Tasting America One Kid Friendly Restaurant at a Time
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Tasting America One Kid Friendly Restaurant at a Time Alabama: The Hangout Perched on the white sandy beaches of Gulf Shores, The Hangout lives up to its motto of "Fresh fun served daily!" with live music and an outside courtyard with a giant sandpit, foosball and ping pong, and a giant foam machine. The fun continues inside with walls covered with Pez dispensers, matchbox cars, rubber ducks and toy collections, and a crowd-pleasing kid’s menu. You’ll find the usual suspects like burgers and hot dogs, but for a local taste, encourage tots to try the popcorn shrimp, served in an actual popcorn bag with local shrimp, popcorn and French fries. For the adults, a winning order is the Ragin Shrimp Tacos paired with a beachy signature cocktail, like the Sassy Southern Belle. Alaska: Bear Tooth Theatre Pub If dinner and a show is your ideal family night out, Bear Tooth Theatre Pub in Anchorage delivers on both counts with a creative menu of pizzas, tacos and salads delivered to your movie theatre seat. Order a signature pie for the whole family or let kids under 12 choose options like beef tacos, quesadillas and fruit or veggie plates from the dedicated kids ’menu. Adults can share appetizers like oven-baked pretzel sticks basted in Broken Tooth Brewing’s Pipeline Stout, served with a side of Prince William Porter cheese sauce, and dishes inspired by Alaska’s coastal bounty, like seared salmon tacos or blackened cod burritos. If your crew is more inclined to just grab a bite, drop by Bear Tooth Grill for burgers and creative Alaskan seafood- and Tex-Mex-inspired entrees, or Moose’s Tooth for scratch-made, stone-baked pizzas and craft suds from Broken Tooth Brewing. Arizona: Camp Social Phoenix's Camp Social is a shout out to summer campers, RVers and outdoorsy types, complete with decorative touches like a carved wooden bear and a starry night-inspired ceiling, as well as a menu that subtly nods to the outdoors and national parks. While kids play in the game room — outfitted with giant Jenga, ping pong, shuffle board, a large-scale Connect Four and vintage video games — adults can relax with a cocktail like the Firefly, a sweet-and-spicy vodka-based tipple. Kids can opt for pizza and chicken fingers, but the real incentive for finishing dinners is dessert: The camping vibes continue with a DIY s'mores kit, letting diners toast their own homemade marshmallows. Arkansas: The Purple Cow Restaurant The Purple Cow is a '50s-style diner slinging gourmet burgers and old-fashioned soda-fountain treats with a side of nostalgia and friendly service. The locally owned restaurant first opened in Little Rock in 1989, and now includes several locations across the state. Many are located near attractions like the Little Rock Zoo or Pinnacle Mountain, making a stop at The Purple Cow ideal on family outings. Bright purple and spotted décor — complete with the namesake mascot, Polly — and seasonal activity sheets keep kids busy while they wait for Kid's Fun Spot menu favorites like the signature Elvis Sandwich or corndog nuggets to arrive, rounded out with healthy sides like fresh fruit cups and applesauce. Cap off your meal with a round of milkshakes, like the signature Purple Vanilla for kids and the adult shake Apple Pie Lightning, made with Rocktown Distillery's Apple Pie Lighting moonshine and chunks of homemade apple pie. California: Au Fudge Leave it to some of Hollywood’s most-stylish celebrities, actress Jessica Biel and stylist and designer Estee Stanley among them, to come up with a restaurant that delivers foodie-approved menus and a family-friendly experience in a very chic space. At Au Fudge in West Hollywood, parents and kids can dine together in the main dining room on familiar favorites like chicken nuggets with sweet mustard, or palate-expanding options like cauliflower steaks. After the kids eat, parents can check their children into the kids ’section, a separate play area spanning two rooms that’s monitored by special restaurant employees called Au Pairs. Treat yourself to a brunch favorite like the Benedict Burger, a beef patty topped with an egg, Gruyere, arugula, red onion compote and tarragon-spiked béarnaise, all piled onto a brioche bun. Check the calendar to catch special events like Parent and Me Pilates and weekend workshops covering hands-on activities like cooking, gardening, knitting and robot building. Colorado: Next Door Eatery With its farm-fresh American menu and five locations state-wide, Next Door Eatery in Denver has become a go-to for families who don’t want to sacrifice quality eats just to keep kids happy. Next Door’s menu upholds its promise of "serving real food sourced from American farmers" with colorful, kid-friendly favorites like scratch-made mac and cheese with a side of their locally beloved kale chips (order extra for sharing at the table), or the fan-favorite beet burger slider paired with tomato soup. Kids can keep themselves busy with stacks of games and kids ’menus printed with puzzles, while parents soak up the laid-back vibes with wine or beer. Besides serving wholesome food in their restaurants, Next Door’s co-owners, Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk, further their passion for childhood nutrition with Big Green, their non-profit organization that builds outdoor Learning Garden Classrooms in schools state-wide. Connecticut: Arethusa Farm Dairy As you leave Connecticut's coast, the scenery turns into a pastoral painting of farm fields dotted with cows, largely because of the state's concentration of dairy farms. At Litchfield's Arethusa Farm Dairy, visitors can get up close to their prize- winning Holsteins, Jerseys and Brown Swiss cattle roaming the five-acre plot and sample craft-made dairy delights. Take a tour of the farm (on Saturdays you can visit the milking barn), then stop by the dairy shop for scoops of handmade ice cream crafted with milk from Arethusa's herd. The classic flavors are all here, but keep an eye out for seasonal scoops like peach, raspberry or maple-walnut. If you're craving more sustenance, grab bakery treats like pastries, doughnuts and bagels from Al Mano, or sample Chef Dan Magill's refined seed-to-table cuisine, starring produce from Arethusa Gardens and the dairy's milk, cheese, butter and yogurt. Delaware: Crooked Hammock Brewery With its giant hammocks on a manicured turf lawn outfitted with lawn games, and a menu of casual cookout eats and craft beers, Crooked Hammock Brewery reads like the backyard barbecue of your dreams. It’s the perfect refuge after a day of fun in the sun at Lewes-area beaches or adventures in Cape Henlopen State Park. Let your kids customize their order from the dedicated kids ’menu, and throw in the fan- favorite giant German pretzel. The backyard playground is ideal for kids looking to burn off energy, with corn hole, ping pong, giant Jenga or ring toss for older kids. Keep the endless summer vibes going with an order of Pineapple Express wings, slow-cooked chicken wings in a crisp coconut breading served with a sweet- and-spicy pineapple sauce, and pair with Crooked Hammock Brewery’s craft suds, like the house favorite Wai Ola, a California-style coconut ale. Cap off the evening with an order of the DIY Fireside S’mores. Florida: Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlour An old-fashioned ice cream parlor and restaurant, Jaxson’s serves up homemade ice cream and classic American eats with a side of nostalgia. Its collection of American antiques and memorabilia — including license plates, stuffed animals, a vintage fortune teller machine and a working carousel — makes it a favorite among Dania Beach locals and Ft. Lauderdale tourists alike. After they take a ride on the carousel, kids can order crowd- pleasers like burgers and hot dogs from the Jaxson’s for Juniors menu. Dishes from the Juniors menu come with an ice cream sundae — choose from 50 flavors, plus housemade toppings like cherry-pineapple or chocolate syrup — capped off with whipped cream, a cherry and a lit sparkler if it’s your birthday. Adults can’t go wrong with the line-up of salads and sandwiches, like corned beef or hot pastrami on marble rye, a nod to original owner Monroe Udell’s Jewish roots. Beloved scoops include seasonal Key lime pie and mango, or the locally-inspired B-100 Scoop of the Century Mocha Caramel Coconut Crackle, created in celebration of Broward County's 100th birthday. Kids often go for the Oreo flavor. Georgia: Torched Hop Brewing Company With its stepped-up pub-grub menu and house- brewed craft suds, Atlanta’s Torched Hop Brewing Company is a win-win for Peach State families. Housed in a former warehouse in Atlanta, Torched Hop has ample entertainment options for kids of all ages, like shuffleboard, a bocce ball court and vintage arcade games, including a Nintendo 64. There’s no kids ’menu, but the pizzas and small plates of pimento mac and cheese or Wu-Fries, topped with buffalo chicken, ranch, cheddar and bacon, are beloved by little ones, and great for sharing. Adults can choose from 20 rotating beers on tap, like the Georgia on My Grind, redolent of coffee and chocolate, or the Double Ponce de Leon; it’s named for the brewery’s location, but its stone-fruit flavors are also a subtle nod to the Peach State. Save room for the banana pudding, a classic Southern dessert made from a family recipe passed down from Executive Chef Dan Brown’s grandmother.