What to do during Frankenstorm

Ah, trapped inside the house with kids during hurricane Sandra.  Quite frankly it doesn't scare me nearly as much as the U.S. political debates (it's all relative, isn't it?).  But if I need to escape the house next week, this might be where you find me:

I'm thinking of places that have enough floor space/couches/etc that I'll be fine while I enjoy a tea and some much needed time out of the house.  These aren't kid-destinations, necessarily, but are places that would fit the bill to avoid feeling stuck at home.

Coffee Culture on Brant downtown has couches and a cosy fireplace.  

The library!  Aldershot library is great, as is Central.  Both have toys and books and puzzles for kids.  Comfy couches at Central branch on New Street.

Tansley Woods community centre.  There might even be some programs at the centre or at the libraries that you can enjoy.

ROCK Centre for Kids on Plains Road (drop-in or age-appropriate program).  There is a ROCK centre on Cumberland too about which I have heard many good things.

Walk in the rain!  If it's not a downpour or on the verge of freezing, I'll get out there with a baby-carrier and my Suse's Kinder Coat).  The sights, sounds, feel, and smell of rain are wonderful for my spirit, and are good for my kids to experience too.

Ikea on Plains Road.  You can shop a bit, then spend extra time in the kids section --there are enough toys set up there for playing with that she'll have a blast.  My son calls Ikea "the store with the trains?" because I always go with a play-stop at the trains as an integral part of the trip.  It is the only reason I've been able to shop with two kids, quite frankly.

And, if all else fails, I will always remember my friend's sage advice --give a baby a stir stick and the sleeve of a coffee cup and they will be in their glory.  (This might mean a walk to the mall will be just what we need).

The Purple Heather

Spontaneous restaurant stops don't happen often anymore: with two young'uns there are nap times, bedtimes, and food allergies to contend with.  So when we decided to stop for a bite to eat at The Purple Heather yesterday afternoon it was with  tentative hope that we'd actually enjoy a meal at a restaurant we'd never heard of, at a time of day that would allow bedtime for the youngest to still be on time.

Aside from sharing a moniker with me, The Purple Heather wouldn't have done much to catch our eye.  It sits in a relatively new plaza on the west side of Walker's Line south of Dundas.  However, we were pleasantly surprised.  Here's the quick scoop:

For the fam: The restaurant was nearly empty at 4:30pm --great for bringing in children.  It was starting to get some flow by the time we left.  They have no highchairs but do have booster seats.  They have a children's menu.  Our only dairy-free tomato-free option was battered fish and chips, our go-to allergy-free meal, at half the price of the adult plate.

For the asthetically-minded: The decor is regal without being dowdy or heavy: high-backed royal purple chairs, interesting lighting (useful while waiting for food with a toddler), dark wood without being dungeon-like.  Great patio at the front, though it faces the parking lot.

On tap:  Quite a large selection -I tuned it out after a while since I wouldn't be taking advantage of it.

Food:  The sign said "Gastro Pub" so we expected (and got) higher-end pub grub similar to Watermark in Toronto. What I didn't expect is that The Purple Heather is a privately-owned, non-franchised restaurant which means, right from the get-go, there is quite a lot more investment in what food is offered, and more interest in explaining what is in the food.  This was excellent for dealing with our dairy and soy restrictions.  The food took a bit longer to prepare than I expected, but it could have been the time of day or our requests for soy-free.  Food that caught my eye (though it had dairy or soy) were veg samosas, fish tacos, peaches and brie, quinoa-blackbean burger (I would have LOVED to have this) and vegetable curry.

The waitress was helpful in ensuring the food met our restrictions, including a complete re-working of their quinoa sushi which was quite yummy.  They subbed out french fries in favour of carrot sticks and celery for our toddler.  Each nacho on my husband's plate had cheese on it: two thumbs up from my husband, though our toddler was disappointed to learn that this meant he could not have any.  Any disappointment I had over limited choice was made up for by the extent to which items are made in-house, including their taco wraps.

Perhaps without the kids next time: They have live entertainment Fridays and Saturdays, and sure looks from the photos on their site that they have a Robbie Burns celebration with all the stops (kilts, pipes).

Verdict:  We'd go again.  And I might try making quinoa sushi at home!

A place we call home

Burlington, Ontario.  It's where we call home.  It's where we play, and eat, and explore,  hike, bike, and shop.  This blog will chronicle it all as we discover all there is about our new-ish hometown that makes it a great place for us to live.