Bib Taler is still a little too young to fully appreciate the charms of the French Quarter, but that doesn't mean he couldn't be ready to get a taste of New Orleans.
   So, we set out to sample Sunday jazz brunch at Vieux Carre, a Southern Bistro, on Kavanaugh Boulevard in Hillcrest.
   We brought reinforcements -- Grandma and Aunt K -- and that's a good thing because that meant we could trade off entertaining Bib Taler during the 45-minute wait to get a table, and the longer wait to get our food. (We understood. We had expected a crowd... it was a special occasion and we hadn't made reservations.)
   We took turns walking with Bib Taler along the sidewalk outside so he could burn off energy while he ogled passing trucks, and doing whatever other silly things we could to keep him from going off the deep end.
   Just as we thought all hope was lost, our waiter kindly came by to let us know there had been a mix-up with our orders in the kitchen but that our food would be out soon.
   Still, Bib Taler was getting restless and bored with our goofy games. By this time, he had swiped Grandma's spoon and was banging it on anything within reach -- the table, my glass of mimosa, his head -- so with that update, Bib Taler's dad hefted him a few feet closer to the jazz band that was playing in an adjoining room. That entertained him for a minute, and then I took him for another loop outside and a spin through The Afterthought, which is the bar attached to the restaurant. (Is it bad that I took my son to a bar on a Sunday morning? Really, it was an act of sheer desperation.)
   And then I saw from across the room that our food was being delivered. I made a mad dash back to the table to eat.
   Bib Taler nibbled at my carnival omelet ($8, with red and green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and herbed goat cheese), but he was unimpressed (it was heavy on the mushrooms, and he's not a big fan of those). Instead he asked for bites of the cantaloupe and honeydew melon that came on the side. That was OK. It just meant more omelet for me.
   Bib Taler's dad ordered shrimp and grits ($9), Grandma had strawberry crepes ($8) and Aunt K had the French Quarter omelet ($10, with lump crab meat, asparagus and brie).
   Bib Taler had apparently gotten hungry waiting for brunch, but as soon as he was seated he was back to his old tricks. The yellow runner on the white tablecloth tempted him more than once. We had to wrest it from his hands for fear that he would give it a solid tug and all of our food -- as well as Grandma's bloody Mary -- would tumble every which way.
   We ended our meal with slices of Bib Taler-approved raspberry cheesecake. And then we paid our tab and evacuated quickly as the storm within him threatened. We got him out just in time for a much-needed (by him and by us) afternoon nap. Whew.
   Bib Taler, his dad and I returned to Vieux Carre a few days later to try out the lunch menu. Bib Taler thought everyone else must be as hungry as he was. He fed his dad Cheerios before the appetizer arrived. When the spinach spread ($8) we ordered was brought out, he found it so appealing that he reached forward as far as he could and jammed his spoon into the dish before we could stop him. The pita bread served with it was just the right size for Bib Taler, though, and luckily he didn't need any utensils to eat that.
   The turkey melt ($8, served with homemade potato chips) I shared with Bib Taler was big enough to share with two or three of his friends, and we both thought it was scrumptious. He particularly enjoyed the cranberry relish that dripped from the sides -- or so I gather from the way he commanded "Bite!" after his first taste.
   He also liked sampling his dad's Kavanaugh Club ($9), and that sandwich was so big that even the two of them couldn't finish it. Our waiter boxed up the second half of it, which became dinner.
   But just as we got ready to leave, Bib Taler grabbed the tablecloth runner with both fists and pulled hard. We were quick. The salt and pepper shakers moved a couple of inches, but there was no permanent damage.
   We don't know if our boy is trying to practice magic tricks, or what... but if Bib Taler is this wild in a restaurant with a New Orleans bent, just imagine how crazy things could get for him in the French Quarter. Makes a mother shudder. Bib Tales is a monthly column where to go with a baby in tow.
   

VIEUX CARRE Address:
2721 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock

Hours:
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday for lunch, 5 p.m.-close Monday-Saturday for dinner, and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday for brunch.

For the parents:
The brunch menu includes classic eggs Benedict ($9), tenderloin eggs Benedict ($10) and "old South" Benedict ($9), as well as steak and eggs ($13) and pancakes with fresh fruit ($7).

For the kids:
There is no kids menu, but there are some menu items that could easily pass for kid food -- pancakes, for example, or the breakfast wrap (bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs and cheese, wrapped in a flour tortilla and topped with salsa and sour cream for $8), or, for lunch, the cheeseburger supreme (half a pound of ground beef with provolone cheese, lettuce and tomatoes for $8).

Highchair report:
Standard wooden ones.

Hire a sitter?
Certainly. With The Afterthought right next door, it seems like a perfect place for dinner and dancing.

Family budget:
Brunch and lunch items range from $7 to $20, but some of the portions are generous enough to warrant a takeout box.

(501) 663-1196

This story was published Friday, July 07, 2006