The get-to-know-you phase is over: Exchanged email addresses prompted a delightful first date over burgers, which led to a night of innocent necking and … you get the picture. Now that Valentine's Day is almost upon us, it's time for an elegant dinner for two at a classy joint. Upscale dining can amp up the romance and foster a budding intimacy over a starched white tablecloth even as you both look a bit spastic wrestling with unwieldy escargot tongs.
To keep the mood truly romantic, however, you should feel comfortable with the trappings. Can you navigate fancy menus? Can you ask the staff questions without sounding clueless? At best, menu mastery and connoisseurship show off your savvy and can paint you as more than an Applebee's addict who thinks Napa cab is a Bay Area taxi company. Here's how to pull it off.
Table for two, please?
Follow this equation: Food quality + trendiness = how far ahead to call for reservations, whether it be weeks or even months beforehand.
If you want particular service, explain your needs when phoning in: "We're headed to the theatre" (meaning, we want to be seated on time and out the door quicker than a 6-1, 6-1 Sharapova victory) is far different than "It's a special night … " (meaning, you'll be spending some $$$, you want a decent table and unrushed romance).
Once you arrive at the restaurant, should you have to wait for your table, no need to huff like a spoiled prince. Use the extra half-hour to warm up your charm and build some pre-game rapport. Order appetizers at the bar over chitchat; play a parlor game with a drink, or relax outside and people watch. Once at your table, offer your lady the chair with the view. Although it's OK to ask for a better table or even wait a smidge extra for patio seating, find happiness where they put you, as long as it's not next to the sexy-vibe-killing dirty-dishes collection area.
I'll have the…
Chivalry aside, ordering for her can come off as some strange power grab. Nevertheless, taking charge is perfect in certain instances. Has the table decided on a special tasting menu for two ("The 3 lb. porterhouse, please … two forks.")? Or, maybe your knowledge of Indian cuisine earns off-the-menu curry specials. Moreover, to capitalize on warming vibes, confidently order a few can't-miss starters. Also, be sure to order something different from your date's dinner in hopes of exchanging choice forkfuls. Sharing is a good sign of budding chemistry, but wait until it's offered ("You simply must try this").
Entrée eccentricities
These days, most ethnic eateries have English descriptions so that you won't have to ask what veal saltimbocca is (FYI, it's topped with prosciutto, sautéed in butter, braised in white wine) or worse, mangle the pronunciation of Gnocchi Tre Formaggi (ny-OH-key tray for-MA-gee). If you're truly stumped by an unpronounceable, save face by pointing out your pick on the menu when the wait staff takes your order, or speak only the easy-to-say main ingredient ("Le saumon"). There will always be a few mysteries, but the uninitiated should not be stuck ordering roasted half-chicken because that's the only thing recognizable. If baffled, ask — often, restaurateurs place oddities on the menu to lure adventurous eaters into uncharted territory. Subtly "lead" the waiter into explanatory mode, without sounding ignorant: "The duck leg confit with flageolet beans … could you tell me a little more about it, please?"
