Lunch with Bib Taler at Saddle Creek Woodfired Grill during what should have been nap time threatened to turn ugly. It was saved by some tricolor tortilla chips, some garlic mashed potatoes and a buffalo.
   Bib Taler looked dazed when we put him in his high chair and pushed it up to the table, and then he thrashed about a little as he tried to work his foot over the railing.
   He got impatient with the waiter who had so thoughtfully knelt next to him for a chat, and he seemed downright bored with the crayons and activity sheet bestowed upon him.
   But then the spinach and artichoke dip ($5.96) arrived with the platter of red, white and blue corn chips and all was right with the world. He happily munched on those chips while we waited for our food, babbling and taking in the rustic scenery in sheer peace.
   I had to do a quick save when the waiter put a full-size cup of water right in front of Bib Taler, not aware that any toddler worth his salt would lunge for the straw, overturn the entire shebang and drown us all.
   Much of the restaurant's background music seemed out of place with the surroundings, but I'm not complaining. Bib Taler bounced to the beat of Prince's "1999" and Glenn Frey's "The Heat Is On."
   Our food arrived in short order. My loaded chicken, with smoked bacon, mushrooms, scallions, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, was served with garlic mashed potatoes ($11.95). The chips quickly lost Bib Taler's favor once the potatoes showed up. He grudgingly accepted a few bites of chicken and cheese, but after a taste of those potatoes, he spat out everything else.
   "'Toes !" he commanded, pointing a finger at the potatoes. I could not shovel the spuds fast enough.
   I was thrilled when Bib Taler decided to sample his dad's cedar plank salmon ($15.95), because the portions at Saddle Creek are not huge and the food is good enough that I didn't want to give it all away. The salmon passed muster until Bib Taler realized that there were "'toes" on the plate next to it.
   And then, the highlight of Bib Taler's meal É he noticed a buffalo head mounted over the mantel right next to our table.
   That buffalo -- which I'm told is real -- was better than a Doodlebops video in Bib Taler's eyes. He gazed at that furry beast, he talked to it, he summoned it to come closer to our table É he even offered it some potatoes. When his dad held him up high so he could touch its hairy chin, he recoiled. Apparently he had decided by then that something as awesome as a buffalo should be enjoyed from afar.
   The buffalo entertained Bib Taler most of the way through the chocolate pot de creme ($4.95), although he did find time to ask for a bite of the whipped cream from the top. He was so taken with the buffalo that he didn't even realize he could have been watching NASCAR from his seat, on a television above the bar, all through the meal. (That's saying a lot, given his obsession with anything on wheels.)
   We walked right out of the restaurant into the little park area in the lot of the Lakewood Village shopping center and gave Bib Taler a chance to stagger along the sidewalks, jump on the bridge of the wooden playground equipment and talk to the imaginary fish in the fountain before getting in the car.
   Thankfully, the buffalo did not follow us home. Bib Tales is a monthly column on where to go with a baby in tow.

SADDLE CREEK WOODFIRED GRILL Address:
2703 Lakewood Village, North Little Rock

Hours:
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday ; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday ; 11 a.m.-9 :30 p.m. Sunday

For the parents:
A variety of smoked, wood-fired and grilled items, like barbecued chicken pizza or margherita pizza ($8.95); sashimi tuna salad ($9.95); jumbo coconut shrimp ($13.95); maple-mustard glazed pork chop ($16.95); New York strip steak ($20.95); chicken alfredo ($12.95); and the Saddle Creek burger ($7.95).

For the kids under 10:
Pasta with marinara sauce ($4.25); wood-fired cheese pizza ($4.75) or pepperoni pizza ($4.95); smoked ribs with fries ($6.25); cheeseburger with fries ($4.25); sirloin tips with fries ($5.95); cheese quesadillas ($4.95). All kids meals include a drink.

Highchair report:
Standard wooden ones.

Hire a sitter?
Not a bad idea, although it is a kid-friendly establishment.

Family budget:
Portions are not large, but the bill could be, especially if you order appetizers and desserts.

(501) 812-0883

This story was published Friday, September 01, 2006