Valentine’s Day can be stressful for us demanding New Yorkers, especially if we don’t plan ahead. Getting reservations at the perfect restaurant is not ideal on this day. But with these cold winter nights, it may be a good idea to try some of the places in the city that take a different approach at keeping their guests warm through their meals.
Not looking for anything too serious or pressuring? Maybe, just a nice night to get away from the NYC hype? The Black Mountain Wine House, located in Brooklyn, is the place for you.
Geared toward our wine lovers, this is a great place to bring your new mate; test the waters with conversation as smooth as the wine. The relaxing atmosphere is created with the countryside décor: wooden tables and chairs with low lights to set the simplistic, charming mood of the countryside that we can’t always find in this lavish city. Curl up next to the fireplace with your date and choose a meal from the short food menu, which is extensive in taste all for $10! Talk about a cheap get-away!
Alewife, located in the Long Island City area of Queens, is a local new beer bar for the couple that shares a passion for crafted beers. Their selections of beer are constantly rotating but the staff if always up-to-date in knowledge about each selection. Although the beer is phenomenal, the menu makes Alewife an appropriate spot for anytime of day with weekend brunch specials, late-night pizza and even house-made ice cream specials. Sit by the gas-powered fireplace and indulge in a new beer with your favorite person for a night filled with good vibes.
The Black Duck restaurant is located in the Flatiron neighborhood in NYC. With a fireplace located in the front lounge of the restaurant to set the warm ambiance, locals describe this place as “an undiscovered gem”. They offer live jazz music on the weekends with various vocalists and musicians keeping the straight-ahead jazz standards alive and soulful in the NYC area. Sundays have a more relaxed tone with classic James Bond screenings topped with complimentary gourmet popcorn. The intimate atmosphere and friendly waiters create the quintessential place for an easy-going and affective date.
For all my whiskey lovers in the place tonight! With over 750 variants, the staff at The Flatiron Room is well educated on each bottle of whiskey available to you. If you are looking to try something new, you can surely ask for a small sample to tease the palette. The exquisite décor gives off a “sense of aristocratic wealth”. Vintage Italian wallpaper paired with 100-year-old floorboards and extravagant chandeliers work wonderfully to create this lavish, dim setting. The live music is just as special as the whiskey. All performers are hand selected to ensure your satisfaction. The Flatiron Room is a timeless and classic restaurant surely to impress any date on any given night.
If you want to make her heart smile, bring her over to Tiny’s on West Broardway. It’s a cute, romantic spot housed in a three-story townhouse dated back to 1810. The cozy ambiance and the family roots create a peaceful energy throughout the space. The owners have stayed true to its classic American features and adorned it with original materials. The wood-burning fireplace and dimmed lights topped with a glass of your favorite American wine will create a memorable first date. Tiny’s is exactly where she wants to go on this special date, so she can tell her friends all about it the next day.
No matter your style, or what kind of mood you want to set on this Valentine’s Day, any of these places are a wonderful setting to show your appreciation to your dear friend or precious lover.
By: Denise Pina
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
