AJC picks no-fail restaurants for Parent Date Nights: Tell us your faves and your horror stories
Editor’s Note: We have fixed our technical glitch. The link to the list is hotlinked now and ready to read!!
Many parents will tell you that they very rarely get to go out for a good dinner alone and when they do they want it to be perfect. They are spending money to hire a babysitter, money on the dinner and know they won’t get to try again anytime soon if they make a bad choice.
Michael and I get out maybe once every two to three months for a nice dinner alone. We’ve had a multitude of bad date night experiences over the last few years including:
- Taking the early bird reservation because that was when the baby sitter could come only to be rushed out of the very expensive restaurant for the “real” patrons to show up at 7:30.
- The embarrassment of having to call back snotty and smug hostesses to say that we couldn’t get a babysitter or our babysitter canceled at the last minute. (OpenTable, the restaurant booking web site, has solved this problem for us! No more snotty hostesses for me!)
- Having our minivan judged by the 20-something valet.
- Food not meeting your expectations after you finally get there!
- And being expensive to boot!
After a depressing run of choosing poorly, I sent an email to the AJC’s restaurant reviewer Meridith Ford Goldman and begged her to choose some no-fail, can’t-screw-it-up restaurant choices for parents for date nights! And she did!
Not only did she choose some fantastic places for parents to go (not all inside the perimeter), she also divided them into helpful categories such as “Fun Dive Dates” (when you cash is low), “Worth the splurge” (to celebrate with your tax refund), or “Want to dress up? These places won’t break your piggy bank.”
Here is the link to the full list!
Also John Kessler, our roaming food columnist and a dad, has come up with tips for picking other great restaurants and for making your dining experience more fun.
So I can’t wait to hire a babysitter and check out these recommendations. See what you think. Tell us if you’ve been to any of them. Tell us your favorite no-fail, date night restaurants. Also tell us about your date night horror stories where things just didn’t come together!
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98 comments Add your comment
TechMom
April 28th, 2010
12:29 pm
@JATL, I’m with you on entertainment – we LOVE Dad’s Garage. It’s cheap and fun. Even if we can’t afford an expensive meal, if we haven’t been in a while, we’ll hit up LaFonda or Felini’s and then head over to Dad’s. It’s really not much more than the movie theaters are now days and so much more entertaining (plus, you can get a bucket of beer at the regular theater!)
And while I know there are lots of local establishments with great food, I can’t help but mention that the Melting Pot is still one of my favorites. Yes, yes, you have to cook your own food but it’s really hard to beat chocolate fondu for dessert (sometimes we’ll eat somewhere cheaper for dinner and go there just for dessert).
TechMom
April 28th, 2010
12:33 pm
oops- you CAN’T get a bucket of beer at the regular theater!
catlady
April 28th, 2010
12:39 pm
If I thought they were being snooty I would probably go on and on about being careful with it and not parking it near another car and worrying about the dust…just to see if their eyes would roll clear back in the head!
JATL
April 28th, 2010
1:12 pm
@TechMom -if you don’t mind cooking your own food -and we actually think it’s fun -try the Korean BBQ place on Buford Highway -Hae Woon Dae (near Doraville). It’s SO good and an interesting experience -plus -you get the fun of hearing, if someone orders something really adventurous -”Not for you -this menu here -this for you.” I’m not being mean or making fun -that’s the way they say it! We haven’t been to Dad’s Garage in awhile, but I’m itching to go now!
One more good and different date (or single or group of friends activity) -is JeJu Korean Spa of Wellbeing across from Gwinett Place Mall. The massage areas and whirlpools and steam rooms are all gender specific -off of the dressing rooms, but the sauna huts and swimming pool are co-ed. I always see a lot of couples there in the sauna huts. It’s also ONLY $25 for 24 hours! They have sleeping cubes, massage (extra, but not pricey) -foot massages are co-ed; whirlpools, showers, swimming pool, a little restaurant -and you get a “uniform” of shorts and a t-shirt when you arrive, as well as a toothbrush. It’s FABULOUSLY relaxing, although I’ve heard weekdays and nights are the times to go -those are the only times I’ve been. It would be a fun date! The sauna huts are gorgeous and are of varying temps. They’re comprised of different minerals and gemstones that are supposed to address different areas of your body.
motherjanegoose
April 28th, 2010
1:13 pm
@ lakerat….love those free dinners at Provino’s…LOL.
I am just back from taking a client to the Flying Biscuit. We had grits ( the best I have ever had) and eggs benedict ala ( sp?) fried green tomatoes…DELICIOUS and neither one of us could clean out plate.
FCM
April 28th, 2010
1:24 pm
Meredith’s picks are always horrible…I wish John would go back to doing the review.
FCM
April 28th, 2010
1:46 pm
@ DB I think I hear the call of “TAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWANNNNNNNNDAAAAAA” in your post GOOD FOR YOU! (Fried Green Tomato reference)
A
April 28th, 2010
2:15 pm
@FCM, agree with you about the AJC restaurant reviews. I love John Kessler’s Food & More blog and wish he could be the official AJC dining critic again. Obviously he’s lost his anonymity, which is crucial to a critic being able to do his or her job well. But I’m glad he still has a voice in the AJC. I find myself looking for his columns and blogs rather than Meredith’s. She seems to mention the same handful of restaurants over and over while John is out on Buford Highway and beyond finding little dives and holes in the wall with great food.
motherjanegoose
April 28th, 2010
2:21 pm
@ DB, oh yes, I have followed Clark Howard’s advice: VOTE WITH YOUR POCKETBOOK.
I do not eat at restaurants where I am not appreciated nor do I rent cars or lodge with hotels that do not appreciate my business. I am on my last meeting and will be calling you soon for lunch…have a wonderful anniversary!
shaggy
April 28th, 2010
2:44 pm
When we go out to a valet type place, we make sure and drive the 71 Dodge truck, with more rust than paint, oil rags stuck around the seat, and various tools poking out here and there. It has “3 on the tree” and it is a hoot to watch pimply faced junior looking for the “D” indicator, while wondering what that extra pedal down there on the floor board is for. Then, no power steering, so I don’t think there will be any text messaging on the drive in or out, wrestling “Bertha” into submission on tight turns. Most of them have a cold sweat when they see it, and all of them have a cold sweat after they have to go fetch 4000 lbs, of Detroit’s finest, but ornery, creation. I give them an extra tip if they don’t jerk on take off and if they can even find/operate the emergency brake.
Wayne
April 28th, 2010
2:48 pm
LOL @Shaggy: I have a ‘67 Ford ‘Scooby Doo’ van. Three on the tree. I haven’t taken it out to a restaurant yet, but I’m thinkin’ about it now!
Becky
April 28th, 2010
2:48 pm
@lakerat..No, I wouldn’t think of y’all as snobs..If you want to eat at froo froo places, don’t mind paying $$$, then you should..As you said (I think) you aren’t depriving your (grown) children of anything and you aren’t asking for help to pay for any living expenses, so enjoy these places if you want to..I’m more apt to go to froo froo places than my husband as I said in my earlier post..Life is way to short to be unhappy..
JATL
April 28th, 2010
2:53 pm
@FCM -completely agree about Meredith. We must have VERY different taste buds! My husband was a professional chef (and quite a good one) for years and graduated from a fine culinary school. I’m just a, here it comes, foodie who loves to try new things and eat well. I mentioned our awful Bacchanalia experience (BURNED duck that had been ordered medium rare), and my husband recently went on a business dinner to Restaurant Eugene that she’s always going on about. He was decidedly unimpressed! When a restaurant has critics going nuts over it, and she raves about that one a lot, you expect something truly wonderful. His food was not only sub par but so small is was laughable. We get the idea that not everywhere is the Cheesecake Factory, but someone at his table ordered a scallop appetizer that was listed as scallops -plural -and got one, normal sized scallop on a plate. ONE! Not even one of the big ones! It was $14.
Other great intown dining that has a nice ambiance and a grown-up menu but won’t break your bank:
The Shed at Glenwood -very nice and great food. Great wine list and very agreeable pricing.
Rathbun’s -consistently good for us for over 5 years now. Very nice ambiance and a place you can put on some decent going -out clothes to go to!
Our next dinner out will be to The Iberian Pig in Decatur. I know TONS of people who just rave about it. Sounds fabulous!
shaggy
April 28th, 2010
2:55 pm
Wayne – I have been guilty of walking over to it, with a serious face on, and demand that the attendant pay for the scratches. By that time, my wife is in tears, and can’t help but howl with laughter at the attendant, who thinks (and is right) they are dealing with an insane man.
FCM
April 28th, 2010
2:57 pm
@ A exactly—the places Meredith had recommended are rather pretenious wanna bes to me. In fact I stopped reading her all together more than a year ago. John on the other hand is booked marked for his wit and ability to ferret out the most amazing places.
@ Shaggy & Wayne…ROFL I mentioned 3 on the tree the other day and people had no idea what I was talking about. I guess along with Sci Fi Girl I need to claim Apprentice Gear Head?
Becky
April 28th, 2010
2:58 pm
@shaggy..LMAO..I learned to drive in a ‘58 Dodge p/u with a 3 on the tree..Boy was that a lot of fun..
shaggy
April 28th, 2010
3:00 pm
FCM – Take away their power steering and the world ends.
shaggy
April 28th, 2010
3:02 pm
Becky – It’s MUCH more fun watching someong who doesn’t know how to drive one.
JJ
April 28th, 2010
3:08 pm
Shaggy that was hysterical!!!! Three on the tree……I know that one too. Does anyone remember the bright light (high beams) button on the floor of the car, next to the brake?
shaggy
April 28th, 2010
3:13 pm
JJ – Hey, next time I will leave the dual-bulb headlights on bright, (they are nuclear bright)and watch them fool around with the turn signal, which doesn’t blink on the instrument panel. Entertaining.
JATL
April 28th, 2010
3:26 pm
@Shaggy -I can only imagine! I used to have a stick shift and my husband still has one ,and it upset the youngsters to no end (and they still had power steering). They would get all excited to park a MINI (this was when they first came out over here), and then they would realize it was a stick! I used to drive an old Prelude stick shift with no power steering. I would always get tickled when boyfriends would try to drive it -such a shock for them!
Wayne
April 28th, 2010
3:44 pm
@FCM: Officially now known as “Apprentice Gear Head” All hail FCM!
I learned on a ‘77 Nova that was three on the tree, and my stepfather took me to the steepest hill in our city. Talk about nerve-racking!
It too, did not have power steering or brakes. I worked up a good sweat with that car!
The van isn’t much better but I’m the only one in the family to be able to drive it, so now it’s in my garage. Woo hoo!
Wayne
April 28th, 2010
3:46 pm
@JJ: I’d love to have that switch back!
JJ
April 28th, 2010
3:52 pm
I taught my best friend how to drive a stick shift, back in the 80’s…..as I was teaching her how to clutch, shift, brake, etc, she looked at me and said “I can dance, but not that good”. PRICELESS..we still laugh about that all these years later.
Wayne
April 28th, 2010
3:57 pm
I could never dance that well, but I can get those feet flyin’. I drive a manual now, for some reason. Cheap car? Yeah, that’s probably it – although it can be fun!
shaggy
April 28th, 2010
3:58 pm
I think I am going over to Merdedith’s blog, pick out a pretentious establishment, and crank Bertha. My honey’s always up for a laugh, and I gotta try that headlight thing on an attendant. Ya’ll watch out for a big rusty green Dodge truck, and don’t pull out in front of it. It don’t have power brakes either.
Becky
April 28th, 2010
4:00 pm
@Wayne..Oh yeah, I remember that steep hill..Almost had me in tears, but I won (I think)..I can now stop on any hill and not roll back even with my foot off of the brake..Those were the good old days..
Becky
April 28th, 2010
4:02 pm
@JJ..I tried to teach my sister how to drive a stick..Hmmp..I told her that when could afford to fix my car, I would try again..
Becky
April 28th, 2010
4:04 pm
oops..When “she”..
motherjanegoose
April 28th, 2010
5:07 pm
@ JJ…yes, I do remember the floor lights. I had a 1966 Ford station wagon in HS and college. My Dad bought it in 1975 and it had less than 30,000 miles on it….a Grandma’s car in Arkansas. The kids here would DIE if they had to drive one.
I also drove my Dad’s DUMP TRUCK with the shift on the column. Drove is a loose term, I mostly jerked around the farm.
My husband had a standard, when we got married, and I drove him to the Navy base and spent most of the rest of the day in tears ( no cell phones) trying to figure out how to drive it and get back to our little dump of a trailer ( no GPS…shoot we couldn’t afford one if they had been invented).
My son has a 5 speed and I can still drive it but it is kinda like trying to type on a manual typewriter…takes a bit to get the hang of it. They are fun to drive on the open road and in Texas, where we lived. Thanks for the memories!
Anyone up for a survey: how many posters on this blog can still drive or ever drove a standard?
I think everyone should know how but I know I am in the minority with that opinion!! I am hard on clutches though.
Sort of off topic but food related:
Has anyone ever had a venue catered by On the Border? My daughter wants this for her graduation dinner. I know their food is pretty good but I am wondering about catering…thanks for any input.
Alecia
April 28th, 2010
5:14 pm
I just tried a new comedy club in Buford(Buford Variety Theatre) a few weeks ago. It’s economical and entertaining. A lot cheaper than going to ATL and no hassle with the parking. They also have a pub in the basement.
Earl "Make It Rain $1s" Waters
April 28th, 2010
5:21 pm
“try the Korean BBQ place on Buford Highway -Hae Woon Dae (near Doraville). It’s SO good and an interesting experience”
I second that idea. I have to admit it wasn’t too bad! At least, it was different and tasted good.
Usually since we’re already there we check out one of the strip clubs right down the sidewalk.
Nothing like a few lap dances after a Korean barbeque dinner! :P
shaggy
April 28th, 2010
5:33 pm
I had to wait a while before I leave here, so I thought I would check back on you “clutch” driving maniacs. We never call it anything but “driving a clutch”. If you can “drive a clutch”, the vehicle follows very nicely, or maybe not.
“Standard” and “Manual” were terms for the car lot only, and yes, I still drive a “clutch” everyday, not counting Bertha, who gets special duties, like torturing valet attendants.
motherjanegoose
April 28th, 2010
5:41 pm
@ shaggy…I drove a standard for 10 years and did not know you were supposed to call it driving a clutch. My husband drove one for years before me and never called it that either, or corrected my term. Is that the way they say it in the south? We mostly drove them in Texas. My son still has one and he calls it a 5 speed. Learn something new every day here!
shaggy
April 28th, 2010
5:51 pm
There weren’t many (or maybe any) 5 speeds when Bertha was born. The only other non-car lot term I can remember was driving a “stick”. Texas is in the south, last I checked. We usually adopt a Texan if they aren’t too obnoxious or don’t act like the yankees and say moronic stuff like, “well, we don’t do it like that in Texas, or it sure is bigger in Texas, Blah, Blah, Blah, who gives a rat’s patootie?
motherjanegoose
April 28th, 2010
6:11 pm
@ shaggy…have you BEEN to Texas….LOL. We lived there for 8 years and I am there at least once or twice a year.
Most folks form Texas says things like:
“well, we don’t do it like that in Texas, or it sure is bigger in Texas, ”
My favorite is a dear friend ( from Texas) who goes to dinner with us sometimes and often says,
“they do not have sweet tea in Texas…”. I was in Texas two summers ago and called her to tell mention that I was ordering sweet tea at Whataburger. I still tease her about it.
Have a nice night all!
Where to go on date night? - share delicious, menus and more - Tasty Guide
April 28th, 2010
6:12 pm
[...] AJC’s Momania blogger Theresa Walsh Giarrusso set this conversation in motion when she asked me and restaurant reviewer Meridith Ford Goldman about our favorite no-fail, [...]
Kathy
April 28th, 2010
9:56 pm
My hubby and I have found that making our date nights during the week is really nice. Many restaurants are much quieter and are not pushing to turn tables. The pace of the evening is more laid back, and more enjoyable for us. I understand that having to go to work the next morning might make it less realistic, but we do this when we can because we enjoy it more.
G.R.I.T.S.
April 28th, 2010
10:19 pm
yeah…driving a clutch and the bright light thingy on the floorboard…wth did they change that anyway??
HB
April 28th, 2010
11:19 pm
I never have learned to drive a clutch, but probably should. But if the battery’s dead, I do know roughly how/when to step on and release the clutch while a couple of guys push the vehicle to get the engine started. My stepbrother had a bad habit of leaving his truck lights on at school on rainy mornings.
smh
April 29th, 2010
6:33 am
We rarely get out without children. Now that they’re getting older I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Since DH travels heavily for his job, the last thing we’ll do is drive for 30min, try and find parking, pay for overpriced food. What a waste. In the event we find ourselves without children, we might run errands, just us, no squabbling or just sit and have coffee. I don’t see us ever getting to the restaurants listed; too pretentious.
shaggy
April 29th, 2010
7:23 am
motherjanegoose- Whataburger has terrible sweet tea. Bitter. Tastes like instant.
As for Texans, my parents were both from west Texas, and they settled in Georgia for one reason, TO GET AWAY FROM TEXAS!
Glad you like it there. I have been to every corner visiting removed (thankfully) family and have yet to find anything special about the short horned state, except the enormous amount of hot air that pours from the mouthes of its residents.
Me, I am glad to have been born and raised here and regulary give thanks to my parents for that stroke of luck.
Hey, if you like it so much there and travel there so often, why don’t you just move there, and we can raise a real sweet tea toast to your departure.
DB
April 29th, 2010
11:45 am
@FCM — haha, “Towanda!”, indeed!
motherjanegoose
April 29th, 2010
2:28 pm
@ shaggy…I travel to Texas frequently, for business and have found most all of the folks to be pleasant and mannerly, something I did find missing in your last line.
Perhaps some Whataburgers do things differently…mine was fine. The sweet tea I do not like is the tea at Burger King. Even in GA, most of the franchises are Nestea Instant
shaggy
April 29th, 2010
3:15 pm
Mizz Jane – “folks to be pleasant and mannerly, something I did find missing in your last line.”
Does that mean I have to write sentences again? “I will be pleasant and mannerly, when insulting Texas.” 500 times this time?
Sniffle…
motherjanegoose
April 30th, 2010
8:08 am
Shaggy..just as many Yankees do not care about Southerners and vica versa ( sp?)…
My guess is that most Texans do not give a cow patty about what you think of them either, Fair enough!
shaggy
April 30th, 2010
3:45 pm
What? No sentences? Great news.
I promise to be more mannerly when insulting Texans, and I guess I can include yankees too.
How about Californians? Can I be rude and unmannerly to them? Purty Puhleeeeze?
JATL
May 2nd, 2010
9:44 am
I will post this whenever we get a new topic, because I’m not sure if anyone is reading this one anymore, but we went to Repast last night on the corner of Glen Iris and North -across from old City Hall East. It was AMAZING!!!! Incredibly good food, beautifully decorated -a wonderful “grown up” place to go for a date or with friends. The food was exceptional. It’s received a number of awards, and they are well deserved! They have small plates and regular entrees. Entrees are $25-$35. Bottles of wine are $30 on up. They also have a full bar and a decent beer selection.