Anonymous wrote:They should not have a childerns' s menu if they don't want kids eat there.

LOL. Have you ever heard of this restaurant?

I have children and I've dined at Alinea. Even if the parents weren't sure what to expect within two seconds of walking in they should have known that it is not kid friendly.

I would have HATED to have lost that money, but I also can't imagine how awkward it would have been to try and sit there with a child on my lap for that experience.

I went to a version of the insanely expensive, pre-fix, "molecular gastronomy" restaurants. It was an awful experience. The food was interesting but I don't remember a single dish. You end up incredibly stuffed and it takes like 3 hours. Even though we could afford it I was basically in a haze of panicked guilt and extreme over indulgence for the rest of the night. I would never repeat an experience like the again. I felt like some kind of guest at an insane roman emperor's meal, complete with vomitorium.

They should not have a childerns' s menu if they don't want kids eat there.

it's a consequence of their reservation policy. you need to buy a ticket in advance for a specific date. but you could argue that they wouldn't (and couldn't) bring their baby to the Opera if babysitting fell through, which costs about the same and is also a ticket for a specific date.

Anonymous wrote:I wish more restaurants would institute same policy plus childless flights.

Childless upscale restaurants are fine. All restaurants going childless as well as flights is kind of ridiculous. I've never brought my kids on a plane (the hassle. the gear. the high probability of my two year old vomiting.) but children do have a right to exist. I get scowled at when I bring my very well behaved children to Starbucks; that's idiotic.

I have no problem with nice restaurants having a no kid policy. I would go to those restaurants happily.

But I would never make reservations at a restaurant with a pre-pay, no-cancellation policy since I have a kid. Kids get sick. Sitters cancel (even if they are family).

Yes, in hindsight the couple probably realizes that they should have sold the tickets. I wonder if they called Alinea to explain beforehand and if Alinea offered to help them sell the tickets. I'm sure that a hotel concierge could have found a buyer in 5 minutes.

This restaurant's food look like the kind of place where you have a "meal" then stop off on the way home at Checkers.
Personally I'd go on down to the Red Robin. They know me up in there and my kid is always welcome.

I wish more restaurants would institute same policy plus childless flights.

Those dishes look disgusting. Lucky for him, a sucker is born every hour.