by Kara baskin

Where: Papa Razzi Metro. What: An Italian children's book library at the Burlington restaurant's host stand.

Whose idea Restaurant operations director Corey Barreira has two small children, and he knows how hard it can be to dine out with them. The solution? Books. "Kids can ask for something from our Italian book selection right at the host stand, and if they get spaghetti sauce on it, so be it," he says. "Kids need to be entertained, and we wanted something more creative than crayons and paper."

He stocks illustrator Tomie dePaola's "Strega Nona" series and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich's "Nonna Tell Me a Story" series, plus classics like "Pinocchio." Just one problem: Some smaller customers have sticky fingers. "People have taken more books than they've brought back," says the amused restaurateur. Papa Razzi Metro, 2 Wall St., Burlington, 781-229-0100, www.paparazzimetro.com

Source: http://www.bostonglobe.com/