The Kid's Menu – enough with the Chicken Nuggets!

A funny column titled Don't Point That Menu at My Child, Please by David Kamp, a writer for Vanity Fair, GQ and The New York Times makes this point: "In short, I came to the realization that America is in the grips of a nefarious chicken-finger pandemic, in which a blandly tasty foodstuff has somehow become the de facto official nibble of our young." Kamp explores how this came to be (1983: McDonald's launches McNugget) and who is fighting back. Tony Miller at Latitude 41 (Columbus, OH) told Kamp: "Our kid's menu features zero fried foods. We do grilled organic chicken teriyaki, a seared fillet of whatever fish is in season, and a four-ounce fillet of natural beef with smashed potatoes. I have not received a single negative reaction from adults or kids. Not one. The kids say ‘Man, that's the best steak I've ever eaten!'."


The Blue Lake take on it:
We asked Duskie Estes and John Stewart (chef/owners of Zazu and Bovolo restaurants in Sonoma Valley's wine country) and parents of Brydie and MacKenzie (young subscribers to Tessy & Tab) what they think and what they offer. Their own daughters define the spectrum: one eats stinky cheeses, pig heart and olives, and the other eats only white rice, fruit and french fries. As chefs, they say that a basic kid's menu makes it easy for kids to get something and parents to enjoy a restaurant. If you don't see something you like on the kid's menu, ask for a kid's portion from the adult menu. Here are Seven Tips for Eating Out With Kids by the author of Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids.