Kids... and avoiding them

02/07/2007 Vivian K. says:

it's inevitable due to the fact that the human population is essentially horny about 98% of the time...  i don' t have too many recommendations for columbia, solely because it is a suburb and you've already mentioned who lives in a suburb..... but if you don't mind the drive to dc or to the nearest metro in, i'm sure DC has a lot of things that aren't catered to families.

02/07/2007 alexis g. says:

Just move to D.C., or even a closer suburb.

02/12/2007 Gaelle P. says:

yep move to DC,or maybe New york...

02/12/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Not a bad call.  I might just do that.  Maybe I should give the West Coast a spin...

03/16/2007 Monique "Xotiqa" M. says:

...it's hard to tell if you're being sarcastic with your last entry.Certainly picking up and moving is easier said than done and if it were indeed an easy option for you (which I'm sure you've already considered if it were an option) you would've done so w/out anyone having to suggest it,right?.....DUH!!!!

I definately feel you about the kid situation.Honestly,other people's kids are always a pain in MY a*s.However,I don't kow of any "kid free" restaurants.....(believe me,hunny.I'd be the 1st in line!!!!) When you think about it,most-if not all, resturants are catered to family's.You could consider the time of day,and the day of the week you patron these resturants.Mosts kids aren't up and about past 9....I said MOST.You are sure to find one parent (...who should be shot...) that has their kid(s) out late,but not often.

GOOD LUCK!!!!........and holla at your girl when you do find that "nuisance-free" place!!!! *wink*

03/17/2007 Erik M. says:

Have you tried Camelot? I'm not really sure how the food is, but I can guarantee you that you won't be bumping into any kids there.  18th and M.  Ask for Peaches. Not the peaches, just Peaches.  I bet they'll give you a Yelp discount too, just insist at the door.

03/19/2007 Monique "Xotiqa" M. says:

Erik,

....isn't Camelot a gentleman's club?....lol....ya'll are crazy....

03/19/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Hmm.  Gentleman's club.  Good call.

Moving for me isn't as big a deal as it is for most.  I was in the military for some time, and the roots I have in this area are not likely to atrophy after I leave.  I've actually been looking at a few venues abroad.  It isn't likely that I'll make that move in the next year, but in the next two or three it is very likely.

I suppose that, for now, I'll take a mix of all of your advice.  Maybe I should more actively seek out "hole in the wall" places.

04/05/2007 Lucy B. says:

I just love Iron Bridge Restaurant. It is located off of 108 west just off of rt 29. It is about 2 or 3 miles down on the left. You can't miss it. This is definitely NOT for kids. I don't have children and feel just like you. I'm not from Columbia, but do get out an about for business and to see friends.  Here is some more information... you will not be disapointed. It may be crowded, but that means it is excellent food and great atmosphere. I promise.

Iron Bridge Wine Co http://www.ironbridgew...
10435 State Route 108, Columbia, 21044 - (410) 997-3456

04/05/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Killer.  I'll check that place out.

04/05/2007 Ashley M. says:

I don't know about MD, but I live by the U St metro in DC and I almost never see families with kids out in the restaurants and venues of the area. It is mostly a young adult crowd, 20s-30s. I imagine you would find the same in the nearby neighborhoods such as Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle, etc. Generally it seems like if you get to know where the young professionals hang, you'll find the child-less places. I think the older the people in the community, naturally, the more children you'll find. That's my two cents. :)

04/12/2007 Becki "because you are entitled to my opinion" W. says:

You can also move to Hollywood, where even though they have kids, adults are 95% responsible for the temper tantrums.

04/12/2007 Sam R. says:

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

LOL.

04/12/2007 Chloe "azerbaiwhat?" F. says:

As I am not familiar with columbia at all and live in DC in the columbia heights/u street area, i cant guess what your options are....but assuming you have some options....pick places where the menus are a bit on the uppity end...uppity as in type of food (no mac and cheese or chicken fingers), maybe places with a lot of fish on the menu, maybe places with higher prices.

unfortunately it seems like kids run their parent's lives (hence the acceptability of tantrums these days) instead of the other way around...so if the kids dont like the menu then the parents probably wont bring them there...

good luck....
i'll save the conversation for where you'd like to move in europe for another day ;)

04/12/2007 Steve "I sing loud" G. says:

to avoid kids use contraceptives :)

04/13/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Nice.

08/07/2007 Sean "These are the wrong trousers" C. says:

I don't know if anyone is still looking at this conversation, but I happened across it looking for kid friendly recommendations.  Coming from the having kids side, but having spent a good deal of time living in New York and feeling as you do before I had kids, I just wanted to throw in my two cents.  Our experience is that other than fast food and chain restaurants, few restaurants are kid friendly (which to parents means they have menu options that kids will eat, high chairs and maybe crayons or other toys).  More and more people who have kids now don't want to give up being able to eat out and have a good meal, so you are probably seeing more of us out there.  This also explains why you see kudos to places that are kid friendly.  Still, I would say most upscale or trendy restaurants are not kid friendly, so you won't find a lot of families in them.  You might look out for high chairs and kids menus as a warning to stay away.  However, there may be parents out there who will try out non-kid friendly restaurants anyway. This is more likely to lead to the undesirable results you described.  I think ,though, if you look for places with velvet curtains and sleek euro style furniture with fancy lighting designs and people wearing the latest styles, you're not too likely to come across any screaming kids.  I don't know if there are places like that in Columbia, you may need to venture into D.C. for that.  There are a few places in Arlington like that -- I would say Guarapo and Harry's Tap House would fit the bill.

08/07/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Hey, I don't mind a little necroposting, and am guilty of it myself on many occasions.  I think you've pretty much hit the nail on the head.  When affluent folks become affluent couples and eventually affluent parents, they don't want to give up their favorite stomps (like everyone else).  Many parents can't/won't find reliable evening and late night child care, so if they want to enjoy that awesome stake, they have to bring their kids with.  I feel for them, and am happy for their success.  However, I'm single and intend to remain so for at least a good while.  (on a side note, I still find it odd that parents would bring small children to places that aren't obviously kid friendly, yet it happens all the time)

Anyway, those are some fine tips.  I've pretty much found that dining just about anywhere that doesn't have age requirements during regular meal hours will always mean running into families.  Though I shouldn't have to, I have taken to just having my meals either in higher-class places or much later in the evening or night, and that seems to work out just fine.  You almost never run into kids at 11:00 PM.  You almost never run into anyone after 11:00 PM.  I've also found that I almost never find kids at Indian food joints.  That's good news, because I crush me some Vindaloo!

08/09/2007 Thea "is not a valid Scrabble word" C. says:

Hahaha I never noticed that about Indian restaurants but I think you're right! Another one I rarely find kids in (in the east coast anyways) are Japanese restaurants. Also, there's hardly any Baltimore restaurants mentioned in this conversation so I'll put in my two cents. Some good ones in downtown are Brewer's Art (try a Ressurection while you're there!), the Owl Bar and pretty much all of Charles St. is virtually devoid of children. Also the Helmand for delicious Afghani in an upscale setting yet still relatively cheap. I suppose all the families all end up in the Inner Harbor (i.e. avoid it at all costs). Oh and if you want to do a full-on dinner and movie children-free, the Charles is a good place to go and then dinner either at the Zodiac (I recommend the duck) or Tapas Teatro (good Sangria though it's always packed!).

08/09/2007 Laura "Montezuma's Last Revenge" V. says:

I feel your pain.  I really do.  It seems now a days one cannot go ANYWHERE without a screaming child within the vicinity.  When I was a kid, I had a tantrum in public once.  There's a reason why I never had another one.  Anyway, I digress...

There's a restaurant in Chicago (I'll be darned if I can't remember the name right now though), that has signs on the doors "NO KIDS."  It has been a source of controversy for a long time now as parents with screaming children see it as their right to annoy everyone else with their child's meltdown.  The place however, has done a marvelous business.  Apparently, a lot of people enjoy going to a place that they know will be tantrum free.  I know I'd frequent them if I still lived in Chicago.

That being said, I don't know anywhere in Columbia, MD to send you.  But there's some good stuff on U street and in Dupont Circle that don't seem to draw the " parent-and-screaming-chi ld" crowd.

08/09/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Both good comments.  I've heard of the place in Chicago, and wish we had some around here.  I would give them so much business.  I heard there is a "no kids" airline.  If I can confirm this, there is a good chance that they will get 100% of my air business.  I sound like a crotchety old man, but I really don't mind kids.  I just don't want to have their tantrum in the way of a good event or to have them make a bad situation even worse.  Like screaming kids on a plane.  That's one of the worst things ever, 12 hours over the frickin' ocean with more kids than adults, and everyone is afraid to control them... grrrr...

08/09/2007 Sean "These are the wrong trousers" C. says:

Just to come to the defense of parents for moment.  I feel particularly qualified on this topic because before having kids, I really would have been in the same boat and I was myself very judgmental of parents with kids who acted out in public.  Now that I have kids, I am very self conscious of being in public and having that kind of episode with the kids and my wife and I do what we can to avoid it.  I think most, if not all, parents do.  Some are better at it than others, some kids are less likely to have tantrums in public, some are more obedient than others.  Essentially though it's a crap shoot.  My kids are very well behaved and have traveled on planes and eaten in restaurants quite a bit.  They  know the rules and 98% of the time they observe them.  Occasionally, something will happen to spark a tantrum, but it's not planned that way.  If it happens, we do try and get it under control or leave right away.  I'd say most parents are the same way, some may try to make it work unrealistically.  It is very stressful when tantrums happen and you should be glad you don't have to be the one to deal with it.  

One funny thing I've observed though is that in Europe, which I think many people would consider pretty cool, people eat in restaurants with their kids wherever you go and no one seems to mind.  In fact, especially in Italy, people come up to you all the time and want to see your kids and pinch their cheeks.  They even have the kids out pretty late.  I'm not saying Europe is better, but they accept kids, even other people's kids, as being a part of life and if kids have a tantrum, such is life.  Have another glass of wine.

08/09/2007 Nadine F. says:

Where is this airline, and do they fly to Asia?  I had the worst flight experience of my life last summer, going from London to Bangladesh, a flight that's made up of 95% families with small children.  The kids were throwing garbage everywhere, and one woman threw a dirty diaper in the aisle and thought it was unreasonable that the flight attendant wouldn't pick it up.  I slept for a total of 30 seconds during the 10-hour flight, and during those few moments, a kid stole my shoes.  I had to walk down the garbage-covered aisles to find them, and every step was " CRUNCH...CRUNCH....CRUNC H" under my feet.  Personally I think it would be better for everyone if there were certain flights reserved for families, and certain flights reserved for people without kids.

08/09/2007 Laura "Montezuma's Last Revenge" V. says:

Oy Nadine.  That sounds awful.  I couldn't even imagine.  At least in a restaurant, you could get up and leave.  Nothing like being trapped in hell for 10 hours.

08/10/2007 Jim A. says:

Late to a conversation again. There is no problem with kids in restaurants - the problem is with MISBEHAVED kids in restaurants. That said, if you want to avoid kids, go to bars that offer good food.

08/15/2007 reuben "the reub" j. says:

I am thankful for the suggestions. I, too, like kids-but when I see a family stumbling down the aisles of my favorite eatery, I find myself praying they don't seat them near me. This is also something I do on airplanes....
I'd rather just minimize contact while dining altogether....

08/15/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Yeah, that's where I am with all of this.  Kids are great, but I like the occasional outing without them around, screaming and crying.  By the by, I find statements that start with "I find in Europe..." to be considerably over generalizing.  I mean, that's like saying, "Based on my time in Big Fork, Montana, I find that all of America has an incredibly low crime rate."  

Europe is a very huge place with a very huge amount of different cultures.  To make sense of my point, I'll note that in most of Germany, I noticed that kids were to be seen and not heard.  In Britain, I found that children were cherished.  In Bulgaria, I found that children aren't safe anywhere they go.  There are parts of Europe where children get hit with large stones for talking.  In summary, Europe is big, and what is true in Spain may not be true in Algeria.  Also, how business is conducted in Europe does not effect my outing in the US.

08/16/2007 Sean "These are the wrong trousers" C. says:

Aaron, I can see you must be someone who likes kids because you have obviously done extensive sociological studies on children in each European country.  Still, I think your analogy is about as on target as Dick Cheney on a duck hunt, blindfolded, in the middle of Union Station.  

The point is that in some European countries, western ones, e.g., Italy, Spain, France, maybe Germany and the U.K., children are welcome almost anywhere and even young single people aren't horrified to see families in restaurants, but actually may even come up and want to play with the children.  Yes, even young straight, single men.  The reason?  I don't know.  Maybe children are more disciplined there and more spoiled here.  On the other hand, maybe people are just more accepting of them.  Maybe adults are more spoiled here.  It was just an observation.  I didn't conduct the extensive research you did.

08/16/2007 amy "tweentastic" p. says:

As Jim A. said, the problem isn't with kids, it's with misbehaved kids. I understand that some parents really do try and make an effort to teach their kids manners and implement rules when dining out, but there is a large population that does not do this. I think this problem extends beyond restaurants as well. There seems to be an epidemic of children running parents' lives, but not in a good, 'wow, we're so busy with taking our kids to their extracirricular activities' kind of way; rather, a bad, 'MY KID WANTS THAT NEW BRATZ DOLL RIGHT NOW AND I MUST BUY IT FOR HER', kind of way. Look at all those nanny 'reality' shows. What's up with this? Is it the rise in single parent families? Our capitalistic economy? The increased spending power of children (and an in crease in products being marketed to children)?

08/16/2007 Sean "These are the wrong trousers" C. says:

Amy, those are some good questions.  I don't think there is as much of an epidemic of bad behavior as you may think, at least not in my experience.  Clearly my wife and I have seen and cringed at other parents' lack of discipline and even privately made fun of other parents who spend all their time rushing from soccer practice to piano lessons to Wiggles concerts.  Still, our experience around other kids is that ,generally speaking, kids can be and are well behaved.  Ones that aren't, or are having a bad day stick out, unfortunately.  

I don't think it is so much the rise in single parents, though I'm sure that has some effect.  However, I have seen even families with a single parent still have well behaved children.  I think marketing toward children sets up greater expectations that get let down and cause behavior problems.  Overall, though, I think the number one issue is that we all, even the adults, have come to expect instant gratification all the time.  We can watch movies practically anytime and practically any movie without waiting for a time at the theater or until it comes on network TV.  We can eat virtually anything, anywhere, anytime.  We can go almost anywhere.  With a proliferation of malls and chain stores in local areas and the Internet, we can buy virtually anything anytime.  Generally speaking our expectation has become that we will take advantage of all these things even if we don't make enough money right now because we have credit cards and we think we'll make more later.  All the things that would have naturally enforced a level of self denial and discipline in prior generations are no longer there.  As a result, even the adults have to learn a certain level of discipline for themselves.  In any case, it becomes hard to deny kids when there is no reason to deny them other than you want them to learn self discipline or just avoid gluttony.  I do think these things are to blame to the extent there are more misbehaved kids now than before.  Also, though, I think the media doesn't help by making shows that emphasize parents who are out of control, ignorant or just uncool.

08/16/2007 Keane L. says:

Just run straight into them. You have to show them who's boss.

08/20/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Nice.  Sean C., thank you for acknowledging my supreme awesomeness and expertise in all fields of everything ever.  However, I think you are taking this a bit too personal, which is likely my fault for being a jerk.  Let me start by saying that I don't have anything against the kids, or the parents that take them to places where I might be going.  Half the time, I'm not even concerned about their temper tantrums.  In fact, the vast majority of my attempts to avoid them have more to do with my filthy mouth and a desire to be somewhat polite and accommodating to said kids and said parents.  The problem is, I am much more enjoyable when my dirty mouth is in full swing.  Speaking of which, I am sure I am coming off as pretty abrasive here as well.  Well, don't take it to heart, I'm a jerk to everyone.  

I also don't think we need to get too philosophical about the subject in this thread, though I would not be apposed to a separate thread on the subject.  I'm not sure I would post, but I'd read.  Your last post was interesting, and kind of points to issues that I'd like to hear (read) opinions on.  I think I agree with you that it may not be the fault of the parents or kids but more the fault of the general public that surrounds them, and see your overall point that other folks in other places don't see it as a problem at all... but I am not looking to fix the problem.  I'm just looking for the occasional side-step to it.  

As a side note, I still think my analogy is on the mark, but I do like your mention of Dick's shooting abilities.  I'd go hunting with you way before standing next to him... anywhere.  I have so many Dick Cheney jokes to share, but I don't know.  Wouldn't be prudent.

08/20/2007 reuben "the reub" j. says:

A day or so after I initially weighed in on this topic, I met a friend at the Diner in Adams Morgan. I was early, so i sat and waited. Or tried. The seating area was covered with fold up strollers....In what used to be one of my sanctuaries. Oh well. We went to my condo for grilled cheese and conversation instead....

08/21/2007 Sean "These are the wrong trousers" C. says:

I am not worthy of your awesomeness!

No offense has been taken, I just felt the need to defend the honor of fellow parents.  Not sure if they deserve it, but that's the kind of dude I am.  I point you back to my original post for suggestions relevant to this thread.  

Maybe we can trade some jokes offline sometime.

12/10/2007 Ingrid E. says:

As one of those single parents responsible for the downfall of society, here's my take:

We were all children once, even though we seem to forget that. And no, you probably were not as well-behaved as your hazy memory would have you believe. Society at that time was accomodating to you as a child, and accomodates your flaws - road rage, not holding doors, cheap tipping, attitudes at work, cheating on your girl/ boyfriend, not calling your mother, impatience with the barista - as an adult. For children to learn social equiette and become sophiscated, well-rounded members of society , they must actually participate in society, not shunned from public view.  Learning proper manners is a process like any other. There seems to be a common meme among many, but not all, childless people - it's okay to be smug with a little nasty unlying tone about parents and kids. Hell they should be seen and not heard, maybe on breeding co-ops.

Let's be clear: I am in no way apolgetic for taking my daughter to what YOU think is your exclusive preserve. You will not find her at bars, nightclubs, movies or other adult oriented establishments after 9p. If the sight of her round-cheeked face or high-pitched voice annoys you due to its existence, too bad! Quite possible that your loud-braying laugh, nasal voice quality or dirty looks annoys me! The point is others give you leeway, so in a civil society, the same is expected, even if the receipient is a 5 year old. If you find an untenable situation clearly lacking in consideration (i.e. kicking chairs, stealing shoes, etc), then address the parents and possibly managment directly. Most parents are on top of their game, some are not.

My kid understands how to behave in nice restos because - note snark - she frequents said restos! You name it - Indian, Tapas, Lebanese, Chinese, Italian, etc; no where is safe! Ha, ha!  She vacations  to destinations like Turks and Caicos, Bermuda and Europe. Likely that she's been to more and better restuarants/ destinations than half the adults posting here.

I find it incredibly  infantile and silly that someone called for separate airplanes for families! Maybe heightened intolerance and the expectation of child-filled difficulty colors your attitude prior to any such incident. You same people are willing to tolerate an adult boar yelling at the table next to you, but the sight of someone under 10yrs. ruins your meal? Grow up and behave!

PS. When you're old and gray, remember this convo when the children disregard, mock and refuse to accomodate you.

12/10/2007 Kevin "Public Servant" L. says:

That made me giggle.  I'll reiterate.  Silly breeders.

12/10/2007 Mariko F. says:

The point of this thread wasn't putting kids down, it was, at least as far as I understand it, to point out places that children don't frequent. Just as it is your prerogative to take your daughter anywhere, it is people's prerogative to go to places where children aren't around. And some people just don't like kids. That's their business. Just as you are free to take your daughter anywhere, people should be free to talk about where to go to be away from her. You are free to start a thread talking about all the places that are great for kids... to each their own...

12/10/2007 Mary Kay "(Well) Seasoned Yelper" S. says:

When I'm old and gray I plan to go to Chuck E. Cheese and scare the little kids by yelling at them to be quiet and stop having so much darn fun while I'm trying to gum my pizza.  Then I'm gonna pee in the ball cage.  Oh, and for fun I'll leave a used Depends in the bathroom. What goes around comes around :-)

12/10/2007 Jason "Sheriff John Stone" C. says:

Heh heh heh... pee in the ball cage :) Be sure to shake your fist and say "Dang kids dagnabbit!"

When working at a gas station oh so many years ago, someone did indeed "gift" us with a used Depends in the customer restroom. Guess who hadda clean it up?

12/10/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

I find it amazing that this conversation can bring up so much emotion in people.  Mariko has stated my intentions best:  Your kid is fine.  Most kids are fine.  Most of the time, I am neither upset nor freaked out by kids.  I like kids... mostly.  I live in a town that is very kid oriented, and I wouldn't if I really couldn't stand them.  It's probably good for society for a town to be like this.  I wanted to find a few places where I could be an adult, not upset the kids while I'm being a jerk, and not have kids around.  Kids do not equal "Grrr, I hate everything ever", but if I'm already in that mood and anyone gets nuts (which kids do.  No one's fault, don't take it personally, it just happens.  That's their job.  They get paid for it.  Ask the union), I'll be less pleasant.

No one has to defend being a parent, having kids, or taking their kid somewhere.  Being a parent has to be tough, and society will only benefit from accommodating parents and their kids.  It's cool.  For the record:
1) This pretty much got settled when I realized that most young kids are in bed before 9:00 PM... an hour before I like to make ruckus... and that they won't be at bars.
2) I was never a kid.  I coalesced from stars, and will one day ruin this world with my anger.
3) I feel worse for the kids around me than for myself, because I am a terrible influence on adults... imagine how the kids'll end up.  (Kids'll.  It's a word, spell-check!  ADD)
4) When I'm old and gray, I'm gunna do so many drugs and drive so recklessly...
5) I think I started this whole thing because I was very hung over (which I often am).  I'm sure everyone understands that.

12/10/2007 amy "tweentastic" p. says:

Hahaha Mary Kay S., those are the best pursuits ever.

12/10/2007 Ingrid E. says:

It certainly is anyone's perogative to have such opinions and to express them. Am I the moderator?

Nonetheless, it is also my perogative to comment, disagree or agree without being invited to another thread, thank you. (Note unlying tone I discussed above.) The convo descended from places to frequent without the "little darlings" to a lack of gracious discourse on the subject. Ergo, my comment.

PS. Chucky Cheese vignette was really funny though...no diatribe or rant necessary. ;o)
PPS. Luckily, we don't do Chucky Cheese or anything in that category.

12/10/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Hey, I take offense to that.  No wait... no I don't.  

On a side note, I've always wondered if parents enjoy Charles E. Cheeze more than the kids.  I mean, I do.  I think the place is awesome... but there's no booze, so I go to Dave & Busters now.  Tokyo 911 is the hizzy!

12/10/2007 Ingrid E. says:

Aaron, no apology necessary!

I didn't take your post as a "I hate da kids" thing. And even if you did, it wouldn't bother me - that would be your choice.

There are times for adult activity and recreation, same as a proper time for kids. What would SoBe or WeHo be with kids out and about?!? Snooze....

Believe me, parents love to get out, sexy and wasted on occasion...many occasions in my case. Heh, heh! Unfortunately, others turned your post into something different; an opportunity to be uncharitable.  I responded to the "underlying tone", not your request for information.

My contribution to the ORIGINAL POST is: Tabard Inn (cute fireplace) and Mama Ayeshas (romantic), both in DC.

When you become the Old Druggie Overlord of All Bars, please give fair warning! :o)

12/10/2007 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

I love fooding & drinking joints with fireplaces.

12/10/2007 Mariko F. says:

In that case, Ingrid, I apologize for taking your previous post as a "children rule the world, how dare you diss them."

12/10/2007 Ingrid E. says:

Thank you Mariko!

No worries....and I hope you realize I wasn't being mean or a pisser to anyone...my apology if it was taken that way.

02/05/2008 Emily "American Wife" C. says:

As someone who is a mom to three kids (I had twins the second time around. yes. unexpected.) I definitely understand. We DO NOT take our kids out to nice restaurants where it's pretty obviously not a "family" restaurant out of the goodness of our hearts. We do take them out to the bars sometimes, though.

Anyway, may I suggest XS? I realize you were looking for something in Columbia, and good luck with that. The only thing I could suggest in Columbia is Sushi Sono. Anyway, back to XS. It's one of our favorite places to eat. It's quiet, there's a broad variety of foods, and we have always had great service. Great music too, which is always a plus.
www.xsbaltimore.com

02/05/2008 Aaron "Just Leave the Bottle" R. says:

Dude, that place looks awesome.  I'll have to check it out.

02/05/2008 Joye "Out of town till 9/1" P. says:

Almost any restaurant on U Street, in Dupont, or Adams Morgan or West End will be kid-free and suit your needs. I recommend Oohs and Aahs soul food on U Street.

02/12/2008 John "Buddhalicious" R. says:

I agree with Joye, most mid to upscale restaurants are nearly kid free merely because of the prices and parents don't want to deal.  Also eat towards the later end of the night - 7ish or so.  I imagine people with kids have dinner more like at 5pm, right?

Since you live in Columbia, Baltimore definitely has much to offer.  Fells Point and Federal Hill will be nearly kid free, Canton might tend more towards families.

02/24/2008 Kathy "MaybeKathy" T. says:

I don't know where people are eating that there are no kids in Indian or Japanese restaurants because in Columbia/Ellicott City there are plenty of kids in both. Given the "family friendly" nature of Columbia, I'm not sure it is p[possible to find a kid-free zone. No matter how in appropriate the situation, people bring their kids. I was at an R-rated movie at Columbia mall the other night, for the 9:30 show, and sure enough, there were parents with a toddler in tow sitting right behind me.

I've lived in Elllicott City for 7 years now and have been coming here longer because I have family in Columbia. I can't think of a single kid-free place. And as a kid-free adult, boy howdy have I tried!

02/27/2008 Tom "SoulDad" I. says:

If you think it's bad to dine around screaming kids try living with them..lol

05/29/2008 Colette C. says:

The general rule of thumb for me is the higher the price and the fancier the food, the more I will find an environment that matches your preference.

Suggestions:  
The Iron Bridge Wine Wine Company - Columbia - www.ironbridgewines.com
The Elkridge Furnace Inn - Elkridge - www.elkridgefurnaceinn...
Jordan's Steak House - Ellicott City - www.jordanssteakhouse.com

05/29/2008 Angela "Pulchritudinous 'tude" M. says:

Victoria's Gastro Pub....I didn't see any kids there.  I suppose that doesn't mean that people wouldn't, but I just don't see it as that type of place.  Lemme ask my informant.

http://www.yelp.com/bi...

05/30/2008 Candace H. says:

MOST places in DC you don't have to worry about kids.  Umm... so try that out.  Chain restaurants, cleveland park and upper northwest, and suburbs should generally be avoided when trying to stay away from children.

Come to think of it... I haven't seen kids in months... I mean, I couldn't find them if I wanted to.  Haven't ever seen a tantrum, or three year olds at a table in a LONG time.  Where DO you dine and find so many kids?

Try the grown & sexy crowd on U street, downtown (by downtown I mean metro-center area), Barrack's Row, H street, and Cap Hill.  Wont find any kids there.  

Move immediately out of Maryland.  That place is infested with children!

06/22/2008 Karen "freshly twenty-nineteen" P. says:

How about Jordan's? I've heard it's wonderful. My mom goers to visit her boyfriend in Columbia a lot (we are in CA) and she goes there often. It's not a kid aimed place at all - a nice, upscale, I've heard. I wonder if it's been reviewed here?

anyway - I have kids. 5. From 20 to 2 right now. I am lucky - my two little ones go all over with me, even to sushi at the bar, and they are wonderfully behaved. I know why - I listen to them and I teach and show respect - that is a reciprocal thing. Also, we go out before the Dating Hour, lol - we are leaving most dinner places by 6:30pm, out of respect to diners that want or need to be away from kids for a bit. I don't think what you are saying is wrong at all. We all need adult time and those that have kids do need to remember that. And, conversely, those without need to remember that those of us with them, ALSO need some time out, way from home. and sometimes, we have to do it WITH the kids...even when we don't always wanna, lol... :)

06/22/2008 Karen "freshly twenty-nineteen" P. says:

oh, I'm so embarassed...lol..I had no idea this thread was THIS old.

Gonna pay more attention now, and crawl into my hole again, lol...