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Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

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Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

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Local Flavor Dining Guide Summer // 2016

Planning pointers for a fun night out on the town

Planning a night out on the
town with family and friends
can be a fun experience.
Scouring the most popular
hotspots and the newest
restaurants falls far short of
burdensome, and those tasked
with such a responsibility often enjoy the opportunity to
get out of the house and soak
up some local culture.
As fun as such planning
can be, hosts must consider
the needs of all who plan to
attend before making any final decisions. The following
are a few ways hosts can ensure everyone enjoys a night
to remember for all the right
reasons.
Consider finances. Dinner
at the hottest restaurant in
town might sound like a
grand idea, but hosts must
consider if such a feast is affordable for everyone on the
invitation list. Hot new
restaurants or established locales where reservations are
hard to come by tend to be
expensive, so hosts should
make sure everyone can afford such hotspots before
making any reservations.
Peruse menus online
when looking for a restaurant, paying particular attention to the average cost of
an entree at each restaurant
youre considering.
When planning a dinner
for an especially large party,
call each restaurant to determine if they offer limited
menus to larger parties.
Many restaurants do this for

parties of 15 or more, charging a set price per person and

that price is not always less
expensive than it would be to
dine a la carte. When necessary, find a restaurant where
the cost per person is within
reason so no one feels like
they need to skip the night
out on the town due to financial constraints.
Choose a central location.
Whether youre getting together for a sit-down dinner
or just drinks, choose a location thats easily accessible
for everyone on the guest list.
Doing so increases the likelihood that guests will make it
out. A location thats near to
all also allows both you and
your guests to spend more
time together and less time
traveling.
Choose a location thats
accessible by public transportation. In addition to finding a central location, hosts
also should look for a location with easy access to public transportation. This helps
guests avoid sitting in traffic,
and its also safe when nights
out on the town will involve
drinking alcohol, reducing
the risk that you or your
guests will get behind the
wheel when its safer to take
a subway, train or cab.
Consider the needs of
every guest. When planning a
night on the town, hosts must
consider the needs of each individual guest before making
any reservations or concrete
plans. For example, if the

Planning a night out on the town is a fun responsibility, but also one that requires careful consideration of a host of factors.

group includes a guest with a

physical disability, then any
gathering spot you choose
must be wheelchair accessible and have wheelchair accessible restrooms.
Another thing to consider
is each guests lifestyle
choices. If one guest does not
consume alcohol, then try to
organize a night out on the
town that involves more than
just hopping from bar to bar.
Solicit ideas. If youre hav-

ing trouble planning a fun

night for all, solicit some
ideas from those you invited.
Just because youre hosting
the gathering and acting as
the go-to guy or gal for those
with questions about the
night does not mean you
cant ask some questions of
your own.
Ask guests what they want
to do, and remember that no
idea is too outlandish. If you
decide to center the night on

a particular activity, just

make sure its something
everyone on the guest list can
participate in.
Be specific when sharing
information
about
the
night. Once all of the plans
have been made, be as specific as possible when sharing those plans.
Give an address for each
place you plan to visit on the
night and encourage guests to
make use of their cars GPS

systems or online navigation

websites so everyone gets
there without any trouble.
Charge your cellular phone
right before you head out for
the night so the phone does
not die should anyone call
and ask for last-minute directions or instructions.
Planning a night out on the
town is a fun responsibility,
but also one that requires
careful consideration of a
host of factors.

Enjoy dining out with the kids

Parents know taking kids
out to eat requires patience.
The sights and sounds of a
restaurant can be overwhelming and distracting to children
used to eating at home.
Toddlers have not learned
to control their impulses
yet, and even school-aged
children may experience intermittent
breakdowns
when they are uncomfortable or not feeling well. But
parents who want to take
their tots out on the town
can employ some easy steps
to make eating out a fun excursion for everyone.

Practice

Daniel Post Senning, the

great-grandson of etiquette
expert Emily Post and coauthor of Emily Posts Etiquette, 18th Edition, says
parents can practice dining
out by replicating the experience (as much as possible)
at home. Ask the children to
use inside voices and exhibit

proper behavior at the dinner

table. Remove children from
the table if they misbehave
and try again another time.
Parents also can acclimate
their youngsters to dining
out by gradually working
their way up to more formal
restaurants. Start by dining
out at a place where table
behavior or noise may be
more tolerable, such as a
fast-food restaurant, before
moving on to a casual
restaurant and then a nicer
restaurant when kids can
handle it.

Provide
distractions

Many young children cannot sit still for long and may
need a series of distractions
to keep them entertained
throughout meals. Pack a
bag of tricks that includes
toys, games, books, and
even a digital device tuned
to kids favorite programs.
Pick restaurants that do

not have a long wait to get a

seat so that kids patience
has not worn thin before
you even make it to the
table. A sightseeing walk
around the restaurant also
may be able to provide a
welcome distraction until
the food is ready.

Pack snacks

Although the goal may be

to eat out, kids may not be
as patient as adults when
waiting for their meals to be
delivered. Ask servers to
bring out the kids meals
when appetizers are served
or think ahead and have
some light snacks, such as
crackers or dry cereal, available to tame hunger pangs.

Choose
restaurants wisely

Make concessions as to
where and when you eat.
Coordinate around nap times
so children will be happy

and well-rested.
Select restaurants that accommodate children. Ask to
be seated out of the way just
in case your son or daughter
acts up. This way you will
not disturb other patrons.
Restaurants tend to be less
busy right before dinner
service and directly after. If
you can time your meals to
these off-peak hours, it may
make for a more enjoyable
dining experience.

Offer plenty
of praise

Always let children know

when they are doing a great
job and behaving well in a
restaurant. Engage kids in
conversation and keep them
entertained. Boredom or attention-seeking behavior can
make dining out with youngsters more difficult to manage.
A treat or a special reward
(sticker or coloring book) can
be offered to a child who behaves when dining out.

Practice, patience and choosing the right times to dine

can make dining out with children a positive experience
for families.

Be courteous
and respectful

Many
children
will
eventually act up in restaurants, and parents should
respond to such instances
as courteously as possible.
Apologize to those around
you whom your child has
disturbed. Remove your
son or daughter from the
area and take a few moments to help him or her
calm down. If kids cant be
calmed down, ask that your

meal be wrapped.
Remember to clean up after yourselves and thank the
wait staff for any extra service, such as lugging a heavy
high chair or providing extra silverware if kids drop
any forks or spoons. Dont
leave a large mess for the
server, and tip accordingly.
Children grow accustomed to dining out over
time. It may take some
practice, but with the right
planning, families can enjoy
meals away from home.

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