We knew life would be dramatically different once we had kids. We were prepared to give up sleep, exercise, reading, and pretty much anything else associated with our former pre-parenting lives. The one thing we were not willing to sacrifice was dining out. We brought the boys out to restaurants as soon as possible. I think we may have stopped for burritos on our way home from the hospital with our brand-new baby (you work up an appetite after giving birth you know).

So it comes to no big surprise our boys know the drill when it comes to eating out - break out books/activities/toys reserved only for restaurants (and request a plastic cup of ice if youngest grows impatient). They are *pretty* well-behaved at this point. Sure they have their moments. And no, we are not so brave (or delusional) and try to take them to a place like Sorellina or other fine dining establishments. But we are not limited to kid-centric places like Rainforest Cafe either.

One of the goals of starting this blog was to chronicle our attempts at raising adventurous eaters. And what better way to do that than to check out the myriad of cuisines the city has to offer. Our oldest son has grown to look forward to trying new restaurants. And thanks to a kids' digital camera my sister gave my oldest for Christmas, we now have budding food blogger on our hands :)

So I've decided it would be fun to hand the reigns over to my 5-year-old occasionally and have him take some photos and explain what he liked (or didn't like) about some new restaurants we recently checked out.

So without further adieu, dining at La Carreta Mexican (Manchester, NH) from the eyes of a five-year-old*.

5-year-old: "The restaurant smelled new. Everything looked nice."

5-year-old thought light fixture over our table was beautiful

5-year-old: "I love to eat corn chips while I wait. I don't like salsa though. Too spicy."

Hooray! Chips!

5-year-old: "I LOVE fish tacos! It is too hot to eat right away though."

Finally the food arrives. Fish Tacos - yum!

5-year-old: "Here comes my brother's food. He loves rice."

Baby brother's meal - rice & beans.

5-year-old: "Mom's food is really hot."

Don't touch! Mom's fajitas are hot!

(umommy review)
La Carreta Mexican is based in Southern New Hampshire and has quickly expanded with a total of five locations, including one in Framingham, MA. With a large and loyal following, La Carreta offers an extensive menu that include authentic Mexican cuisine ranging from the usual fajitas and quesadillas to house specialties such as Enchiladas Mole Poblano and Cazuelon.

Bottom line: This is solid Mexican food. They have a kids menu too ($4.75 plates). A serious step up from other Mexican restaurants we've tried.





**Note: Energetic 5-year-old + 2 megapixel Vtech Kidizoom camera = blurry photos. We're working on "steady hands" and composition!