Where to Go on Valentine's Day in New York

Last year I wrote the anti-Valentine's Day list. I targeted it to all the single kids in the city looking to have a good, date-less night with friends. I think a V-Day group dinner is the best alternative to moping around the apartment wishing, hoping and praying for romance.

I'd barely recovered from New Year's Eve and the barrage of e-mails started trickling in about where to go for Valentine's Day. I know us New Yorkers tend to be on the pushy, impatient side, but seriously? I needed a few more days of wallowing in my post-holiday (post-Giants loss) blues before I could think ahead to the first holidays of 2009.

Thanks, Young'un and TheTustler, for getting me off my laurels and pushing me to come up with a decent list for all the gentlemen looking for love this Valentine's Day. If you're a lady who wears the pants, well, I guess this list is for you as well. Call me old-fashioned, but you won't find me asking a guy out on Valentine's Day.

I prefer the idea of cooking in on Valentine's Day. Give the girl a little surprise. Take her out for a Valentine's Eve dinner, maybe even make super late reservations so at the stroke of midnight you're still out and able to wish her a Happy Valentine's Day. Then to avoid the cheesiness of being out on 2/14 you can plan something at home. My boys didn't buy it.

TheTustler: What happened to our Valentine's Day list?
(this was quite the alarming IM since he had only asked me for a list less than 24 hours earlier)
M: Dude. Would you relax? My life does not revolve around your romantic evening planning.
TheTustler: Yes it does!
TheTustler: Well, anyways, I suck at getting reservations ... too impatient to keep redialing. I'm gonna do Raoul's.
M: I know it's your favorite place, but it doesn't scream romance or V-Day to me. I'm just sayin'.
TheTustler: Really?
M: You have a month. Why are you freaking out?!?!
TheTustler: Dude ...
(umm ... he did not just dude me)
TheTustler: What's your phone number? I'm calling.
M: I can't. I'm in the middle of something.
M: WHAT! I feel like our friendship has fallen off lately. Haha. Just kidding ... Anyways, almost every good restaurant I tried to get reservations for was already booked. Although they were all somewhat well known: Blue Hill, WD-50, Bouley, Babbo ... all booked up. I like restaurants with Bs.
M: OK, I'm just going to pretend you didn't say that friendship thing. Tear tear...Try Il Buco ... very charming/romantic.
TheTustler: Good call.
M: Young'un is going with L- for her birthday. It's great for a special occasion/date.
M: Allen and Delancey is another one. AWESOME dark, candlelit atmosphere.
TheTustler: Interesting. I'll try both. Thanks M!
TheTustler: You going to practice tonight?
M: No. But wait, Tailor is super cool.
TheTustler: All right, I got Il Buco so that's good. But at 9. Kind of late, but not terrible.
M: No that's better.
TheTustler: Yeah, true. Alright, I'll keep those two. Now to find a date.

Had I been on the phone with TheTustler he would have heard my belly-aching laughter. You'd think he was asking Princess Stephanie to marry him on February 14. Here he was begging for a place to eat and he didn't even have a date yet? How awfully presumptuous, but I love it.

In addition to the places mentioned above, here are a few more heavy-on-the-romance spots. I haven't checked if tables are available. I'll leave that up to you. After all, you have to do some of the leg work.

Though I've only been to Alta in big groups, the dark, Mediterranean atmosphere is hard to beat for a hot and heavy twosome.

Dylan Prime's a little on the machismo side, but if your girl's a steak and potato kind of girl, she'll love it. Not to mention they serve a wicked dirty martini.

Eleven Madison Park was probably one of the best meals I've eaten in the city. Went there for an anniversary once and it was amazing. They'll treat you like royalty. Here it's more about the impeccable service and food, rather than the romantic atmosphere. It's too huge to be really romantic.

I vow to return to Firenze with someone who is not afraid to venture to the Upper East Side for dinner. Went here with the family and it was probably one of the cutest romantic spots I've been to in the city.

If you're a foodie and you're thinking more casual, less cheesy romance, hit up Public or Freemans. It's hard for me to leave two of my favorite spots in the city off any list.

Gradisca does great homemade pastas in a cozy atmosphere.

Bacaro's another one of my new favorites that would be a great V-Day destination. Just don't be dismayed when you walk in. The downstairs level is where the party's at. It has more nooks and crannies than the catacombs in Paris. Be sure to order the rabbit lasagna.

If you're a V.I.P./high roller and money is not an option for you and you have a restaurant bookie who gets you reservations wherever and whenever, then you obviously can't go wrong with the big three: Jean-Georges, Il Mulino or Le Bernardin. If you've been dating someone who judges your very existence on your V-Day restaurant selection, you'll want to go to one of these show-stoppers.

If your date goes extraordinarily well and you don't want it to end, take your girl for a post-dinner drink that'll knock her socks (clothes?) off. You can't go wrong with Milk and Honey or Little Branch. And if music and jazz are your thing, hit up the downstairs of La Lanterna di Vittorio. You can cozy up with an aperitif (if you really want to impress her, suggest she try something with St. Germain in it) and listen to local NYU students rip it on the bass.

Questions, comments or concerns? Drop me a line. Until then, good luck and happy date-hunting.