Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Date(s) Night




L & I haven't been able to get out much these days. We just moved and have been spending alot time and money on the new house. Add to that the fact that L has been working his a** off as of late. All this is to say that we just don't have the discretionary income or time to do much of anything.

Recently, we had an opportunity and we seized it. L scheduled himself off on a Friday night. I looked forward to this for weeks in advance. I tortured myself trying to figure out how best to spend this free Friday night. Should we go out with friends..or just the two of us? Should we have a dinner party? And most troubling of all....where should we go?

The few questions were easily answered. We opted for the date night. (This may be because it was just easier. If we decided to go out with friends, that would've led to a whole new host of questions...which friends? One other couple or two? I just wanted to keep things simple.) But choosing the right restaurant really challenged me. There are a million places on my list to check out, but it always seems that when the moment presents itself, no place seems quite right. Neither L nor I could agree on the right place.

Finally, after weeks of indecision, I suggested Rathbun's and L responsed "Rathbun Steak" - a place we have not been. We finally agreed and we were both super-excited about the prospect. Then, L's cousin Chris called and we invited him to join us.

So, now we were a party of 3. Still date night, but now I had TWO dates. Score for me. I put on my Jimmy Choos and my brand new little black dress and I was ready to party.

Rathbun Steak is quartered in a former industrial complex in the old fourth ward. It's urban, sophisticated and resoundingly male. But, then, what steakhouse isn't? To be honest, steakhouse really aren't my thing. If you've been to one, you've been to them all. They're all VERY expensive, have good steak, good sides, and few non-steak offerings (for the ladies.) Now, I like steak. I just don't necessarily need 22 ounces at one time.

With that being said, I would add that Rathbun Steak was a notch above your average steakhouse. Definitely a cooler, hipper version (with cooler, hipper clientele to match!) Since a steakhouse is a place of excess, it really was appropriate that I had 2 dates that night. We had a great night. The food was all fabulous. Cocktails - delicious and plentiful. Steaks - mouthwatering velvet. I had the tuna steak and it was perfect. The wine was luscious (but actually, we brought that), and dessert was sinful. And best of all, Cousin Chris picked up the (staggering) tab.

After dinner, the party continued over at Krog Bar (an adorable little place) where made new friends and stayed out much later than our old ages (or babysitter) warranted. Thank you, Cousin Chris for the fun evening. You can crash our date night anytime!