The bite-size and finger-friendly nature of many of the dishes at Izanami Restaurant — the list of kushiyaki skewers, for example — appeals to children big and small.

Of course, New Mexico favorites like The Shed (113 E. Palace Ave.), Tomasita’s (500 S. Guadalupe St.), Atrisco Café & Bar (193 Paseo de Peralta, in DeVargas Center), and La Choza (905 Alarid St.) — which one mother singled out as being “very welcoming” to families — can give parents their chile fix while offering little ones heat-free tacos, quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches, burritos, and cups of beans. At the Shed and La Choza, children’s dishes are served with a nod toward nutrition in the form of carrot sticks or applesauce. Tia Sophia’s (210 San Francisco St.) serves special breakfast and lunch selections geared toward the short set.

Tune-Up Café (1115 Hickox St.) is noted for serving a variety of things kids love, particularly the quesadillas and the breakfast trio, with its “huge pancake,” egg, and strip of bacon. The easy picnic-style seating and casual open-air environment, where you can use your “outside voice,” contribute to the popularity of Shake Foundation (631 Cerrillos Road) — to say nothing of the rich milkshakes, fries, and moderately sized burgers. Both the downtown and the Southside locations of Plaza Café (54 Lincoln Ave. and 3466 Zafarano Drive) have diverse menus, comfortable environments, and kid-friendly staff; they will often create smaller versions of adult dishes. El Parasol’s (1833 Cerrillos Road and 298 Dinosaur Trail) addictively delicious crispy tacos are an eternal favorite — especially when a half-dozen will only set you back around $15. Another mom cited Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen (1512-B Pacheco St.) for its pleasant staff members and brunch food that kids are keen on. One family mentioned afternoon crêpe snacks at the French Pastry Shop at La Fonda (100 E. San Francisco St.), while another reminded us all that Chocolate Maven (821 W. San Mateo Road) is highly entertaining — for kids and adults alike — if you can nab a seat by the window that offers a view of the bakery in action. On Rio Chama’s (414 Old Santa Fe Trail) fun kids menu, the choices aren’t especially creative, but some of the names (like “What’s the big quesadilla?”) are. Other parents singled out Santa Fe Bite (311 Old Santa Fe Trail), Counter Culture (930 Baca St. #1) (“The play area is genius”), Il Vicino (321 W. San Francisco St.), and Back Road Pizza (1807 2nd St., #1) — I can’t help but think that the tabletop

game helps. On the horizon, Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery — the brainchild of Jason Fitzpatrick and Jason Kirkman, formerly of Los Alamos’ Bathtub Row Brewing — is on track to open this spring, in the space long ago occupied by Club Alegria on Agua Fría. In addition to a sandwich menu and food trucks with kid-friendly offerings, they’ve created an impressive layout that includes both an indoor and an outdoor play area for children.