Kid Friendly Lunch of Wings & Ribs at Nuvali's Solenad 2

Ribs, chicken fingers, fries, mac n' cheese, and dirty rice.

Visiting Nuvali this weekend made us feel like tourists.  We've been to Nuvali many times before, but it was our first time to explore the more recently developed phase of Solenad 2.  It reminded both Oliver and I of factory outlets in the U.S. because of the wide space, the open parking, the single-story buildings, and the sprawling lay-out.  Even the lovely drive along the SLEX helped create the feeling of approaching a factory outlet complex off an interstate highway in the U.S.   The composition of stores and restaurants also felt somewhat reminiscent of suburban community centers in North America. There's a decent-sized Robinson's Supermarket and a True Value hardware store in one building.  Right next to it is a flat building with a row of restaurants. It was time for lunch, and our hungry group of 5 adults and 2 tots were happy to find a table at Chubby's Rib Shack which shared the same restaurant space with Buffalo's Wings n' Things. We're going American today. It's not the healthiest diet in the world, but we want our kids to grow up exposed to a wide variety of food, and Oliver is appreciative of a good barbecue flavor. Ribs and Wings for lunch, hooray!!

 We're all excited to dig in (not baby Guijo though, he's just posing).

There are a number of factors that make this relaxed resto kid-friendly.  The paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic cutlery gives diners license to be informal. Though I usually find disposable tableware too flimsy and inconvenient to use (and I worry about garbage creation), in this particular situation, it worked out quite well in adding an "outdoor bbq" feel to the dining experience.  There's a big pack of extra-strong folded napkins on the table, which can be read as an invitation for diners to go ahead, and use our hands to eat. Ribs, wings, and fries are finger food after all! And they were finger-licking good! 

Independent Narra now cutting her own food.

Dining out is often challenging with kids and yayas in tow because the adults take turns in feeding the kids and eating, and this can make for awkward moments. Oliver often eats fast so he can take Guijo from his yaya, while I feed Narra and myself at the same time so her yaya can enjoy her food. With finger food like this, however, everyone got to eat at the same time! What a rare occurrence! Rice was served in individual cups and the ulam could be eaten with bare hands, and this situation was conducive for one-hand feeding, so carrying baby Guijo while eating was feasible.  Narra pretty much fed herself. She excitedly offered fries to everyone. She's forbidden to touch knives, but today, under close supervision, we allowed her to use the plastic knife to cut her food, and she was so thrilled!  

Sampler trio: Barbecue, Spicy, and Garlic Parmesan Wings.

We ordered a trio sampler of wings, which came in classic barbecue, spicy, and garlic parmesan flavors (P349 for 3 baskets with 6 wings each). We also ordered ribs (P349 per order), chicken fingers (P139 for 5 good-sized and dense chicken strips), and a variety of side dishes like fries (P29), mac and cheese, coleslaw, and "dirty" rice (P34 each).  The good thing about ordering the sampler is that it accommodates varying tastes.  Spicy-food-lovers and spicy-food-avoiders alike were happy. 

My happy toddler post-lunch, well-fed and ready for a stroll.

Lunch at this resto was straightforward and fuss-free, which is a very good thing for frazzled parents like me.  Afterwards, we felt like we just had a nice family picnic. It felt very much like the outing we were hoping for, a welcome break from the usual lunch in an air-conditioned mall in Manila.  With stomachs full, we were ready for a stroll and a bit more exploration of Nuvali's invigorating green surroundings.