Take a Taste Tuesday with Megan Pollock

Hello! My name is Megan Pollock, and currently, I have many different identities these days. A wife. A Speech-Language Pathologist. A mother. A dog enthusiast. A feminist. Oh yeah, and a Bobcat. (OU Oh Yeah!) Of all these titles, the mother title is the newest. 11 months new to be exact. Motherhood has been one of the most rewarding and challenging roles I have ever taken, as cliche as it sounds. It amazing how you can have so many different feelings at once in a day when you become a mother. Ranging to utter joy, to doubt, to frustration, to anxiety, to sadness and then back to pure happiness. This range of emotions and change has caused a totally different dynamic and added a new challenge to my “wife” title. It is a new balance, that my husband and I are still trying to learn. It has brought us closer, of course, and there are times without realizing it, we find that we are further apart. I often work in the evenings, which is wonderful because I get to spend more time with my son, but it can also be difficult because I spend less time with my husband who works a 9-5 job. This change has made us realize that the time we do spend together is extra important. Dates don’t happen frequently, because we don’t have many sitter options. Therefore, we have learned which may sound silly, to take the “chore” of grocery shopping (that we have always enjoyed doing together even before we were married) and “turn it to eleven.” In other words, make it a family date. To be honest, this wasn’t something we consciously came up with. It happened naturally after I gave birth to my son and soon became a tradition.

Now, if you are wondering, “How the heck do you turn your grocery shopping into a date?” I have two words: Whole Foods. Now I know you might be thinking, “Oh, you mean Whole Paycheck?” Well…we only make our trip there a special monthly treat. Otherwise we spend our time at Lucky’s. (In my opinion, the best. grocery. shop. ever.) I like to think Whole Foods is the “fancier” version of Lucky’s. So once a month, we will do our grocery shopping at the Whole Foods in Dublin and end it with a lovely meal at The Trattoria.

The Trattoria, is an Italian restaurant in the center of the store, and has all the fixings of a really really nice restaurant: amazing food, a huge selection of wine, friendly service, and even white table cloths! The best part is….your infant can join you because it’s a grocery store! AND….it is reasonably priced! I promise.

Here’s why:

• No corking fee. You can pick any wine off the shelves in Whole Foods and you only have to pay the cost of the wine. Our favorite choice is the Trinity Oak’s Cab. For every Trinity Oak’s bottle you buy, they plant a tree!
• The food. You can pick any steak OR cheese in the store departments too…and again, you only pay the amount it is in the store. They will cook the steak exactly how you like it right in front of you! Also, the main courses on the menu range from 14 dollars to 24 dollars and you can always get small plates or appetizers too, which range from 10 dollars to 16 dollars.
• They don’t take tips. (Now, I still leave a small one since my son began eating solids, and often leaves a mess.)

Here are some reasons why it is the best for babies and toddlers.

• The variety of options you have for your child if they are eating solid foods. If your babe doesn’t love the food on the menu, you can always head over to the buffet and pick out the food, pay for it and eat it when you get to the restaurant.
• If you forget something, remember…you are at a grocery store. They are likely to have it! (We forgot a bib once!)
• The carts conveniently fit perfectly up to the tables at The Trattoria. No high chairs needed!
• If your babe cries, you can always push them around or entertain them elsewhere in the store. Plus, it isn’t the end of the world if they cry, because you are in a noisy grocery store!
• They have white paper on top of their tables. This makes me feel better when my son makes his usual disaster while he eats.
• The floors are tile, which also make it for an easier clean up.
• You are not making a mess in your home. For some reason, I don’t mind cleaning up messes when I am out to eat versus when I have to do it in my own home.

We recently went this month with another couple who are new to being parents. It was such a fun and productive double date as you can see from our pictures.

Thank you Signe for including me on your Tasty Tuesdays, and thank you to all the mothers out there in Columbus who took the time to read my write up. Cheers to being creative to maintain our sanity in this new way of life!

Each Tuesday for the next several weeks a fellow mom/friend/community member will be sharing a fun recipe, tips to include kids in the cooking process, or a great family restaurant for “Take a Taste Tuesday.” If you are interested in sharing your eating and/or cooking fun be sure to connect with me via email!