yes, i tried one too.

Published in The Post-Star (D1)
12/21/05

Judging from the children's menus in most restaurants, it seems that chicken fingers, hot dogs and fries are the only things that kids consider edible.

At least one local restaurateur is taking a chance on proving that assumption wrong. At The Wishing Well Restaurant, a fine dining establishment in Wilton, hungry kids can choose from a range of unusual options -- from crab cakes to frog legs sauteed in garlic butter.

"In putting the menu together, I took my lead from kids, because I noticed that they would order some of these things from the appetizer menu," explained Bob Lee, manager of the family-owned restaurant. "I thought, well, maybe there's a broader interest in food among kids. They're exposed to more things these days."

The frog legs aren't the hottest-selling item on the menu, he admitted, but usually one or two young patrons a week will take a chance on them.

"You'd be surprised at how many kids order them," he said. "It certainly shows that they're more adventurous than I was at that age!"

As he spoke, his 8-year-old daughter Christina sampled a fresh plateful of frog legs prepared by chef Matt Scofield.

"Hey, these are actually pretty good!" she exclaimed. "Tastes like...chicken."

Her brother, 4-year-old Max, wrinkled his nose and kept his distance.

"That's the only thing I really don't like," he said.

Christina finished eating, and began hopping around the restaurant, giggling.

"I think when you create a memorable experience for your kids, then the next time you go out to dinner, they're going to say, 'Let's go to the place we had the frog legs!' or crab cakes, or whatever," said Lee.

Of course, memorable isn't always the same thing as healthy. For parents concerned about finding low-fat, nutritious meals for their children, going out to eat can be a frustrating experience.

In a 2003 Center for Science in the Public Interest survey of 20 national chain restaurants, such as Olive Garden, Applebees and Chili's, fried chicken and french fries (or hash browns) were on every kids' menu. Most of the meals came with free soda refills or dessert, adding extra calories.
The study concluded that children consume nearly twice as many calories in restaurant meals as they do in meals at home.

In response to a rapidly rising rate of childhood obesity in the U.S., some chain restaurants have recently begun adding healthier options to kids' menus. For example, McDonald's customers can now get their Happy Meals with apple slices and low-fat milk instead of fries and soda.

Red Lobster has also trimmed down the caloric content of its kids menu. The entrees, which include grilled chicken and broiled fish, are served with steamed vegetables. Just to be safe, however, they've kept chicken fingers and fries on the menu.

Ruby Tuesday's, a national casual dining chain, introduced a "Kids Smart Eating" menu in June 2004. The menu included things like whole-grain wraps, fresh steamed vegetables and a salad bar, with nutrition information for each meal.

That experiment didn't last long. One year later, the chain decided to discontinue the Smart Eating menu in all its locations, although kids still have the salad bar option.

"Our kids' menu now is basically the same thing you're going to find anywhere: chicken fingers, small hamburgers, macaroni and cheese," said Eric Bourgeois, general manager of the Wilton Mall Ruby Tuesday's. "We did try something different and went right back to the old."

He said the corporate decision was probably a reflection of sales figures and customer comments, and it wasn't surprising.

"It's like when we took the chocolate pudding off the salad bar, and everyone complained," he said. "It's probably the most unhealthy item on the salad bar, but that's what people want. You have to give people what they want."
#