When my husband and I first started dating back in 2006, we were really into celebrating our “monthiversary.” Every month we celebrated the day we first became “official” and would get each other little gifts and go on a nice evening date with good dinner and drinks.
It’s changed a bit, but we still try to do at least one date day or night a month now to celebrate US. It gives us time to reconnect without kids around and enjoy some good food and drinks. It reminds us of why we are together and helps us appreciate even more our little family at home. We tried on one outing recently to NOT talk about the kiddos and that lasted a whole FIVE minutes. Our worlds revolve around the best things to have happened in our lives and we can’t help it, we miss them even if we are only gone for a few hours. Yet, this has become and will continue as a tradition because we know it is important to make sure to find times for just the two of us to talk or just be next to each other. It’s a comfort to know we can enjoy a few hours away from home to take a break from the chaos and breathe. Oh, and satisfy our food cravings! We both love to call ourselves foodies and are always looking for a new spot to try around the Twin Cities.
The Metro area in general has grown so much recently with some amazing restaurants with up and coming and well-known chefs. It’s exciting to know we are have something great to brag about when it comes to the restaurant options to choose from. With that being said, this also makes the decision harder on where to choose to go to for a nice night out. There are so many options, how do you pick? Depending on your mood, location, reservations accepted and kind of food you want to eat, there are an abundant amount of spots you could try. We do have our favorite go-to spots that we’ll go to as our back ups if we can’t decide, but I challenge you to mix it up and try a spot you may not think about!
Here are some recommendations I would say are worth a try and define, in my opinion, a great date with your significant other:
The Corner Table is located off of Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis and is a quaint spot that you will need to make sure you have a reservation for dinner. I’ve been here with my husband and there are some great eats. If you aren’t sure of what to order, they have a tasting menu with wine pairings that you can take advantage of. My favorites are the charcuterie platter (all made in house) and if you love cheese, get a side of the white cheddar drop biscuits. They are homemade with tons of gooey cheese melted right on top!
For something closer to home on the Northwest side of town, we like Pittsburgh Blue in Maple Grove because we love our beef! They also have some great cocktail options. One comes smoking, and who doesn’t like that? They also have a great happy hour if you want to do something earlier. They have a second location in Edina.
For another fun spot, Travail Kitchen & Amusements in Robbinsdale is award-winning and provides a great atmosphere for the foodie adventure. They moved to a ticket reservation system since I was there last and they sell out fast on busy date nights. Plan this one in advance and note that you pay for your meal in advance. They only offer a tasting menu and that changes frequently. They are creative and you are in for a great experience. If you want to have a taste but can’t commit to buying a ticket, The Rookery is adjacent, and they offer a small bite menu with cocktails. It’s first come first served.
Good food, drinks and atmosphere define Libertine off Hennepin Avenue in Uptown. Great ambience for a date night and if you go on a weekend, make sure you have a reservation. Don’t be shy, you may share some space at their long picnic style tables but it doesn’t change the experience at all. Enjoy a Don’t Mind if I Do cocktail, or if you prefer mocktails, try The Rubber Ducky. If you love meat, please order the bacon chop, and for something fun, try out their bone marrow toast (make sure your server comes back to do a whiskey luge)!
To round out the top recommendations I have for a great date night, I will have to give it to Spoon and Stable in the Warehouse District in Minneapolis. Opened by another award-winning chef, this place is being recognized left and right. This date night will always be memorable because it was for my birthday, but the only way we could get in was a 10pm reservation. Oh, so worth it! I highly recommend you make a reservation way in advance of date night for this one. The menu changes dependent on season and local ingredients, so something I may have had there a few months ago may be changed to something more in season. I love the idea when restaurants base the menu off of the ingredients they have for that day. If you are there for a special occasion and let your server know, you get to finish up your meal with some sweet cotton candy!
These are just the beginning of the restaurants you could go to enjoy with your loved one. Where do you like to go for a nice dinner date in the Twin Cities?
