Wondering where you can relax with an adult beverage and not get side eyed for bringing your baby along? New mom Christie Robb is on a quest to find bars in Columbus with great drinks and a child-friendly atmosphere.
It’s been six months since Husband and I took Baby Girl home from Riverside. By now we really need a drink. Outside. In public. With adults.
We’ve overcome our fear of taking Baby Girl out to family-friendly restaurants. Although our first trip (to Bob Evans) featured us frantically shoving bacon and waffles in our faces tag-team style while the other parent desperately shoved a bottle or pacifier in her mouth at any hint of a whimper.
Our first foray into the world of kids and cocktails took us to Milestone 229 on the Scioto Mile Riverfront Park.
It’s a popular spot and typically wait-time turns me into a shambling bag of neuroses as it cuts down on the valuable minutes available between feeds and naps. But, Milestone is delightfully adjacent to a 15,000 square-foot fountain that dances in a programed display using 1,000 jets and lights. Baby Girl is currently enraptured by our kitchen faucet, so this blew her tiny mind and kept her completely occupied for the duration. I imagine the experience would be like giving an adult several hits of acid and planting them in front of a flat screen showing Fantasia.
Once inside, the fabulous staff won us over with compliments and a sling in which we could position Baby Girl’s carrier at table height giving her a view of her dining companions. And, although at this point Baby Girl’s dining options are limited to milk and pureed things, we were offered a kids’ menu.
The atmosphere was relaxing. Large sweeping windows commanding views of the fountain and surrounding park, warm wood beams, and enough background noise to alleviate an anxiety attack if the little one should happen to let her outside voice loose. Supportive eye contact was made with the other parents there. At the next table over was a fashionable mama with her little lady in a high chair. Scattered about there were a decent amount of bigger kids.
Husband, our adult companions, and I perused the drinks menu. An impressive array of wines by the glass, a decent craft-beer selection, and several cocktail options.
First up was the Sparkling Pear: Grey Goose La Poire, Prosecco, elderflower liqueur and lemon. Light, refreshing, and ideal for sipping on a summer patio. Husband, a dedicated whiskey man, chose the Manhattan Project: cherry-infused Woodford Reserve, Cocchi vermouth, vanilla bean simple syrup, and xocolatl mole bitters. This was a great take on the classic Manhattan—smooth with an appealing complexity of flavors. Possibly dangerous. I went for the Berry in the Rye: Bulleit rye, muddled blackberry, sage, and lime. The sourness of the blackberry mixed with savory sage was intriguing. We finished up with a dessert cocktail, the Fried Ice Cream: Jack Daniels Honey, Fireball Whiskey, and Smirnoff Iced Cake vodka. It smelled, in the best possible way, like a scented candle. The table decided that this was the winner and were still talking about its awesomeness several hours later.
The brunch drinks are great too (Sundays 10-3). Eight Bloody Mary variations, ranging from a lightly spiced version garnished with cucumber and basil to one with a black pepper rim and a beef jerky swizzle stick. For those that prefer fruit juice to vegetable, there are four mimosa options and a bellini.
Husband and I will definitely be meeting friends at Milestone in the future. We are filing the fountain away, envisioning negotiations with a preschooler in which playing in the fountain is a reward for pleasant mealtime behavior.
Milestone 229 is located at 229 Civic Center Drive.
2 Comments on "Kids and Cocktails: Milestone 229"
Do they have changing tables? I’m surprised by restaurants that have slings and highchairs but not changing facilities.
They do!