Warning: The following list isn’t a golden ticket. There’s no guarantee that these restaurants will satiate your little one. What this list can provide, hopefully, is a fighting chance. To perhaps increase the probability of a good meal with limited chances of a meltdown, with menus offering enough variety to support picky eaters. And diaper changing tables and high chairs — you’ll need those. Every kid is different with dynamic tastes — one size doesn’t fit all. But armed with this list, you’ll be surrounded by an empathetic staff and good food. A glass of wine won’t hurt, either.
Pizza is great, but this list wants to offer families and friends more. Chicago isn’t Europe where children are openly welcomed at fine dining restaurants without judgey hosts and servers only interested in upcharging guests for booze (sorry, kids don’t drink!). You can spot the irritated American diner, disturbed by the mere sight of a child. While a trip to Ever or Alinea with a toddler isn’t advised, perhaps there’s common ground. Even The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri says so, telling IMDB that while restaurants should be judicious about letting kids in all the time, “maybe if we let them in restaurants they’ll know how to act?”
Wise words, Sydney. Wise words.
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