Date Night: South Africa

Okay, so we did not actually go to South Africa, I'll put that out there right away.  But as we are beginning to have one childless night a week, last week we decided to take advantage of our much-needed alone time, and went out to dinner in New York City.  As a fan of South African wine, Kathy located Braai, a gem of a South African restaurant in midtown.

Maybe because it was 90 degrees out and they had the doors and windows propped open. Maybe because of the thatched ceiling.  Maybe it was the music.  I don't know.  But I actually felt like I was in South Africa as I was sitting there with Kathy -- or at least, what I imagine South Africa would feel like, having never been there.  It inspired me to try all manner of food I would have ordinarily have shied away from, and I was not disappointed.  It appears they change the menu weekly, and this post is a bit overdue, so I can't tell you exactly what we ate.  A portobello with goat cheese and chakalaka, squid, truffle oil-laced mac and cheese (perhaps not so traditional), and an African road runner steak all made an appearance.  And of course, the wine.  It was heaven.  Although it's a bit pricey (though not much more than many NYC dinner spots), I'd highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for something out of the ordinary.

Perhaps the best part of the evening, however, is the re-emergence of a sorely needed regular date night.

Date Night: Friends, plus Upstate

Ha, I bet you thought we didn't have a date night this week because I didn't mention it.  But we did!  We just had it with two of our friends.  One was visiting from London, and one is a friend I work with.  We went to this favorite haunt for "a drink."

We like this bar because it has a decent beer selection (for me and Kathy), decent cocktails (for the friend from London) and decent food (for my work friend).  Then Kathy and I headed back to our neck of the woods and had snacks.  I do believe time alone together is important to a relationship.  And time alone, with your friends.  But also, time together, as a couple, with friends.  It's how you integrate into each other's lives.  It's also fun! 

But this weekend is where the real date night comes in.  I am actually usually against having date night involve any friends, or it slips away from us.  But given that our friend was in from another country, I thought we could make an exception.  Especially since we have a Date Weekend coming up.  This weekend, we are going upstate (one word?  capitalized?  I need a native New Yorker to advise on this please) to go skiing and stay at a hotel.  Away from chores.  Away from work.  Away from other people.  And with each other. 

Happy early Valentines day to us!  I promise to post pictures of me falling on my ass and getting stuck in a tree expertly swishing down the mountain.  Sorry to say, though, no heart-shaped hot tub.  We are on a budget, people.

Date Night: Home

(where we spent our date night)

Last night was supposed to be Date Night:  NYC.  We were going to start off the evening with meeting a friend/client of Kathy who was in from out of town, followed by dinner at a favorite West Village Italian restaurant (which I will not rave about in this post, because I'm sure it will be a date night post in the future).  Then, because it's the end of the month and we are on a budget, after all, we thought we better just head home after the client meeting.  Kathy promised to cook me a romantic dinner, and I was really looking forward to a cozy night in.

All day, Kathy had been complaining about not feeling well.  While we were out with the client, Kathy got a text that her son was throwing up.  Just at that moment, she had turned an unfortunate shade of green herself, and whispered to me "I'm going to puke.  We have to get outside NOW."

Date Night: Tuckahoe

Tuesday night is our date night, every week (whoops, this is a day late).  It's the only night we consistently do not have the kids, and it allows us to spend time with friends on the weekends if we want to.  Lately, we have been trying to explore different Westchester towns, in an attempt to feel a bit more like part of our community.  This week, we went to the Tap House in Tuckahoe.

(Tap House, and me, blurry.  These pictures were taken on the iPhone, which does not have a flash. 

We have a camera, but it's a pain to hook up to the computer, so the iPhone is the default.

Could they make a digital camera that has email capability?  If they make one, could I have one please?  Thanks.) 

     (Tuckahoe, through the windshield of the car)

First of all, doesn't Tuckahoe sound like it should be a ski resort in Canada, not a town just outside of New York City?  When we were trying to pick our restaurant, Kathy said, "Where's Tuckahoe?"  I responded "Up North"* without even thinking about it or actually knowing the answer.  Turns out it's about 15 minutes or so away from our house.  Whoops.


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*FYI for you non-Michigan types.  "Up North" is how people refer to any part of the state north of Lansing.  It encompasses most of the Lower Penninsula and all of the Upper Peninsula, and probably could be used to describe northern Wisconsin, Canada, Alaska, and the Arctic Circle.