[PenguinTrax]

In the case you describe, yes, she would have been better off at home with a sitter. However, it could be that the sitter canceled on the family OR they were visiting from out of town, you just don't know.

We've taken our 3.5 year old son to some fairly nice restaurants, but only if he is well rested and we bring some quiet activities for him to enjoy (paper & crayons, a book, etc.). He does not eat typical kid food - turns his nose up at chicken nuggets & fries, so working around an 'adult' menu is not an issue. In fact, the other night he devoured an entire artichoke on his own and has been known to out-eat my husband when it comes to salmon roe sushi.