Under the Table with Jen » Romantic Date

Khun Pic’s Bahn Thai

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:39:18 +0000

I happen to think Kuhn Pic’s is a pretty romantic little place, what with the gilded decor, bowls of hot steamy Tom Ka for two, and leisurely pace of the meal, with plenty of time for footsie and making eyes. Just make sure you go with a date that you really like, because Chef Mary takes the time to make her delicious dishes just right, and the wait to eat can be formidable, so you’ll want to make sure you have plenty to talk about. Order a bottle of wine, but be forewarned, you’ll probably be pretty tipsy by the time you get your Spicy Chicken Salad and Green Curry with Thai eggplant, so pace yourself. Depending on how romantic you’re feeling after sharing a bowl of creamy coconut ice cream, the agonizing wait for them to box up your leftovers might leave you no choice but to throw all your cash on the table, dash out, and fornicate in the garden brambles like two naughty Garlic Chili Sauce-addled field mice. Just kidding, but bring small bills just in case.

The Farm Café

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:47:45 +0000

This popular little cafe is easy to overlook as you’re hurtling up lower East Burnside in a panic because you’re late for your third (oh boy!) date with that really hot winemaker you met at Taste of the Nation and you have to veer out of that annoying vanishing third lane at the last second before you plow into a parked car, incincerating yourself and possibly half the hipster population of Portland as they innocently mill around in nearby Rontoms. But once you’ve stepped into the swoon-worthy little converted Victorian just off Burnside, and have greeted your hot winemaker date with a demure peck that disguises your true carnamorous intentions for the evening and settled into a lovely window or patio seat with a glass of Elk Cove Pinot Noir and a bowl of rosemary-roasted Oregon hazelnuts, that lovin’ feeling is coming on. By the time you’ve moved on to the goat cheese raviolis and risotto with grilled corn, cherry tomatoes and Rogue Valley smoked blue cheese, you’re completely smitten, and as you finish up your Sunken Chocolate Souffle cake, you’re in full blown love–whether it’s with your winemaker date or The Farm, it’s hard to say.

Metrovino

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:24:50 +0000

If a swanky setting, relaxed ambiance, exquisitely prepared food, and lots and LOTS of wine is your definition of a romantic night out, by all means you and your paramour should hasten to the Pearl District and visit Metrovino Bistro, Bar, and Bottleshop. Tucked into a beautiful space with wide curved windows overlooking Tanner Park, Metrovino is part upscale restaurant, part wine bar, so you can slurp oysters together, feed each other grilled figs wrapped in bacon and spoonfuls of the most divine New England-style corn and seafood chowder ever made, and watch each other lasciviously suck on roasted marrow bones, whilst sipping the perfect wine to match each memorable course. And by your fourth glass of wine, you’ll have hardly even reached your potential; Metrovino has anywhere between 77-85 wines by the glass on any given day, so plan on making this delicious moment last, and plan on feeling it well into the next day.

Ristorante Roma

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:46:59 +0000

Arguably, there is no place more romantic than Italy. And the unassuming and authentic Ristorante Roma in downtown Portland reminds me of so much of the little trattorias I ate at in Italy–simple, immaculate, family-run holes in the wall with gracious service, fresh salads, hearty plates of uncomplicated pasta, and plenty of Sangiovese to sip with your sweetie. If I avoid looking out the window at the Portlandness outside, I am completely transported to Italy. This makes Ristorante Roma a very romantic sort of place to dine and wine that special someone, and it’s a lot cheaper than airfare for two to Rome.

Sapphire Hotel

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:46:09 +0000

Maybe it’s the restaurant’s slogan: Eat, Drink, Kiss, maybe it’s the strong pours. The crimson-lit, swagged out interior is quite a turn-on and the drinks are pretty sexy too–sip an Apricot Blonde (spicy lemondrop made with pepper vodka and apricot puree), a Trophy Wife (pear ginger martini with pineapple infused vodka and fresh lemon), or a Belly Dancer (jasmine-infused gin with saffron honey and kiwi puree), then feed each other bacon-wrapped dates or honey mix (almonds roasted with apricots, figs & pancetta). In the interest of setting the mood, you may want to avoid the 15-Bean Flautas. Just a suggestion.

Driftwood Room

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:06:30 +0000

Someone once told me if he ever had an affair, he’d take his secret lover to the Driftwood Lounge. So I camp out there every night with a beebee gun and a jumbo canister of Mace, because I couldn’t tell if my boyfriend was joking or not. Just kidding. Let me start over. The positively bewitching Driftwood Lounge oozes old Hollywood glamour and romance, has lighting so pleasingly dim that everyone looks like an extra in the Pet Shop Boys “We Were Never Being Boring” video, makes an art form out of the champagne cocktail, has one of the sexiest desserts ever–the Mint Julep ice cream sandwich with hot bourbon fudge, and ever so conveniently happens to be located in one of downtown Portland’s most entrancing boutique hotels. Coincidence? I think not. Can we get an order of that hot bourbon fudge sauce to go, please?

DOC

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:46:40 +0000

DOC is such a lovely space, I often forget to pay attention to my date because I’m so smitten with the alluring little dining room. Once you’re able to focus on dinner, test your future/current mate’s culinary savvy by making him/her interpret the cryptically written dish descriptions. If he/she in turn tries to test your wine mettle by making you choose the bottle, just smile smugly and pick the first thing you see, because this beautifully constructed Italian-only wine list is pretty foolproof. Hold hands over digestifs and feed each other bites of cherry almond crostata, DOC is the sort of place that calls for that kind of behavior. Just don’t make out in the bathroom, for the door is right smack in the center of the dining room and if you’ve had too many Negronis and forgot to lock it behind you, nobody will find it very romantic when you and your lipstick-smeared date and your exposed Spanx are revealed in all their glory.

Fratelli

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:32:47 +0000

Fratelli is an excellent place to pretend you’re in Italy, and everyone knows Italy is the most romantic place ever, besides George Clooney’s bedrooms, at least one of which is, in fact, in Italy. Located on a quiet tree-lined stretch of NW Hoyt in the Pearl District, Fratelli has the romance-requisite flickery lights, rustic wooden tables, homey Italian fare, an Italian-centric wine list–you’ll be as goopy and melty as your steak bruschetta by the time you depart.

Pix Patisserie

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:24:32 +0000

If you can’t fall in love at Pix, you must be the most awfullest of curmudgeons. After all, they’ve already done most of the work–setting the mood with their sexy little bustling faux-French bistro, supplying plenty of sugar and alcohol (everyone seems more lovable when you’re under the influence of passionfruit macarons and Framboise)…why, the Pix pastry wizards have even created a Tart Ménage á Trois (almond cream, chocolate ganache, and orange vanilla bean crème brulée in a buttery tart shell) for the less conventional love affair. Now all you have to do is be perfectly charming and maybe show a little skin. Tres facil!

Le Happy

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:11:15 +0000

Every time I see Le Happy, I feel a surge of love for its battered little sunburst yellow facade, and that warm fuzzy feeling only grows when I step into its cozy crepey chambers. Crepes, wine, cocktails, candles, board games, odd kitsch (excellent conversation propellants)–this NW Portland haven is the perfect place to spend a rainy evening with le amour.