In our most recent He Said, She Said: Family Edition, we invited an entire household (mom, dad and baby) to hit the town at a family-friendly eatery. Was the dinner a success? Read on!
THE COUPLE
Lauren
Age: 30
Job: Marketing
Hobbies: Cooking, creating things, boating
Adam
Age: 28 (Yes, Lauren married a younger man!)
Job: Sales
Hobbies: SPORTS – Eagles, Phillies… golf, snowboarding, boating
The Activity
Drink and Dinner at Appetites on Main in Exton
Lauren: I wanted to surprise my hard-working husband with a nice relaxing dinner out with the family. I went out and bought a new dress from my favorite boutique, Artifact in West Chester, got all decked out and made sure that he would home in time to make our reservation.
Adam: I got home to find my beautiful family all ready to walk out the door to go to dinner. She normally has some amazing meal prepared for me when I get home, but this was a nice treat.
How long have you been married and what is your favorite part about married life?
Laurent: Two years. Knowing that I am going to wake up each day to the same amazing man by my side. Cheesy, I know, but it is great to have found my other half and there is no other person that I would want to go through life with.
Adam: Two years. Living with my best friend and raising a family together.
As a newly married couple with a little one, do you make time for “Date-Nights” regularly? Does Luke dine out with you two often?
Lauren: We have been lucky enough to get out for quite a few date nights since we have been married. When we can, we try to bring Luke everywhere we can with us. He is a very social little man and enjoys seeing lots of people and waving and saying “hi” to everyone.
Adam: Yes and yes. We try to get out for some alone time frequently, but we enjoy bring Luke with us when we go out to dinner and even out with our friends and family.
Lauren, you surprised your husband with this date, is there a special outfit you surprised him with as well?
Lauren: Yes, I had my eye on a cute little salmon-colored dress at my favorite store Artifact. I drive by this store on Gay St. in West Chester every day and look at the cute dresses in the window. This day I decided to stop and buy one to look extra special for Adam.
The Restaurant: Appetites on Main
286 Main Street, Exton, (610) 594-2030
How was the service?
Lauren: Dining out with a little one can always be a little stressful, so I was happy that we went somewhere that was family-friendly. When we arrived, the staff was quick to seat us and bring over a high-chair without us even asking. The waitress, as well as many other staff members, were attentive to Luke and payed some extra attention to him. It was nice, because this took some of the pressure off of us and allowed us to relax a bit more. Our waitress also came equipped with some stickers and toys for Luke.
Adam: They were attentive. They were really good with Luke and offered some things to keep him busy so we could enjoy our meals.
Did you have drinks with your dinner?
Lauren: It was a really HOT night out, so we both decided to cool off with some beers. They had a large selection of beer and, I know it is boring, but we both got the same thing. We love Circus Boy, so we both had a few of those.
Adam: Circus Boy.
What did you order for dinner?
Lauren: Because it was hot, I decided to go with something light and healthy. I got the Caesar Salad with a crab cake on top. The dressing was on the side, which I liked because sometimes there can be too much on the salad. The crab cake was a very good size and the lettuce was nice and fresh. I enjoyed it. I have to say, we go to Maryland a lot and am quite a crab cake snob, but this one was pretty good. Oh, and we started out our dinner with a half order of some amazing fries with cheese, Old Bay and lump crabmeat on top. It was amazing! Luke got some meatballs and apple sauce. He didn’t say how it was, but promptly ate it up, which I think is a good sign.
Adam: We started the meal with fries with Old Bay and crab on top with cheese. Then, I got the Chicken Buffalo Cheese Steak. I get that every time I see that on the menu. They gave me an option of how I wanted it – mild, medium or hot. I opted for the mild, as per the waitresses suggestion, and she was right to suggest that, because it was pretty hot. But, very good!
Dessert?
Lauren: They sent out a ridiculous amount of ice cream on top of a belgium waffle. There was vanilla, chocolate, syrup, caramel and it was really yummy! The only downfall was that I got some on my dress 🙁
Adam: They brought us enough ice cream to feed every one in the restaurant. We dug in and it was delicious. I think that the others around us were jealous. It was quite a sight. Luke enjoyed it!
Over all, how was your date night out?
Lauren: It was much needed and a very nice night out. We were happy to go somewhere that didn’t cringe when we walked in with a baby. They were very attentive, friendly and accommodating to us. It made the evening relaxing and enjoyable.
Adam: It was a nice surprise! I am always happy to be able to spend time with my family after a long day at work. The night out at a nice restaurant with some tasty food and some good beer was bonus.
