea draws the activity book that comes with the kids’ menu, and she also helped Joey come up with some of the recipes. Bea and Joey elevated the mac and cheese ($8) with a Goldfish crumble on top and an optional bacon add-in ($1). Parallel also offers a Kid’s Board ($8) with ham, Tillamook cheddar, Goldfish crackers, fruit and veggies as a youthful take on the classic wine bar charcuterie.
In order to circumvent the kids’ menu, a smart hack is to check out the appetizer section of any restaurant’s menu for smaller portions of more sophisticated foods. Parallel’s hush puppies served with honey butter ($12) fit the bill.
The Gibsons know that “family-friendly” and “wine bar” doesn’t seem like the most natural pairing to everyone. They have gotten feedback from one or two people that there ought to be places that are kid-free (minors are welcome at Parallel until 9 pm).
“We’re not saying let’s get a bouncy castle in the corner,” Joey Gibson says. “It’s that I want to go to dinner with my daughter. Having a kid, you realize this is a problem.”
With mom right there in the name, Mother’s Bistro (121 SW 3rd Ave., 503-464-1122, mothersbistro.com) has parents in mind with its play area and thoughtful kids’ menu. Most of it is just mini versions of the food on Mother’s primary menu, such as a half-serving of pot roast ($15) or meatloaf ($14), both of which come with “smashed” potatoes, gravy and a seasonal vegetable. In the morning, there’s a mini breakfast of a scrambled egg, bacon, toast and potatoes ($7), oatmeal ($7) or a pancake ($7).
Downtown Asian fusion restaurant Buranko Cafe (108 SW Pine St., 503-241-2691, burankocafe.com) has a full play space that can accommodate about a dozen shorties. Buranko serves five different kids’ bowls, all priced at $10: orange chicken with rice, teriyaki chicken with rice, pork and shrimp wonton soup, crispy chicken and fries, or a vegan bowl (tofu, rice, avocado and teriyaki sauce). Optional add-ons for a few bucks are avocado, steamed broccoli, or steamed egg noodles.
Co-owner Jaree Ratanavetin says kids are ready for some variety: “Kids these days eat like adults. My 6-year-old niece eats like an adult. They don’t want a kids’ pizza or something.”
