As parents of three kids under the age of 4, my husband and I have our hands full, to say the least. When it comes to dining out, I have an entire preparation strategy that I’ve perfected over the years. Extra crayons and coloring books to avoid boredom? Check. Water bottles in case the restaurant doesn’t have cups with lids? Check. Snacks to keep them busy when they’re starving before the food arrives? Check. Extra veggies in case there’s nothing on the kid’s menu that is somewhat healthy? Check. Check. Check.
When the folks at Mimi’s Café contacted SacFoodies and invited us to try their new “interactive” kids menu, I raised my hand (well, actually five hands for my family). On the day of our reservation, I did all of my usual pre-restaurant preparations and loaded up the kids into the car (Tupperware of carrot sticks in tow) to meet my husband at the Arden location.
Knowing we were representing SacFoodies, the staff went above and beyond to make sure we had a good experience from when we stepped foot in the restaurant, but I did also notice a similar level of pleasantry with other diners. (Full disclosure: Mimi’s provided our meals free of charge.) Great service aside, we were very interested in seeing this new kids menu. As usual, my 3 ½ year old was “staaaarving.” I hadn’t done any homework so wasn’t sure what to expect from the menu (I typically do a quick scan of the kid’s menu online before dining out to make sure there’s at least one thing my kids will eat).
We were pleasantly surprised when the hostess placed a glossy storybook-inspired menu in front of each of the kids and explained that the menu shared the Parisian adventures of a cartoon cat and dog duo named Elle and Pierre. So while the kids flipped through the menu offerings, they got to see Elle and Pierre’s story unfold. A cute touch.
The menu itself was divided into three sections – entrée, side and drink. Each had a number of choices and the kids could flip the menu to choose each and then see their full meal selection side-by-side. In the spirit of letting go (“Let it go! Let it go …” You parents know what I’m singing), I let my oldest select her own items and (drum roll, please), she ended up with Mac N Cheese for her entrée, rice for her side and Lemonade for her drink. Ok, not terrible, but not what I would’ve chosen for her. So to make up for her starch-fondness, we selected grilled chicken strips, broccoli and Honest apple juice for my son and let them know that they’d be sharing all the items. And my third isn’t eating solid food yet, so he just got to watch. 🙂
My husband and I loved seeing grilled chicken (not just breaded and fried) on a kids menu, as well as steamed broccoli and rice. My kids absolutely love broccoli and rice, but you rarely see them on a standard kids menu. Plus, I’d already handed out carrot sticks, so now they’d be getting two veggies with dinner. Score. Check out Mimi’s Café Kids Menu online to see the full range of menu options (menu items vary by location).
The kids were also given a giant coloring mat upon arrival, which kept them busy for about five extra minutes, which is always appreciated. The lemonade came with a tightly-sealed lid (thank you, Mimi’s!), the food came out quickly and the kids went to town on it. We also enjoyed a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
I know I’m not alone here, any of you parents have other restaurant preparation tactics to share? Let us know what tips or tricks work for your family in the comments below.
Mimi’s Café Sacramento-Area Locations
ARDEN WAY
2029 ALTA ARDEN WAY
SACRAMENTO, CA 95825
(916) 614-9278
ELK GROVE
9195 W. STOCKTON BL.
ELK GROVE, CA 95758
(916) 683-4377
FOLSOM
2719 E. BIDWELL ST.
FOLSOM, CA 95630
(916) 984-4940
ROSEVILLE
1104 GALLERIA BL.
ROSEVILLE, CA 95661
(916) 780-2646
Archives for 2018
2018 Food Film Festival Fun!
It’s that time of year again – the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming and Food Literacy Center’s annual Food Film Festival is about to kick off! The Food Film Festival supports Food Literacy Center’s mission to teach kids about healthy eating, and you get to enjoy a fun evening supporting a great cause. Have you bought your tickets yet? Read on for an overview of the different events and we hope to see you there!
Opening Night Film Screening
When: April 11, 2018 | 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Where: Lucca Restaurant & Bar
Tickets: $65 – SOLD OUT
Film: Wasted! The Story of Food Waste – Nari Kye & Anna Chai
What: Enjoy an intimate dining experience while watching the feature film of the evening, with wine pairing available for purchase.
Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent
When: April 9, 2018 | 6:00pm
Where: Crest Theatre
Tickets: $15 – $20 – click here to purchase
Film: Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent
What: Famed chef Jeremiah Tower will be at the Crest Theatre to present the food documentary about his storied career. Created by Anthony Bourdain, the film begins with Tower’s entrance into the industry and follows his rise and tumultuous times that made him into America’s first “celebrity chef.”
Saturday Night Shorts
When: April 14, 2018 | 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Where: Historic Colonial Theatre
Tickets: $50 – click here to purchase
Short Films: Operation Apple (Giselle Kennedy); Food City: Feast of the Five Boroughs (Lars Fuchs & Matthew Fleischmann); Camelina (Lucas Bryce); Super Veggies (The Superha Family); Hand Picked (Casey Toth); Tuka (Ian Midgley)
What: This fast-paced evening features food from top chefs, short food films and a comedy pun-off. Featured chefs include Ernesto Delgado of Mayahuel and Edward Martinez of Milk Money, among others.
Broccoli HQ Night
When: April 21, 2018 | 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: Leataata Floyd Elementary School
Tickets: $150 – click here to purchase
Film: Lunch Line
What: At Broccoli HQ Night, community leaders will gather for the first-ever public experience on the future Broccoli HQ site. The evening will showcase a preview of the architectural drawings of Broccoli HQ. This Food Film Festival finale event features small bites from an all-star cast of local chefs and a “school lunch” dinner prepared by Sacramento Unified School District’s Nutrition & Food Services team.
Featured chefs include Rick Mahan (Waterboy), Kurt Spataro (Paragary’s), Billy Ngo (Kru), Chris Jarosz (Patriot), Santana Diaz (UC Davis Health) and Whole Foods.
Sweet Potato Taco Tuesday
By Jessi Gunn
Tuesdays are by far my favorite “food day” of the week. Why? Tacos! Usually, I’m a traditionalist because I believe simple tacos are the best tacos. Give me corn tortillas, carnitas, onions, cilantro and green salsa and I am thrilled. However, when Smitten Kitchen posted her family’s favorite roasted sweet potato tacos on Instagram, they looked so delicious I just had to try them. They not only taste great, but are so simple to make! Mix the potatoes and spices while the oven preheats and finish the laundry, tidy the living room, make a margarita and watch that episode of Queer Eye while the sweet potatoes are baking! The world is your oyster.
Head over to our Instagram for a play-by-play of this recipe being made in the #sacfoodies kitchen.
Makes dinner for 2 with plenty of leftovers.
Breaking the 'Glass Ceiling' with Sacramento's Pink Boots Society
In belated celebration of International Women’s Day, the SacFoodies team wants to shine a spotlight on the work of the Sacramento Chapter of Pink Boots Society, a non-profit created to assist and encourage women in the beer industry.
Craft beer is an overwhelmingly male-dominated industry and the Pink Boots Society, along with founder Teri Fahrendorf, is carving out a space for women working in the beer world. From its inception in 2007, the organization has helped women in the beer industry connect with each other, build mentor/mentee relationships and access educational opportunities. Pink Boots Society has chapters across the nation, and our very own Sacramento Chapter took part in the Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day for this year’s International Women’s Day.
Local Pink Boots Society members met earlier this month at West Sac’s Yolo Brewing Company to create a collaborative brew in honor of the occasion. Their creation, single-batch “Glass Ceiling,” is a Vienna Lager brewed with Vienna and Munich malts and Tettnang hops and will be available at Yolo Brewing later this spring.
Women from other Sac breweries, local beer supply representatives and the UC Davis Master Brewers Program participated in the “Glass Ceiling” brew day. A portion of the sales from this batch will go towards Pink Boots Society’s non-profit educational efforts. When asked how they chose the name “Glass Ceiling,” Sacramento brewer Steph Messina stated:
“I wanted the beer name to speak for itself. Women can sometimes be shrouded in the haze of modern beer culture, and I wanted us to be able to give a friendly wave to the public. We’re here, and we’re making beer. You just might not know it.”
Cheers to our friends making a difference in beer, both in Sac and around the U.S.! The SacFoodies are excited to try “Glass Ceiling,” but we can’t promise not to shatter it once we’re done. 😉
To learn more about Pink Boots Society and their work in the beer industry, visit their site here.
Bring on the Beer! Capitol Beer Fest 2018
This year’s Capitol Beer Fest marked the return of CBF to Capitol Mall after last year’s event on the 5th Street Bridge. Compared to last year’s unseasonably hot weather, this year felt much more like Sacramento’s usual mercurial March. Beautiful blue skies gave way to cold and rainy ones, but the beer stayed flowing and the crowd stayed happy for the sold-out event.
As expected, the Sacramento and California beer scene turned out in full force, with over 100 breweries lining Capitol Mall. Some of our favorites came as a surprise – I love beer and usually stay away from the more alternative craft options at festivals (cider, mead, etc.), but one of my top spots of the day was San Diego-based Boochcraft, a high-alcohol kombucha brewery. Full disclosure, I love kombucha anyway, but Boochcraft’s turmeric, tangerine and ginger brew was definitely a step above the rest and we made several stops by their tent during the day (it also doesn’t hurt that the ‘booch clocks in around 7% ABV).
For the stout fans out there, Fifty Fifty Brewing from Truckee had a great showing with their Maple Vanilla Eclipse. It was a fitting beer for a blustery day, and the taster size was just enough to satisfy the flavor profile without feeling too heavy.
Another personal favorite was Einstock Beer Company’s Icelandic White Ale. I’ve had this beer a few times in the past and it never disappoints – it always fits the bill and I was excited to see their tent!
Capitol Beer Fest sets the standard for Sacramento beer fests, and we love attending an event that supports such a worthy cause with Runnin’ for Rhett. It’s great to see such a huge event go towards a good cause, and it makes the day that much more enjoyable when you know every sip supports nurturing a healthy community.
Cheers, and we hope to see you there next year! You can check out last year’s Capitol Beer Fest recap here.
(top photo courtesy of @SacFoodandBooze)