Kamp* steps into the DI/DO arena, paraphrasing Bono,with "fuck you and your fucking chicken fingers." First, folks object to whole anchovies in their Caesar, then the next thing you know everyone shorter than Muggsy Bogues fronts like Beyonce and demands off-the-(grownup) menu diva treatment. By virtue of discussing the travails of bourgeois parenting, this article will have the tar emailed out of it, and discussed extensively on the internets. For now, I'd offer only that this is the road that leads to a species that slurps Soylent Green out of bendy straws running between cupholder and orifice. That said, there are voices in the wilderness. (Fin tip to cinetrix for the tip.)
*And the Food Snob's Dictionary drops October 2007.
too bad for those kids they aren't the children of indigent refugees. too bad on SO MANY levels.
Posted by: dubarry | Wednesday, 30 May 2007 at 04:57 PM
too bad for those kids they aren't the children of indigent refugees. too bad on SO MANY levels.
Posted by: dubarry | Wednesday, 30 May 2007 at 04:58 PM
I come from the school that its OK to succumb to child pandering beige food on occasion so long as you communicate that you disapprove of the choice. Half the fun of crappy food of course being the condiment of guilt.
Kamp is right to point out that pushing stereotyped food for kids is tantamount to pushing gender stereotyped play for boys vs girls. The peer pressure in pre-k to eat only kid food is nearly as strong a only girls play princess and only boys play dinosaur. If Billy can play with dolls, why can't Ollie eat beans and Rosie eat broccoli.
He's right to take Landmarc to task in particular. When we ate there recently, they had a kids menu for brunch. Pancakes, french toast and seasonal berries are apparently too adult for the Washington Market crowd. "Do we have to go to Odeon? They don't have Lucky Charms!"
(BTW. the pain perdu at Landmarc is obscene.)
Posted by: Rose's Lime | Wednesday, 30 May 2007 at 08:13 PM
Despite the fact that Kamp failed to consult me for this piece (what, are my kids not photogenic enough??), I thought it was pretty sensibly written and doesn't come off reeking of Alternadad-slash-bourgeois preciousness. He hits a nail on the head when he notes that parents appreciate it when restaurants are willing to serve food in smaller portions at smaller prices. At restaurants where there is no designated "kids' menu" it can be surprisingly hard to put together a decent meal for the younger members of the group.
Posted by: Skeen | Thursday, 31 May 2007 at 01:27 PM