atravelynn

Maybe it is and I just don't dine out enough to know.

I sat near a family with 3 kids ages 2 to 7. After the order was taken, the kids were brought: a little rolling pin, pastry board, slab of cookie dough, couple of cookie cutters, and a miniature cookie sheet. The kids occupied themselves with cutting out cookies to pass the time. When the meals were brought, the cookie sheets were taken back to the kitchen and baked. By the end of the meal the cookie dessert was served.

If no one has ever heard of it, this could be one of those things unique to South Africa that the recent poster, AnimalLoverNYC was looking for.

Denbasking

This is very common actually; I have done this and other things in the same vain when I had restaurants. You can still find this in neighborhood cafés, diners etc in small, or artsy towns just so the adults get a chance to visit. A great addition to a coloring book and they have actively contributed to their meal with outside encouragement. Win-win.

I bet this happens all over the world but it is great you saw it in such a visible place and are spreading the news as it will be helpful to young families...eating out does not have to be stressful.

Another good one Lynn

Denbasking

Lynn, I do not see the thread from NYC at a glance and I am not currently tuned in as my children are adults now and am retired/survived from the biz. But I would think some of our NYC posters might be aware as I think NYC and all boroughs have the closest neighborhood mind-set, much more so than the burbs and whether the restaurants are upscale or local someone must be aware. What is the post title? I shall look kesho…

Province

That's actually a really cool idea. Haven't seen it myself. At Da Vinci's in Kloof Nek Street, Cape Town, they cover the tables with paper and provide crayons, so everyone can draw on the tables while waiting for their food to arrive. (Also incidentally happens to serve the best pizzas in town in my humble opinion.)

Kavey

My local Italian here in North London does something similar, although, as they do pizzas, they give the kids pizza dough and have a box of cutters and implements that they keep for this purpose. They then pop the finished items into the pizza oven and they usually go up onto a wall next to the pizza oven unless the kids want to keep them.

Confession: On a number of occasions, usually my birthday or other similar celebration or when they are very quiet, I've asked to do same, and had great fun. I posted a picture here some months ago of an elephant I made last time!!!

atravelynn

Kavey, How could I forget the elephant masterpiece? Of course! Same concept with pizza dough.

Denbasking

Oh no Kavey eats ellies! I thought I read once you were a vegetarian…did you watch it cook?
That is very creative of you; pizza was one of our items as well and I don’t recall ever having a child make any shape!

Lynn, I see the thread you refer to and it brings into focus that I scanned your post lightly and there is they are not looking for NYC restaurants and it would not be helpful to call my friends in Brooklyn. Perhaps this will catch Selwyn_Davidowitz his eye as he probably has suggestions.

Kavey

Nah, I like meat too much to be veggie, though I didn't eat my ellie, it went up on the wall. One of it's legs has fallen off since then, though!

leopardprintpants

That sounds like a lovely idea to keep kids occupied at the table.

Perhaps I am being overly cynical, but I wonder if the idea hasn't taken off in the US to do liability issues....ie. the child gets sick and the parents blame the restaurant or something.