I love trying out new places. Places to play, places to visit and especially places to eat.
When you have kids, trying anything new can be a bit scary. What if they don’t find anything they like? God forbid they start crying and complaining that mac ‘n’ cheese is not on the menu. Hey, I might cry about that too!
If there’s one thing I learned about eating out with kids, it’s that you have to make it fun. I actually enjoy trying new things with my kiddos. Do they always share my excitement? No, but the point is they try.
Just recently we ventured to Encinitas and ate brunch at St. Tropez Bistro & Beyond. I planned this visit earlier in the week since I was celebrating my 35th birthday! I wasn’t expecting perfection, just cooperation.
Here’s how I got the kids, and Daddy, ready for eating out at this new place.
Tips for Trying New Restaurants With Kids
1. I turned it into an adventure. I told them we were going to eat by the beach. This made it sound a little more exciting. Not only were they going to eat at this new and interesting place, but they just might get to go to the beach too.
2. I did my research. I scoped out the menu and identified some items I knew they might like. Then I talked about them, “this sandwich sounds yummy! I can’t wait to try it!” I hyped this place up by sharing some of their popular foods and items they might like to order. I took it a step further with Pinky by showing her photos and playing to her interests. Since she learned about the Eiffel Tower, she has made it known that one day she’d to travel to France. I was able to talk to her about how the name of this restaurant is also a place in the very destination she will one day visit.
3. I talked about getting something for free. Yes! Even kids get excited about getting things for free. Maybe it makes them feel special!? Daddy and I were also pretty excited about this. Do you feel me? Okay, but kids totally eat free on Wednesday’s at St. Tropez. Up to two kids can order free kids menu dishes, with the purchase of an adult entree and drink.
If you can set expectations for your family when trying out a new place they will be happy to oblige, most of the time. Sometimes, the younger ones need more convincing. That’s when you let them pick out the biggest pastry from the pile! And that’s exactly what we did, and everyone was happy!
St. Tropez Favorites
Thank goodness I prepared my family and was not discouraged about trying out a new restaurant with the kids. We would have missed out on all of this amazing food.
Everything was delicious, but our personal favorites were the big cinnamon roll, the banana, Nutella and pecan crepes and their hot white mocha coffee! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Pinky loved her turkey sandwich, and she’s a pretty biggest food critic in our family.
Our “adventure” was a huge success. I love that we were able to talk about the things we anticipated. We even had an exciting and memorable moment that I was not able to catch on camera.
We all froze when a pigeon flew into the cafe and tried to exit from the window behind Daddy and Pinky. Poor bird was terrified, so were we, but the bird was frantically trying to get out of the situation. Luckily a kind lady gently led the scared bird out and on its way. The kids were so excited to share this story with friends and family.
Afterwards we checked out some of the local shops and drove by the beach!
What’s My Point
I guess my point is…don’t be afraid to try new places just because you have the kids in tow. You never know what exciting adventures and memories may arise. Cease the day and don’t forget to stop into St. Tropez for Kids Eat Free Wednesdays!
St. Tropez Bistro & Beyond
947 S. Coast Hwy 101 #103
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760)633-0084
Disclaimer: We recieved a complimentary meal to share details about the restaurant’s new promotion. All opinions are our own.