You know these people: They appear perfectly confident most of the time, secure in themselves, their careers and their relationships. But for the week or so leading up to Feb. 14, they devolve into wobbly blobs of hand-wringing helplessness.
“What should I get her/him for Valentine’s Day?” they’ll ask, panic-eyed and jittery. “What am I supposed to get?”
“Hmm,” I say, stroking my chin to make it look like I’m hard at work thinking. Then I point my finger skyward and exclaim, like I just invented the idea: “Take the little woman/man out for dinner!”
“Great idea!” is the inevitable, gratified response. “Brilliant.”
That’s easy praise, considering how little effort went into my answer-I make my living encouraging people to go out to eat. Still, I accept the back-pat or cheek-kiss and carry on, a couple more pennies in the mitzvah bank.
See, from where I sit, the amount of angst and hand-wringing that goes into selecting a Valentine’s Day gift is absurd. It’s one of the easiest problems to solve. Here’s how:
Step 1: Hang up on that mail-order teddy bear company and call your favorite restaurant to make a reservation for two.
Step 2: On Feb. 14, take a shower, comb your hair and put on a clean shirt.
Step 3: Pick up your date and get to the restaurant on time.
Done.
Now it’s up to the kitchen and service staff. You’re off the hook for the rest of the night. And you’ve already scored major relationship points.
Plus, it’s not a bad way to kill an evening. And going out to dinner, while not free, is way cheaper than a last-minute Valentine’s Day Eve tennis bracelet at The Shane Co., and way cooler than boxer shorts with little glow-in-the-dark hearts on them.
Keep scoring points by making a reservation for a special dinner once a month. Just do it. Get the sitter, make the reservation, and make sure you have a clean shirt on hand.
Trust me on this: You’ll eat better, your relationship will be stronger and more fun, and your favorite restaurants, particularly the independent restaurants, will stay in business. This is all good, for everyone.
Plus, if your dinner date’s worth any salt at all, you’ll get taken out to dinner every now and then yourself.
Making a dinner reservation takes about two minutes on the phone, but if you’re phone-averse, no worries: Take two minutes while you’re goofing around online and make a reservation. Opentable.com, a simple online reservation service, lists 112 Denver-area restaurants, including Panzano, Three Sons, Sparrow, and Mel’s Restaurant and Bar.
Don’t despair when some of these big-name joints fill up early for high-profile nights like Valentine’s Day. Besides, Feb. 14 may not be the night you’re looking to outspend your budget to rubberneck with Denver’s be-seen set.
So think closer to home. Costly big-name restaurants don’t have the romantic dinner market cornered. I bet that if you look you’ll find a sweet Italian or Vietnamese restaurant just a short drive (or better yet, a short walk) from your place with a house specialty that will knock your socks off and an inexpensive glass of wine to wash it down. And if the light’s just right, feeding each other chopstick-fuls of sesame chicken at that place around the corner can be just as special as exchanging forkfuls of foie gras at the Brown Palace.
So quit fretting and plan your Valentine’s dinner now.
Like, today.
Also on the reservations tip, fair warning: Feb. 25 to March 3 is Denver Restaurant Week. This is a big restaurant grope where eateries offer discounted fixed-price menus, charging $52.80 for two, or $26.40 for one. Pearl Street Grill, Cuba Cuba, and India House are among the more than 100 restaurants participating.
Get a full list of participating restaurants at denver.org.
Houses will be packed, because at most of the places involved, $52.80 is a really good deal. So check the list, make plans, and reserve tables this week.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-820-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
