ML Interest Tag: pita-bread

Even MORE New Restaurants Your Kids Will Love

by Matt Kirouac

Rib-sticking barbecue? Check. Hot dog-inspired salads? Better believe it. Tacos in bags? Heck yeah! New restaurants in and around Chicago are jammed with kid-friendly delights that will keep you full all summer long. Pull up a booster chair and dive in. And enjoy the welcoming, non-judgmental atmospheres, while you’re at it. Read on for the scoop on seven new restaurants that welcome your kids.

photo: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

For Porking Out: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
If there’s one thing kids love more than barbecue, it’s dinosaurs. (Right, T.rex fans?) It’s Lincoln Park meets Jurassic Park at this sprawling new barbecue bastion, the first Midwest locale for the New York-based meat Mecca. The rustic, woody space is as burly as one would expect of a place dubbed “dinosaur,” divvied into two floors with large booths, original artwork, painted pallets, a spacious patio, a music venue and a sizable kitchen churning out platters of BBQ chicken wings, St. Louis-style ribs, pulled pork and beef brisket so tender it practically falls apart when you breathe on it. For their Chicago location, Dinosaur also added some Chi-specific dishes like jerk lamb shoulder, hot link sausages, and BBQ pork belly with fermented slaw.

923 W. Weed St.
Lincoln Park
312-462-1053
Online: dinosaurbarbque.com

photo: Just Salad / Jamie Lefkowitz

For Sneaking in Greens: Just Salad
New York imports are apparently in season, because another kid-friendly entrant is Just Salad. This Loop cafe is all about making healthy eating accessible with a menu of greens, wraps and smoothies. The first Chicago location of Just Salad manages to make salads appealing to veggie-averse kids through a miscellany of design-your-own choices, with ingredients including asparagus, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, butternut squash and black beans. It also doesn’t hurt that the shop had a salad inspired by the iconic Chicago hot dog, made with romaine, Italian sausage, giardiniera peppers, Parmesan, green peppers, celery and red onions. That’s a salad we can all get behind.

20 E. Jackson Blvd.
The Loop
212-244-1111
Online: justsalad.com

photo: Taco in a Bag

For Mexican on the Go: Taco in a Bag
When a couple of competitive eaters who call themselves the “Glutton Force Five” open a restaurant called Taco In a Bag, you have to go. Winners of Food Network’s “Food Court Wars” Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti and Tim “Gravy” Brown are the geniuses behind this straightforward dose of Mexican comfort food in Lincoln Square. The signature menu item is otherwise known as a “walking taco,” served in a bag with layers of meat, sauce, tortilla chips and other optional toppings. Other more specialized versions include cheeseburger nachos, the Angry Bird made with braised chicken thigh and queso fresco, and pizza in a bag.

4603 N. Lincoln Ave.
Lincoln Square
773-250-2437
Online: tacoinabag.com

photo: GRK Greek Kitchen

For Rooftop Views: GRK Greek Kitchen
Eating in Greektown is always a fun, festive ordeal filled with flaming cheese, doughy pita bread, and succulent slivers of gyro meat. But for families on the go, or in need of a fast and fresh lunch, the Greektown schtick is not always convenient. Here to save the day is the fast-casual GRK Greek Kitchen, which is quickly becoming Chicago’s Greek answer to Chipotle with three other locations scattered around downtown. Simply select your format — handheld, plate or salad — and pile on accoutrements, from falafel and chicken kabobs to grilled veggies and Greek sausage. The same chic downtown vibe is in place, complete with brick walls, terrazzo floors and limestone elements. Where this one differs is in the awe-inspiring rooftop space (fear not, acrophobes, it’s only the second floor), which will soon feature a small menu of chef-driven bites, salads and entrees. There’s also Greek frozen yogurt inside, for these upcoming heat waves. Fingers crossed.

400 S. Wells St.
Greektown
312-461-6626
Online: eatgrk.com

photo: Hot “G” Dog

For Gourmet Dogs: Hot “G” Dog
When Hot Doug’s closed up shop last year, it left a void in Chicago’s haute hot dog scene. For anyone who preferred their weiners with a side of adventure (read: alligator sausage, Brie, Himalayan sea salt, etc.), it was hard to go back to the standard Chicago dog, as glorious as that may be. Well now you and your kids don’t have to settle, thanks to an Uptown hot dog shop keeping the Hot Doug’s legacy alive. Hot “G” Dog is a passion project from Juan Carlos Garcia and Octavio Garcia, two of Hot Doug’s former line cooks who have replicated the formula of wild sausages and toppings. Along with classic Chicago dogs and corn dogs, the adventurous menu runs the gamut from Santa Fe chicken sausage, kangaroo sausage and smoked shrimp.

5009 N. Clark St.
Uptown
773-209-3360
Online: hotgdog.com

photo: The Hot Dog & Burger Company

For a Quick Bite in the Western ‘Burbs: The Hot Dog & Burger Company
Speaking of hot dogs, the owner of popular Q-BBQ has re-branded and re-opened one of his hot dog concepts into an all-American new eatery in La Grange called The Hot Dog and Burger Company. Like Hot “G” Dog, this place skews contemporary with its menu offerings, which include stroganoff burgers, bacon bleu cheese hot dogs, gyro hot dogs, Parmesan-crusted patty melts and sriracha-spiced sausages. Along with the gourmet menu, the space is sleek and modern as well, polishing up the format for casual counter service hot dog joints.

76 S. La Grange Rd.
La Grange
708-469-7096
Online: hotdogco.com

photo: Shakou

For an Intro to Sushi: Shakou
Your kids will grow to love sushi someday, so you might as well start ’em early. The Libertyville-based brand just opened a spinoff location in St. Charles. The space is contemporary, slick and urban, with the feel of a cosmopolitan restaurant juxtaposed by the cozy sense of community afforded by Main Street in downtown St. Charles. As an added bonus, Shakou runs the Shakou Cares program, which donates portions of proceeds to local charities. While the restaurant offers a designated kids’ menu filled with California rolls (aka: the gateway drug to full-fledged maki obsession), there’s a sea of kid-friendly options found throughout the rest of the menu. Think crispy fish sandwiches, chicken katsu sandwiches with American cheese and sweet chili sauce, and beef teriyaki bento boxes.

312 W. Main St.
St. Charles
630-444-0850
Online: shakousushi.com

What is your new favorite restaurant for the whole family? Shout about it in the Comments!

— Matt Kirouac

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Pita Pizzas

by rtnatashaartavia

Ditch the delivery box with this simple recipe for pita pizzas. Courtesy of Amanda at the food blog, EasyPeasyOrganic.com, pizza takes on a whole new form with slices of baked pita bread. We love the simplicity of this meal and making pizza with a new, healthy twist.

Ingredients
1-2 pitas per person
tomato sauce
olive oil
thinly sliced veggies
lunch meats
thins slices of cheese or shredded cheese

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F

2. Take pita bread and spread tomato sauce til top is covered.

3. Sprinkle cheese and layer over with thinly sliced veggies and lunch meats. Lightly drizzle with olive oil.

4. Bake til the base is browned and crispy and the cheese is melted.

5. Let cool and enjoy!

Will you make this dish? Tell us in the Comments below!

Amanda is a proud mother and founder of EasyPeasyOrganic.com. She currently resides in Brisbane, Australia and writes about shared life experiences, travels and the research she is conducting as part of her fellowship. You can read all about Amanda and find this recipe here.

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Your Guide to Maximum Mammoth Mountain Family Fun

by rtjessicaritz

With amazing conditions and a long ski season, thanks to its legendary dumps and base, Mammoth Mountain is a snow sport paradise where no plane tickets are required.  Telluride is for tourists and Park City is pedestrian –  Mammoth isn’t the sleepy little town you remember and now that it has hotels and restaurants you’ll love, and a drive you can handle (it’s about a two movie drive, with a break in between for a nap!), it just might replace Jackson Hole as your annual ski-cation.  Here are 5 ways the town of Mammoth Lakes has changed and become a ski destination worthy of your brood.

(Can’t make it during this winter? Plan ahead: Mammoth is still gorgeous when the days are longer and warm, and ski and boarding gear gets swapped in favor of mountain bikes and fishing equipment. Plus the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite is easily reached from the Mammoth Lakes area, for a mountain nice summer sojourn.)

It Takes A Village (With Public Transportation)
Historically it’s been a town without a center (Mammoth is all about the snow– and maybe the Eastern Sierra’s crazy awesome natural hot springs if you can break away from the kids), but now with the massive Village project, it’s easy to pick a gathering spot that also offers a sense of place. The Mammoth Village gondola runs from the Village to Canyon Lodge, and it’s free, which seriously comes in handy if you’re with tots who aren’t yet ready for lessons or ski school. So feel free to joy ride to your hearts content, which given some kids’ love of this novel and thrilling form of transportation, could mean many, many round-trips.

When it comes to comfort, nearby retail amenities, and mountain-access convenience, the Village’s accommodations can’t be beat. (The Westin Monache Resort is another upscale option nearby.) For some kids, the highlight of the trip is on Saturday afternoon, when mascot Woolly, who has seriously impressive ski skills, shows up for his weekly parade in the Village complete with music, live entertainment, and other perks.

Old School Meets New: Sierra Nevada Resort
We appreciate mid-century A-frame architecture kitsch as much as the next hipster, but we do not want to spend our family vacation in a 1960s time capsule. The longtime local favorite Sierra Nevada Lodge has been transformed under new ownership, with its rustic charm touches left intact, and the rest of the property given a major makeover. Beyond the homey mountain chic style lobby, the hotel’s 149 rooms come in all sizes and are ideally appointed for families (heated bathroom floors and fireplaces help everyone feel cozy and snug, too). Shuttle service runs regularly from the hotel up to the mountain’s lodges and to the airport.

Time to eat…  and you don’t even have to leave the hotel.  Rafters has the old school ski lodge feel where you can luxuriate in an après ski meal that also includes organic produce and rare bottles from a deep wine cellar, perfect when the kids are too tired from snow play to engage in their usual dinner antics. But kids left ravenous from the day’s adventures just might fight  over the freshly baked pita bread, at Jimmy’s Taverna (but be sure to try the grilled octopus, too).

Elbow Bending Options, Enhanced
Is it possible to overstate the importance of a reliable, high quality coffee source when spending 24/7 with the brood? We think not. Black Velvet Coffee is about as good as it gets in the coffee world, with a pour-over bar, snazzy Synesso machine, in-house roasted beans, and a seriousness of purpose (minus the attitude) you’d expect to find at any big city third-to-fourth wave coffee joint. But here, all equipment and brewing temps are adjusted for altitude, which makes for a pretty cool mini science lesson. In other exciting beverage news, Mammoth Brewing Company’s tasting room across from the Village offers extensive beer tasting flights, plus root beer on tap for your under-21 companions. Pick up some special brews, such as the nutty and rich Fire & Eisbock, to enjoy as a souvenir when you’re back home.

Food, Glorious Food
The Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana is no joke. Most cities boast more Shakey’s Pizza locations than there are AVPN certified pizzerias in the whole country. And yet, Mammoth is lucky enough to have one. An offshoot of the Reno restaurant, Campo Restaurant is located centrally in the Village, so hop on the gondola and opt for a satisfying lunch of roasted shishito peppers, a simple and delish dinosaur kale salad, super authentic pizza Margherita, carefully sourced meats, and other farm-to-table dishes. (There’s also a special menu of safe choices for children under 9, but it really would be a shame to not at least make the kids try some tangy, hand-stretched pizzas with quality toppings.) Come back later for a round of craft cocktails… Other great bets in town include Toomey’s, The Stove for home style breakfast grub, and Mimi’s Cookie Bar for well-deserved treats. Folks who prefer to eat by the fireplace in their own home should check out the largely California-produced, small-batch artisanal food, wine and beer on offer at Bleu Handcrafted Foods marketplace. Meanwhile, Mammoth old timers probably prefer the comfort of Schat’s Bakery in town and the original location in Bishop. (Also when passing through Bishop, don’t forget to stop for the famous beef jerky and smoked proteins at Mahogany!)

You Came to Shred, And You Will
If you just want to see snow, there are closer places to go. So let’s talk about the slopes – that’s why you’ve really come. The Mammoth Ski and Snowboard School is a stellar program, with patient pros who help the little ones become future shredders. (The ski school also includes a guarantee of offering unsatisfied customers an additional lesson.)

We’re not gonna lie — skiing isn’t cheap. But deals include free lift tickets for kids 12 and under at the reopened June Mountain and discounts on multiple day lesson packages. Bombing down the mountain not your cup of tea? Then check out Mammoth Mountain Ski Area’s other activities, including cross-country skiing by Tamarack Lodge (where the restaurant is also a local institution), Mammoth Snowmobile Adventures, and Woolly’s Tube Park and Snow Play zone. Or go low-tech and slow with snowshoeing.  Whatever you do, you’ll love your snowy getaway.

-Jessica Ritz

What’s your secret Mammoth spot? Let us know in the comment section!

Photos courtesy of the author and Mammoth Mountain. 

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Amy Graff (The Mommy Files) Shares Her Family Favorites

by Tuba Ugurulu

We’re big fans of the The Mommy Files, SFGate’s fun and always thought-provoking blog, written by Amy Graff. Amy also blogs at The SF K-Files, a lively forum for discussion of all educational topics in the Bay Area, and is a contributor blogger at Babycenter. Amy is one of the Bay Area’s favorite mom voices and here she shares her family favorites with us.

RT: What is your favorite family ritual?
AG: Most of our rituals happen in the evening as my husband and I both work full-time and the kids are in after-school together. We try to eat dinner together every night and take turns sharing news from our day. I like asking my kids to tell me about the silliest thing that happened during the day–it gets us all laughing. My son likes games and so we often play Sorry or Uno before he goes to bed. My daughter and I always take a walk after my son has gone to bed. We walk from our house near Dolores Park to Noe Valley’s 24th St. and sometimes we go to Bi-Rite for an ice cream cone. We both like the malted vanilla crunch best.

RT: Where do you and your husband like to go for date night?
AG: We just had a date night at Bar Tartine in the Mission, as the restaurant generously donated a gift certificate to our kids’ school auction and we won it. Everything–from the sparkling rose to the creamy nettle soup to the pan-fried trout–was delicious. We didn’t have a reservation but were able to get counter seating, which I like better anyway because it’s more intimate. But mostly a date for us is just a long walk through the city because it’s expensive to pay for both a babysitter and the price of a meal. I like walking through North Beach at night, up to Coit Tower, down the Telegraph Hill steps, and then onto the Embarcadero where you can stroll along the waterfront. Before kids, we used to spend entire Saturdays walking from neighborhood to neighborhood. We’d walk until our legs felt like rubber-bands and then park ourselves in a bar until it was time to meet friends for dinner. Those days are over!

RT: What are a few of your favorite parks & places to visit with kids around town?
AG: Right now our kids are into biking. We often ride in Golden Gate Park, along Ocean Beach, at Crissy Field, or on the bayfront path in Tiburon. They love riding their bikes during Sunday Streets events, and they first learned to ride without training wheels at the park next to Aptos Middle School, with a massive stretch of blacktop.

When our kids were little, they used to love checking out the honeybees at the Randall Museum, looking for turtles in the pond at the Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, and painting the windows at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. We also used to spend a lot of time at the SFMOMA and attended most of their family days with kid friendly gallery tours and art projects. But these days, my kids want to be outdoors on the trail, in the water, on the ski slopes.

RT: Where do you like to catch a bite with the little one in tow?
AG: We like going to Noe Valley Bakery for maple walnut scones; Arizmendi for pizza topped with veggies; A La Turka for creamy hummus served with fresh baked pita bread; Bodega Bistro for big bowls of steaming pho, Chloes for pancakes; Papalote for burritos, El Delfin for homemade guacamole; Xiao Loong for lemon chicken and sizzling rice soup; Little Star for thick-crusted pizza, and Gialina for thin crust. And my kids hands-down favorite restaurant in San Francisco is La Ciccia because the owners Lorella and Massimo greet children with open arms. They even let our kids go into the back and make their own pizzas once. But mostly we eat at home–and nothing fancy: quesadillas, chili, turkey burgers, green salads.

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