Going out for a ladies’ lunch is such a treat and even more so now with Little Lovely in tow. I have wonderful memories of special lunches with my mom after preschool during which we would discuss the day’s events and plan out our afternoons. At that time, Hooligan’s was our go-to. If you grew up in Columbia, then you remember the fun of waiting in line to give your order to Ivan for a Tom Turkey or chicken finger basket, heading to the back room to grab a seat near the TV, which was hopefully turned to cartoons, and then capping off the meal with some “blue,” bubblegum ice cream.
As I got older, we continued this mother/daughter lunch tradition, frequenting some of our favorite local spots like The Gourmet Shop and Lillian’s. We especially appreciate places with good ambience and yummy salad options.
Now that Eloise has arrived a new prerequisite for our lunch dates is a highchair. When she was only a few weeks old, one of our first outings was to The Happy Cafe. Owned and managed by a beautiful mother and daughter, Sue Hodges and Anne Reynolds, the Cafe is run smoothly by a team of efficient women, many of whom are mothers, so it feels like a welcoming place to little ones. The lunch crowd is comprised of all types – businessmen, tennis teams, old friends and even a few babies- flocking for the signature chicken barbecue and caramel cake.
My mother and I lunching with Eloise at The Happy Cafe when she was 2 weeks old.
After a few days of being under the weather, Eloise was in better spirits today so that we could join my mom, aunt, and cousin at the Cafe for lunch. She gave sweet smiles and waves to the other patrons and enjoyed sitting in her special little seat.
Eloise’s pink gingham dress is by Cecil and Lou.
I am very grateful to begin a new generation of mother/daughter lunches with Eloise and look forward to sharing some of our experiences here.
Of course we couldn’t forget Dada and brought him a delicious little cupcake although baby wanted a bite. 
