Having recently eaten at Devon Seafood Grill, where the ambience is decidedly adult and kids were scarce, I made a reservation for two plus a toddler at the new Bonefish Grill, 18355 W. Bluemound Rd. in Brookfield, with some trepidation. But I was assured that Bonefish -- part of the OSI Restaurant Group, along with Fleming's Steak House, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Cheeseburger Paradise and Outback, among others -- is kid-friendly.

My little dining partner is restaurant-friendly, but at barely more than a year old, it's really hard to predict how dinner at a restaurant will go. Thankfully, the staff at Bonefish was prepared.

The dining room is dimly lit and tastefully appointed with, natch, seafood art on the walls and a mix of booths and tables. Before reaching it, guests pass through a bar that despite an array of TVs, bar seating and some tall dining tables, is pretty quiet and smelled darn -- if not entirely -- near smoke-free.

The mix of diners was diverse, from those in suits to those in Packers jackets; but most were somewhere in the middle. There were also at least a dozen kids under about 5 or 6.

A kids' menu arrived with some crayons and a length of white paper atop our tablecloth (very wise!). A waiter arrived quickly, took drink orders and returned lickety split with drinks and to take our dinner orders.

While the lad had a small selection from which to choose (the usual suspects: mac 'n' jack, chicken tenders, spaghetti, grilled chicken and popcorn shrimp), the adult menu was thankfully more engaging.

We chose the touted Bang Bang Shrimp ($8.5) and half order of Ahi Tuna sashimi ($8.80). The former was a pile of lightly battered shrimp that seared the palate with red pepper flakes but was tempered by a creamy dipping sauce. The tuna was perfectly seared with sesame seeds and arrived with ginger, wasabi and a small bowl of soy sauce. So far, so good.

The wait for the entrees seemed a bit long to us, but with a child to entertain it's hard to judge just how long it was. Although he was fidgety, our little companion was easily distracted -- as always -- by ceiling fans, people watching and chattering with the staff, especially the hostesses, who told us that the site -- formerly a Chi Chi's -- was meant to be a Cheeseburger Paradise, but a last-minute change led to the arrival of Bonefish.

As a result of the switch, this is the only Bonefish restaurant in the country that has a large rotunda entrance -- which is the trademark, apparently, of Cheeseburger Paradise. With a huge fan rotating up there, it turned out to be our paradise as it kept the little man fascinated while the kitchen turned out our entrees. The gift of a glow stick from another employee helped, too.

My dining companion had the sea scallops and gulf shrimp ($16.20) with garlic mashed potatoes and I opted for the Icelandic Atlantic Charr Rockefeller special ($21.20) with potatoes au gratin and spaghetti squash. Our boy had grilled chicken and french fries, although, as always, he preferred our food to his and he especially adored the mashed potatoes and the warm, crusty bread served with a pesto and Kalamata olive mix.

The charr special was rich and delicious with a creamy sauce drizzled atop the lump crabmeat, which say on the flaky, delicately flavored charr. The shrimp and scallops were of a nice size and were tender and grilled perfectly.

Add in two Stella Artois pints and a split of Kenwood Yulupa Cuvee Brut sparkling wine and the bill totaled $79 and change, which seems pretty good for a family of three at an "upscale casual" seafood eatery.

In the end, we had a good, satisfying meal (with leftovers to take home) with our boy, who turned in a credible but edgy dining performance that without the kind assistance of the Bonefish staff, could easily have gone sour.

So, when they tell you Bonefish is both "upscale casual" and family-friendly, believe it.