The discussion surrounding taking children to nice restaurants — where to go and if it’s even appropriate — is as heated as a barbecue competition. However, since the idea for this story comes from my 8-year-old daughter, Halle, we’re sharing a list of some of our local favorites, many of which we’ve patronized since she was a baby.

Not only am I a food writer and a restaurant reviewer for Richmond magazine, but I used to own a catering business. My sister, who is very close to the girls, is a chef who owns a local butcher shop. Halle and her 5-year-old sister, Cary, have grown up in a family where food and eating out is a focus.  

I hope that their open-mindedness inspires some new, drive-through-free options for your family. E-mail our editor (katea@richmag.com) and let her know where you think the best kids’ menu in town is: Halle’s already working on round two.

Asian

Mekong Vietnamese Restaurant

6004 W. Broad St. 288-8929

Halle says: I get the fat noodle soup every time and have to use a spoon for the broth and a fork for the noodles. I also really like the spring rolls. The crispy ones have pork on the inside, and they are hot because they are deep-fried. The soft ones are served at room temperature. Sometimes, Mommy and Daddy let Cary and I get child’s strawberry daiquiris for a treat.

Karen says: Mekong was actually the first restaurant that Halle ever went to, and I remember having to go to the car mid-meal to nurse her. It has also been the site of several of her birthday parties because their setup and staff are very accommodating for large parties. Visiting the fish at the entrance and tossing pennies in the indoor pond is another kid-friendly draw.

Akida Japanese Restaurant

814 N. Robinson St. 359-8036

Halle says: Akida is a very good Asian restaurant. It has yummy miso soup and edamame, which are soybeans that are cooked in the shells and sprinkled with salt. You squeeze them and the beans pop out. I love the crabstick on rice and the avocado sushi. It’s also very close to the Children’s Museum of Richmond, on West Broad Street. We get carryout from Akida when Mommy isn’t in the mood to cook.

Karen says: Akida in the Fan is tiny, so go early to escape waiting.  The one in the West End (9039 W. Broad St.) is great, too, and larger. My children have been eating California rolls since they were toddlers, and I swear, the miso soup works better than Campbell’s chicken noodle if someone is feeling under the weather. The kids like the green tea (with a little sugar) and think that starting the meal that way is like having a tea party. Watching the chefs prepare the sushi at the bar is an entertaining distraction if a wee one is antsy.

Dress Up

Little Venice

10482 Ridgefield Parkway 741-6022

Halle says: I have a friend named Luca, and his dad is the chef and owner of Little Venice. Daddy took my friend Beth and I there on a “date night,” and we got all dressed up, and then Beth stayed at our house for a sleepover. I ordered the penne à la vodka, which is penne pasta with a tomato cream sauce. I also had the calamari. It is sooo good. Beth had the tortellini Genovese (cheese-filled pasta with pesto sauce). When you leave the restaurant, there is a little box of mint chocolates near the door, and my dad let Beth and I have one since we were so good.

Karen says: Because I’m a restaurant reviewer, my children have gotten used to my husband, Alex, and I going out for what we call “date night.” So when Halle was not even 4, Alex started taking her out on “dates,” too. It has been a great way for her to have special time with her father, as well as to learn how to behave at fancier restaurants. She can practice her manners and conversation skills. She is always on her best behavior and feels very grown-up on these occasions.

Can Can Brasserie

3120 W. Cary St. 358-7274

Halle says: Can Can has its own bakery, and it has the best lemon butter cookies. Last time I went, we invited my friend Ellie and we ate outside. It’s fun to watch all the people walking around Carytown. But it’s also fun to eat inside and it’s really pretty. I had a salad of baby beets with walnut vinaigrette. There were regular purple beets as well as yellow and pink ones. I also had a hamburger and lemonade. My sister had an orange cream soda that the bartender made for her and a grilled cheese.

Karen says: Brightly lit, boisterous and a great tot’s menu for only $5 are all reasons to take your children to dinner at one of Richmond’s most happening spots. They open early in the morning and offer an afternoon café menu before regular dinner service if you want to avoid the crowds and more serious diners. Toss some crayons in a baggie and pull them out for coloring on the butcher-block paper that covers the tables.

Eating Outside

Cielito Lindo Mexican Restaurant

4702 Forest Hill Ave. 233-3022

Halle says: Kids can order strawberry daiquiris with no alcohol at this Mexican restaurant, too. They bring you a basket of chips when you first sit down, and we order the queso sauce for dipping; the salsa isn’t too spicy. I like to order the soft beef taco, but Cary normally has the chicken off the children’s menu, which is sort of like chicken fingers but much better. We went with our neighbor Jacob and his mom last time after spending almost the whole day at the pool. We got to sit outside and listen to the Mexican music they play.  

Karen says: Finding a great restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating is another trick to successful family dining. With a basket of tortilla chips in front of us and a margarita in my hand, even a slight delay in getting my enchiladas verde is forgivable. Most kids like Mexican food, and even if they eat too many chips, refried beans help redeem the nutritional value of the experience.

Palani Drive

401 Libbie Ave. 285-3200

Halle says: Palani Drive is a great place to go on a hot summer day because they have great smoothies, and sometimes I’m allowed to just have that for my meal. My favorite flavors are the ones with mango in them, like the “Mana.” I also like the cheese quesadillas there. You can sit outside on the deck or inside in these big booths or up at the bar, especially when the Tour de France is on TV (I watch it with my Daddy, who loves his bike).

Karen says: There are plenty of great options here if you are a vegetarian or an especially healthy eater looking to instill those same habits in your offspring. Many of the appetizers at this Libbie and Grove mainstay — the black-bean cakes and the hummus, for example — work well as entrées for younger customers. The atmosphere is appealingly laid-back, and there is an ice-cream shop just a stone’s throw away if bribery becomes necessary during the meal.

Halle is a third-grader at Richmond Montessori School, and her mother, Karen, is a food writer.