Mary's Food Rule

From the age of 1, I loved real food. As an infant, I didn't eat baby food- I ate mashed up vegetables and fruits instead of some wild concoction that people thought babies would like. And that's impacted my eating habits today. Now, I enjoy real and exotic food that might not seem as appealing to others. For example, an octopus. At age 4, I had my first bite and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In Language Stars, though, we were having a snack. I took one look at a slice of American cheese and decided that, no I was not eating this, and from then on American cheese has been called "Plastic cheese" and in our household, that will forever be it's name. That doesn't mean that I won't eat a grilled cheese - that is one of the food options on the top of my list. At the grocery store, my mom always says that if I can identify the majority of the ingredients on the ingredient list , I can buy it. If not, we'll have some discussion. Basically, if it's not real, I'm out.

-Mary 

Nice to Meet You

The Taste Buds are two well seasoned epicureans, age eight and under; two children who choose sushi over nuggets, gnocchi over buttered noodles and brie over American slices. Follow them around Chicago as they bypass the children's menu, try new foods, and share their findings here. Reviews from all over the city, and not from restaurants generally tagged as kid friendly, voiced (but not penned) by the Taste Buds.

Kate
When she was two she was offered a piece of cheese. Kate stared at the just unwrapped slice of American cheese, turned it over, took a nibble and said, “No thank you”. She deemed this plastic cheese and swore it off forever. At seven she remains true to her word,” plastic cheese” is on her very short list of dislikes. She will try anything once but after several attempts has yet to find a favorite Indian dish. Kate, like Noah, puts Asian food at the top of her list, specifically sushi and Thai. She loves sitting at the sushi bar at Green Tea, and similarly, at the counter at the Pasta Bowl, because she likes to watch them cook. She loves Vietnamese Pho in the winter and turkey sandwiches, on a picnic, in the summer. The best turkey sandwich around? Chicago Bagel Authority.

Mary
Mary does not hesitate, her favorite food is gnocchi and she is quickly becoming an authority on best options in the city. Bachanalia  is very good, as are Mario’s, Fornello and the Pasta Bowl, which makes the list because the people that make the food talk to her. And they know never to put mushrooms on her gnocchi, she doesn’t like them. Thankfully she rarely finds mushrooms in her sushi, number two on her list, which she prefers at Oh Fusion, just down the street from Wrigley (also on her favorite places list, but hopefully not for the food). She loves spanikopita but, as she is seven, will order a grilled cheese sandwich when offered the opportunity, “with cheddar and tomato please”. Tops for that, Frances.

First Course, Taste Buds

The arrival of twins seven years ago did nothing to slow our restaurant habit, as we feared it might. Rather, we took them along, finding two sleeping infants to be rather good dinner companions. For several months they slumbered away in their seats as we enjoyed evenings out, albeit at a much earlier time and more rapid pace than before their arrival.

As things happen, eventually those sleeping children woke up, sat up and, as quickly as their tiny fingers could sign, they asked for more. At six months they were trying out restaurant high chairs, eating avocados at El Barco, pancakes at Uncommon Ground and green beans at Bistro Margot. We became experts at menu reading, piecing together kid-friendly meals from ingredients offered in other dishes. Any restaurant that has a Cobb salad on the menu can offer a diced egg, avocado and small pieces of cheese. Mrs. Murphy and Sons fed them mashed potatoes, carrots and bits of roasted chicken; at steak houses we opted for for diced asparagus and baked potatoes; and in Asian restaurants we relied on tofu, edamame and broccoli. Sourcing the menu became a game, a challenge for us to see who could assemble the best non kid’s menu meal in the shortest time. The truth is, despite my being the family cook, it was their father who really mastered the art of reading between the lines and creating masterpieces for our budding gourmands.

Their restaurant skills developed along with their taste buds. Once they started talking, they started ordering. They developed favorite dishes, favorite restaurants, and favorite types of food. When they were unable to agree on something to share, we asked for half portions, and found most places agreeable to that request. More often than not restaurants seemed pleased to see young children interested in trying new food; that we try to eat early helps keep our hosts happy. The girls have eaten everywhere from Topolabampo to the burrito place at the end of the street. They eat close to home, downtown, in Chicago’s diverse ethnic neighborhoods, and occasionally in their own apartment.

Listening to us complain and compliment for seven years has worn off; Mary and Kate freely offer their own opinions on everything from service to food to atmosphere. Their reviews are both hilarious and often dead on, and now here. We're skipping the kids menu and talking real food for real people, just in a smaller size.