Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Rotolo’s Pizzeria.
Pizza Night at Rotolo’s :: Feeding Everybody in the Family
Pizza. It may be the most versatile food out there. But not all pizza is created equally. As a working mom (and someone who loves delicious food), pizza is a frequent dinner choice. And when you ask my 7 year old what kind of pizza she wants, the answer is always Rotolo’s. Tonight was no exception, and our family of four met after camp and work for a delicious meal at the Perkins location in Baton Rouge.
We have a new baby, so a lot of considerations go into when and where we eat at local restaurants. Often it means that my husband picks up carry-out on his way home from work, which is easy with the Rotolo’s Online Ordering option. If we have the chance to dine in, we prefer to show up early before the dinner rush, and on days like today, that means eating dinner at 4:30 pm (thankfully they are open from lunch through dinner). We seated ourselves in “our booth” in the back corner. It’s near the bathroom for the inevitable potty breaks and has plenty of space to park our stroller for the baby (and eventually a high chair). When we meet friends at the Prairieville location, we prefer to sit out on the covered patio. It’s the perfect spot for families because it’s fenced in and gives the kids the space to move around without being too much of a distraction to other diners. On a recent trip, our group of 4 kids lined up the chairs to make a train, which was a huge hit with our server. We love that every Rotolo’s location has always made us feel comfortable when we show up with kids. The servers are great at interacting with them and making them feel welcome.
Tonight our server Brittney came to the table with a smile and a kid’s menu (with the real Crayola crayons, not the offbrand ones that break within minutes). We played tic tac toe while Brittney quickly got our drinks and appetizer. Tonight we went for the Garlic Parmesan bites and a Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza for our entree. Our daughter Etta Mae ordered the kid’s cheese pizza for herself. One of her favorite things about eating out is that she is allowed to get lemonade at restaurants. It’s extra special at Rotolo’s because she is able to keep the signature plastic cup. I appreciate that I don’t have to worry about spills and broken glasses. We have collected a Mardi Gras parade’s worth of Rotolo’s cups!
When you have a picky eater, dining out can also be frustrating and expensive. Luckily, Rotolo’s is one of the few places where my daughter likes almost every item on the kid’s menu. They don’t disappoint for the adults either. I love that they have unique menu items like Chicken Florentine Wrap and Bacon Mac & Cheese in addition to the more traditional pizza options. The baby isn’t old enough to eat solids just yet, but she still had fun playing with the shiny silver plates and smiling at her big sister.
One extra perk of eating out with kids is the chance to sneak in a learning opportunity. My once shy girl now confidently orders her own meal. She loves that the servers address her personally making her feel more grown up than she is. She learns the importance of please and thank you and treating servers with kindness and respect. And she doesn’t even know she’s learning!
After we had stuffed ourselves with delicious pizza, Brittney brought us boxes for our leftovers (yay for pizza lunch tomorrow!) and asked if we want dessert. Lucky for me, Rotolo’s has my very favorite dessert, the 8″ Colossal Cookie. A warm cookie topped with ice cream and big enough to share with the whole family? Yes, please (In fact, we were so excited that we dug in before I could take a picture)! The Cinnabites are another favorite in our family and never disappoint. Etta Mae made sure that we ate every last bite of cookie, and Brittney brought us all drinks to go. Another successful Rotolo’s family dinner in the books!
As the end of summer draws near, I’m doing my best to soak up as much family time as possible before the craziness of the back to school season. Eating out as a family is one of our favorite ways to spend quality time together. Rotolo’s makes it easy and fun for the whole family. With delicious food choices, exceptional service, and a family friendly atmosphere, you can’t go wrong.
