Ask Lauren: Playoffs, large happy hours, and a fancy breakfast for kids

This week Lauren tackles the playoffs, large happy hours, and fancy (but kid-friendly) breakfasts.

January 10, 2014; 11:00 AM • by Ross Catrow

Now, through the magic of the internet, you too can ask Lauren your myriad food-related questions. Well, technically, you can leave your questions in the comments below, I’ll ask Lauren, and then I’ll let you know what she says. It’s like the three-legged stool of restaurant recommendations.

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My son’s graduating from daycare and headed to real, big-kid school. We’ve got the inlaws in town and would like to take everyone to a fancy (but kid-friendly) celebratory breakfast. Suggestions?

We can’t recommend Can Can in Carytown enough! They’ve got a great and fancy (yet somehow totally casual) atmosphere that everyone will love—from the wee ones all the way up to the grandmas. Bonus points for the white paper table cloths (again, fancy yet casual) that double as a blank canvas waiting for a morning-time crayon masterpiece.

Protip: Can Can has the city’s best hot chocolate. Order it and a croissant for a cheap, delicious, and decadent breakfast.

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I promised my boyfriend I’d take him out for a special dinner this weekend, but I totally forgot it’s the playoffs! I need a recommendation of a place that’s nice, but has a TV I can glance at every 30 seconds. Full disclosure: he’s totally aware of my intentions to pay attention to him in 30 second intervals.

First, it sounds like he’s an awesome and understanding dude. Second, the place you seek, surprisingly, is Lemaire. They’ve got fancy coming out of their wazoo, both in the food and cocktail department. The atmosphere is warm, upscale, and very Richmond. Plus they have TVs above the bar, so you can totally watch the Seahawks while ignoring the love of your life!

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I’m trying to plan a large happy hour with a few different friend groups (worlds colliding!). What’s a place that has a large enough bar to fit everyone, but will also encourage some commingling?

Currently, we’re in love with Postbellum—the former Mulligans. Once the weather gets a bit warmer, their upstairs deck would be totally perfect for what you’re planning. In the mean time, though, their downstairs bar has plenty of room to mill about and collide those worlds. Plus, their happy hour ($2 for 12-ounce Virginia beers) is one of our favorites in town. Make sure you order a round of the rosemary smoked peanuts, too!