Play Date Social. 10655 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax. Ned’s New England Deck in Fairfax was already a family-friendly destination for lobster rolls and fried clam strips. Co-owner Steve Forbes previously worked with Clyde’s Restaurant Group and helped open Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, and Stone Crab in DC, while his wife Fiona Hogan was a longtime NICU nurse at Children’s National Hospital. Now, with their own two- and four-year-old boys, the couple wanted to do more for families with young kids. Recently, they opened Play Date Social on the top floor of the restaurant, featuring a 500-square-foot play area in the middle of the dining room. “With young kids we’re always compromising, right?,” Forbes says. “It’s like there’s either a place that’s good for them or a place that’s good for us. And we were like, ‘We need something that’s good for both.'” Seats overlook the play area, in addition to a handful of tables. Photograph courtesy Steve Forbes. Forbes says they discovered that there are a ton of play cafes in the Midwest and Texas, as well as in Europe—but not so much in the DC area. Plus, most tend to be cafes, while Play Date Social is a full-service restaurant with “food that isn’t Chuck E. Cheese food,” Forbes says. It will serve the same menu as Ned’s New England Deck, including warm and cold lobster rolls, fried seafood platters, and clam chowder. Snackier, less New England-y options include crispy goat cheese with chili/fig crisp or steak-and-cheese taquitos. The kid’s menu offers chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, and other unfussy basics. And, yes, grown-ups can order a glass of wine or a beer. Both Play Date Social and Ned’s now open at 9:30 AM on weekdays and 8:30 AM on Fridays and weekends with iced coffee drinks and egg sandwiches on Kaiser rolls, including a meaty option with sausage, bacon, and Taylor ham and a vegetarian version with smashed avocado and crispy onions. The play area full of sensory toys is designed for kids six and under, with a special section for crawlers and tumblers under 18 months. Play Date Social charges $7 per kid for 90 minutes (making a reservation in advance online is encouraged). Forbes says the fee will help cover the cost of maintaining and rotating out toys. Staff also cycle through the space every 15 minutes to wipe down and sanitize the toys. The play area is limited to 12 kids at a time to avoid overcrowding. It will also be available for birthday parties and private events. A counter with bar stools overlooks the play area in addition to a handful of tables. Already, Forbes says they’re looking to expand and have been working on a lease for a much bigger space in Leesburg. “This is kind of our proof to market.”The post This New England-Style Restaurant in Fairfax Now Doubles As a Kids’ Play Space first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less