Ben & Jerry's scoop shops use the freshest ingredients in their delicious ice cream, frozen yogurt, smoothies, and sorbet. Silly flavor names like Chunky Monkey and Apple-y Ever After make them as much fun to ask for as they are to eat! Cakes can be made to order, or chosen from the store's freezer case. For parties with a minimum of 50 guests, Ben & Jerry's can bring the store to you, serving cones, sundaes, Peace Pops, and more, at the location of your choice.

PartnerShops are one way Ben & Jerry's tries to make the world a better place "one scoop at a time." Proceeds from this Stadium Village location benefit Metro Community Investment, a coalition of four community agencies that help low-income residents on the road to financial stability and self-sufficiency. MCI also runs the store, providing training and employment for Twin Cities youth from low-income families. Partnershops are held to the same standard as other franchises, so the products are the same high quality. But knowing a purchase here directly benefits needy members of the local community is like getting an extra cherry on top.

Yes, it's a chain, and yes, it's really loud and the food can be bland. That said, if you have childish palates to please and want to go somewhere "where a kid can be a kid" but that you can stand too, this will do nicely.

Food is served family style (no kid's menu), and in astonishingly large portions. The Pizza Margherita, served Neapolitan-style on a two-foot-long slab, is a hit with pizza purists. Pastas tend toward the basic: spaghetti aglio ogio, linguine clam sauce, ravioli al pomodoro. If you must add another color to go with all that red, green beans with olive oil and lemon are crisp and tasty.

Expect a wait on Friday and Saturday nights. If you can't wait, takeout orders take about 20 to 30 minutes to fill - given the portion sizes, they're also a good option for party food.

Yes, it's a chain, and yes, it's really loud and the food can be bland. That said, if you have childish palates to please and want to go somewhere "where a kid can be a kid" but that you can stand too, this will do nicely.

Food is served family style (no kid's menu), and in astonishingly large portions. The Pizza Margherita, served Neapolitan-style on a two-foot-long slab, is a hit with pizza purists. Pastas tend toward the basic: spaghetti aglio ogio, linguine clam sauce, ravioli al pomodoro. If you must add another color to go with all that red, green beans with olive oil and lemon are crisp and tasty.

Expect a wait on Friday and Saturday nights. If you can't wait, takeout orders take about 20 to 30 minutes to fill - given the portion sizes, they're also a good option for party food.

Yes, it's a chain, and yes, it's really loud and the food can be bland. That said, if you have childish palates to please and want to go somewhere "where a kid can be a kid" but that you can stand too, this will do nicely.

Food is served family style (no kid's menu), and in astonishingly large portions. The Pizza Margherita, served Neapolitan-style on a two-foot-long slab, is a hit with pizza purists. Pastas tend toward the basic: spaghetti aglio ogio, linguine clam sauce, ravioli al pomodoro. If you must add another color to go with all that red, green beans with olive oil and lemon are crisp and tasty.

Expect a wait on Friday and Saturday nights. If you can't wait, takeout orders take about 20 to 30 minutes to fill - given the portion sizes, they're also a good option for party food.

Yes, it's a chain, and yes, it's really loud and the food can be bland. That said, if you have childish palates to please and want to go somewhere "where a kid can be a kid" but that you can stand too, this will do nicely.

Food is served family style (no kid's menu), and in astonishingly large portions. The Pizza Margherita, served Neapolitan-style on a two-foot-long slab, is a hit with pizza purists. Pastas tend toward the basic: spaghetti aglio ogio, linguine clam sauce, ravioli al pomodoro. If you must add another color to go with all that red, green beans with olive oil and lemon are crisp and tasty.

Expect a wait on Friday and Saturday nights. If you can't wait, takeout orders take about 20 to 30 minutes to fill - given the portion sizes, they're also a good option for party food.

Yes, it's a chain, and yes, it's really loud and the food can be bland. That said, if you have childish palates to please and want to go somewhere "where a kid can be a kid" but that you can stand too, this will do nicely.

Food is served family style (no kid's menu), and in astonishingly large portions. The Pizza Margherita, served Neapolitan-style on a two-foot-long slab, is a hit with pizza purists. Pastas tend toward the basic: spaghetti aglio ogio, linguine clam sauce, ravioli al pomodoro. If you must add another color to go with all that red, green beans with olive oil and lemon are crisp and tasty.

Expect a wait on Friday and Saturday nights. If you can't wait, takeout orders take about 20 to 30 minutes to fill - given the portion sizes, they're also a good option for party food.

California Pizza Kitchen is a national chain that serves gourmet-ish pizza, pasta, and salads.

Children are handed boxes of crayons and activity menus as they walk in the door - always appreciated! - and the restaurant is an easy, comfortable place for a fairly quick, fairly inexpensive . . . fairly good meal.

A wide variety of pizzas and pastas pepper the "grown-up" menu (go ahead - say it ten times fast), some influenced by gentrified versions of ethnic and regional cuisines - Hawaiian pizza, Southwestern chicken pizza, Thai chicken pizza, etc. - and it's the same with the pastas. The traditional Italian choices are available as well, of course. We recommend the key lime pie for dessert. The restaurant's justifiably proud of it.

Kids meals include a choice of pasta (with or without sauce), macaroni and cheese, or pizza, plus a drink, bread, and - for a small additional charge - a hot fudge sundae or a brownie with whipped cream. Kids ages 10 and under who sign up for the restaurant's Kids Club get a coupon for a free meal during their birthday month.

The service is fast, friendly, and accommodating. Booths are available at most locations, with plenty of boosters and high chairs at the ready. And - also always appreciated! - the bathrooms are clean.

California Pizza Kitchen also offers a service called party packaging, where it will help you plan a menu, and figure out the right amount of food to order; then prepare it and package it with utensils and napkins. Call the restaurant for details.

California Pizza Kitchen is a national chain that serves gourmet-ish pizza, pasta, and salads.

Children are handed boxes of crayons and activity menus as they walk in the door - always appreciated! - and the restaurant is an easy, comfortable place for a fairly quick, fairly inexpensive . . . fairly good meal.

A wide variety of pizzas and pastas pepper the "grown-up" menu (go ahead - say it ten times fast), some influenced by gentrified versions of ethnic and regional cuisines - Hawaiian pizza, Southwestern chicken pizza, Thai chicken pizza, etc. - and it's the same with the pastas. The traditional Italian choices are available as well, of course. We recommend the key lime pie for dessert. The restaurant's justifiably proud of it.

Kids meals include a choice of pasta (with or without sauce), macaroni and cheese, or pizza, plus a drink, bread, and - for a small additional charge - a hot fudge sundae or a brownie with whipped cream. Kids ages 10 and under who sign up for the restaurant's Kids Club get a coupon for a free meal during their birthday month.

The service is fast, friendly, and accommodating. Booths are available at most locations, with plenty of boosters and high chairs at the ready. And - also always appreciated! - the bathrooms are clean.

California Pizza Kitchen also offers a service called party packaging, where it will help you plan a menu, and figure out the right amount of food to order; then prepare it and package it with utensils and napkins. Call the restaurant for details.

California Pizza Kitchen is a national chain that serves gourmet-ish pizza, pasta, and salads.

Children are handed boxes of crayons and activity menus as they walk in the door - always appreciated! - and the restaurant is an easy, comfortable place for a fairly quick, fairly inexpensive . . . fairly good meal.

A wide variety of pizzas and pastas pepper the "grown-up" menu (go ahead - say it ten times fast), some influenced by gentrified versions of ethnic and regional cuisines - Hawaiian pizza, Southwestern chicken pizza, Thai chicken pizza, etc. - and it's the same with the pastas. The traditional Italian choices are available as well, of course. We recommend the key lime pie for dessert. The restaurant's justifiably proud of it.

Kids meals include a choice of pasta (with or without sauce), macaroni and cheese, or pizza, plus a drink, bread, and - for a small additional charge - a hot fudge sundae or a brownie with whipped cream. Kids ages 10 and under who sign up for the restaurant's Kids Club get a coupon for a free meal during their birthday month.

The service is fast, friendly, and accommodating. Booths are available at most locations, with plenty of boosters and high chairs at the ready. And - also always appreciated! - the bathrooms are clean.

California Pizza Kitchen also offers a service called party packaging, where it will help you plan a menu, and figure out the right amount of food to order; then prepare it and package it with utensils and napkins. Call the restaurant for details.

Care.com is an online service that matches families with caregivers - including babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, dog walkers, tutors, and respite care for seniors.

Families can search Care.com by their zip code or metro area to find listings of caregivers who match their specific needs. Search results include enhanced caregiver profiles - with photos, video interviews, and references - which families can view before contacting a caregiver about a job. Plus, families can request free background checks on any caregiver as part of their monthly membership.

College Nannies & Tutors provides one-on-one tutors for kids ages three and up, and for ACT/SAT preparation. The agency also places nannies in families with children from infants to teens. Background and reference checks are performed on prospective nannies and tutors.

In addition, the agency storefront serves as an outpost of kiddywampus, offering a small selection of the colorful toys and playthings for which the main St. Louis Park store is known.

Since it's located less than a block from the Xcel Center, fitting through the door at Cossetta's Italian deli and pizzeria before a Minnesota Wild game is nearly impossible, but the rest of the time it's a great place to bring the kids for pizza, salads, and pasta.

Watching the guys toss the pizza dough high in the air staves off boredom if you have to wait to order at either the pizza or entree line. The slices are large and tasty, but the veal parmigiana and lasagna - baked from old Cossetta family recipes - also have loyal followings. There's ice cream and, of course, cannoli, for dessert. An attached Italian grocery with an old-world air sells meats, cheeses, and packaged and prepared foods to go.

Pick and pay for your food at the counters downstairs, then carry the tray up the wide wood staircase to the open second level to dine. Busboys will give you a hand if you ask. Choose a table along the balcony railing for a view of the action below. There are restrooms upstairs and down, and some interesting old pictures on the dark paneled walls.

Locally-owned Davanni's has more than 20 metro area locations from which it strives to provide top-quality pizza, hot and cold hoagies, lasagna, calzones - and customer service. The company motto: "If you like it, tell others. If you don't, tell us." Given its success, we like it, we really, really like it.

The eateries are casual, quiet, and comfortable. Customers place orders at the counter, but waitstaff bus the tables. Highchairs and boosters are available. The kid's meals come with drinks, cookies and toys, and special requests are accommodated without a fuss.

The menu is likely to have something for everyone in the family. Pizza is available in three crust styles; and there are 16 kinds of hoagies, and a handful of salads and appetizers. Desserts - including brownies, cookies and Rice Crispy Treats - are made in Davanni's own bakery.

Call ahead to have a take-out order ready when you arrive, or take advantage of each location's large delivery area and have Davanni's bring the food to you. Party platters are available for many items.

One great feature of these restaurants is their free party rooms (available almost all locations). Reserve these areas as far in advance as you can.

Dinner by Design offers busy families the chance to make their own home-cooked meals without a lot of fuss. After families reserve kitchen time online, the store handles ingredient preparation - from shopping to chopping - so the only thing left to do is follow the simple recipes. In two hours or less, families can prepare up to twelve full meals (or up to 24 half-meals) to take home, and the kitchen provides complete cooking instructions on convenient pre-printed labels.

If time is tight, the Dinner by Design staff can prepare meals for pre-scheduled pickup times for a minimal fee, and the kitchen also offers a to-go freezer for quick dinner fixes any day of the week.

Dinner by Design offers busy families the chance to make their own home-cooked meals without a lot of fuss. After families reserve kitchen time online, the store handles ingredient preparation - from shopping to chopping - so the only thing left to do is follow the simple recipes. In two hours or less, families can prepare up to twelve full meals (or up to 24 half-meals) to take home, and the kitchen provides complete cooking instructions on convenient pre-printed labels.

If time is tight, the Dinner by Design staff can prepare meals for pre-scheduled pickup times for a minimal fee, and the kitchen also offers a to-go freezer for quick dinner fixes any day of the week.

Dino's offers an alternative to fast-food burgers: gyros, falafel, and pita sandwiches served up quick in a casual environment. Greek salads, souvlaki plates, baklava, and other ethnic foods round out the menu, along with staples just about any kid will recognize, including fries and chicken nuggets.

The restaurants are clean and brightly-lit, with large screen TVs hung around the dining area. Kids meals include a drink and toy. Kids who sign up for Dino's free Kids Club receive a coupon for a free kids meal for their birthdays.

Dino's catering services range from platters to buffet fixings. Order at least a day in advance; free delivery provided on orders over $100.

At first glance, Firefly appears to be just another cozy neighborhood cafe...but look closer! The welcoming locally-owned spots have so much more to offer, including a large and varied menu serving everything from farmer's breakfast platters to panini sandwiches to gourmet pizzas and pasta dinners. There's at least one special dish each day, and lighter fare such as baked goods, soups, and salads. The kids' menu has more than a half dozen options ($3.95-$4.95), all of which come with juice boxes. The cafe also offers an array of catering services, and menu items can be ordered for take-out.

There's no changing table in the restroom, but families will find plenty of games and books to keep kids occupied - kids can also complete a Firefly coloring sheet and leave it to be posted in the cafe. The cafe also offers free wi-fi internet access.

We despise the early morning scramble to pull together a healthy, nutritious lunch for the kids when we were too busy (or tired) to do it the night before.

Enter Mighty Munch Meals, a selection of ready-to-eat boxed meals for kids. Each meal limits fat, saturated fat, and sugar content, but includes a tasty selection of protein, grains, and fruit servings. Nothing contains trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, or artifical flavors/colors. All food items are individually packaged, and nothing requires refrigeration. A fork and wet wipe is included - just grab a drink and go! It passed the parent test with flying colors.

To keep things interesting for kids, meals are packaged in colorful, game-covered recycled cardboard boxes, and include a (healthy) sweet treat and temporary tattoo. How did it fare with the cafeteria crowd? Kids loved the novelty of a lunch in it's own pre-packaged box (it was likened to a healthy version of an unnamed grocery store boxed lunch brand). The selection of included foods in each package gave enough variety for even the pickiest of eaters, and the games and graphics on the box made for an entertaining lunchtime, for our Mighty Munch diners and companions.

Kosher, Halal, and vegetarian selections are available. Our favorite is the JungleMunch version, which includes pretzel crips, creamy veggie cheese dip, organic applesauce, natural trail mix, and honey grahams for dessert.

A referral agency providing candidates for all a family's domestic needs, including nannies, babysitters, housekeepers, personal assistants, personal chefs, and more. The agency serves the entire Twin Cities metro area.

A referral agency providing candidates for all a family's domestic needs, including nannies, babysitters, housekeepers, personal assistants, personal chefs, and more. The agency serves the entire Twin Cities metro area.

Ingebretsen's, one of the oldest retail establishments in the Twin Cities, has been selling Scandinavian foods and products for 85 years.

The family-owned store is a local institution, staying true to its roots while the Midtown neighborhood around it has changed much over the years, and is now enjoying a resurgence. The store is also keeping up with the times: it maintains a comprehensive and informative website.

Visitors will find needlework and crafts, clothing for babies to adults, home decor, cookware and tableware, jewelry, and toys (expect lots of Pippi Longstocking), in addition to Scandinavian meats, cheeses, baked goods, and packaged specialty foods.

The store offers classes in Scandinavian cooking and crafts, including some family classes, and hosts public events throughout the year, such as book and CD signings, performances, demonstrations, and celebrations.

What's an Izzy? It's a little scoop - the cherry on top, if you will - served on top of Izzy's ice cream. Under it and in it, you'll find homemade artisan ice cream of the highest quality, available in dozens of tempting flavors.

Izzy's can also bring the goods to you, with its party catering, and flavors can be found at select area restaurants and grocery stores. Birthday cakes are made to order and start at $17 - but expect a $1.25 surcharge to add a message!

While Jakeeno's lacks curb appeal - it's all too easy to drive right by its seen-better-days building on a busy corner - it more than makes up for it with great food, friendly service, and an attractively-refurbished dining room. In short, don't judge a book by its cover ... and don't pass Jakeeno's by! High quality, family-owned neighborhood "joints" like this are a disappearing breed, and our cities are the poorer for it.

The casual restaurant, now run by two daughters of the original owner, features tasty, fresh-made thin crust pizzas, heaping portions of pasta, a short list of salads and appetizers, and desserts that are a cut above.

Credit cards and checks are accepted, and the Tuesday evening special - a large two-topping pizza, an order of cheesy bread, and a pitcher of soda for $18 - stretch family dollars even further.

The clean, well-lit restroom is located right off the sage and coral dining room (no changing table, but there's enough floor space to make do in a pinch), and highchairs are available. Bench seats lines the walls. A narrow, shady patio provides outdoor seating with an Italian countryside feel when the weather permits; the high fence and plants do a good job of making the space seem more peaceful and secluded than it actually is.

Jakeeno's kid-pleasing pasta dishes are available in party-size platters with at least 24 hours notice, providing a no-hassle way to serve lunch or dinner at a birthday party. Call 612.821.9229 to make arrangements.

Delivery is available on orders over $10 within the restaurant's limited delivery area in South Minneapolis. A $1 charge is added for orders packed "to go."

Let's Cook offers kitchen and cooking products, in-store demonstrations, cooking classes for adults (some of which cover kid-friendly foods such as cupcakes), hands-on workshops for parent-child pairs, and classes and summer camps for kids ages eight and up. The store can also host private parties.

It's not easy to tell by the look and taste of the moist, delicious goodies for sale at Madwoman that all of the new bakery's products are made without wheat flour. And judging by the steady stream of customers, that's just what the doctor ordered.

Ground almonds and other inventive substitutes mean the products are low-glycemic and gluten-free, a boon for those with Celiac Disease, diabetes, food allergies and sensitivities, and dietetic restrictions, as well as those looking for low-carb, high nutrition treats, and healthy ready-made convenience foods including breads, pizzas, soup, quiches, granola, and many varieties of tea cakes and other baked goods.

Here's what else you won't find in the bakery: chemical sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, excessive packaging, and preservatives. (And are you really going to miss 'em?) When possible, ingredients are fair trade, organic, and grown locally. Some products can be purchased online.

Madwoman patrons can sit at one of the tables in the cheery, clean cafe and enjoy tea, coffee, and low-glycemic drinks with their treats.

We could all use an extra pair of hands when it comes to keeping up with the house. That's where Maid Brigade comes in, and we're particularly fond of the company's green approach to clean.

The only national residential cleaning company going fully green (by the end of 2007, all franchisees will use the proprietary green service in all customers' homes), Maid Brigade uses solutions certified by Green Seal for a safe and thorough cleaning, and equipment and processes follow many Green Seal standards for cleaning services.

Service packages cover a wide variety of needs, from regular weekly or semi-monthly cleanings to that post-birthday-party scrubdown.

A lot of hopes are pinned on this midtown market with an international flair. It's located on the first floor of the old Sears building - now rechristened the Midtown Exchange - and is part of a large multi-use redevelopment project featuring both lofts and lofty goals.

The market is designed to build a sense of community and ownership among the many diverse ethnic groups that call Minneapolis home; to provide hard-to-find and unusual groceries, prepared foods, and craft items in a family-friendly environment; and also to build wealth, and reinvest it locally. Similar enterprises in Philadelphia and Seattle have been very successful, and all signs point to well-placed optimism here, too. Our verdict: Go. Now. The place is welcoming, well-designed, interesting, and just plain fun. And with all the food options, surely there's something to please everyone.

Anchored by Latino and Asian grocery stores (including a United Noodles offshoot) and Holy Land Deli outlet, the market sells ethnic ingredients and prepared foods, cheeses, tortillas, pastries, fresh fruits and vegetables, pasta, delicacies, cut flowers, craft goods, and more. Several cafe and seating areas invite visitors to dine in and hang out. Some of the vendors sell items good for spicing up birthday parties, such as pinatas and unusual candies to add to goody bags.

There's a children's area with a padded floor and plastic play structures in the northeast corner of the market; shelves with boxed games for customer use nearby; and tables for backgammon, chess, and checkers in a couple of places. The bathrooms, equipped with changing tables and sinks set apart from the rest of the stalls, almost make diaper changing a pleasure.

Some market vendors also offer services, including watch and jewelry repair, dry cleaning and alterations, and massage.

Milio's sells a customizeable roster of sub sandwiches, and chips, pickles, beverages, and cookies. Order online, or by fax, phone, or in person; carryout and delivery available. Lunch time might be busier than evenings. Milio's also caters parties, but its best offer might be ice cream, priced at just 85 cents a cone!

Milio's sells a customizeable roster of sub sandwiches, and chips, pickles, beverages, and cookies. Order online, or by fax, phone, or in person; carryout and delivery available. Lunch time might be busier than evenings. Milio's also caters parties, but its best offer might be ice cream, priced at just 85 cents a cone!

Milio's sells a customizeable roster of sub sandwiches, and chips, pickles, beverages, and cookies. Order online, or by fax, phone, or in person; carryout and delivery available. Lunch time might be busier than evenings. Milio's also caters parties, but its best offer might be ice cream, priced at just 85 cents a cone!

Milio's sells a customizeable roster of sub sandwiches, and chips, pickles, beverages, and cookies. Order online, or by fax, phone, or in person; carryout and delivery available. Lunch time might be busier than evenings. Milio's also caters parties, but its best offer might be ice cream, priced at just 85 cents a cone!