48 Hours to Prepare

Fenton's Black and Tan

With Valentine’s Day approaching in less than 48 hours, I thought I would make a couple of recommendations for night out for two for any price range.

Big Dollars -- Acquerello

My wife and dined here a while back and have been anxious to return, but it has a high price tag has been a barrier. For Valentine’s Day Acquerello is offering a menu of 6 courses, highlighted with lobster and black truffles paired with Italian wines. The food and wine are worth the money, but it is hard to swallow the $180 per person for the experience.

On the romantic side Acquerello has it all. Ta warm and gracious atmosphere the moment they arrive. The former chapel, graced with arches and a rustic wood-beamed vaulted ceiling, and a warm Mediterranean coloring give this 50 seat dining room a unique experience. Acquerello has extensive collection of crystal decanters to allow your wine to breathe in class. Acquerello has received countless awards, including a Michelin star in the first-ever 2007 Bay Area guide.

A Few Bucks – Chenery Park

Located in the Glen Park Neighborhood, one of San Francisco's last undiscovered neighborhoods, is a rising restaurant scene and a staple is Chenery Park. CP is a charming neighborhood restaurant with excellent Southern-style goodness comes with great service. It can be tough to get a table, so call as soon as possible to book your reservation

A menu sample is the Spicy Seafood Gumbo with Scallops, Shrimp, Catfish and Smoked Bacon for $17 or the “Thursday Night Special” Pork Adobo with Napa Cabbage Slaw for $16. The cocktails are always well prepared in this full bar. For two people with drinks and wine you’re looking at about $100 bucks.

I highly recommend CP. Parking is easy and Glen Park BART station is only a block and half away.

Low Budget – Fenton’s Ice Cream

I always love low budget, because if done right can be very impactful and have a positive effect on the cash flow. So for this you have to know your partner and plan this well. In my case if we were in NYC I could get away with Gray’s Papaya my wife loves this place and a walk to Central Park a couple of cocktails on the Upper West Side could complete evening. But plane tickets would put this way over budget so here on the West Coast it has to be Fenton’s

This 114-year old Ice Cream Parlor is an Oakland Tradition. The first time we went on a date to Fenton’s, I thought I would be a big spender and let her order anything she wanted. She order the fresh crab sandwich, $16 in 1987, big dollars. You can still get the House Special Crab Salad Sandwich, along with other soda shop fare. Have one of their large sundaes, in our case it would be the Black and Tan, for dessert. These are Massive sundaes come to the table so loaded with toppings that extra saucers are needed to catch the overflow.

Fenton’s is located on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, the line for a table can be long and the parking can be tough. For Drinks you can try the Tiki Bar Two blocks north. This use to be the Kings X, a great neighborhood bar, but it is now called the Kona Club or down the street is Cato's Ale House. Although you can take the kids to this one, perhaps the 22 beers and the $1 sake shots are best left to adults when the evening begins to age. One piece of advice: If you must order the catatoes -- those large, hard-to-swallow potato wedges -- make sure you have a pint of Guinness to help wash them down.

Acquerello, 1722 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94109

http://www.acquerello.com

Chenery Park, 683 Chenery Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
(415) 337-8537

http://www.chenerypark.com

Fenton’s Ice Creamery, 4226 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 658-7000

http://www.fentonscreamery.com/