Chicago Family Restaurants

Big Bowl is a local Pan-Asian mini-chain with two locations near Mag Mile shopping and a well-executed kids' menu listing steamed dumplings, satays, stir fries and noodle dishes. It's printed with time-buying games for pre-schoolers on up that go beyond the usual mazes and word seeks.

At Ed Debevic's, a tongue-in-cheek take on a 1950s diner in River North, the gum-snapping staff is part of the attraction. They're famous for serving up insults and wisecracks along with the burgers, shakes and salads - not to mention jumping up on the counters to boogie along to piped-in music. Calorie-counting grown-ups and little sweet-tooths all get a kick out of the "world's smallest hot-fudge sundae" which is basically a shot-glass worth of ice cream with all the traditional toppings.

Eleven City Diner is a Jewish deli/retro diner in the South Loop with cushy booths, sandwiches big enough for sharing and placemats printed with kids' activities that were created with the help of the owner's young son. Breakfast is served all day, and so is soul-soothing chicken noodle soup. Kids can get house-made cherry and vanilla Cokes or old-fashioned phosphates to slurp down with lunch and dinner, too.

The lines are legendary to get into Hot Doug's but if you think your kids can stand it, the wait to get into this unassuming, out-of-the-way "sausage superstore and encased meats emporium" on the city's Northwest Side is well worth it. You'll see blue collar-types queuing up with gourmands and students during the restaurant's odd hours (10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday) to get their hands on classic Chicago dogs and eclectic specials like antelope sausage and brandy-infused smoked Portuguese chorizo. The regular menu includes veggie dogs, bagel dogs, brats and corn dogs, plus fresh-cut French fries to boot. In-the-know foodies come on Fridays and Saturdays to get their fries cooked in duck fat.

Margie's has been dishing out sweets in the Bucktown neighborhood since 1921, and customers kid that the original wait staff might still be working. If you're a stickler about eating "real" food before dessert there's a menu of mostly forgettable salads and sandwiches, but the crowds are here for one reason only: homemade ice-cream, served in a seemingly endless array of sundae combinations. As the name suggests, Margie's makes its own boxed chocolates and candies, too.

If you score a sitter, head to North Pond, a gem with all the components of a perfect celebration spot. The romantic, Arts and Crafts-style restaurant sits beside a small pond in pretty Lincoln Park, and was originally a warming house for ice skaters. A path cut through the trees reveals an amazing, unobstructed city skyline. The food, too, is nothing short of stunning: seasonal eclectic-American dishes that emphasize organic and locally-grown ingredients. (You might find saffron-accented bouillabaisse made with line caught-cod and mussels, squab breasts in mace cream, or warm potato leek tarts.) Sunday brunch is more casual but not one bit less fantastic. 2610 Brunch (Sun), Dinner (Tues-Sun). (NOTE: North Pond serves lunch from June through September) Bus: 76 Diversey, 77 Belmont; 151 Sheridan. Average main course: $30.

Orange is a Loop-area breakfast and lunch spot, which is a great choice for families with both picky eaters and adventurous palettes. Pancakes come in plain (buttermilk) and fancy (cinnamon roll, jelly donut) varieties, and everyone gets a kick out of the restaurant's signature "frushi" - a breakfast "sushi" made with coconut rice and topped with fresh fruit that comes with a side of yogurt for dipping.

foodlife is a foodie's food court, with high-quality options to please everyone from your vegan teen to red-meat loving dads. Thirteen kiosks on the mezzanine level of Water Tower Place mall offer a multitude of choices like Asian stir-fry, housemade soups (with goldfish crackers!), pizza and roadside barbecue--all far cry from drive-through style fair.