By Valerie Terry
Hey! There's an awesome giveaway at the end of this post being offered up by Dishcrawl! Leave a comment to win.
I consider myself a lover of food, but when I think to the last actual new restaurant I tried, I feel like someone is going to yank my foodie street cred. We've come to the point where it's not so easy to just go out and try something new. The girls are now at an age where they have opinions. They have likes, dislikes, and it's really bad form to pack them a separate dinner in a cooler so hubby and I can eat where we want.
Kids aside, there are other reasons we avoid trying new places: There have been the dirty looks by other patrons as we troop in. The serving of adult meals first, so our food gets cold as we arrange the kids food when it finally arrives. Or the serving of kids meals too soon so they are done by the time the grown-up food arrives. The melt down as we wait. and wait. and wait. for a check to arrive. The awful food some popular restaurants serve to the littlest customers. I could go on, but you get the point, it's hard to try something new when you've got a gaggle a kids tagging along.
I know we could devote more of our precious date-nights to grown-up eating, but the thing is, I like to eat out with my kids. I like them to try foods I don't often make at home. They have a budding taste for sushi. There are favorites at the Indian restaurant. Pad Thai is a winner every time. So we keep going back to the handful of safe tried-and-true restaurants in our repertoire.
But to a woman like me who wants to know what's new and exciting, it gets, well, old.
Impossible? I thought it was until now. Our friends at Dishcrawl have teamed up with Food Social to offer an event that will allow me a chance to try out 10 restaurants downtown. Unlike a traditional Dishcrawl (remember that awesome Mom's Summer Party) this will be a self-guided Dishwalk-- a tour-du-food featuring nibbles at spots in the San Pedro square area. There will also be acoustic musical performances along the route. And, it's being held in the afternoon. Perfect for a leisurely stroll with my girls. I can even pack them snacks, and then offer them bites without feeling like I'm breaking the rules. We can stretch our legs and dance to the music while not worrying about the check. And no one will sigh that their kid-free meal is being taken over by my family of five seated next to them.
It sounds like heaven. And a great chance to see what new places we can put onto our favorites list.
Because the folks at Dishcrawl love us mamas, they have offered 2 free tickets to the May 12 event. Tickets are geared toward adults with one select dish being offered at each restaurant. I've been told each portion would be enough to share with a wee-one, but older (9 and up) kids might like their own. Drink specials will be offered on a cash basis at participating restaurants. Details, including restaurants involved, can be found here: Dishcrawl.com
Leave a comment about the last time you tried a new restaurant and you could be our randomly chosen winner to explore downtown at your own pace, eating along the way. The giveaway closes on Wednesday, May 9 at 12pm. Winner will be notified by email.
If you're not our winner, never fear! Purchase tickets through Dishcrawl and use this code: "welovemommas"
and your ticket will be just $25 (vs. the regular $29 pre-purchase or $39 day-of ticket price)
Happy dishing!
And the fine print: Dishcrawl does love mommas, and provided the tickets being given away on Mad About Multiples. I was not compensated in any other way. The discount code can be used by anyone--so spread the word and join the fun. Details about the Dishwalk can be found on Dishcrawl.com.
