Just a stone's throw from my house, on Fremont and 50th, is a great little vegetarian restaurant, Blue Moose Cafe.

I have to admit, I am not a vegetarian. It doesn't matter; their food would please anyone. My favorite thing to order is called "Children of the Corn." It's a burrito in a bowl, and offers a hearty serving of polenta topped with pinto beans, jack cheese, corn, green pepper, green onion, tomato, sunflower seeds, and hot sauce. I always get it without the tortilla (can't eat gluten) and with fat-free sour cream. They mostly serve creative soups, sandwiches, and burritos, though they have great salads and "long plates" such as the Mideast Peace Platter of hummus and veggies. Everything is vegetarian, and many things are vegan. I like that they serve the local Portland Roasting Company's organic coffee, and have local tofu and bread.

One of my favorite things about this place is that they are truly kid-friendly without being one of those horrid child-factories where you can't hear over the shrieks. My daughter will be two in a few weeks, and you know how toddlers are in restaurants--like bulls in china shops! However, they have a little kid corner, complete with crayons, coloring books, stuffed toys, and books. It's a small enough place that even if your child is a wanderer, you can keep your eye on him. They have yet to give me that contemptuous "oh great" look waiters have been known to give us when we show up with a toddler. At the same time, I would enjoy having a glass of wine there with Jeremy, sans child, for a date--it's small, intimate, and reasonably quiet.

Blue Moose offers to cater to all those with allergies or other special food needs, which is huge for me, a celiac who can't eat wheat, rye, or barley. They also have great cheap wine and beers, and perhaps best of all, they serve breakfast all day!

Whenever I eat at Blue Moose, I end up feeling glad I have supported such a fun little neighborhood restaurant. And they make it worth it. I have screwed up my own order, and they gracefully fixed it, free of cost. They are unfailingly friendly, even to a celiac with a toddler. And their polenta rocks!