Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen

Photograph: Beth Levendis

Chef Danny Brown had planned to open a wine bar in a trendy area of Brooklyn, but he became a local hero when he took a chance on Forest Hills’ dowdy Metropolitan Avenue instead. The inventive food and sophisticated atmosphere at Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen don’t exactly shout “kid-friendly,” so we’d been hesitant to bring our six-month-old with us. But when we showed up with our stroller in the middle of a busy evening, we received a warm welcome.

As we sipped our wine flight, our daughter grew fascinated by the bustling open kitchen—and the hostess seemed equally charmed by her. The baby was on her best behavior all night, though the restaurant was boisterous enough that other diners could easily have ignored any mild fussiness.

Fears allayed, we relaxed and enjoyed an adult meal. Our girl was unimpressed with a taste of heirloom tomato gazpacho; six-month-olds are not known for their refined palates. The menu offered more obvious choices for older kids—a burger and fries, a cheese-and-cured-meat plate—but we hope our daughter will grow up to enjoy sautéed cod with eggplant, oven-dried tomatoes, fennel and black olive sauce as much as we did.—Undercover Mother

104-02 Metropolitan Ave at 71st Dr, Forest Hills, Queens (718-261-2144, dannybrownwinekitchen.com)