Barry Goes Out to Eat

Which restaurant should we go to, guys? I'm feeling like something
with meat.

Twice last weekend Husband and I took Barry with us out to eat. Out door dining of course. The first was on Saturday around lunch time. There's a small Italian cafe in the Little Italy neighborhood of Chicago that makes great salads and sandwiches (they also sell wine, homemade pre packaged pasta and sauces, and of course cannoli). You order, pay and then can sit outside along the sidewalk in front of their cafe. They have iron tables and chairs set up in the front. We figured if Barry got antsy we could pack up our Italian sodas and the sandwich we were sharing and take it home. This was sort of the test run. We wanted to see how he'd do. Plus he enjoys being outside. We also gave him a little bit of prosciutto from the sandwich. He did great. He watched everyone as they walked by, enjoyed a few bites of prosciutto and drank his water.

I'm watching you... Is that cheese you got there?

Then on Sunday we took him to a local bar and grill around lunch time. This bar and grill is right across from our condo so it's convenient. They have a nice outdoor eating section. We sat at the far end away from the street to give Barry plenty of space. Our part of the neighborhood is not as exciting or bustling as the Little Italy area. In fact, we were the only ones eating outside and there were probably only a handful of people inside. We ordered beer and food, and again, Barry did really well. He laid on his side and drank water and ate pieces of the turkey burger patty I was eating. This time was quite a lot longer than the previous day. We had a waitress and waited until after we were done eating before paying and leaving unlike at the Italian cafe where we paid first and had the option to leave at a moments notice.

Since you both had a beer I'll be the designated driver.

I think all in all it went very well. Barry mostly sat and laid down but toward the 35 minute mark at the bar/grill he did start to get a little antsy. He wanted to get moving. Next time I'd bring a toy or a bone for him to chew on, something to keep him occupied. It was pretty successful. I wasn't sure how well he'd do at first but he exceeded my expectations, as he tends to do.

Of course I did great. I mean, look at me. What else could come from this face?

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of our outings this time. I was focused on being in the moment and enjoying the day. I will be sure to take pictures next time.

Now it's nap time. Snuggling on the couch with Dad after
a good meal is tops.