Jeannine’s Lets Kids Eat Free in February

Jeannine’s Gourmet Food Hall invites kids to eat free with an adult during the whole month of February!

jeannine's signPhoto from Jeannine’s website

Since Jeannine’s opened in The Shoppes at Westlake last year, I’ve been there a handful of times – for coffee, lunch meetings, even cocktails with my girlfriends. But I must say I didn’t consider bringing my kids there because it seemed like kind of an upscale-casual place to me. The bright dining room with its translucent chairs, a bottle of wine on every table, and even the cozy booths, the joint feels fancy.

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But I’ve been doing my kids a disservice, then, because they too like the fancier things sometimes. And as we discovered, Jeannine’s isn’t too fancy for them, in fact, it’s just right.

During the month of February kids 12 and under eat free from the kids’ menu if they dine with an adult who pays for an entreé. The meals are only $6.50 each, but that savings can go towards the purchase of a tasty cocktail.

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The Black and Basil, basically a blackberry margarita. Delicious.

My children sampled a few items from the kids’ menu, and Mom and Dad had to taste everything, too! Consensus: the homemade chicken tenders are not to miss! They have a crispy homemade batter with tender juicy chicken inside. Served with ketchup and ranch, this normally comes with fries or fruit cup but we added mac & cheese because wherever we go we have to try the mac & cheese.

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Jeannine’s kids’ mac & cheese is a kid-friendly version of the dish for adults: a three-cheese sauce with delicious pasta, but without the breadcrumb topping or the bacon. My kids both loved it.

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As for the adult entreés, you really can’t go wrong here. Jeannine’s offers a daily updated menu and there’s something for everyone. On this evening we had the salmon and a tri-tip salad served with onion ring slivers in a tangy dressing. Both were delicious.

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But what about the fries? I knew you were going to ask that, so we did our duty as storytellers and shared an order of fresh made fries.

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Served piping hot in a bucket with plenty of salt, these definitely passed the “But are the fries good?” test. Jeannine’s also has  tasty sweet potato fries on the menu if you’re into that sort of thing (which I am).

If you haven’t been to Jeannine’s yet, this month is the time to go – kids eat free all month long, and this is good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Be sure to check out the lighted, animated fountain across the way after your meal. My kids enjoyed watching it and running around after dinner!

Jeannine’s Gourmet Food Hall
30770 Russell Ranch Rd.
Westlake Village, CA 91362

My family enjoyed a complimentary meal at Jeannine’s. All opinions are ours.

Denny’s Adventure Menu With National Geographic Kids

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I headed out to Denny’s with my kids on Memorial Day. I haven’t been to a Denny’s in years. We only go there when we are traveling, because you can count on the food and my kids are always loud and obnoxious and the atmosphere is…shall we say…family-friendly. Also, we don’t take them out to each much. Also, there isn’t a Denny’s in Agoura Hills.

But!

There is one in Woodland Hills and I did not know this but KIDS EAT FREE EVERY DAY from 4pm to 10pm! (Drinks and dessert are extra.)

I have plenty of friends in Woodland Hills and if they are willing to hang with me at Denny’s I think it would be a great place to meet up with the kids. Not only are their meals free (with an adult purchasing an entree of $4.00 or more) but they are also actually tasty.

Denny’s has partnered with National Geographic Kids to present an interactive placemat/worksheet/menu that has a QR code on it that takes you to a NatGeo app. Meerkats and other desert dwellers star in the version we had at our meal. There is a coloring section, a Mad-Libs type quiz, and “Weird But True” facts, which my kids love. They have a whole book of them!

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There menu layout shows photos of the food and the options for sides to make it easy for kids to point to what they want.

“The new Denny’s kids menu offers explorers plenty of delicious all-day options to take their taste buds on an adventure, including several items verified by the Kids LiveWell program, created by the National Restaurant Association, so that kids can select healthier alternatives for a meal that is both balanced and delicious. Denny’s three breakfast dishes, starting at just $3.29, give kids the fuel they need to tackle any expedition with items such as the Build Your Own Jr. Grand Slam and Chocolate Chip Pancakes. When it comes to lunch, dinner or dessert, kids are in control with choices such as the Spaghetti meal with broccoli, Mac & Cheese with dippable veggies or the Groovy Mango Smoothie. “

My kids had their old stand-bys: a burger and fruit for Kyle and pancakes for Brady.

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Of course they both had little sundaes for dessert.

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As for me, I decided to get indulgent and try the bourbon chicken skillet. It was topped with a mountain of steamed vegetables so you can barely see the chicken, but everything was delicious and I ate most of it!

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So, one mom having a nice dinner (and a slice of apple pie) plus two kids eating from the adventure menu: total bill was $24.55.

Sweet deal. And everyone was happy!

Plus Denny’s picked up the tab to facilitate this feature, but all opinions, thoughts, and children are my own.