Kids Eat Free

Kids Eat Free. In a really nice restaurant. I feel like that's almost unheard of. Where can parents eat like normal human beings, with farm to table food that's plated all fancy, and the Kids. Eat. Free.?

RoCCa. In Glen Rock.

So I can walk there if I wanted. Not in the weather we've been experiencing here, unless I want frost bite. But theoretically, I could.

I saw a Facebook post from RoCCa a few days ago reminding me of their Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday prix fix menu for $19.99 and the kids eat free thing on those days. I called this past Sunday sometime mid-day and made a reservation for 5:30p.

Let me explain why this was an exciting thing for me. We have retail business open six days a week. I don't work on Saturday but I'm home with E all day doing our thing. And while it's lovely to have that, by Saturday night I am DONE. I am not cooking and I want a GOOD dinner. Complete with bread. We go out to dinner every Saturday evening and have since E was born. I want my good dinner (Said like, "I want my two dollars!").

This past Saturday night I took one for the team and went to Friendly's so we could bring E and his BFF out for a very kid-friendly dinner. It was E's friend's birthday and we weren't going to be able to attend the party because E has improv class on Sundays. He can't miss class- there are no make-ups. I haven't been in a Friendly's since high school. I tried to order something on the healthier side. I got "turkey tips". It was roast turkey pieces, with dipping sauces, broccoli and rice. It was....fine. But if I had to rank it somewhere, it reminded me of something that would be served for school lunch. Back in my day since most parents won't let their Precious eat anything less than ordered-in-gourmet lunch these days...but that's another story. It just wasn't my idea of Saturday dinner. The company was wonderful, although, it would've been more relaxing sans kids. And sans the judging we got from the McJudgersons sitting behind us, glaring at our boisterous boys. Hey- it's Friendly's. If you don't want noisy kids, go somewhere more high brow. Suck it, McJudgersons.

I knew I was going to RoCCa on Sunday so I was happy. We hadn't been able to get there in awhile because we don't want to bring E, since we'd end up paying a lot for a meal he's not going to eat anyway. Not because it's not delicious but because he eats nothing. But when I realized I could order him something, it would be on the healthier side, and it would be free, I was super jazzed about it. If he didn't eat it then, he could eat it the next night, which was fine by me.

We got there, coincidentally our friends were also there, and the prix-fix menu was EXCELLENT. I wish I took a photo of the menu because all I really paid attention to was what I ordered. I got a mozzarella and tomato salad with balsamic. Three perfect tomato slices with two thick slices of fresh mozzarella. It was beautiful and delicious. B had a Caesar salad that he said was great. I had chicken Milanese which was awesome and B had spaghetti with meatballs. He said they were the best meatballs he ever had. He normally isn't that into meatballs but he really liked them. E had chicken fingers. But, to tell you the truth, I think they made Milanese and just cut it up to be fingers. So the quality was much better than your typical chicken fingers. I usually have food left over to take home and I didn't this time. Not because it was a small portion- it wasn't. I just ate it all! I wish I thought to take pictures of my meal- it was also very pretty.

We had a choice of ice cream or fresh fruit for dessert. I was kind of bummed there was no choice of some kind of cake but in trying on some of my spring pants this morning, I don't need any cake. I picked the fruit, which was really good and B & E both had chocolate ice cream. Both pretty much licked their bowl. And E almost never finishes his ice cream. This almost tasted like more of a dark chocolate ice cream. More like the difference between "real" ice cream and over sugared, over processed not-so-real ice cream.

I also want to mention- they have paper on their tables. That white paper you can draw on. That, to me, really signifies "kid friendly". So by all means, bring your crayons. We did!

I'm thrilled with our Sunday night dinner choice. I could've been home making my Blue Apron chicken pot stickers but I just didn't have it in me. Daylight savings was a huge pain and it felt like the longest day ever. I was happy just to go support a local business, sit down and relax, and enjoy a really good, no-Turkey-Tips, farm to table, attractively delectable meal.

www.roccanj.com