Valentine's Dinner Suggestions

[Danandfood]

I want to take my boyfriend out for Valentine's Day on the weekend following Valentine's Day (Feb 18). I'd like to spend less than $250 with tip. If it goes a little over that's fine but I don't want to get up in the $300 range. We normally get a bottle of wine with dinner. He is very into steak but I want to be open to other options. Please no Brooklyn suggestions, just Manhattan. We love tasting menus but I'm not sure whether or not I can find one in my price range. A romantic feel would be great! I want this to be memorable!

Thank you!!!!

[Simon]

Don't do it: coincidentally, i had this same discussion tonight w/ a server at a nice restaurant: she and i both agreed that going to a restaurant on V-Day is a fool's game...why?...restaurants never give you their A-game...they usually serve a set schlocky overpriced menu w/ some heart-shaped dessert and charge extra for the tacky touches...and the staff are usually pissed off that they are working (as opposed to being w/ their loved ones) so the overall vibe is just %^#&....

My prefered V-day schedule is to perhaps get a very earlier (6pm) snack of oysters/lobster/wine w/ my date at some nice raw bar, and then spend the rest of the night at home w/ great food like smoked salmon, cheeses, great wine, chocolate...

That said, if you want to take your bf for steak, Keens might be a fine option, as i'd guess they'll have their regular menu of steak, prime rib, mutton, etc and it's an old-school non-tacky place...if you want to go out, go there :)

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Keens
72 West 36th St., New York, NY 10018

[Cheeryvisage]

I think the Op's doing the dinner on Feb 18?

I agree with you though. Not good to eat out on Valentine's Day itself.

[Simon]

Whoops, yeah -- on the 18th, anywhere should be fine...

Scarpetta might be nice...or Keens...or perhaps French-Vietnamese bistro Rouge et Blanc -- i believe they have a steak-for-two on menu, as well as comfy romantic booths and excellent wines...

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Keens
72 West 36th St., New York, NY 10018

Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014

Rouge et Blanc
48 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012

[rkaene]

touqueville- very romantic

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Tocqueville
1 East 15th Street, New York, NY 10003

[foodwhisperer]

Del Posto, Bouley. There arent any good choices in Brooklyn anyway

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Del Posto
85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Bouley
163 Duane St, New York, NY 10013

[sgordon]

Once you add a bottle of wine to either, you're well into the $300 range - heck, Del Posto would be $250 menu price for two people, before even adding tax or tip. Bouley'd be around the same, maybe a smidge less.

A bit of math: To keep it under $250 after tax & tip, the food & wine would have to come to a little under $100 menu price per person, total. Assuming an inexpensive bottle of wine at $40 or so, that's around $80/pp, food price.

First thing I'd do is check out the deals on Savored.com - SHO Shaun Hergatt and Aquavit are probably the the two "fanciest" places that regularly offer deals on there. For a $10 fee, you get 30% your entire bill - a heckuva deal. Both restos are actually good value for the money to begin with, though - $85 (give or take) prix fixe for 4 (Aquavit) or 5 (SHO) courses - and while some of the menu options at SHO carry a supplement, with 30% off... you could easily come in under budget. Both have been very good of late as well, especially given their price point. Even without the discount, they're a good deal for what you get. There's also a Tasting Menu at Aquavit for $115 - or about $80 with the discount. A steal. I probably prefer Aquavit slightly of the two, but I'm partial to the Nordic flavor profile for some reason.

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Aquavit
65 E 55th St, New York, NY 10022

SHO Shaun Hergatt
40 Broad St, New York, NY 10004