38 Degrees (Our New Favorite Family Restaurant)

It’s the end of a week spent playing, teaching, cleaning, potty training, and running after 30 plus children 10 and a half hours a day (not to mention the evening hours with my own). Tonight as the door closed behind the last child and their parent, James and I sighed and then cringed at the thought of making dinner.

We both decided we wanted to eat out. Eating out with kids is tricky for us. We spend sooo much time with children all week the last thing we want to do is go to Red Robin and join the masses of parents eating out with their kids. It’s so loud and over stimulating, and though our girls love to go, I break into a cold sweat at the thought of it.

Luckily, a few weeks ago a friend recommended 38 degrees when I asked her for a recommendation on a nearby family friendly restaurant. We were leaving her son’s birthday party and they lived only a few blocks away. When we first walked up to the door dressed in jeans and toting our sugared up children we thought our friends had been mistaken. Peering in the window the restaurant had a Spa-like feel to it with beautiful stone work, dimmed lighting, and calming fans to keep the air moving and fresh. The menu looked amazing, upper end but yummy. We immediately turned to head back to the car.

Before we made it 4 steps the host poked his head out the door and asked us if we needed any help. We told him that we’d love to stay but we didn’t want to disturb anyone with the kids. He laughed and told us to come on in and that they even had a children’s menu. Well, what could we say? I mean he stepped out into the wintery night to invite us in!

Once inside we were sat at a nice table for four with some soft seasonal music playing in the background, and get this … they had sippy cups! Can you believe it? Sippy cups! How cool is that? This took 90% of the stress out of eating out right away, and strangely, my kids mellowed out almost immediately. It seems that the relaxing atmosphere they are attempting to create is a huge success, even with the kids. The entire night was wonderful. The food was amazing, the service was incredible and the kids were happy and well behaved.

So tonight we decided that we’d give 30 degrees another shot. James warned me that I had set high standards for the restaurant and not to expect it to be quite as good. After all such a pleasant eating experience with 2 young children must be a fluke right?

Wrong!

Tonight was even more amazing! The lasagna that I had was divine and James loved his dish too. The lulling effect was even more pronounced. The girls were cuddly and relaxed and enjoyed the appetizers, bread, their meals, and desert without even one unpleasant outburst. Our waitress was perfect. She even remembered us from our previous visit. She was polite and returned just often enough to meet our needs without interrupting our family time.

James had a glass of sangria, which was yummy and festive. I had a pear wine that took the last bit of tension out of my body and warmed me from head to toe. And desert was just the way to top off the perfect evening out with the girls.

Even our oldest daughter went on and on about how she loved her food and wanted to come back every Friday night. Ok, so it might be a little too expensive for every Friday night but it will certainly be a regular spot for us to go as a family, or on a date night.

It’s so nice to finally find a family friendly restaurant that can allow the adults to feel adult and the children to enjoy themselves with out being bombarded by loud noises, video games and television.

Check out Bend Oregon Restaurants blog to get some more input on eating out at 38 degrees.