Fine Dining at Casa Orinda

We found ourselves in Orinda this weekend & after a trip to the park we wanted to grab dinner. We have been scoping out the neighborhood for some time looking for restaurants. We drove by Casa Orinda awhile back and both said it looked like a place that would have three high chairs in stock. I dropped Rebecca off to inquire within and parked the car. After walking the kids across the street like a bunch of ducklings, we went inside. We thought with a name like Casa Orinda, it was a mexican restaurant. It turns out that it is one of Orinda's nicest Italian American restaurants with a long high priced wine list, a waiter in a tux, a matre d and full service in every regard. We sat down with the kids and then realized where we were. It was like walking into a biker bar and ordering a Cosmo before you realize it is completely full of people that order beer and shots, not fruity drinks! After a few deep breaths, we decided to abort if the kids created even a hint of disturbance. We joked that we hadn't even moved into town yet and we were already bringing down the standards:-)

As it turns out, our kids can do fine dining too! Alana was flirting with the waitstaff smiling at every sign of eye contact. Alexa and Josiah were well mannered as well with an occasional dadum (our kids language for "thank you"). It was about 10 months ago that we ate out as a table of five for the first time. That was an early lunch on the outside patio at the Elephant Bar. There have been several moments in our journey where we have broken through barriers, some perceived and some very real. A full day alone with the kids, vacationing as a family and eating out to name a few. To take our kids to dinner at a really nice restaurant on accident and then be amazed at their behavior is just another fantastic step. The next step: Passports!