Well, Victoria Gastro Pub IS NOT kid friendly, not that this helps your cause.

There are two sections of the restaurant- one which is lush and comfy, including sofas, etc, and another that is crowded with uncomfortable tables.

Guess which one you get to sit in (It's actually a restaurant rul) if you bring a minor? It's especially fun that to get to the leper colony you get to walk by the nice section. "family" sections are the new "smoking" sections!

When asked what he thought about disco music, Frank Zappa answered, "I love it, because it keeps those people away from me." In that spirit I fully support this top ten idea.

I love my kids but when I leave them at home, I expect everyone else to do the same.

I once proposed strip clubs as a perfect child-free zone, but was quickly vetoed by lovely Amanda.

Golden West has toys, a kids menu, decent prices, and noise (so kids simply blend in with the general pandemonium).

Friendly Farms comes to mind. Somewhat noisy atmosphere as it is and plenty for kids to do before/after the meal. Feeding the geese by the pond is always fun and the country store is always a hit. Also, Amer's. They let kids make their own pizza and atmosphere is light enough for families.

I second Golden West. The last time we were there children were banging on the piano and having a "grand" old time.

Sushi Hana in Towson is great. They have a coi pond, are kind and efficient, and there's enough on the menu for everyone to be happy. (Grownups get excellent sushi, kids get rice and chicken on a stick when little, then sushi as they get older). Oh, yes, one more thing: Sapporo!

We've taken my son to b in Bolton Hill. It's a nice place for the adults to go, but you don't feel uncomfortable bringing a child. But it's better to go a little on the earlier side.

Actually listing the ALL kid friendly places is a GREAT thing - helps me avoid them!

I third Golden West, but disagree about b.

Voodoopork, you take kids to strip clubs?

Where on earth am I supposed to be able to get a club sandwich in peace?

I'll second Sushi Hana (only in Towson, the new location is too crowded with tables and chairs). Joe Squared is actually not bad early in the evening, and neither is Rocket to Venus.

Elizabeth, I know you cited Clementine, but my problem is that the ONLY item on their menu that will please a child's limited palate is the mac n' cheese. I would love them if they's add at least two more simple dishes with kid appeal.

My daughter (age 7) liked Duda's in Fells Point (we sat outside). And as a family (including teens), we've been to the Broadway Diner several times for dinner. The food is a few steps above a chain, and they have a great variety.

Lissa, I said strip clibs were child-free. (I hope!) Don't get me on some kind of special list. It was a joke anyway. The idea of eating food in a place like that is disturbing for so many reasons. I did always find it ironic that Pollock Johnnie's foot longs were available on the Block. Also symbolically disturbing.

And by "club sandwich" you mean ....?

I'm convinced that the Subway on the Block has smaller sandwiches than elsewhere.

My teasing was in bad taste, voodoopork. I apologize.

Clementine in northeast Baltimore is very child-friendly, yet has a nice, comfortable atmosphere with excellent food. They've even set up a corner with toys and the like for the kids to play while the adults eat and converse.

Muggsy's on Light Street has Kid's Night every Monday night. Great idea, kids can eat off a children's menu and the owners make the upstair a kid friendly zone.

Paula- Recently, I have seen two different items on the menu at Clementine that came in child-sized portions.

Also, the new Grind On cafe on Harford Road has a play area for children.

Additionally, Amicci's is also kid friendly. They have a kids menu and I don't know of any other Little Italy restaurants that are kid friendly.

Went to Helmand before Bernstein's Mass this evening in a party of four. We were surprised at the number of families with high stool aged children there, and not a little surprised at how many high stools the Helmand had!

Jack's Bistro in Canton gave my 4 year old a bacon bandaid on our last visit. How creative?! Scored major points with my husband, myself, and our son.

Bernstein's Mass
Oy vey.

Lissa, stop setting me up for Block/sandwich jokes. The 14 year old that lives in my brain is dying.

MD Canon: I'm seeing MASS tonight and looking forward to it very much. Did you enjoy it?

Mama's on the half shell - nice kids menu, kids cups, highchairs.
Alexander's in fells - kids menu, highchairs and they have leapsters to play w while you wait for your food.
Mother's in fed hill - kids menu, highchairs, paper table cloth to draw on.
Cross street market - variety for the kids
Luca's in locust point - great kids pizza and staff and owner make you feel very comfortable when you have your kids there
Taco fiesta in harbor east - very casual and has high chairs
Lebanesse taverna- has a kids menu
Amicci's in little italy - kids menu and high chairs
James joyce - kids menu, high chairs
Just my top places to take my kids :) We eat out way too much.

These are great suggestions. Thanks! EL

they have leapsters to play w while you wait for your food

I'm a little afraid to ask, but what is a "leapster"?

Piano Rob: sorry to get back to you late ... hopefully you are parking by now. We enjoyed it immensely! and felt deeply moved!! Save a tiny miscue in the lighting for a split second, it was everything I hoped it would be -- and much better than the version that lived in my head for many years.

On the way back to Harford County, my wife and I talked about what versions were out there. I recall many of the scenes quite vividly, but in a very different production -- and wondered if maybe PBS had done a video once upon a time.

The moment that grabbed me was the "donna nobis pacem." I could see real emotion in the cast at that point, and for good reason: for all of my lifetime it seems that we have always chosen guns over butter. The anger stunned me (probably in a good way) and I am quite sure that it has changed forever how I will deal with those words as I encounter them week after week.

I had an odd reaction to the ending, which I think made a lot of sense in the 1970's, but less so now. I was, literally, a choir boy in 1971, singing at a Roman Catholic abbey church in Pennsylvania, and so throughout the performance, (this time as before) I found myself identifying with the choir boy and the acolyte. As it ended with the oh-so-American theme of passing responsibility to the next generation, I suddenly found myself wondering, "so what have we done with the baton on our lap?" My thoughts were not happy, but will stop here because this is a food blog and not a pulpit.

A Leapster is a kiddie Game Boy. A portable, hand-held gaming system with educational games. That way you don't have to talk to or interact with your child (or at least that's how we use it :)

Golden West? That place is so slow. I'm in my 30's, and I get ancy waiting for my frito pie to come out ( come on, it's a bag a fritos with chili dumped on it. It shouldn't take 45 minutes.) I can only imagine how a six year would respond to this kind of a wait.

MD Canon -- PBS did broadcast Bernstein's Mass back in the 1970s, in a performance staged in Vienna that featured Michael Hume, son of longtime Washington Post music critic Paul Hume, as the Celebrant. (Michael Hume sang in the chorus for the world premiere of Mass for the opening of the Kennedy Center, at which the piece was almost universally panned, save for a positive review from, um, Paul Hume.) The Vienna performance doesn't appear to be publicly available at the present time.

Is Amer's Cafe on Bel Air Road in Fullerton still around? Unfortunately, we haven't been there in too long of a time, but I definitely loved the fact that my kids could make their own pizzas there (paper chef hat and all). If we happened to go on a night with belly dancers, that was even more fun for my kids (since my kids aren't shy and would get up and dance with them).

Otherwise, Red Robin and the usual chains (Bob Evans, Applebees, TGI Fridays, etc.) are my staple kid-friendly restaurants, so I'm definitely looking forward to this list!

We often frequent local pizza places. They are loud and casual, so no one seems to mind a jabbering 2 year old covered in tomato sauce. Italian Gardens is a favorite.

Spoons - even the owner's kids are there all the time.

Iggies - I think they only have one high chair, but they're very nice and I always children when I'm there

Zellas - also very friendly

One place that's really not so good - Junior's - they were very very nice, but I don't know what we were thinking.

And obviously, both farmer's markets are great with kids.

I agree, terri's list is full of great suggestions. the trick, I guess, is to find good restaurants that are also good to/for young people.

My children-having scouts second the suggestion for b (in Bolton Hill), and add in Donna's and Mari Luna. These two got points at least partly because they bring food (bread & oil; tortilla chips) to the table right away, and I can sure see how that would help.

I am pro-kids everywhere, except enough with the Cheerios.

Farmer's markets are horrible with kids. Strollers bashing ankles, screaming kids darting past and tripping folks, hysterical lost parents.

Oh - and two more.

No Way Jose - their booths are the perfect size for infant car seats.

Rub -upstairs is like the kids banishment zone. They're super nice.

I second Amer's. It is great for all of the already stated reasons.

MD Canon - I literally wept the entire 2 hours of the MASS performance on Saturday. (I'm sure I annoyed the lady next to me.) Not only was it brilliant, but to finally experience live! While I didn't care for a few of Maestra Alsop's tempos, I thought the staging was incredible and the Street Chorus rocked. (The countertenor was especially terrific.)

I would only take young children to b in the warmer months when you can get a table outside.

matt hudock--I hope your tongue was firmly planted in your cheek when you said you use the Leapster to avoid interacting with your children. If not, the mommy blog may come after you.

My daughter, unfortunately, has a cheerio addiction. I've tried to detox her from them, but with little success. Last time I tried to cut her off, she bit me.

Elizabeth,
Would it be ok with you if we added some of these kid-friendly restaurants to MyKidsPlate.com? I'd love to have some Baltimore area restaurants. We are also compiling Kids Eat Free nights to add to the calendar. Do you know which places offer it when?

Feel free to add. Please link to Dining@Large. EL