date night

Kurt has been super busy lately. If he wasn't sick or busy at work, it was non-stop visitors or pre-arranged social outings. Even though I would see him every few days, it wasn't any quality one on one time. In order to have him all to myself, I told him to clear his calendar for Friday night because I was taking him on a real, bona fide date. The details were top secret (ie I didn't nail them down until the last minute) and Kurt was just along for the ride. 

Somehow we both escaped work a little early on Friday, so we needed to kill time until it was an appropriate dinner time (unless you are my parents and 5:30 would have been perfect :) ). Now an added benefit/selfish motivation of this date night was the opportunity to try out some new places we wouldn't normally go. A perfect pre-dinner spot was the Black Mountain Winehouse. It's made to look like a rustic old cabin in the middle of the Brooklyn. The decor and vibe were really great. Kurt was in love with the fireplace (although I had to restrain him from slipping into pyro-mode and fiddling with the logs). We each had a beer and shared some soup, which was great on a chilly, drizzly day. 

I loved that Black Mountain was off the beaten path. You really have to know about it to find it. While it seems like the perfect, cozy winter retreat, I look forward to going back in nice weather. I'm already dreaming about chilling out in one of their Adirondack chairs out front with a nice glass of sangria. Ahh.

{Black Mountain images via}

The real destination for the evening was Frankies Sputino in Carroll Gardens. I had read some good things about it and it looked interesting whenever I happened to pass by. It was fancy enough without being break-the-bank expensive. After much painful deliberation, I decided Kurt would enjoy some nice Italian food.

The staff was really great and helpful. The kitchen is right in the middle of the dining room with the bar. It's amazing what they can do in such a tiny space. The decor was simple and rustic--which seems to be the norm in restaurants in Brooklyn these days. I've heard they have an awesome backyard where you constantly see the F and G trains roll on by. Since Kurt and I really enjoyed it at Frankies, we've decided to go back when we can actually sit outside.

Most importantly, we had some fabulous food and drinks. The house red wine was quite good and reasonably priced. We shared some amazing asparagus with lemon and a bit of shaved Parmesan on top. It was delicious and crisp (not mushy like mine normally turns out). For the main course we split sweet sausage and peppers over creamy polenta. Mmmmm. So good! It was very similar to the shrimp and grits we've made before, so Kurt is on a mission to try this variation.

Kurt and I are generally pretty frugal when we eat out, but it was a special occasion, so we decided to splurge on dessert and after dinner drinks. Kurt was excited to see grappa on the menu and had a knowledgeable waiter explain all the choices. I was immediately sold on tiramisu and was not disappointed. The grappa was strong and reminded me of all the times I cringed and forced it down while living in Rome. It was a great ending to an awesome meal. 

Whenever we are in this neighborhood, Kurt and I love to walk down this kooky little street. I imagine all the buildings were built at the same time and have tiny little hobbit doors to get to the lower floors. I'm standing in as a scale figure (in my puffer still! grrrrrr!!!) so you can see that anyone taller than five feet would have to duck to get through these doors. I love quirky little moments like these!

Here's to many more fun date nights in the future!