DINING
everybody eats!
7 KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS ADULTS WILL LOVE
WRITTEN BY HOWARD MEGDAL
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SANDUCCI’S
RIVER EDGE
Sanducci’s in River Edge doesn’t so
much cater to a family seeking different things
out of the same meal as it overwhelms with
alternatives. Got kids who will only eat pizza?
They’ve got you covered, with thin, regular,
Sicilian options and many different alternatives
(including the salad pizza if you don’t want
to negotiate the vegetables
separately). But the upper
tier alternatives are part of
an extensive, more tradition-
al Italian menu as well. Enjoy
a selection from Sanducci’s
wine list while you partake
in the buratta appetizer,
the seafood paella, lobster
ravioli, or Shrimp Sanducci
— fresh green fettucine with shrimp, mush-
rooms, peas, onions, diced tomatoes, brandy
and a touch of cream. Photos from yesteryear
plaster the walls, offering a chance to tell your
children about when phones weren’t the
primary means of taking pictures.
• 620 Kinderkamack Road, River Edge,
(201) 599-0600, sanduccis.com
32
FALL 2018 | (201) FAMILY
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SANTOUKA RAMEN
EDGEWATER
Generally speaking, family-friendly and
waterfront dining do not go together, but this
spot, located in the Mitsuwa Marketplace,
is the exception. You can’t really go wrong
with any of the restaurants, but Santouka’s
elite ramen keeps us coming back. Get the
melty pork spicy miso ramen and turn the
noodle consumption into
SANDUCCI’S a game, as your family sits
in a booth overlooking the
river, with Manhattan views.
Often, the tradeoff with
family meals is clear, but
you almost never need to
give up on authenticity, and
this is as real a ramen expe-
rience as you’re going to get
stateside. It’s not traditional fine dining, but
you’re getting the best bowl of ramen in the
area with a view of the greatest city on earth.
• 595 River Road, Edgewater, (201) 941-1004,
santouka.com
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EMMA
ENGLEWOOD
Here’s a great example of where
ambiance does not mean silence. Emma
is a fun, noisy place, but not so much that
you can’t hear your tablemates talk. The
hand-painted murals alone will give you
and your children a good 10 minutes of
conversation. Just as with the dinner selec-
tions, the brunch menu is varied. • 34 E.
Palisade Ave., Englewood, (201) 227-6103,
emma34.com
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RED WHITE
AND PASTA
ENGLEWOOD
Red White and Pasta allows for the easy
feeding of smaller people — especially if the
response my older daughter gave to their
baked ziti is any indication — and some can’t-
miss dishes for adults. Let’s note just two here:
the black linguine frutti di mare, with excep-
tionally fresh shrimp, clams and mussels, along
with the nut-crusted salmon filet, which came
out perfectly flaky. The exposed interior bricks
give the restaurant a clubhouse feel. Seating is
comfortable (oh, how lovely when there are
cushioned booth seats for the children), and
as motivation to get your kids through the end
of the meal, there’s a significant selection of
homemade desserts, including rice pudding
and several flavors of ice cream. There’s even
an individual pizza on the kids’ menu.
• 21 E. Palisade Ave., Englewood,
(201) 731-3223, redwhiteandpasta.com
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Having children doesn’t mean giving up on
transcendent dining experiences. The key,
as with most things in life, is compromise. All
over northern New Jersey, there are meals to be
savored. Yes, with children. No, not at the expense
of the diners around you. Here are some places
you might want to check out. Happy eating!