Coco's (La Jolla/Encinitas)

Far be it from me to *recommend* this place as a general foodie destination! It's Coco's after all. But since my toddler LOVES this restaurant (in imaginative play, he drives his car to Coco's and returns with brown bread), let me focus on the positives.

--It's a sit down meal.
--It doesn't involve pizza.
--You can do low-carb, low-calorie, whatever you need.
--There are some decent dishes on the menu.
--It doesn't matter if the toddler doesn't stay put. In La Jolla, there is a whole back seating area that is (almost?) always empty where a boy can run in circles for as long as he would like until his food comes, without disturbing anyone.
--Both locations are full of elderly people whose faces light up with grandparently delight when they see a friendly toddler running past (or at least they seem to when mine does). So (mostly) no guilt about Little Mr. Running Man.

My personal favorites on the menu (again, my food expectations are always low, and then I am pleasantly surprised by how not-bad it is).
--Veggie burger: very respectable, the bakery bun is quite delicious, can be customized
--Baked scrod (from the retiree menu) with steamed vegetables and sweet potato fries: actually quite yummy most days.

Then also have some grilled chicken dishes with grilled asparagus and bruschetta-style sauce.

The toddler has multiple choices for dinner, the usual kind of kiddie fare (pancakes, grilled cheese, spaghetti, hamburger or veggie burger). Plus of course....brown bread!

So on nights out to reward good toddler behavior, Coco's it is!