Dining at a restaurant takes on a whole new meaning when you have a baby, especially when it is your first baby. When our oldest was born it took us months before we dared take her out to eat with us. Looking back on it I guess there were many reasons why we didn’t.
First, we were concerned about bothering other patrons if our precious one decided to cry. She had quite a set of lungs! Secondly, it was just plain difficult to bring in baby in her carrier and set her down somewhere safe or comfortable. Then came the “what if we have to change a diaper” scenario. Most restaurant bathrooms are not equipped with a changing area, and running in and out of a place to change a diaper or calm baby down was not exactly our idea of a fun evening out. The whole thing was a little stressful both for us as well as her. It’s not fun to be stuck in a carrier, or wedged between a table and mommy for an hour plus. I was always a little jealous of other parents, seemingly so relaxed with their babies in tow.
However, the older she got (and the more experienced we became) we did start to take her out with us. As a result, my earliest memories of taking her out to eat are from Chatham in Cape Cod.
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The first Cape Cod restaurant we took her to was the restaurant within the hotel where we were staying at the time, the Chatham Wayside Inn. It was a nice hotel dining room with friendly local staff and the food was decent and appetizing. We always felt comfortable there with her. In fact, it was there that she had her first “flash flies” otherwise known as french fries. They were homemade and good and it was a nice waitress who told us it was absolutely OK. She took to those flesh flies like flies on… well, you know. Since that time the restaurant was changed a bit, but we still like it. We took the twins there after they were born, and absolutely plan to return. It is now know as the Wild Goose Tavern.
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My second memory of eating out with the little pumpkin was at the The Impudent Oyster. It is a really lovely restaurant, and we enjoyed the food tremendously, once we had it packed up and took it back to the room. She was a little fidgety that evening, and the cozy and intimate dining room was no match for her. We’ve gone back since then, vowing not to be defeated, and always enjoyed it. I always loved the name which hearkened me back to Alice in Wonderland.
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Finally there is The Chatham Squire. We never made it there with ¨número uno¨ alone. However, the five of us have eaten there many a time, thanks to its big tables. It wasn´t easy finding a table in the place due to its popularity and prime location. It always appeared a landmark to us. But it is a great, bustling place with a big half’-tourist/half-local vibe, and well worth the visit. Plus, I love the sign. To me it always seemed the epitome of a Yankee image.
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I was not compensated to write this post. I am simply remembering good times.
