Our New Identity Takes a Drive

The weather was gorgeous on Monday and we just bought a new car so, while better citizens were honoring our nation's veterans on the Battleship, my family climbed into our perfectly clean, gas-sipping, peppy Honda Fit—with 20 miles on it and no dog fur in it—and went for a self-indulgent meal on the riverfront to embrace our new identity. No more mini-van for us. Now that the kids are bigger, the car is smaller.

A gravitational pull dragged us to our favorite spot on the river, Catalan. And we learned something new about the place. It's dog friendly. Half the customers had some sort of canine obediently parked under their table. One of the dogs was even wearing an absurd little dress.

"This is very French," said Cole (11). It was. But how does he know that?

"Why didn't we bring our dogs?" asked Ava (9), considering dress options for our two 50-pound, male, hunting dogs.

I pictured the dog fight, stolen food, and chaos that would now be raining on our outing if we had but said only, "No dogs in the new car, honey."

Thinking about the car made her smile. Who knew the secret to this girl's happiness was a sporty car?

Catalan doesn't really have a kids menu but the kids don't seem to mind. Dan (husband) and I enjoyed the Tartines du Catalan with olive tapenade while the kids sipped Orangina, ate cheese and bread, and waited for the moment when they could order dessert. There is only one dessert on the menu. But it is such a delectable, heavenly chocolate mousse that we had to stop Cole from eating the dish it came in.