The Nicest Restaurant To Which My Kids Have Ever Been

This past Friday, I took my two 19 month old girls down to the Los Angeles Central Library to read some books. Since we were to be downtown on a Friday we arranged to meet Grandfather of Food for Lunch. He picked a spot right next to the library, a nice little joint named Cafe Pinot. OK, Cafe Pinot is not just a little joint, it is one of the Patina group of Restaurants founded by Chef Joachim Splichal. I love Patina, but I had never been to Cafe Pinot before. Based on my experiences at Patina, I had expected an elegant and delicious menu. What I hadn't expected was how very child friendly Cafe Pinot was. I should have guessed this was the case when I saw Chef Splichal's latest cookbook, Feeding Baby in the lobby of the restaurant. After checking in, we were seated in the garden with our two high chairs already in place (it pays to call ahead). We were given milk for the girls in their sippy cups right away. This is a blessing for parents and patrons who don't wish to hear babies crying for milk. The Kids were given children's menus which had no prices because kids food is free, a bargain that would starve Joachim Splichal? Nah, don't worry, The Patina Group made out fine on the adult's meal. Grandfather of Food and I had salads, but plates the girls got could have fed us all. They had a grilled cheese with french fries and a chicken breast with french fries. Both were made with more care than at the average restaurant. Specifically, I had the Yellowfin Tuna in Salad, which was seared perfectly. We were all fed beautifully. My one and only request for the "in diapers" set would be for Cafe Pinot to get a diaper changing area. The only place I saw to use was the on floor of the bathroom. I opted to wait until we went in to the library where, FYI, they have a koala bear care changer in the children's section on the second floor.