After more than two months of summer vacation, our little Ambers, Tiffanys, Dorians and Sams are finally, finally, finally getting ready to go back to school. Some young scholars return immediately after Labor Day. Many others – like those in the Los Angeles Unified School System – have one more week of freedom after that, returning to their studies in the middle of the month. Whenever they go back, parents across this great city of ours will breathe a sign of relief.

For no longer will we have to pack sandwiches for a day on the beach, or carefully survey the movie listings, trying to find something with a G rating that isn’t the equivalent of chewing gum for the mind. And, if your children are like my daughter and her friends, then they’ve no doubt requested one last restaurant meal before returning to school lunches (hot or cold). Where do the tweens of Los Angeles want to go for that last good restaurant feed? Just consider:

Sarah: Fogo de Chão (“They cut the meat at your table. It’s so fun.”)
Lauren: The Palm (“A special treat, especially the lobster.”)
Elli: El Cholo (“Love the fajitas. Can’t wait to try a margarita.”)
Ella: California Pizza Kitchen (“The best tortilla soup ever.”)
Edie: The Boiling Crab (“You can make a mess, and no one tells you to clean it up.”)
Spencer: The Shack (“The sports on the TV and the burgers…and the sports on the TV.”)
Justin: The Cheesecake Factory (“Everything. And there’s cheesecake for dessert.”)
Selma: Sunnin (“Because my mom is from Lebanon.”)
Sofia: Tofu-Ya (“Because everything comes to the table sizzling.”)
Alex: Din Tai Fung (“Soup dumplings rule. Soup dumplings rock.”)

Where are your little one’s favorite places to (have you) splurge? Share them in the comments!

– Merrill Shindler