Brownstone, Riverview, and Rockwells

New Year's Eve celebrations have made me think about good places that you can take your kids for dinner while still being able to have a drink.  Places that are for adults but it's not a big deal to bring your kids.  There is no play land but there is a kids menu.  A few of our favorites are listed below.

Brownstone Tavern and Grill
3937 N. Lincoln Ave.

I think this restaurant/bar has really good food.  It is mostly bar type food - burgers, sandwiches, fried stuff - but done really well.  I love the fish tacos.  Kids menu is dino nuggets, burgers, and hot dogs.  As far as atmosphere, it's definitely a sports bar and I wouldn't take my kids there past 8 on a Saturday night or in the middle of a Texas (the school that the bar is associated with)football game but for an early dinner it's a great place to go.  And if you are there on the early side you will definitely see other families eating there as well.  In the summer they set up tables outside, which is a nice place to sit with your family.  There is metered parking available on Lincoln. 

Riverview Tavern
1958 W. Roscoe

I love Riverview.  I think the food is great.  It's mostly just sandwiches and burgers but really good.  My favorites are a blackened chicken sandwich called the Fireball, and a vegetarian sandwich with avocado, mozzarella, and pesto called the Comet.  I always get tator tots instead of fries because they are so good.  For the kids you can order pizza, which is actually made at Robey Pizza Company located nest door and owned by the same group.  Robey has great pizza and that is what my kids always want.  The inside is typical bar - nothing too fancy.  There is a big room in the back that is good for families and in warmer months they set up tables outside, which is where we like to sit.  As with Brownstone, Riverview has sports associations, especially during football season, so you may not want to go with your family during a big game.  There is metered parking on Roscoe but it is usually not hard to find free parking in the neighborhood.  Also, it is a bit of a walk from the Paulina Brown Line stop but definitely possible is you have a stroller or a kid who doesn't mind walking.


Rockwells
4632 N. Rockwell

The food here is pretty average but there is something about the atmosphere that is really enjoyable.  Maybe because all of the other customers are nonjudgmental parents just glad to be able to get out for dinner with their kids.  Food is pretty much sandwiches, burgers and salads and the kids menu is standard kid fare of chicken fingers, burgers, and such.  The best thing about the restaurant, for my kids, is that on the way out they can pick a sucker out of a basket near the door.  In addition, my kids love that you can step outside and watch the CTA trains coming and going from the station just down the block.  Beer is the drink of choice here with lots of options on tap.  Rockwells is located right off the Rockwell stop on the Brown Line and there is usually plenty of metered parking in front of the restaurant.  If you are patient and don't mind walking a couple of blocks you can probably find free street parking nearby.

The Fudge Pot

When we were in Old Town last week we were able to stop at one of our favorite places, the Fudge Pot (1532 N. Wells).  The smell, when you open the door of this chocolate shop, is so heavenly you just want to breathe it all in.  The shop is small and full of display cases that show off all of the amazing things you can order made out of chocolate like animals, cars, flowers, boxes - just about anything you can imagine.  Most of those type of items need to be pre-ordered but there are plenty of yummy things in the store you can take home that day.  Our personal favorites are the barks.  They come in milk, white, and dark chocolate and you can choose almond, macadamia nut, coconut, crunch, and more.  They also sell a wide variety of fudge, chocolate candies, caramel apples, and other chocolate covered items like strawberries and pretzels.  Everything is so good!  When we were there last, our daughters got giant chocolate Rudolph suckers and they really couldn't have been happier.  This is a great place to get a Christmas gift or to just indulge during the holiday season.  They are open seven days a week from noon until 10 PM (midnight on Friday and Saturday nights).

Little Town of Bethlehem

The North Park Covenant Church (5320 N. Christiana) hosted an event last weekend that just blew me away.  In the basement of the church they set up a market to represent Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth.  We weren't really expecting much and had decided to stop by just to remind the kids why Christmas is celebrated but we were amazed at how great it was.  When we got there, the church was really crowded but there were costumed guides to direct you where to go.  In the basement it was very hot but they had people to take your coats.  Once we got through the long line to enter the girls had a really great time.  There were lots of little booths set up with activities for kids to do based on what you might find during that time period.  For example, kids could make jewelry out of clay, make a toy at the carpentry booth, dig for gems in sand, make candles and lots of other fun things.  In addition, outside there was a live nativity with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and a whole host of animals.  The whole event was free of charge.  My daughters had such a good time they are still talking about it almost a week later.  The event was only for one night last weekend but it was so good that if you missed it I would definitely recommend looking it up next year.  My girls are already planning on it.   

Noble Horse Theatre

As I've mentioned a hundred times I have two horse obsessed daughters.  This year, as a special treat, we decided to go see the Nutcracker on horseback at the Nobel Horse Theatre in Old Town (1410 N. Orleans).  I was a little uncertain about what to expect (what is the Nutcracker on horseback?!) but I have to say it was such a good time for all of us.  The theatre is unlike any other I have been to.  It is in a historic stable that has been around since the late 1800s.  The stable houses the performance horses as well as the horses that provide carriage rides throughout the City.  Seating is open so as you walk into the theatre an usher directs you where to sit.  The rows are designed like a stadium so that each row is higher than the row in front. The difference in height between each row is even better than at the movies, however.  Even a small kid is able to see over an adult sitting in front of them.  Although I usually recommend getting anywhere early, there probably isn't a seat in the whole theatre where you would not be able to see the show.  The rows are also pretty wide so it's easy to get out if you need to and there was even plenty of room for my youngest daughter to dance for awhile.  The "stage" or area where the performance occurs is a dirt floor that barely looks big enough for horses to run around in, certainly not big enough to do the stuff that they do.

The show is, for the most part, the classic Nutcracker story with a few additional elements thrown in.  I have to say that the way they integrated the story with the horses was very good and the stuff that the horses and their riders can do is truly amazing.  I don't want to give any of the show away because I think one of the best things about it, for us, was that we didn't know what to expect.

We went to a Sunday matinee where the price of tickets is $30/adult and $20/child.  For matinees the length of the show is about 60 minutes and evening shows are about 75 minutes. The price for the evening performances is $35/adult and $22/child.  The action and story will definitely keep young children's interest for the duration of the show.  Especially since they can get up and move around a little bit if they need to.

The theatre and this show is perfect for kids.  Making noise isn't an issue, you can get up during the performance without bothering anyone else, and kids are able to have a good view no matter where you sit.  In fact, towards the end of the show, when the action starts to get exciting, the audience was yelling and pounding on the tables in front of  them (this certainly doesn't happen when the Joffrey performs the Nutcracker).  My daughters had so much fun during that part of the show. 

You can bring in your own food and drinks and I would suggest doing that if it is convenient for you and you think your kids will want a snack.  They sell popcorn, soda, and water but my husband stood in line forever to get some.  Maybe part of the reason the concession line was so long was because guy making the popcorn  also played the prince in the show.  I believe during the evening performances dinner is available.  Another tip, wear a sweater because it is chilly inside.  You are allowed to bring your camera but it was really dark in the theatre and none of our pictures really turned out.  After the show audience members can go down the the performance area to meet the horses.  Also, for a fee, children can ride on the horses for a few minutes.

There is a free parking lot at the theatre but it only holds 25 cars and it works on a first come first serve basis.  Since it was a Sunday we were able to park for free on Goethe but there is also metered parking and a pay parking lot on Sedgwick.  Also, the Sedgwick stop on the Brown Line is just a short walk to the theatre.

Every year the Nutcracker begins at the end of November and runs through the end of December.  In December there are shows on most days.  Several other shows are performed at the theatre throughout the year as well and tickets can be bought online through the theatre's website www.noblehorsechicago.com.