Good Earth Restaurant

My mom used to joke that if French fries hadn't been invented, I would never have survived. Now that I'm eleven, I still love French fries, but even I get sick of kid's meals at fast food joints. So, my mom and I thought it might be nice if I wrote about some restaurants that children can enjoy that adults like to eat at too. If you know of such a place, please email us its name and address; we might review it too.

One of the best places I know for kids to eat with their parents is a chain called Good Earth. The one we usually go to is the one in San Mateo. There are also branches in Palo Alto, Cupertino, Santa Clara, and Los Gatos.

Good Earth often gets written up as a vegetarian restaurant, but that shouldn't discourage kids like my friend Meredith who says she's a vegetarian, but she doesn't eat vegetables, or kids like me who are not vegetarians. They serve lots of other things too. Many of the dishes they serve are what my mother calls "New Age-y" -- oriental or Latin American. My mom did try one of their Real Beef Burgers ($5.95) once; she says this is not the place for burgers. On the other hand, she re-orders their spicy Guatemalan chicken (the most expensive thing on the menu) pretty often, so that must be ok.

One of the best things about Good Earth is that their Children's Menu has an interesting variety of things on it, such as Bean Burritos, Cheese Quesadillas, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Nachos, as well as the usual chicken (but at Good Earth, it's grilled, not fried), hamburger and spaghetti. Most children's entrees cost $2.95, but some cost $3.95. Children's meals don't include drink or dessert.

I usually order the children's pizza. I really like the cheese -- there's both yellow and orange, and a lot of it. The tomato sauce is slightly sweet and a little bland, and the crust is not the best, although it would be delicious without the cheese and sauce, with just a bit of butter. By the way, I have arrived there before 11 a.m., which is when lunch starts to be served, and they have been willing to make me the pizza anyway.

On weekends, brunch lasts until 3 p.m. My parents often order the pancakes, eggs or omelets. The brunch specials include champagne or smoothie drink, entree and coffee and a lot of food. The omelets come with a large portion of home fries and a choice of good breads. (Once, when they were out of potatoes, they substituted a HUGE portion of mixed fruit.)

Drinks at Good Earth are special, my Dad says. He often has a smoothie with his brunch; he says they are sweet but good. Good Earth is willing to modify ingredients to accommodate special needs too -- my mom is allergic to certain fruits. My Dad also loves their lemonade. He orders the half liter to save time, and, he reports, their coffee is very dark and rich. My mom likes Good Earth's signature Cinnamon Tea, which can be ordered iced or hot, but she sometimes prefers the less assertive Darjeeling they also serve.

After entrees at Good Earth, we almost never have room for dessert, but because I am such a diligent restaurant critic, I compelled my family to order the Hot Berry Cobbler with vanilla ice cream. (My little sister didn't want any because the sauce was spilled onto the ice cream, so the waitress brought her a small dish of ice cream for herself -- no charge.) It took three of us to finish the cobbler. I liked the blackberries and ice cream the best; my mom liked the spongy whole wheat pastry which crunched nicely with sunflowers. Other dessert choices include chocolate cake and apple pie.

The waitresses at Good Earth are always very nice. They indulge my little sister who always wants her own plate by removing a slice from my pizza BEFORE they bring it to the table, and putting it in a separate plate for her. Same for the drink -- she gets her own cup; my parents pay one price for mine. (On the other hand, she doesn't drink that much.) Meals with my sister can get messy and noisy, but no one at Good Earth has ever made us feel un-welcome there.

This review was written in Spring, 1997.

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