Don’t Have Dinner on Valentine’s Day
If you are like me, you jump for any reason to go to a fancy dinner. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity; it’s not your birthday or anniversary, but you can easily justify a special dinner with your significant other.
The problem is that all restaurants benefit from this and they impose absurd prix-fixe menu options on the night of February 14th. Some go with “champagne toast”, most have a version of the chocolate cake for dessert, and almost all of them cost at least $ 100 per person (and not nearly as good as regular à la carte dishes). The Resy booking app will even note which restaurants have special V-day menus in a cupid-approved shade of red, but I see it more as a DO NOT ENTER sign.
A way to get around this without missing out on the joy of a romantic dinner: take advantage of the fact that this year’s Valentine’s Day is Wednesday, and reserve a table for dinner next Friday or Saturday. (Or take Dr. Ruth ‘s advice and leave the house before the holiday instead.) Demand will be lower and you can eat whatever you want at normal prices without having to sit next to the petting love birds in a nest of pink and red balloons. You can also eat at the right time without having to book a month in advance. Case in point: The place I’m going to (at 7:30 pm on Friday) currently only has one open table for Valentine’s Day …. at 5:30 pm.
As for the night of the 14th itself, you can cook a romantic dinner at home (I always make lamb and hot chocolate pie ) or order fried chicken and eat it on the floor while watching HGTV. This is a totally romantic evening and no one will judge you because no one will see. Every day is a holiday when you are in love! Ugh.