Thursday, April 14, 2011

Play Date: Saturday, April 16

The Miller's are planning on attending the CT Audubon Society's annual Easter egg hunt at their Fairfield center, which is located at 2325 Burr Street in Fairfield.  The details are available via the following link:

www.ctaudubon.org/visit/fairfield.htm

It looks a little pricey, but I figure it's worth it.  How can you go wrong with crafts, an appearance by the bunny himself, and a continental breakfast?  We're shooting to make the 9:30 hunt, assuming Audrey's game and the weather cooperates.

Give me a buzz if you're interested in coordinating.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Play Date: Monday, April 11

Tomorrow afternoon, the Millers (well...Audrey and I) will be celebrating April's first flirtation with 70 degree weather at the Sandcastle playground in Fairfield, which is behind the Jenning's Beach parking lot (South Benson Road).

A few of us are planning on meeting up sometime around 3:30/4ish, so shoot me a call or just show up if you're interested.  Hope to see you there!

Unfortunately, a google image search of "Fairfield" "park" and "sandcastle" didn't yield any results, so, until I review this local tot spot, you'll have to suffer yet another picture of my little lady...

Saturday, April 2, 2011

The Hunger Games: Blood Root

Blood Root is a long-established feminist books store/vegetarian restaurant located right across Burr Creek from Captain's Cove at 85 Ferris Street in Blackrock.  Though the food is quite tasty (be sure to order the bread), 2 out of 3 Millers agreed that the prices were a little steep for frequent family dining (the 3rd Miller was too busy eating ice cream with her bare hands to vote (you ought to be ashamed of yourself, Danica).



The staff at Bloodroot was extremely friendly, and the restaurant was certainly kid-friendly.  That said, they don't offer a kids menu (or smaller portions at a reduced rate).  As it's vegetarian in genre, all of the offerings are healthy for parent and child alike.  Moreover, Bloodroot boasts a pseudo-locavore/seasonal veggie selection, which makes dining here both tasty and ethically-informed.

While the jury remains out on whether or not we'll be taking the fam back to Bloodroot in the future, Danica and I will certainly keep in mind when planning our next date night.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Hunger Games: Bereket, Port, and Dish

Hi All.  Momma Miller here.  I usually hang out over at Mermaids in the Basement, a blog dedicated to my daughter's awesomeness, which you can find at http://audreylouisemiller.blogspot.com/.  My husband seduced me with the promise of ice cream into guest blogging over here at Black Rock Parents.

The Millers—Dad, Pregnant Mom, and Toddling Audrey—like to eat, and we especially enjoy eating when other people cook for us.  However, finding a family-friendly restaurant can be a potential minefield.  You want to try new places, but you don’t want to flee a restaurant because your vocal toddler hates the food and you can’t stand the snobbish teenage wait staff.

Here are a couple of in-area favorites that we have found to be child- and parent-friendly:

Bereket
2871 Fairfield Avenue
We love this place and this place seems to love us right back.  The food comes out quickly and is generally mild enough for a child’s palate.  Audrey literally eats hummus by the handful.  The prices are super-reasonable and the portions generous enough to count on leftovers for lunch the next day.  They also have a BYOB policy, which I plan on taking huge advantage of in approximately nine weeks.

Dish/Port
2889 Fairfield Avenue
Dish is the breakfast place adjacent to the coffeehouse Port.  While the service is super-friendly at Port, it’s not great for kids.  The tables are high, the chairs are arranged to maximize privacy, and the cliential seem more interested in updating their facebook account than cooing over your toddler’s tantrum.  Also, the wide selection of coffee and teas are, uh, not recommended for most children’s diets.

But, Dish, dear readers, Dish!  The attached breakfast place is delish.  They have a wonderful menu full of freshly cooked, healthy fair.  Audrey eats up just about everything  on the menu, and I have a hard time not making a spectacle of myself over their Big Ass Pancakes.   Dish serves from early morning to 11.30 on the weekdays and until later (I think) on the weekends.  

We would love to hear more suggestions in the comments!

And here is Audrey taking advantage of the indulgent waitstaff at Bereket:


Thursday, March 24, 2011

Play Date: Saturday March 26th

Danica and Audrey will be heading over to the Fairfield Public Library at around 10am for a quick frolic. Swing by and enjoy climate-controlled environs, carpeted floors, and a pretty sweet fish tank…all on the collective dime of the good people of Fairfield!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Local Tot Spots: The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a strip of public beach on Seabright Avenue, which is just off the base of Brewster Street. Depending on the tide, it’s roughly the size of a football field, and the beach is almost entirely soft sand. I’ve been told that the water is swimmable, but I wouldn’t go in there without a pair of aqua socks or thick-soled sandals. The terrain down by the water gets a little rocky, and there’s quite a bit of flotsam (and a health dose of jetsam).

Although we’ve only taken Audrey to the sandbox a few times, I can already tell that it’s going to be a staple in future Miller family outings. There’s already been talk of putting together some kind of pre-season beach cleanup, and you can go ahead an ink in some sunset picnic-style get-togethers.

Here’s a pic from a recent outing…

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Sunday Sandbox Throw-Down!


Tomorrow, Sunday the 19th, the Millers are planning on heading over to “The Sandbox” for an open-to-the-public playdate in the mid-afternoon.  The Sandbox is a strip of beach over on Seabright Ave, which is off of Brewster.      

If you’re interested, shoot me a call at 203.988.3011.