Location and Parking:  In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that driving in Durham terrifies me, so I don’t go very often.  Their one-way streets are somehow different from the ones in Raleigh, and I’m just not familiar with it.  Lucky for me, BFF was driving!  Let it be said, though, that the DPAC and Dos Perros (really only 2 blocks apart) are right off the Durham Freeway, which is right off of 40.  Even I could do that!  Plus, and this puts DPAC events way over the ones in Raleigh, the parking deck that sits between the restaurant and the DPAC is FREE on weekends!  Seriously, we didn’t have to factor in another $10 for our plans for the evening.  Score!  There is no parking lot at Dos Perros, but there is street parking around, and of course the magical free-weekend parking deck!

Date Night Atmosphere:  The restaurant is small-ish with tables that are close together, but not so close that you’d ask your neighbor for the salt (good thing, too, because there isn’t any on the table!).  I read in some reviews that you should never allow yourself to be seated downstairs in the basement.  They didn’t try with us, so I never saw it.  Maybe that’s where they put the naughty people!  Upstairs, anyway, noise level is energetic, but not frenzied.  The kitchen is open-ish, and that adds to the noise.  Dos Perros could definitely be romantic, with the right attitude.  I wouldn’t bring small children, but there were some tweens there with their parents having a pre-show dinner.  I got the feeling that most people who were there at the same time as us were also going to Wicked.  In fact, there was a woman in the cutest dress at Dos Perros who I saw later in the restroom at the DPAC!  Once Wicked is over, I bet this place is still pretty popular…

Reservations:  I’m glad we had them!  Dos Perros uses Open Table, so I made our reservations on my iPhone while sitting on the couch watching Dora the Explorer with the munchkins.  It seemed fitting!

What to Wear:  Again, I think most people were headed to the show, so they were pretty dressed up.  Both BFF and I were in dresses and heels.  I don’t think they’d turn you away in jeans, but the restaurant certainly seems nicer than tees and shorts.  The guys I saw were in collared shirts and Dockers, at least.

Service:  Unfortunately, this is where Dos Perros was most lacking.  BFF and I arrived about 20 minutes before our reservation, so we decided to sit at the bar and have a drink.  The bartenders were cordial, but more interested in chatting amongst themselves than with us.  Once we had our drinks, it was not until we pulled out our credit cards and put them on the bar that they acknowledged us again.  We went to the hostess stand to claim our reservation.  She was not friendly, and didn’t smile at all as she took us to our table.  She did pull out the chairs for us, which seemed odd after the Ice Princess routine.  Our waiter had a name, I’m sure.  Since he never told us what it was (is that a pet peeve of anyone else??), he will henceforth be known as WD (short for Waiter Dude).  WD pointed out the specials menu and asked for our drink orders.  When he came back with our drinks, WD recommended one of the specials and took our food orders.  He didn’t chat, and had a pasted-on smile.  All of that wouldn’t have bothered me too much if WD had kept up with our needs.  For example, we had chips on the table from the complimentary chips and salsa.  We ordered guacamole but were brought no additional chips.  Now, this is not a basket of chips, but a soup cup of chips!  They were gone quickly!  We tried to catch his eye, but WD was doing that “waiter thing” where he avoided eye contact.  And, remember, we didn’t know his name.  We finally were able to grab WD (literally) as he was greeting the table next to us.  Not a home run at all in the service department.  The staff at Dos Perros should take lessons from the folks at Shuckers!  (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read this post!)

The Food:  The menu at Dos Perros sounds yummy.  I’m one of those people who studies the menu online before I go somewhere, and have a pretty good idea of what I’m going to get before I get there.  My plan was to get the hanger steak.  (I love a good chimichurri sauce!)  And then I saw the specials.  For one thing, if you know me in real life, you know I’m just a tad obsessed with The Wizard of Oz (hence, the thrill at seeing Wicked).  So, when I saw that they had a Ruby Slipper Margarita as a special drink, I had to get it:

YUM!  It was ruby red grapefruit, hibiscus syrup, and tequila.  Loved it!  BFF got a Passionfruit Caparinha:

Meh.  Neither of us loved or hated it.  While we were sipping, we were munching on the chips and salsa.  The salsa at Dos Perros is a salsa verde, and it is tasty!  Why don’t more places use salsa verde???  I had read that Dos Perros has yummy guacamole, so we decided to try it, too:

We were not disappointed!  As for the entrees, I have to say WD knew what he was talking about.  Here’s mine:

And here’s BFF’s:

Yep, they’re the same.  WD talked up the scallops so much, we both had to try them.  Wow.  Let’s say it again:  Wow.  I am so glad I didn’t have to share them (Our original plan was to get two different entrees and have a little of each.)  I’d have had to find a new BFF.  The scallops didn’t have a hint of rubbery-ness, and were sprinkled with the most delicious pork belly.  (For real.  It was so good that I changed my Facebook status to “I <3 pork belly.”  Seriously.  You can look it up.)  In the middle of the plate was a cold salad of green beans, jicama, and oranges.  It all just WORKED!  So delicious!  But wait, there’s more:  Dessert!  (I wouldn’t normally have had drinks, and an appetizer, and an entree, and then dessert, but:  1.  This was part of my birthday celebration so I was living it up, and 2.  I knew I’d be blogging about this trip and wanted you, my readers, to have a full understanding of all Dos Perros had to offer, and 3.  I’m lying through my teeth.  I always get dessert!).

Churros with Mexican chocolate dipping sauce.

Tres leches cake with fresh strawberries.

Dude.

I couldn’t pick a favorite.  It would be like picking one of my kids over another.  They were both perfect, and yet so different from one another.  The food.  The food is why I’ll go back to Dos Perros.

The Verdict:  While the service likely won’t leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, the food and drinks will.  Go.  DPAC event or not, Dos Perros is worth a visit!

I had noticed ERG several times before in driving past, and wondered how it was.  I LOVE Jibarra, which used to inhabit this location but has since moved downtown.  I thought maybe Jibarra left behind some yummy food ghosts for the ERG folks to work with…  Unfortunately, it didn’t really work out that way.  But, I’m getting ahead of myself…

Location and Parking:  ERG is at the intersection of Six Forks and Morning Dove, near Vinnie’s.  There is ample parking in the adjacent lots.

Dress:  Whatever.  This place, while not your typical “order by number” Mexican restaurant, is pretty casual.

Date Night Atmosphere:  There was almost no one there on a Wednesday night around 7.  As for the weekends, I’m not sure.  There is nothing particularly romantic or even memorable about the inside.  They didn’t change much from when it was Jibarra, just some brighter colors here and there.  Nothing offensive for a Date, but nothing remarkable either.

Service:  Our waitress was very soft-spoken, but very nice.  Efficient, not overly friendly, but I have no complaints.

The Food:  We started out well.  My friend and I ordered drinks.  I had a plain old margarita on the rocks:

It was great!  Just the right balance of sweet and sour.  Tasty!  My friend ordered the Citrus Margarita, that promised all the goodness of a regular margarita with Chambord and fresh citrus juices:

It was pretty!  Very sweet, but not bad.  My friend liked it more than I did, but maybe she digs sweet more than me (I must be sweet enough!).  The complimentary chips and salsa were fine, nothing special.  The chips were of the thicker, yellow corn variety, and the salsa was a little spicy but nothing overpowering.  Note, though, if you don’t love cilantro – there’s lots of it in their salsa.

For dinner, my friend ordered the marinated shrimp tacos:

They had a pineapple salsa on them that she liked, but said they were pretty spicy in some spots.  The accompanying rice was just rice, but the beans were REALLY spicy.  Overall, not bad.

I got the steak fajita burrito. 

Meh.  The rice, again, was just rice.  The refried beans tasted like nothing.  I’m not one to add much of anything to my food (salt, pepper, sauces, etc.), but I had to put salsa in them so they’d taste like something.  As for the burrito, it wasn’t horrible.  The tortilla was kindof gummy, like it had been sitting in the sauce for a while, but the stuff inside was yummy.  I ended up doing some minor surgery to it to just eat the insides.  The steak, peppers, and onions were very flavorful, and I didn’t leave ERG hungry.

The Verdict:  I don’t think I’d go back.  My margarita and entree, with tax and tip, was almost $25.  For a date night, you’d double that, and it just wasn’t that good.  However, I have another friend who raves about this joint and their Enchiladas Suizas.  Maybe I’ll go back with her and give it one more shot…  Maybe.  If I do, you’ll hear about it here!

I’d been meaning to go to Shuckers since they moved, but hadn’t made it.  In case you don’t know, Shuckers used to be this little, gritty shack of a place on a service road off of Capital Boulevard in Wake Forest.  Don’t get me wrong:  the food was always good, but it was more of an oyster bar than a restaurant.  So, when they built this new, swanky-looking place over by Heritage I was confused.  And intrigued!

Turns out, Kevin and Amy Marksberry, the new owners, know a thing or two about what they’re doing!  The “new” Shuckers is quite a bit more upscale than the previous version, but just as comfortable.  The food is just as fresh, but a little more cosmopolitan.  All of this adds up nicely (and I know a thing or two about adding )!

Here are the details of our visit:

Date Night Atmosphere:  This isn’t a very quiet restaurant, but it wasn’t loud.  Just the right about of background noise so you don’t feel like you have to whisper or shout.  It is pretty dark inside (hence, no pictures – sorry!), and the tables are a good distance apart.  There is paper on the tables in case you want to color (you never know!), and there were a fair amount of kids around.  It’s a little pricier than your average family meal, but definitely family-friendly.  If running into rugrats on Date Night bugs you, keep that in mind.

What to Wear:  Seriously, I don’t think it matters.  I saw dresses, jeans, pantsuits, shorts, tee shirts, heels, and flip flops.  It all worked.  If pinned down, I’d lean more towards casual than dresssy.  I wore dressy jeans, a non-tee shirt (I really hate the word blouse, but that’s kindof what it was!), and ballet flats.  My husband wore jeans, a golf shirt, and boat shoes.  We fit right in the middle.

Reservations and Parking:  Shuckers doesn’t take reservations, but they do call-ahead seating.  This may come in handy, especially on the weekends.  We were there on a Thursday night around 6:30, and it was about 3/4 full.  There is a parking lot right out front, so no worries with parking (Is that just a pet peeve of my husband, or is it everyone?).

Service:  Get ready, this is going to be a very important paragraph!  This was some of the best service I’ve EVER had in a restaurant.  Seriously.  The hostess held the door for us as we walked in, and we were seated promptly.  Our waitress, Amanda, was as cute as a button and so sweet.  She helped me decide between a couple of entrees and was dead-on with her recommendations (even if she did try to talk me into getting the fried okra!).  We had fun chatting with her!  Then, the owner, Amy, came over to check on us.  Apparently, we had ordered the two most popular things on the menu (Which, in an odd sort of way, disappointed me.  I like to be different!  Anyway, more on the food below…).  We told her we’d never been there before, and that we were there on a Date.  She congratulated us on getting out and welcomed us.  Later, Amy returned with a complimentary piece of key lime pie because she “loves first timers and Date Night.”  How cool is that?  She had no idea that I was going to blog about her great restaurant, her gracious staff, or her generosity.  She’s just nice!  Now, I can’t say that you will get a free piece of pie if you go to Shuckers; but even if you didn’t, isn’t it cool to know that the owner is involved and cares about her customers?  These people know service.

The Food:  Yum!  That’s all.  No?  You want to know more?  Well, twist my arm and make me talk about food… I had the Shucker Martini:  Absolut Citron, Chambord, champagne, and fresh citrus juices.  It was very sweet (the sugared rim helped), and tasty!  My Date had a Big Boss Bad Penny that they had on draft.  For an appetizer, we had the Crab Dip.  It was creamy and had CHUNKS of crab meat in it.  Yay!  (I hate a crab dip with minced up God-knows-what in it…)  It came with toasted pita bread for dipping.  It didn’t last long!  Then, the entrees:  We had the Shrimp and Grits and the Stuffed Mahi.  The Shrimp and Grits was good, but definitely not traditional.  The grits were cooked in a dense cake, and they add Andouille sausage and mushrooms to the mix.  My husband liked it a lot.  I, after deliberation and discussion with Amanda, settled on the Stuffed Mahi.  It’s a mahi mahi steak stuffed with a crab cake.  It was just right!  The mahi was not overcooked, and the crab cake was so flavorful, with a great red pepper zest to it.  I was very happy with my decision!  Then, Amy came over with the Key Lime Pie.  Shuckers makes all of their desserts in-house.  She admitted that she’s never loved the pucker of key lime pie, but this was a tamer version she’d grown to love.  I agree (although the pucker never bothered me!).  This version is smooth, and real.  No neon green anything.  No meringue.  Just a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top, and one of the best graham cracker crusts I’ve ever had.  Just right!

Further Research Opportunities:  There are things at Shuckers I didn’t get to try, but I’m gonna:  The oyster bar itself is pretty big and was calling me.  I’d love to shuck a dozen or so with a Blue Moon and get messy!  Also, they have some GREAT Happy Hour specials daily from 2-6 p.m. that I’d like to check out.  They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights.  That could be fun.  Oh, the opportunities abound…

The Verdict:  I hated it.  Can’t you tell?!  For real, this place rocks!  Trust me, it would be worth the drive if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Wake Forest.  We will be back, and soon!

Wherever you end up, let me know, and you can be sure I’ll do the same…

In the movie, though, a very valid point was raised:  Don’t get stuck in a Date Night rut!  Even if you’re one of those lucky people who has a regularly-scheduled Date Night, don’t do the same thing every time.  Shake it up!  Try paintball, or cooking classes.  Eat Thai food instead of a steak.  Eat a really big dessert instead of real food for dinner.  Go to Whole Foods or Fresh Market’s prepared food cases and get a dinner to go; then have a picnic somewhere.  Heck, stay home and play board games after the kids go to bed.  If you do the same thing every time, it becomes tedious.  And who wants Date Night to be a chore?!

Okay, off my soap box now.  Go out there and have some fun!

So, help me out:  Tell me places you want to see on Triangle Date Night.  Where have you wondered about?  What do you like to know about a place before you go there on a Date?

I’m working a couple of places and posts that should be up in the next few days, but I’m always open to new ideas, too.  Just shoot me an email at triangledatenight -at- gmail -dot- com.

Thanks!

Dos Taquitos Centro:  We began our day at Dos Taquitos Centro on South Wilmington Street.  (Handy note:  It is located next to the Alexander Square Parking Deck.  So, no excuses about parking for why you don’t go!)  I knew I was going to love this day when we started with dessert:  as we were seated, the Taste Carolina people gave us each an itinerary for the day and a yummy piece of cranberry apple kuchen from Annelore’s Bakery at the State Farmers’ Market.  Then, to throw the decadence into high gear, we were served Tamarrindas (a tamarind margarita with chile salt – ¡Olé!)

and the most wonderful skirt steak tacos with chihuahua cheese.  Oh, and there was a salad (although, while delicious, it was an afterthought for most of us!):

Dos Taquitos Centro is a lively, colorful, eclectic place, and I can’t wait to go back!  The service was gracious and generous (free margarita refills, anyone?!), and Chef Angela Salamanca was around to explain about the restaurant, the menu, and the food.  There are a few tables outside, and just a few more inside.  It is a small restaurant, and they don’t take reservations.  The food is amazing, so I’m betting it’s pretty busy most nights.  I’ll just bet it’s worth the wait!

Spize Cafe:  From Dos Taquitos Centro, we walked over to Spize Cafe, on Fayetteville Street.  The forty of us took over the restaurant, and were greeted by Chef Kowae.  He gave us a little of his bio, and was very friendly.  Spize serves primarily Thai food, but is also influenced by many other cuisines.  We were served French baguette slices with a sweet honey mayonnaise, lemongrass pork (YUM!), and pickled carrots on top.  It was yummy and pretty:

We also ate a Cumin Chicken salad with a Spicy Peanut Curry dressing.  Spicy was right (for those sensitive to such), but it was very flavorful.  Spize is small, but airy and bright.  It is seemed to be more of a quick-bite place than a long, romantic dinner spot, but I have only been there on the tour.  I’d love to check it out further for a better idea of Date Night possibilities…    Several cool things about Spize, though:  They get much of their bread from La Farm Bakery in Cary.  They are very concerned with the environment and use reclaimed and recycled materials in their furniture, construction, and service whereever possible.  I did notice their dinner menu looks interesting:  it features several different fondues.  Must go back for more research…

R Line:  From Spize, we walked over towards the Capitol Building to catch the R Line bus to Seaboard Station.  I think the R Line is a great concept.  It is FREE!  It makes a loop around all the Downtown Raleigh hot spots every day.  On Thursday – Saturday nights, it runs until 2:15 a.m.!  Think about it, when you go to events downtown, parking can run you up to $10.  So, park in a different part of downtown for cheap or free, and ride the R Line to the event and back to your car.  Genius!  Also, the buses are hybrid electric, so the whole thing is very green!  The buses run every 10 – 15 minutes… unless you’re us.  See, stuff happens:  buses get stuck in traffic, there are events, and blah, blah, blah.  We had to wait 30 minutes for our bus!  Luckily, it was a beautiful day, and the cool folks from Taste Carolina were entertaining.  We (all forty of us!) introduced ourselves, got a history lesson about the Capitol Building, and got our daily dose of Vitamin D.  Not too bad…  And, just when we were all starting to get a little antsy: 

BUS!!    Whew!

18 Seaboard:  Okay, confession time.  I have been dying to try 18 Seaboard, and I think I’m the only one in the world who hasn’t yet!  The restaurant is located at Seaboard Station, just a short walk from the bus stop.  We were greeted by Chef and Owner Jason Smith.  He took us on a tour of the restaurant (very pretty!), and into their new gallery dining space (would be perfect for a party or rehearsal dinner!).  While he gave us his Native Raleigh Boy pedigree (yup, he’s local!) and his chef credentials (Did you know he once was a chef at a research station in the Antarctic?!), we had a light spring vegetable salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, red peppers, and a vinaigrette.  It was nice and cool after standing around in the sun waiting for that bus!  Unfortunately, because of the bus debacle, we didn’t spend much time at 18 Seaboard before we had to be on our way again.  I DID NOT want to leave…  I WILL be back!  (Also adding Jason Smith’s newest venture, Cantina 18 at Cameron Village, to the list…)

Zely and Ritz:  We rode the R Line bus from Seaboard Station to Glenwood South, home of Zely and Ritz (and, at 2 a.m. on Sundays, half-dressed 22-year-olds, but I digress!).  If I had to describe Zely and Ritz in one word, it would be local.  They have their own farm, Coon Rock Farm, where most of their fruits, vegetables, and meats are grown.  Their menu changes depending on what’s freshest.  This particular day, we were served a Coon Rock Farms pork shoulder with mashed sweet potatoes and braised cabbage.  It was some of the freshest-tasting comfort food I’ve ever had.  Chef Sarig explained their concept for the restaurant and the menu.  They even have a drink called “Third Date.”  A sign that it’s a good Date Night location?  Absolutely!

The Cupcake Shoppe:  After filling our bellies with all that comfort food at Zely and Ritz, we were ready for dessert!  We walked up Glenwood to The Cupcake Shoppe.  Unfortunately, the forty of us could not all fit into The Cupcake Shoppe at once, so we had to take our cupcakes to go.  We ate them at our next stop, but they were still amazing, even without the adorable Shoppe as a backdrop.  I’ve written about the Shoppe on this blog before, and I truly love it.  They have a different flavor every week (in addition to the yummy staples like carrot, red velvet, chocolate, and vanilla), and this time I tried Pineapple Cherry Delight.  My only complaint:  I didn’t get two!  It was awesome!  The Cupcake Shoppe is a great Date Night destination.  There really is a lack of great dessert places in Raleigh, and they fit the bill.  Eat dinner at one of the great restaurants on Glenwood South (and there’s lots of them, but that’s a different post!), and then go get cupcakes!  Everyone’s happy when they have a cupcake, right?!

Busy Bee Cafe:  We had seen the boxes from The Cupcake Shoppe, so we were all in a hurry to get to our next destination, Busy Bee Cafe.  After a short bus ride, we were there, where we had that classic combination:  beer and cupcakes!!  Yeah, I don’t know either, but it wasn’t bad.  The beer was a Summer Wheat specially brewed by Lone Rider Brewery, just for Busy Bee Cafe.  The non-alcoholic option was a vanilla, hazelnut cream soda.  According to my soda-drinking comrades, it was “interesting.”  Kindof like carbonated, flavored coffee creamer, apparently.  All I can say is I’m glad I like beer!  They also have some great cocktails.  Kitty Kinnin got one called The Sting and let me taste it.  WOW!  I might go back just for that.  It was yummy! 

Busy Bee was built in an old hardware store.  It’s three levels:  a bar/coffee shop on the first floor, The Hive (a bar with a stage), and a rooftop bar.  The building is very old, and so many of the features are original.  If architecture is your thing, ask about it!  The brickwork is fascinating.  We didn’t eat here, but there are some cool-sounding things on their menu.  As far as a Date Night?  It seems to be a bar, but with food.  If that’s what you’re looking for, cool.  There are certainly those times when you just want to kick back with your sweetie, or friends and have a drink and a bite.  This could do the job.

The Mint:  A short walk from Busy Bee, and we were at The Mint.  I’ve been to The Mint before, and loved my experience, all $300 of it!  Lucky for all of us in this economy, The Mint has re-vamped itself into a more affordable destination.  They have a three-course dinner for $30 on the menu featuring some amazing choices.  The culinary team at The Mint created four different dishes for the tour:  shrimp and grits, raw vegetable ceviche, mushroom tart, and carrot-ginger soup.  For those who didn’t get to to try the shrimp and grits, my sincerest apologies (it IS on the $30 three-course menu).  Here’s a pic:

Ooops!  It was good.  Yes, that good!  I did a better job of pacing myself when it came to the carrot-ginger soup:

The most dazzling thing about The Mint is the service.  The food is great, but they have very low staff turnover, making for a very knowledgeable group.  They were all very gracious and accomodating.  It is a prime Date Night destination.  There are lots of events coming up at The Mint:  music, wine tastings, and the like.  Check it out; I promise this one won’t disappoint.

Foundation:  Next door to The Mint is Foundation.  It is literally in the foundation of a theater that operates above it.  At Foundation, we had Big Boss Hefeweizen beer and Escazu chocolates.  Again, an odd combination, but we ran with it!  Foundation is a bar.  That’s about all I know.  It looks really cool inside, but I bet it’s really crowded on weekend nights (it’s not very big).  If bars are your thing, go there on your Date Night.  Let me know how it is!

Taste of Carolina Gourmet Food Tours:  A word about the tour itself…  What a great idea!  I wish I’d thought of this!  They are great folks who are lots of fun and love food.  I don’t know about you, but those are pretty much my criteria for friends these days!  Joe, Leslie, Amy, and Tony were our guides.  Joe and Leslie are the co-owners of the company.  They have tours all over the Triangle, and I want to go on every one!  This was the biggest tour group they’ve had in Raleigh, and there were a few glitches (We ran almost an hour late, and the “games” they play are probably fun with 10-15 people but with 40 just seem tedious).  But, they handled the day, good and bad, with professionalism and positive attitudes.  This is a great Date activity.  Worth every penny you pay the baby-sitter.  I think it would be a great first date, and even a cool blind date.  Plus, I love their slogan:  “Ready Your Belly!”  How perfect!

I can’t wait to go back to most of these places, and I guess that’s the point.  They give you a taste of what they’re about so you’ll come back (perhaps on a Date Night!) and have the full experience.  I intend to happily fall victim to that line of marketing!  And, when I do, you’ll hear read all about it!  Until then…

Thank you.

For those of you who don’t know (and now never will), The Rockford was a restaurant on Glenwood Avenue, directly across from The Hibernian.  It didn’t even, for many years, have a proper sign.  You just had to know where you were going.  And, for me anyway, what made it special was this:

Aaaahhh, The ABC.  Heaven on a plate.  From The Rockford’s menu:  “Granny Smith apples, crisp bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and Toasted Sesame Honey Dressing on ‘French-Toasted’ whole wheat bread.”  Who knew?  The combination was sublime, to say the least.  Sigh…  And now I’ll have to make it myself.  It won’t be the same…

I had my birthday lunch at The Rockford this year.  An inspired plan, really.  We ate at The Rockford (Everyone gave me their pickles and everything, it was great!), then walked up the hill to The Cupcake Shoppe and had S’Mores cupcakes.  Yowza, what a great day!  What will I do this year?!  More research required, certainly.

But, as sad as I am about losing one of my favorite eateries, I know it’s all gonna be okay.  How do I know?  I saw Sidney Lowe at Goodberry’s tonight.  It’s a sign.  Of what, I’m not entirely sure.  But, y’all, it’s Sidney Lowe.  And Goodberry’s.  Amen.

Disclaimer:  I won this package from  local radio station 100.7 The River and shared the experience with my new BFF (seriously!), Kitty Kinnin.  I didn’t have to pay for this, but I am saving up to do it again on my dime.  For real.  Oh, and none of the people at Il Palio, The Siena, or The River have any idea I’m writing this, so they haven’t influenced me in any way.  These opinions are all me!  Onward…

The Gist:  You get to spend the day with the chefs at Il Palio, devising a menu, working alongside them in the kitchen (in a chef’s coat with your name embroidered on it!), and learning oh-s0-much about food and just how to make it into the art you see at fine restaurants.  Then, you get to meet with the sommelier to pair wines with your menu.  After that, I highly suggest you take them up on the “add a guest room” option!  Take a nap, and get gussied up for the best part:  DINNER!  Four people (you, your spouse, another couple, your parents, your girlfriends, your boyfriends, whoever!) get to eat what you created! 

Some Details:  We sat down with Executive Chef Adam Rose and Executive Sous Chef Isaiah Allen, a blank sheet of paper, a Sharpie, and drinks (some of us had coffee, and some of us had champagne – I’m not telling!).  Then, they asked us what we liked to eat.  Really!  We discussed what we liked and didn’t like, what we wanted to learn to make, what was in season, and what their specialties were.  When we were done, our paper looked like this: 

Sounds good already, right?  Well, then we went to the kitchen (in our cool chef’s coats!).  We actually made the food!  In fact, the Sweet Potato Gnocchi we made to go with the lamb was so good, it ended up on the regular menu that night!  I learned all about how to make duck breast truly crispy (even though my kids are still not impressed).  We got an awesome Porcini Rub recipe.  We added coffee to that recipe, rubbed it all over some gorgeous flat-iron steaks, and counted the minutes until dinner.  We greeted the seafood vendor when he came in with his freshest stuff, like this:

That shrimp was delicious!!  We also learned all about making pasta.  We rolled made the dough, kneading and rolling it out with our hands, and then we put it through the pasta machine:

I must get one of these things for home (although I think my kids would think it was for Play-Doh!)…  After learning so much, and -yes- working hard, we were happy to sit down with Geno, the wine guy!  He had taken a sneak peek at our menu and had chosen wines for each course.  It’s a hard job to try so many delicious things in one day, but we were up to the task:

After that, I took a cappucino up to my room and had a long, hot bath.  Seriously.  Later, my husband came to meet me (looking all dapper in his coat and tie!), and we went down to dinner.  We were treated like royalty, and got to experience the ultimate in service.  I was eating exactly what I wanted, since I helped create the menu.  And, I have to say, I didn’t do too badly!  Dinner was one of those really fun 2 or 3-hour affairs, and then we collapsed in the soft Siena beds and drifted off into our food comas.  The next morning, we had breakfast and discussed whether or not to go home (just kidding, sort of!). 

Date Night Potential:  This is not something most people can afford to do every weekend.  I know I certainly can’t.  But, I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m saving up to do it again on my own.  The package is for one person in the kitchen, so you get some quality alone time, all while learning something new.  The dinner part is when you spend time with your significant other and whoever else you want to invite.  Dinner can be a secluded, romantic affair – nobody said you have to invite anyone but your sweetie.  The beauty of this is you can make it as social as you are!

The Verdict:  Isn’t it obvious?!  This is the best!  And, if you haven’t been to Il Palio anyway, GO!  The food is great, even if you aren’t in charge of the menu - Chef Adam knows his stuff.  It is a classic, quiet, romantic restaurant with stellar service.  The Siena is a beautiful boutique hotel where no two rooms are alike and they still leave chocolates on your bed at turndown.  This experience is worth the trouble of finding a baby-sitter for 24 hours and shelling out some dough.

Location:  I love North Hills.  I love pretty much everything about it.  I’ve been going to North Hills since I was teeny, and remember eating hot dogs at Scotty’s in my Member’s Only jacket!  So, I love that it has been revitalized and is so pretty now!  Coquette sits on a corner on the “North Hills Proper” side of things, next to Firebirds.  There is parking in front of it (although that lot can get crowded) and in the parking decks below.

Potential Date Ambience:  This place can get pretty loud, but not in an “I’m too old for this place” kind of way.  Just conversation and those lovely, clinking, dining noises that forks and plates and glasses make together!  My friend and I had no problem hearing each other, and we were in the middle of the place.  We were seated at a table that shared one side with the tables beside us.  The seats were a little close to the strangers beside us, but we decided to make the most of it and ogle their food!  This is not a quiet, secluded, romantic kind of restaurant, though.  If you’re looking for somewhere to snuggle and whisper to each other, this ain’t it.  But, it worked great for a Girls’ Night, and would be a fun, if not horribly sweet, Date Night destination.

What to Wear:  We both had on “dressy” dark-colored jeans, heels, and dressy tops.  I felt like this was just right.  I wouldn’t have felt out of place in a dress, either, though.  As far as the boys go, slacks and a nice shirt (or even a golf shirt, probably) would be fine.  They don’t really need jackets or ties, in my opinion.  But, we saw everything from not-so-dressy jeans and T-shirts to suits to just-this-side-of-cocktail dresses.  It all made for a fun mix.

Reservations:  I made ours on Open Table at about 4:00 on Saturday afternoon, and still got 7:15 reservations for two people.  (Sidenote:  Don’t you just love Open Table?  I love being able to make reservations without having to talk to someone on the phone and scream over my kids!  And, they have an iPhone app!)  I think this is one of those place where you probably want reservations if you’re going at a busy time, like Saturday night.

Service:  We were greeted and seated immediately, even though we were a few minutes early (The bar looked pretty fun, if you had to wait for a few minutes.).  Our waitress was pleasant and attentive.  Nothing extraordinary here, but nothing to complain about, either.

The Food:  We started with Kir Royales.  I can’t say enough good things about this drink.  Coquette makes their Creme de Cassis in-house, and it is yummy!  They have a few signature cocktails, and an impressive wine list.  For an appetizer, my friend had the Soup du Jour:  mushroom.  It was good, and I’m not usually a fan of cream-based soups.  She liked it a lot, and I was a little worried she was going to lick the bowl!  I had the mesclun greens salad.  It was great, with a hint of shallot and a sheen of dressing on every leaf, but no puddles.  For an entree, she chose Coq au Vin.  It was rich and hearty.  She ate maybe half of it before deciding she couldn’t take any more!  I think my husband, though, would have polished it off and loved it.  I had the Pan-Roasted Duck Breast, and it was perfect.  The skin was nice and crispy, and it was cooked just the way I ordered it.  The potatoes and foie gras that accompanied it were just okay, but the duck breast was huge, so I didn’t go away hungry!  For dessert, we had the Green Apple Sorbet and the Creme Brulee.  They were vastly different from each other, but both delicious.  All in all, the food was great!

Verdict:  I’ve never been to Paris and eaten at a true Brasserie (now wouldn’t that be an awesome Date Night?!), but if it’s anything like Coquette, sign me up!  I will definitely be back, maybe next time to try out the Raw Bar…