Little Bites, Big Adventures: NYC Diner Detour
Our journey to Europe hit its first speed bump: a delayed flight out of New York City. What started as a long night in an airport lounge turned into an unexpected bonus adventure—a real NYC diner experience.
At first, the kids were disappointed (we all were, honestly). But one of the best parts of traveling with little eaters? They often find joy in the unexpected—especially when food is involved.
A FUN ride on the NYC subway with our first stop….BREAKFAST!
Enter: the diner.
Classic checkered floors, shiny chrome, menus the size of small novels, and a waitress who called our kids “honey” without blinking. It was a time warp in the best way.
Faced with pages of choices, our little explorers zeroed in:
Our more adventurous eater surprised us again and went full New Yorker—a bagel with lox (yes, with cream cheese, tomato, and red onion!). There was a moment of hesitation about the smoked salmon, but after one tentative bite: “It tastes like salty butter!”
Our sweet tooth kid didn't even open the menu once the words “chocolate pancakes” were spotted on the specials board. Drizzled with syrup, dotted with chocolate chips—it was dessert disguised as breakfast, and it was love at first bite.
The plan was to share this “Ultimate Bagel” with his mother, but the child had a different plan and managed to eat all of the lox before another serving dish was brought to the table.
This Little Eater did share some of her chocolate pancakes with her mother.
What We Learned:
Delays can be detours to delicious places. The best travel stories aren’t always planned.
When kids order their own food, they own the experience. Watching them scan the menu, ask questions, and take that first bite felt like a little act of independence.
Balance sweet and savory. One kid ate fish m; the other ate sugar for breakfast. It all evens out, right?
We didn’t make it to Ireland just yet—but we did get a taste of New York, and for now, that was more than enough.
Next up: actually boarding the plane. But first another airport meal coming up!
