Wednesday, October 29, 2014

A Romantic Dinner

This past weekend, Martin and I headed to Carmel for a two-night get away.  It was a nice break and much needed after the craziness of in-laws and friends in town, starting a new job and our constant travels.  On the way down, I asked my local friend for restaurant recommendations and we were provided with two options; both deemed to have good food and a romantic ambiance....we made a reservation for Saturday night at one of the said locations.

Burt first we had a great dinner at a random spot on Friday night complete with a family-run vibe, live acoustic music and great food and service. In comparison, not only was Saturday not a romantic location, but a slight let-down… It just wasn't what we were looking for.  While the food was good and it had hints of romance (white lights strewn in the trees on the patio), the place was large and impersonal, and the focus seemed more on turning the table with a constant distraction of the hustle and bustle of the waiters rushing by our table....It lacked the intimacy that we love.

But as we sat there complaining, wishing we had gone somewhere else, I asked Martin the simple question: while we knew this wasn't our idea of romantic, what would we deem a romantic restaurant?  Or even better, what restaurant would we recommend to a friend for a romantic date spot in San Francisco. 

And much to my dismay, we both sat there stumped for 20 minutes and I was left unsettled for the rest of the night.  Could I not name one single romantic restaurant in San Francisco? 

Fun spots, great food, great ambiance, restaurants for a big night out with friends or the restaurant that could be the next French Laundry...I could name at least 5 for each category all scattered throughout the city.  But I could not and still struggle to find a romantic one in SF.

Does this mean we are an unromantic couple?  I would hope not!  I could name plenty of amazing and romantic spots that Martin and I have checked out during our travels and time together...dinner on the hills of Bellagio overlooking Lake Como, enjoying an intimate dinner amongst books and three other tables at our local spot in Zurich, an amazing four course meal at Café Beaujolais in Mendocino last Labor Day Weekend and my favorite, our BBQ dinner in France that ended up in the tent during the storm of the season.  Unfortunately the brain block is limited to San Francisco.

So please, if you are reading this, please give me peace of mind and share with me your favorite romantic spot in SF! I am desperate. 

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