Dining Dilemmas

We desperately need a family holiday so we're heading North for a week or so.

It was a toss up between embracing the hygge and visiting Tassie or NZ, but in the end, simplicity (a longish car trip vs renewing passports and multiple flights) and seeing some of our family and friends won out.

Had it been just Chip and I, we'd have jumped on a plane to anywhere (because I'm sure we would have already seen our faves many times more than we've been able to over the past few years) so the world would be our oyster.

As it turns out, we may have to settle for a dozen oysters because the thing is, holidays look a little different these days. Less boozy long lunches and many, many more early rises, park visits and dining during the 5:00pm nursing home time slot.

Let me tell you like you don't already know. Holidays with children in tow are not holidays. It's parenting in another location but generally with less of the creature comforts of home.

And holidays with a rowdy one year old and restless four year old, are, well.... I don't even know what they are because we haven't really been anywhere for over 6 months- but we're about to find out. Strap in.

Predictably, I've been stalking places to eat in the Northern Rivers for the last few weeks. 'Stalking' includes obsessively reviewing reviews and Instagram accounts, cross examining witnesses/potential dining partners, and correlating the data into the dining database in my brain to make sure I don't miss out on anywhere I 'need' to go.

There's limitations, of course. I'm already surprised by the amount of places I had on the list that kids really don't belong. I've come across a number of establishments that actually straight out say something along the lines of 'this small restaurant is not suitable for young children, high chairs or prams' and others that 'welcome' children but charge full price (we're talking tasting menu prices in excess of $100) and mention that they may become bored during the 3 hour dining experience.

No one, and I mean no one, including the parents, staff or other patrons really want to deal with a mid meal tantrum or kids ruining everyone's dining experiences but does this mean we're now -for the next 5 years- relegated to MickyDees and kid friendly bowling clubs?

There is one Sunday lunch when we don't need to consider the little people because we're ditching them and heading for an actual meal by ourselves - pending no wee one melts down.

Where are we going? Well, that's the million dollar question. There's a few places closed for winter break, but aside from that, the endless options have thrown me into a bit of a dining dilemma. There's so much more pressure on getting it right when you only get to enjoy a few meals sans kids.

The other thing is, I've learned that my tastes and dining preferences have gradually but significantly changed, and it's not entirely due to the Beastie bros being my forever dining companions.

To try to narrow it down, I've asked myself (and Chip) what kind of experience do we want? He's happy with just 'good food' and probably wants me to just stop talking about it. Me? well, I'm perplexed. Five years ago, the question would never have been asked because I would have known the answer. I was more decisive. I'd have booked, perused the menu, come up with a short list of dishes that all work well together (but leaving space for a spontaneous special)' and definitely would have googled the wines. Now, I'm flying by the seat of my pants and not entirely happy about it.

Like many things in life at the moment, I may not be certain about what I do want, but I do know what I don't want- so let's start there. (Coincidentally a wise friend sent me a little quote saying "the first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you're not going to stay where you are". Little did she know this wasn't just a macro life advice situation but would also help my making my dining decisions.)

Things I don't want in a restaurant

• Staid, stuffy and formal

• Overpriced, overhyped and overrated

• Really shitty and basic or ridiculously extravagant wine lists

• Music that is obnoxiously loud

• Too far from where we're staying

Things I do want in a restaurant

• Relaxing

• If one dish knocks me off my feet and wows me like the first time I had wakame scallops and a lychee cocktail (I was young and had an unsophisticated palate), I'll be a happy girl.

• Oh, and it needs to be perfect. No pressure.

Should it be a classic high end seafood with breathtaking beach views or the paddock to plate option that's the talk of the town because it's new and interesting?

I have managed to cobble together a list of places we can go with the little ones. I've compromised and have changed time slots to make it more accessible. In a previous life, we'd have taken the 7:30pm Saturday 3 hour dining experience with matched wines, but in this current life, we're opting for the bistro Monday option at a restaurant that is located close to an old pal's hood so we can visit them at the same time.

Hopefully we'll find some decent dumplings at the markets. There's a cute Sake x Ramen pop up that should be able to accommodate us if we go early enough, an Italian that doesn't allow kids but does do takeaway and a Greek Taverna that spruiks BYO and community so I'm pretty confident we can go weeks without a happy meal.

But the meal just for us? That's yet to be decided.

I do know, I'd better hurry up and decide before we end up with takeaway fish and chips- but then again, as long as there's no fuss and truffle salt or grilled octopus to zhoosh it up a bit- maybe that's just what the mummy ordered.

(Feel free to chuck your dining recommendations for Northern Rivers below)