Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in silicon valley, CA

Kid-Friendly Coffee Shops

by bonggamom

March 03, 2009

One of the great joys in life is being able to sit at a cafe and linger over a great cup of coffee.  But what if you've got little ones in tow, with the kind of jitters that don't come from coffee?  Below are some great places where both parents and children can hang out:

1) Redwood City's Main Street Coffee roasts their own beans on site and cook up an awesome breakfast or brunch.  Their basket of toys will keep little ones busy indoors, but it's when the sun shines that their kid-friendly appeal skyrockets.  Their large outdoor patio has sun-shades, trees, and a children's area with toys galore.  Take note, they close at 2PM and all day Sunday.

2) Crepes Cafe in Menlo Park is tres chic for all ages; grownups love the espressos and lattes, the fondues and crepes, the whole European feel of it all.  Kids love the ice cream treats, the toy baskets to rummage through, and best of all -- the Caltrain that roars by the cafe every now and then. 

3) There's something at San Jose's Yagoz Fine Gelato and Coffee for everyone in the family.  Parents will like the coffee and espresso drinks, the low prices and free WiFi.  Older kids will enjoy the array of board games available for them to play with.  And younger kids -- no, actually everybody! -- will enjoy the yummy gelato.

4)  What makes San Jose's Caffe Trieste kid-friendly?  One word:  babyccinos.   Little ones get their own steamed and foamed milk with chocolate drizzled on top.  Just like mommy's and daddy's capuccino, but with no caffeine, and amazingly, no cost -- they're free!   They've got Nutella paninis, too, in case you want to stay for lunch.

5) How could I not include the ubiquitous Starbucks? There's nothing specifically kid-friendly about them, but every time you go into a Starbucks you're sure to find a parent and a child hanging out.  Whatever you think of the coffee, you can be certain that it will be hot, the service will be quick, and they will always have boxes of Horizon Organic Chocolate milk for the kids.

6) For the ultimate in kid-friendly coffee, head over to Caffino's Drive-Thru Espresso Bars (they've got locations throughout Silicon Valley, including Milipitas, Mountain View, RWD, Santa Clara) and get your java fix without leaving the driver's seat.  The notion of a drive-thru coffee bar might conjure up images of fast food joints and big yellow arches, but their coffee is roasted on site, and they now feature Organic, Fair Trade certified beans.  You don't even have to mess with the carseats and strollers!

Eating Globally with Kids: Ethnic Restaurants

by bonggamom

February 19, 2009

Back in January (how long ago that seems!), I made a New Year's resolution to help my children cultivate a global outlook, and one of the ways my family has decided to do this is to spend the year trying out foods from different countries.  But many of Alfie's and my favorite international restaurants -- Cascal in Mountain View or Evvia in Palo Alto, for example -- don't exactly cater to the kiddie set.  So I enlisted the help of popular local parenting and foodie blogger, the wise, witty, and always delicious CityMama.  Here are her suggestions for kid-friendly international eateries around Silicon Valley:

1) Vietnamese -- I love Pho Vi Hoa on the corner of El Camino Real and San Antonio Road. Great pho (noodle soup) and delicious clay pot fried rice and green papaya salad. And the egg rolls are heavenly.

2) Korean -- I like Secret Garden in Santa Clara on El Camino just south of Lawrence Expwy. Or Tofu House is great for tofu soup and tofu pancakes but their menu is more limited than in a standard restaurant. The girls usually order tofu soup (without spices, because it can be HOT) and a bowl of rice then eat all the yummy side dishes.

3) Afghani--Kabul in Belmont is topnotch, but Cafe Sophia in midtown palo alto is casual and delicious and they are very kid friendly (they have toys).

4) Thai --we usually go to Krung Siam on University ave because they serve sticky rice in cute little baskets.

Not quite ready to venture into table service territory?  Take the family to an international cooking class instead.  Start safe with Italian Family Cooking classes at Kids Culinary Adventures on Feb. 27, or the Young Chefs Academy on Feb. 28.

My mouth is watering already.  Stay tuned throughout the year as my family and I try out Citymama's favorites, and find some of our own!

The ABCs of Silicon Valley

by Shawn Burns

November 04, 2008

Today at Savvy Source we're doing the ABCs of Silicon Valley. Do you have the song in your head? Good. A is for Armadillo Willy's Barbecue . B is for the Baby Loves Disco . C is for the Cinco de Mayo Festival. D is for ducks . E is for environmentalism. F is for farmer's markets . G is for the Gilroy Garlic Festival . H is for Hobee's . I is for Ice Skating  Read more...