The Forklifter Visits Bar Artisanal

Tribeca offers so many opportunities for young diners to sniff out their favorite flavors in restaurants their parents enjoy, too! Just ask the Forklifter:

Sleepover season found us with just one child to take out to dinner one Friday night. Instead of the sushi-maven, we were accompanied by the truffle-hound (and I say that with love). She's also a cheese and Iberico ham fanatic--she's an expensive date. We steered her away from Corton and into Bar Artisanal. Fondue was ordered, flatbreads, ham (of course), something delicious with truffle honey, their famous mac and cheese. Nice wines by the glass (not for the truffle hound, of course). Just another Friday night in Tribeca.

More from The Forklifter: Trattoria Cinque

The Forklifter- our dedicated reader, contributor, and restaurant lover- was out and about recently and lifted not just a fork, but a pen as well:

Trattoria Cinque has one of the nicest, most welcoming rooms in the neighborhood - and staff were no slouches either. I loved the big banquettes and huge fireplaces. It's casually sophisticated, but I was really pleased that they made my kids so welcome too. They're famous for their Caeser Salads and the concept of 5 seasonal offerings in each menu category (hence the name Cinque). There are always a few specials so the menu fills out nicely. My favorite was the super-thin crusted pizza with pear and gorgonzola. I'm thinking I should bring a bunch a friends next time and score one of the big tables in front of the fireplace.

The Palm- Kids Eat FREE!

Finding a kid-friendly restaurant that is also parent-friendly is always a challenge. Luckily, we have our faithful readers to help us navigate those culinary waters!

The Palm Tribeca is offering a Kids Eat Free on Sundays for Spring and Summer . They open at 5:00 and kids 12 and under eat free when accompanied by a paying adult. The Palm Tribeca is very kid-friendly and boasts an awesome kid's menu. My daughter had the fillet mignon and cleaned her plate. My son had the Chicken Parmagianna and it was an adult-sized portion which we brought home and had for lunch the next day. I had the Veal Oscar which was great and my husband had the Veal Marsala also a wonderful choice.

The Palm Tribeca also offers a membership in what the call The 837 Club, which awards you points that can be redeemed for free meals when you reach a certain level. It also alerts you to any specials the restaurant is offering and offers exclusive specials to club members. The membership fee is $25.00 but they give you a $25.00 gift card on the spot when you sign up.

City Hall

Dining with children does not mean you have to sacrifice taste. Not in Tribeca! A local parent shares a review of City Hall:

"City Hall has really made dining with kids easy. We went for an early Saturday dinner with 5 children and 3 adults. We sat in the bar area (lovely) with another family with twin babies one table over. Menu placemats with fun pictures to color, Wikki Sticks to bend and sculpt, and juice cups with lids kept everyone happy until the food arrived. The fried oysters are not to be missed. The crab cakes are also yummy. Most of the kids picked burgers with fries. I wish the burgers came with more veggies -- but that is the mom in me. "