Eating out with kids in Seattle

Here are my top 5 favorite kid-friendly restaurants in Seattle:

1. Blue C Sushi - Fremont & U-Village
I love this place.  Fresh sushi and tasty Japanese dishes rotate around comfy booths and counter seats on a conveyer belt.  This means INSTANT FOOD at your table the moment you sit down.  As in, no ordering and no waiting.  The food is NOW.  This is huge, because Kiku can never stay in her seat and as a result it's almost impossible to enjoy a meal out at a regular restaurant.  We like this place so much that it's become an almost-weekly tradition.  Kiku is really into the Spicy Sesame Noodles, Inari sushi, edamame, miso soup, and cucumber salad in ponzu sauce.  I especially like the seared tuna and JJ is partial to the spicy tofu dish.  The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, and the kids get their own special "learner chopsticks."  The only drawback is that it's immensely popular and the wait is long on the weekends - and they don't take reservations.  Our solution: go early. 

2. Madrona Alehouse & Eatery - 1138 34th Ave.   
Even though we live across town from Madrona, we still make the trek at least once a month to enjoy a relaxed dinner accompanied by a good beer.  What makes it possible to "relax" is the small but ingenious play area.  It's nestled on one side of the restaurant around a gas fireplace and has ample books and toys, a comfy couch, and is visible from every table.  The standard pub fare is pretty good, but we haven't tried any of the more "refined" dishes (e.g. fish, pork chops, pasta, etc.). 

3. Vios - 903 19th Ave E.
This is a very unique place.  In a nutshell, Vios is a Greek restaurant that happens to have a large enclosed play space for kids that's amply stocked with toys and books.  And the food is great!  Good kids menu, too.  But it tends to be a little pricey for a casual night out so that's why it only made #3 on my list. 

4. Zeek's Pizza - *Several around Seattle
There are no toys or books.  But the pizza is decent, they make a good chopped salad, and the staff (and customers) don't seem to mind small children running around and terrorizing the candy machine.  Enough said.

5. Bagel Oasis -  2112 NE 65th St.     
This is a good breakfast spot for kids.  They have a small play area and this alone is why we eat here.   Ok, that's not entirely true, because the bagels are pretty darn good.  Only thing is, they seem to have problems getting the orders right (too stoned?)

Runner Up: Tutta Bella pizzaria on Stone Way in Wallingford.  This place is big, loud, (did I say loud?), and the pizza is good.  There are always lots of kids here, probably because it's so very loud. 

*I've only eaten at two locations: Phinney Ridge & Greenlake