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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dining out on Valentine's Day, or amateur night armageddon

Posted by Besha Rodell @BeshaRodell on Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 11:34 AM

GET A ROOM! PDA is just one of the downsides of dining out tonight.

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GET A ROOM! PDA is just one of the downsides of dining out tonight.

Last night I was having a drink at the bar of an undisclosed restaurant, and I got talking to that restaurant's maitre d'. I mentioned that one of my coworkers was bringing his lovely wife in for Valentine's dinner. "Oh god," the maitre d' said. "Tell him to stay home."

"I just don't get it," he went on. "What's so romantic about sitting crammed in with a zillion other couples, eating an overpriced prix fix meal? Every restaurant in town is a shit show. None of us are at our best. It's just madness."

It seems a tad ungrateful for a restaurateur to turn up his nose at a guaranteed full house in this economy, but I don't think that's what our gracious friend was doing. Rather, it genuinely baffles industry folks why anyone would want to be in a restaurant on the busiest night of the year. New Year's Eve is almost as bad, but not quite as couple oriented.

I have to admit, I don't get it either. I know dining out can be a romantic experience, but on Valentine's Day? With the guarantee of a stressed waiter, busy kitchen, and tons of other googly-eyed couples around you? No thanks.

Tags: Valentine's Day

Comments (7)

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Mother's Day brunch is worse.

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Posted by smitty on 02/14/2012 at 12:33 PM

At least V-day is easy on the kitchen since it's all deuces and prefixe.

Mother's day is when the 12-tops come out with their matriarchs while you're still hung over.

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Posted by iddddd on 02/14/2012 at 1:12 PM

We have started a new tradition in our household where we get a sitter for the night before New Years Eve and go out. No trouble with reservations or sitters and we have a wonderful time. I'm with the industry on this one, pass on the super crowded nights.

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Posted by jonnymack1 on 02/14/2012 at 2:41 PM

We're just going to get some good Chinese food at Gu's Bistro then head to a bar.

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Posted by Jason Pellett on 02/14/2012 at 3:48 PM

Jason, you should checkout Shooter Alley across the street from Gu's. It's a real classy place...

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Posted by smitty on 02/14/2012 at 4:02 PM

Hmm, maybe if she's feeling frisky after dinner.

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Posted by Jason Pellett on 02/14/2012 at 5:56 PM

I briefly had this debate with a friend yesterday, who said she and her husband had a reservation at a restaurant they like. My wife and I feel V-Day is "amateur night," much like New Year's Eve, when people who rarely dine out decide that tonight is the night, and restaurant staff are indifferent if not on their guard for the aforementioned type of people. So, on V-Day we prefer to cook and swill a bottle of champagne at home. I've just never had a good experience in a restaurant on V-Day.

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Posted by Lorenzo on 02/15/2012 at 2:45 PM

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