Forget Chuck E. Cheese...There's a New Sherrif in Town

Maybe there is something intrinsically wrong with me, but even as a child I never really cared for Chuck E. Cheese's little menagerie of mechanized mayhem. Granted that may very well have stemmed from the fact that we could never afford to play many of the games, which made the entire experience rather pointless seeing as how the food they provide there is about as flavorful as a grease smeared piece of cardboard. So, I warned my daughter, in-utero, that I would rather be dragged slowly across a cheese grater than host a birthday party at Chuck's den for demon children. But, really, what other options does a parent have for entertaining the younger crowd? Not many, you say? Well, you are wrong! Thank goodness!

Luckily for you and me there are ingenious people who have realized that places like Chuck E. Cheese's are torture pavilions that serve as monetary vacuums for your average family and now there are other options. For example there are indoor bounce zones where kids can jump around on trampolines until they are exhausted, small local shops that specialize in "fantasy" parties where kids can play dress up, be rock stars, have tea parties or whatever, but all of this pales in comparison to the ultimate gift to both parents and tots: Max Brenner.

If you are lucky enough to live in a city that has a Max Brenner chocolatier/restaurant you are in for a treat! All I really need to tell you about Max Brenner is that his restaurant is about CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE! I know right? Where's the bad? The kids' menu items include things like "Escaping Pasta Robes with a Self Vanishing potion of tomato sauce" and "Melting Marshmallow Crepes" and desserts like "The First Chocolate Burger in the Whole Universe"! I had a blast just reading the kids' menu. Then there are the great, scientifically inspired serving items, icluding chocolate sauce filled syringes and beakers of hot chocolate! But if this is all sounding a bit too syrupy sweet for your adult taste buds, never fear, Mr. Brenner has provided an amazing menu of savory dishes to act as the perfect counterpoint to your overindulgences in his sweet temptations.

Granted this little outing to Max Brenner is not exactly going to be easy on the budget, but if you keep the party small and order smartly you can easily enjoy Max Brenner's on the same budget as a much less gourmet experience at a place like Mr. Cheese's. My recommendation would be to peruse the online menus before you go and have a plan for ordering before you get to the restaurant. Also, you should know that there is nothing on this menu that can be eaten by one person in one sitting, unless that person has the appetite of a Sumo Wrestler, so order family style!

Http://www.maxbrenner.com