It's Time to go Royal Street Strollin!

Some people are Jazz Festers, some French Quarter Festers, but to each his own. My favorite NOLA event is the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience’s Royal Street Stroll. There is nothing more relaxing then browsing through million dollar jewels, art and antiques at M.S. Rau or visiting the Historic New Orleans Collection with a glass of wine in your hand. Galleries and shops in the 300-900 blocks of Royal Street stay open late to host the strollers.

Get a babysitter and enjoy a night out with an endless glass of wines from around the world. The event is from 5:30 – 8:30PM and covers the 300 – 900 Blocks of Royal Street. Tickets are $75 a person in advance.

The event will feature food samples from Antoine’s, Drago’s, Bourbon House, Cuco’s, GW Fins, NOLA Restaurant and the Pelican Club.

Anchoring the Royal Street Stroll and will be the Hotel Montelone’s Rock the Block. In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the hotel, music by the Bag of Donuts from 5:30 – 8:30 will play in the 200 block of Royal Street in front of the hotel. Republic National Beverage will provide Margueritas, Firefly Vodka and Bacardi Hurricane.

No children are welcome so take advantage of it! Put down the bottles and the diapers and enjoy a night out!

Bottles Up!

So Brett Anderson at the Times Picayune has red beans and Tom Fitzmorris has stars, but Crawfish Tales has bottles!

As one of the most popular posts so far on Crawfish Tales, Are You or Aren't You, has prompted me to keep a log of the most baby friendly places in the Greater New Orleans area. Tell me where are your favorite places and why, or who needs a little improvement to make baby the most comfortable there.

Rankings will be listed by bottles, four bottles is the top score meaning that the welcome mat is out for baby. Let's give credit where credit is due.

When you are out and about check out the place. Is there a kids menu, highchairs, a changing table, can you fit a stroller through the aisles, what is that key element that makes it baby friendly for you.

Email your rankings and comments to crawfishtalesblog@gmail.com.

Are you or aren’t you?

Are you kid friendly or not kid friendly? That is the question. There are a few kid friendly criteria your restaurant should meet before targeting families as your customers. Go beyond providing two crayons and a coloring sheet to providing a fully thought through experience for your diner.

 Just because a restaurant has a kids menu does not make it child friendly and the same thing goes for a store selling children’s clothes. Have you thought through you customer experience? Does your restaurant have the appropriate baby gear to meet your customer’s needs? Do you think about the parent’s experience dining with a child?

As a new parent I had not thought of these things as necessities till recently but the restaurants that successfully meet the following needs are my top choices. Here is the recipe:

•          Call Ahead Waiting. Waiting for an hour and a half before you get to the table is a recipe for disaster for the parents and the fellow diners. Children no matter what the age, have short attention spans, are frequently hungry and almost always tired and cranky. Parents have a small window of time to get in, dine and get the kids home. Help out by offering call ahead waiting. 
•          Comfortable Tables. I don’t mean cushy seats. I am talking about a table away from the drafty door as little kids are sensitive to the temperature. Also a table not in the walkway. As graceful as people think they are both wait staff and other patrons bump tables and chairs. Let’s not run the risk of someone knocking the baby carrier over or waking a sleeping child.
•          Secure Seating. I don’t want to just sit the baby carrier on the seat and hope that no one bumps the chair. Two plus a high chair, please. I don’t want just any high chair; I want the baby sling that can accommodate the baby carrier or the high chair that can be flipped over. Both of these options will keep baby safe and secure while mommy and daddy enjoy a nice glass of wine and a tasty dinner.
•          Kids First. Restaurants that bring the kids meals before the parents’ entrees get brownie points. This is a simple and much appreciated gesture. There are a few key reasons why this is needed. Kids are hungry from when they walk in the door. Keep them calm by keeping them busy…eating. Parents can get the kids fed and then when their meal arrives they can actually enjoy what they ordered without stopping every few seconds to cut up chicken tenders.
•         A Changing Station. If you have a kids menu, obviously you are expecting kids in your restaurant. Have you provided a place for diapers to be changed? I think this should be a part of operating requirements but anyways. Make sure there is a place to change a baby. Having a pedestal sink and no Koala station is not helpful. Get a counter top before I have the urge to use my table as a changing station.

Making your restaurant kid friendly is easy and is not a budget item. Most of your employees probably have kids. Treat them to dinner on the house and ask them to document their experience. Then send them over to your competitor and see how you rank.

This is so important parents that Open Table has begun giving awards for Top 50 Kid Friendly Restaurants., http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?pid=386.