About South Florida Date Nights

Every Friday night, Jeff and I take turns surprising each other with our plans for "date night".

I've combed the internet to come up with the most creative and romantic events and found very little help. So I have decided to chronicle OUR date nights for other romantic fools in need of some ideas.

Feel free to email ideas/suggestions to me at troublewithred@gmail.com. All suggestions and ideas should be generic in location or specific to the South Florida area.

Drive-In Movie, Shooting stars and Beachside Snacks

With our big move a week away, the budget date nights continue.

We went to the Drive-In movie to see "The Sentinel". The movie didn't rock my world, but the novelty of seeing it at the Drive-In caught my fancy and I had a blast.

We arrived 40 minutes early and treated ourselves to a hamburger picnic from the concession stand at a rickety, sticky picnic table. It didn't matter. Dusk was just settling, a breeze was blowing and I was enchanted. I loved it.

After the film, we drove to the beach to watch the meteor shower. Unfortunately, clouds got in the way and someone forgot to bring a blanket, so that part of the plan went awry.

Instead, we settled into a beachside cafe called The Village and shared a Bento Box appetizer. Tiny spring rolls, seared ahi tuna, skewers of charred caribe beef, a fresh mozzarella and tomato stacker...it was the perfect treat and just exactly enough food.

Our total cost was near $60, but could have been managed for much cheaper. Take-out food brought to the Drive-in and eaten there would be cheaper, but Jeff really wanted that Swap Shop burger (and damned if they weren't really good!).

Dinner & a Movie

Date Night continues to be on a major budget, but I pulled together a dinner & a movie treat.

Standard date night fare, right?

Dull, dull, dull.

Dinner was at Ruby Tuesday's which is still more of a "lunch" place to me than dinner. The salad bar is impossible to resist. The burgers were good, but the atmosphere screams "Lunch!" to me.


The movie "The Inside Man" bored me. Jeff seemed to enjoy it, but I kept checking the time to see how much longer until it ended...

Still, any time spent with Jeff is a good time. But dinner & a movie didn't rock my world...

Special Budget Edition: The Beach Picnic

Jeff and I put an offer on a house that we're praying to move into by end of month, so there's a need for "budget" date nights for the remainder of this month to make ends meet.

Did you know houses were expensive???

In addition, I'd been high-anxiety lately and we really needed to talk.

Jeff took me to a quiet, secluded spot on the beach where we spread a large, soft blanket and sipped wine and ate leftovers.

Yep, leftovers.

I normally hate leftovers but in this case, they were extra leftover salads and sandwiches from my office that I had brought home. And they tasted great! I have to believe leftovers on a picnic somehow taste better...

Total cost for date night, including parking meter: $13.98 (my "cheap wine" - hey, I'm an Arbor Mist Blackberry Merlot girl, chips, dip, key lime pie).

Value? Priceless.

With no distractions, we talked and we hugged and we cuddled. We talked about deeply important things and random, silly things. We connected and it was heaven. On a bench in the near distance, a man played his guitar softly.

Dinner in a pricey restaurant might taste better, but I think our picnic was the best thing to happen to us.

Tips?

My cute wrap dress may have LOOKED super sexy, but with the ocean breeze whipping at me, it was impractical. Opt for pants.

Napkins blow away easily. Bring things to "weight" down everything you own.

Invest in a set of picnic/beach wine glass holders. They're these cool metal wire things that stand in the sand and hold your wine glass and the wine bottle out of the messy sand. Because wine spills (doesn't it, Jeff?) and a sand-caked base will dump sand on you when you sip (that one's mine).

Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Hollywood

Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Hollywood

I couldn't imagine the Seminole Hard Rock Casino as an ideal date night, but I did at least expect fun. As it turned out, it was my favorite night yet.

We began with dinner at Jazziz, an upscale jazz bistro with indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for outdoors on the cafe so that we could also smoke. (I know, spare me the lectures).

The live music inside was soft and we chatted while we dined. The escargot appetizer was divine. Jeff has the filet mignon and I opted for the Chicken Milanese. Both were good. The service was great also and the food was fast and well-timed.

After we'd enjoyed a fine meal and conversation, I paid the $78 tab (+ tip for an even $100) and we decided to check out the casino.

Normally Jeff beelines for the poker tables, but there is nothing romantic about sitting by a rail 100 yards from your date for 2 hours. Even though I offered him the choice, he wisely passed. This time we goofed around with the nickel and dime slot machines.

We both played with $20 and never understood how the slots worked. The best we figured was that when you won money it was good and when you didn't it was bad. The $20 we each gambled went up and down, never really rising over $26 until luck struck. On a whim I played a quarter machine and won $100 - dinner was paid off!

Outside was live music and we listened and swayed to it for a few minutes before heading home to be alone.

Parking is a bitch at this joint, especially on weekends, so we used a rickshaw to get to and from the casino to the car...and it was FUN!!!

We laughed, we gambled, we talked and were wined and dined. Ultimately, it was a perfect, perfect night.

Le Tub/Hollywood Broadwalk Friday Fest

Le Tub & Hollywood's Friday Fun Fest

There are a couple of important things you need to know about this date night.

First, Le Tub. Le Tub is a Hollywood, FL restaurant (I use the term loosely) that was once the best kept secret. Locals (myself included) knew about this dive bar & grill and delighted in shocking our friends with it. Then one day, GQ Magazine went and screwed it all up. And Oprah put the nail in the coffin. Even with both those, I think this article best summed it up.

Le Tub was once an old gas station. It sits across the street from the ocean and directly ON the intercoastal. The place is handmade of wood and is rickety, uneven, messy and just screams "dive!" The staff is rude and couldn't care less if you need something or not. And that's the way it's best enjoyed. And thanks to the publicity - the place can easily be PACKED.

The burgers are amazing - and huge - and will take nearly 2 hours to cook (thank you, GQ). The smoked fish dip is to die for. The ambience is...unusual, but fun. The service goes out of its way to suck and will ultimately amuse you if you expect it. The staff isn't nasty, they're just true to the spirit of the place. They never asked for publicity and they're frank about missing the old days when only a few people knew the joint existed. They make no apologies for anything - from decor, to wait times to service. And it's still awesome.

We sat right on the water and it was gorgeous. We snacked on fish dip (YUM!!!) and talked. The burgers were mammoth size and fabulous. The bill was $60 for 2 burgers, a Coke, 2 Heinekens and fish dip with saltines.


















The second thing you need to know is that this Hollywood "Broadwalk Friday Fest" crap is a big fat lie. The Sun-Sentinel listed it as "A lively music and entertainment event with delicious Broadwalk Friday Fest specials from oysters and beer to pasta and wine served up by dozens of cafes, bars and restaurants lining the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk."

What we actually found was 20 people sitting on benches listening to a sitar player...and nothing else. Sure, there are stores and hotels, but nothing that draws you in or makes you think you're at a "fest". I expected people, music, dancing! I was seriously disappointed.

All in all, the evening cost $75 with tip.

Tony & Tina's Wedding

Tony & Tina's Wedding

This event might be a little harder to duplicate locally since the show travels, but it was worth writing about just the same.

It's difficult to describe this "show" to someone who has never seen it. The best way I can try is to say that you are essentially a "guest" at a crazy, Italian wedding and from there you are on your own.

You are seated at a table, sometimes with family of the wedding party, and after the ceremony you party at the reception while crazy hi-jinx go on all around you. There's dinner and wedding cake and a champagne toast included in your ticket. Drinks are available at the cash bar.

With so much chaos around you, this could hardly be described as romantic. There is dancing (some) and it is fun.

You'll enjoy this experience the most if you totally get into it. Interact with the cast members (believe me, you will know who they are) and throw yourself into it. When they "recognize" you be sure to "recognize" them right back. You'll make the most of the night and your $45-$85 ticket price by cutting loose and putting yourself in the middle of the action.