Family Friendly in Crystal City and DC

[tammylc]

I'm going to be visiting DC in the beginning of November with some friends. We've got either two couples with a 6 month old and a 1 year old, and possibly one other couple with a 4 year old. We all love good food and good restaurants, but obviously our eating out habits have got to change with all these kids in tow. (Last time I was in DC it was Citronelle and Maestro - this'll be a big change!)

Anyone have any suggestions for places to eat while we're in town? We don't need kids menus (the four year old is pretty flexible and the other two don't eat regular food yet), just somewhere that won't mind a bunch o' kids in tow. It's just too easy to default to chain hell when you're not sure where to go, and I'd really like to avoid that. We're very omnivorous and like all kinds of food.

We'll be staying at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington/Crystal City, but will be in DC proper as well. We won't have a car, so need things that are within walking distance of Metro stops.

Thanks!

[Busboy]

Having raised (partly) two kids in DC (now 11 and 15) my first suggestion is to explore owner-operated ethnic restaurants. They seem to be much more relaxed about kids and floor staff are grown-ups, so they've handled kids themselves and are unintimidated.

There's a gang of Ethiopian places around the U-Street metro (green line, straight shot from the museums on the mall and a quick ride back to Crystal City), I've only been to Dukem (excellent), but you can read more here.

You can also take the subway to Arlington's "Little Saigon" (Clarendon stop, I think, but check). Don't go to Dalat, but I'm sure some of the other places there are still in fine form.

Around Dupont Circle, I used to bring the kids to Trios Diner, 17th and Q. Milkshakes, burgers, BLTs, eggs, etc. Sala Thai (still my favorite Thai) on P and 21st was pretty calm, too. Pizzaria Paradiso were jerks, though, the one time we tried to go there.

Up in my neighborhood, Mt. Pleasant -- near the Columbia Heights metro stop and strolling distance from the Zoo or Adams Morgan -- a place called Tonic (a better place than the review paints it) actually has a kid's night.

Good luck, have fun.

Edited September 23, 2004 by Busboy (log)

[tammylc]

Thanks busboy - those look great. Anybody else?

[iamthestretch]

I probably sound like a broken record, but 2 Amys is one of the best solutions to the dining with kids dilemma. Great pizza that pleases all ages, and interesting little bits and pieces (super cured meats, cheeses, cakes, sorbets) for the foodies. It is also almost always at least 1/2 full of young children at lunchtimes, so there's no cringe factor, and can be combined with a trip to see the National Cathedral, which it abuts, if that floats your boat. Unfortunately it is not adjacent to a Metro stop and would require either a 5 minute bus ride from the nearest station (Tenleytown) or shelling out for a cab. The board thread is here.

[laniloa]

I've had good luck going to Jaleo for lunch with a friend who has a young one. The small plates and finger food choices work well for her 4 year old. He likes that he gets to eat the same thing on the same plates as mommy does.

[SanFran88]

We have a three year old and eat out quite a bit in the Alexandria/Crystal City area. We have had good luck with Jaleo and there is a Jaleo in Crystal City now. It's open from 1130 on so you can get in early in the evening when it isn't too busy with an all adult crowd. Oyamel should also be open next to it, which will have a similar concept with Mexican food. Our daughter seems to like being able to point and choose from the many small plates. We eat at Taqueria Poblano on Mt. Vernon fairly frequently. We also eat about once a week in the bistro at Restaurant Eve in Old Town (if you get there at 1730 you'll be out by the time real people start showing up ). They don't have a children's menu, but they make our daughter a pasta dish with butter and cheese and she noshes off our plates. Our daughter is fairly low key and quiet though (most of the time). Kind of depends on your child's temperment as to whether you'd want to try that. We also eat there often enough that she knows everyone and thinks she owns the place. We used to eat at Evening Star, also on Mt. Vernon, and you will see a lot of other families with small children there, but we haven't been in a while since we started hanging our hats at Eve. I think, however, if you're eating off hours or early on a weeknight you can probably stretch a little bit, especially if the four year old isn't picky. Your best bet though is probably going to be the Jaleo in Crystal City all things considered.

[JennyUptown]

Matchbox downtown is an easy metro trip from Crystal City. Pizza, mini-burgers, casual atmosphere (and it's near the Spy Museum and other attractions).

[hjshorter]

Hi Tammy!

As you know I've got two, a fairly well-behaved, restaurant savvy 5 year old and a shrieking 2 year old barbarian.

We've had good meals with the kids at Jaleo, Zaytinya, Austin Grill, Les Halles, and Matchbox - all downtown.

We have never had an issue with bringing the kids to a Chinese or Thai restaurant. In fact, most seem to go out of their way to talk to our kids, or ooh and ahh over the baby.

The key is to arrive before the children are actually hungry.

[8Track]

DC Chophouse is kind to kids. As is Legal Seafood.

[Chef Shogun]

As is Legal Seafood.

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....they sure are! At least in Crystal City.

[tammylc]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. We're leaving tomorrow, so I just wanted to bump this up in case anyone had anything last minute to add.

The key here isn't the availability of kid friendly food (as only one of the three actually eats table food), just somewhere that can handle a group of 6 adults, 1 four year old and two babies, y'know?

Crystal City-specific suggestions are especially sought, since I'm not sure how willing we're going to be to go very far.

I'm thinking Jaleo for our one sorta special meal - there's a Crystal City location, right? Do I need/do they take reservations for an early Saturday dinner?

Thanks!

[mdt]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.  We're leaving tomorrow, so I just wanted to bump this up in case anyone had anything last minute to add.

The key here isn't the availability of kid friendly food (as only one of the three actually eats table food), just somewhere that can handle a group of 6 adults, 1 four year old and two babies, y'know?

Crystal City-specific suggestions are especially sought, since I'm not sure how willing we're going to be to go very far.

I'm thinking Jaleo for our one sorta special meal - there's a Crystal City location, right?  Do I need/do they take reservations for an early Saturday dinner?

Thanks!

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There is a Jaleo in Crystal City and you can make reservations for lunch and dinner between 5-6:30pm.

If you want to stick with another José Andrés restaurant then Oyamel is right next door. Info can be found here...

[mnebergall]

Crystal City is very convenient to Alexandria (virtually right on the border). Mt. Vernon Ave has some places you might enjoy, such as RT's in Arlandria and Taqueria Poblano further up the avenue. I recommend reserviations at RT's.

[Al_Dente]

Crystal City is very convenient to Alexandria (virtually right on the border).  Mt. Vernon Ave has some places you might enjoy, such as RT's in Arlandria and Taqueria Poblano further up the avenue.  I recommend reserviations at RT's.

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There is also a great Indian restaurant tucked away in a shopping center on Mount Vernon Ave that isn't very far:

Bombay Curry Company

[SanFran88]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.  We're leaving tomorrow, so I just wanted to bump this up in case anyone had anything last minute to add.

The key here isn't the availability of kid friendly food (as only one of the three actually eats table food), just somewhere that can handle a group of 6 adults, 1 four year old and two babies, y'know?

Crystal City-specific suggestions are especially sought, since I'm not sure how willing we're going to be to go very far.

I'm thinking Jaleo for our one sorta special meal - there's a Crystal City location, right?  Do I need/do they take reservations for an early Saturday dinner?

Thanks!

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If the most important issues are transportation and ability to handle a group that size I would do Oyamel and Jaleo. We've eaten at both in the last two weeks and they are each excellent. Since they stay open from 1130 on you can get in with a crowd and munchkins early without too much trouble. They are also large. Taqueria Poblano is also very good and kid friendly but it is smaller and doesn't open until 1730. A group your size might have trouble getting in (besides having to make your way down Mt. Vernon Ave. -- not hard, but possibly more than you want to undertake. If you do, however, don't forget to go to the Del Ray Dreamery on the next block for frozen custard.)

Edited November 10, 2004 by SanFran88 (log)

[tammylc]

Thanks to whoever changed the title!

And thanks for all the suggestions. We're heading off to the airport in an hour or so.

[tammylc]

Thanks again, everyone. We really only got to one place of your recommendations - Jaleo, and it was pretty good. At least, I thought it was good, but everyone else thought it was entirely unmemorable, except for SteveKLC's desserts, which were phenemonal.

Thursday night we just wandered into the Crystal City Shops and went to King Street Blues, where one of our group had been on previous trips. Good basic food. My husband's ribs were fall-off-the-rib tender, and the sauce was good, but the ribs themselves were a little on the flavorless side. I had a passable meatloaf that was redeemed by a mound of very good garlic mashed potatoes, and what must have been an entire head of perfectly steamed broccoli! They were amazingly accomodating of the kids, bringing over a big piece of cornbread for the one year old to munch on while we were figuring out what to order.

Friday was a field trip to Baltimore to visit the National Aquarium, and since I'd failed to ask for suggestions for the Inner Harbor -and- we were short on time -and- it was raining, we ended up at California Pizza Kitchen. 'Nuff said. The trip back from Baltimore was hell because of an accident on the highway and at least an hour of stop and go traffic, with one of our party having a migraine that got steadily worse... So there was no going out that night.

Instead we looked through the tourist/restaurant guide in the room and found a Thai Restaurant whose only recommendation was "We Deliver" in big letters. Luckily for us, it was really quite good. The restaurant was Top Thai, and we tried the pad thai, green curry and beef stirfried with basil and chili oil.

The next evening was our night for one nice meal, and we chose Jaleo over Oyamel - I would have gone with Oyamel, but I was overruled. We ordered a bunch of tapas, then a bunch more when we were still hungry, then some excellent desserts. Highlights were the two rice dishes we tried - the black rice with cuttlefish, and the rice with mushrooms and smoked cheese, both of which were excellent. The marinated anchovies, roasted sweet onions and rosemary lamb chops were really good. There was much debate over which of the desserts was the best, but I have to say that my "Basque cake with semolina cream, cinnamon-vanilla sauce & ice milk" was one of the best desserts I've had this year. But as I said above, no one else was much impressed. Might have been that we were all distracted by the three kids, two of whom were having overtired meltdowns periodically. The restaurant was certainly kid-accepting, if not entirely kid-friendly, but we should have planned to eat at 5:30 instead of 6:15...

And that was it. Good trip - it was really all about having fun with friends, not the food. My next trip to DC in two weeks will be more about the food. Minibar on Friday, and The Taberna del Alabardero on Saturday - I'm bringing my stepmom to do childcare!

Thanks again.

[Chef Shogun]

Thursday night we just wandered into the Crystal City Shops and went to King Street Blues, where one of our group had been on previous trips.

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On behalf of Crystal City, I'm sorry you had to see that.

I've heard that Oyamel is much better than Jaleo. I've been to Oyamel many many times since it opened, but never to Jaleo. I'm going tonight for the first time, so we'll see.