While it's not exactly for kids, Local 16 can be a blast with a baby if you arrive early and keep it chill. I have fond memories of Local 16 (16th & U St. NW) from my pre-baby days. Full disclosure--I worked there happily for 2 years. Now I have started to create some Local 16 memories with Milo. Friday night was perfect for sitting on the roof deck for dinner; the weather was great, and there weren't tons of people at that early hour. While hubby and I sipped our martinis, Milo munched on cheerios. There is no kid menu at Local, but we found some things that we knew the little guy would eat. For a starter we had prosciutto and melon, and house made focaccia. We cut up the melon and tore bite sized bits of focaccia which we put in front of Milo on the table. He loved it.
Between the appetizer and main course we followed closely behind Milo as he wandered around the bar patrons. The women were gushing over him, and the guys thought he was pretty cool, too. The main course was fried chicken (ok, so we eat this maybe once a year) and an appetizer portion of potato croquettes. Milo had chicken without the fried part, and cut up croquettes.
Just when we thought we couldn't eat anymore, we decided we all would enjoy a dish of local strawberries with fresh whipping cream. Before dessert arrived, hubby and Milo went into the lounge (just off of the roof deck) and before we knew it, Milo started dancing. He was shaking his bottom and waving his hands. Hilarious! He loves the club beat.
I would say Local 16 is only halfway kid friendly. There is only one highchair, and there are no changing tables, but if you're adventurous enough to let your kid eat off the menu or bring provisions, then it's totally doable. The roof deck is upstairs, so for us that meant storing our stroller downstairs--no big deal. Go, enjoy a cocktail while your wee one drinks from his sippy, and take in what's left of summer from one of U Street's hottest roof decks.
