Snowrooster, The British Open Pub has very good food and would be appropriate for children before 7PM. It is a pub but the food is outstanding.

None of the above posters are permitted to eat in nice restaurants if they can't behave

I think we must bar Amy Z from fine dining.
She called us nutty.

This thread was cracking me up, and finally snowrooster posted something I felt I could respond to. I have actually eaten with a child in one the restaurants she finally mentioned!

Three years ago, my husband and (then) 7 year old son and I rented a house in HH for a week - we had a great time. We went to several restaurants - Old Oyster Factory(?) - extremely family friendly dining - large space, lots of high chairs, indoor & outdoor dining I think, kids menus, accomodating staff. Fine for 2 and 3 year olds - as long as the parents follow most of the above mentioned tips. The food was acceptable to good.

We also went to Alexanders (?) quieter and more upscale. I think if the 2 and 3 year old were "well behaved" and you went early (5:30), and you kept it under an hour, you'd be ok. Food was good.

We also went to Redfish, which had just opened. I remember we were very impressed by the food, (asian fusion? carribbean fusion?) and by the sort of NY vibe of the place. I don't think it would work for a family with 2 - very young kids, unless they were very used to eating in more "upscale' places.

That said - my kid is the only child of older parents and we live in NYC - he has been going to very good restaurants since he was born. But he goes because he can sit quietly, order well, eat his food pleasantly and participate in the conversation. When he was around 2 or 3, we followed all of the advice of the sage posters above and he LEARNED restaurant behavior. Most of the behavior you see in children is LEARNED - either by modelling, or by omission. Just my opinion.

I'm sorry....what prompted me to write that was the thread stalking. You are all not nutty. :) Maybe only the thread stalkers....

mp, one of my best girlfriends lives in NYC in the Upper West Side and she has three kids under seven. Because she hates to cook, they eat out almost every night. Her kids are angels because that is their learned behavior.

mp - Good to know about Red Fish. We've actually been to Old Oyster Factory (it's the one place my husband insists we go back to) and Alexander's (it has been our special fancy last night dinner on our last two visits) and really like them both. Alexander's has worked well as our most upscale dinner of the trip, I guess I'm just looking to try something else this time around.

Lenleigh (Snowrooster)

ENOUGH!

IMO, you 2 are acting worse than a bunch of kindergartners on the playground....

You asked is it okay. The answer is now in, and it's less than definitive. So, it's time to take them, and then report back.

Sometimes you have to take the high road and just let it go.

Have a good weekend. I'm off to the Lake...

STOP. IT. NOW. Both of you!

For caribtraveler, I think this is the thread, right??