Park Slope's Fornino Not Now Catering To Kids

There's a breeder rage outbreak on Yelp over the new Fornino in Park Slope. The pizza joint, which also has a restaurant in Williamsburg, just opened and the parents in the neighborhood are outraged that there's no children's menu.

FIPS points to some of the reviews, which make mention of $16 ravioli dishes—too high a price for some people to spend on their flesh and blood miracle of life, apparently.

Anyway, one parent declares, "I'm sure this place does awesome in hipster W'burg, but in breeder Park Slope, this menu has issues. There are no 'simple' menu items I could order since of course last night was the night my son decided to be picky. I wasn't looking for chicken fingers and french fries, but maybe a basic pasta I could order as an app would have worked." Say, like, a simple $8 pizza? But then again, you could buy a whole beer for that.

We called the restaurant earlier and an employee told us that they were working on a children's menu, which just moments ago was sent to us by their publicist (you can see it after the jump). Bitching on the internet: works every time.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Food on May 12, 2010 3:40 PM

Comments [rss]

soxinthecity

Why does a pizza joint have a publicist?

inoyourider

Who gives a fuck?

Don't like it, go somewhere else.

Clarice City

I say this as a parent: Get your awful ugly children the fuck away from my table.

janelle

i guess "adult" food is inedible until one turns 18? huh.

Gwinny

I'm loving the photo used to accompany the piece.

Rocknrope

People are actually giving the place 1-stars on Yelp solely for not having a kids menu?

I never thought I'd say this, but fuck off Park Slope.

Rocknrope

Serves me right for not clicking through to Yelp and actually reading the reviews before commenting, but I only see two reviews that reference the lack of a kids meal. One gave it two stars and the other three stars.

So, WTF are you talking about?

babyfishmouth

If anyone took the time to read the whole Yelp review that started this brouhaha, they'd see that the reviewer gave a very thoughtful review of the place. He mentions going with his son and that there were no basic options for his son - who he admits was "picky" that night - and ends his review with, "I loved the food, loved the room, loved the service. Problem is I've got the kids and this place just doesn't work at all for them. I guess it will have to be the occasional date night place."

Enough with the slurs against parents - "breeder" is a slur. This guy sounds like he was checking out a new joint in the neighborhood, and he's assessed it as a place where he'll go back to with his wife and not the kids.

usernamee

you are right. but there was more than one review that negatively spoke of a lack for options for children (out of only 7 reviews).

i think people overreacted, because this has been on ongoing issue in the neighborhood for years. remember when nearby union hall put a sign on their door asking people to not bring strollers in (to a BAR) because other patrons kept tripping over them, and the mommy-brigade revolted and forced them to change their policy?

if someone wants to open a business that caters to adults (or children, for that matter), they should be allowed to in park slope or anywhere else.

Jenter124

but is really an offensive slur when the reviewer refers to himself as a breeder? I mean you DID read the whole thing, right?

ASSTACKLER

Send the little spoiled shitsters to Chuckee Cheese or better yet 2Boots since they've turned it into a mental romper room already.

usernamee

i laughed when i read the negative reviews on yelp.

i actually have no problem with kids in restaurants, etc.,

but giving a restaurant a 1 star review because it doesn't dumb down its menu to cater to 5 year olds is doucherific.

this is exactly why park slope has had the same old, generic, utterly boring restaurants for years, while 3 new interesting restaurants open in williamsburg every week.

if there is nothing on the menu for your kid, then i suggest the chuck e. cheese's down the street. or even aunt suzy's across the street. or, a babysitter.

dirty hipster

Bingo - and why anyone in Park Slope who actually wants a decent meal has to wait 2 hours to eat at Al Di La or Convivium or walk to Prospect Heights/Caroll Gardens.

AnarchoXen

love it: "The world does not exist strictly to please your co-op shifting, SUV-stroller pushing, elitist, over-psychoanalyzed, douche-y sensibilities!"

tandree30

Seriously?! As a parent myself, my gag reflex always kicks in with these P Slope parent anecdotes. I mean, a restaurant's menu is its menu--if you don't like it, don't eat there!

I appreciate the many restaurants that are "family style" and offer stuff for my kid to eat, but I also greatly appreciate restaurants that don't necessarily cater to kids, so my friends and I or my ball and chain and I can eat in an ADULT atmosphere.

The world does not exist strictly to please your co-op shifting, SUV-stroller pushing, elitist, over-psychoanalyzed, douche-y sensibilities!

Mondiggy

Don't you all realize by now that the parents in Park Slope actually have no say in anything? It's the kids that run things. So if the kids aren't happy, nobody's happy. Park Slope is turning into a generic, characterless, flavorless neighborhood full of organic robots and children with no manners.

GalBklyn

Park Slope has jumped the shark.

It was only a matter of time.

Clarice City

They've jumped the shark, fallen off the jet skis, got their legs shredded in the propeller and are in critical condition with major head trauma.