If you’ve got kids, date nights are tough to come by. When you eventually get to go out on the town, it’s gotta count. No so-so food or horrible service. You need a great dinner, attentive staff, a glass o’ wine, and a chance to wear something that you couldn’t get away with on a playground.
Jon and I try to get out every other week for a date night, and lately we’ve been craving sushi. And, because South Park is a convenient place for us to meet after work our last few date nights have led us to Cowfish Sushi & Burger Bar and to Baku, a new Japanese Robata Lounge. I thought I’d share a little bit about each experience so if you find yourself with a date night you can pick the one that best matches your mood. Both are fabulous, but offer very different evenings…
First up: Cowfish Sushi and Burger Bar
Atmosphere: Hip, Lively, Fun
Reservations: No – plan on waiting at least an hour, Mon. – Thurs., and over 90 minutes on the weekend.
Price: Two apps, two dinners and four drinks, $75 (You could easily get out for less than $50, though.)
Perks: Chuy’s is next door, so if you do have to wait, grab a margarita. Or you could do a little date night shopping at the mall! Additionally, if one of you is a Sushi fan and the other is not, there are plenty of other options on the menu.
Our experience:
Jonnie and I have frequented Cowfish many times since it opened in 2010, but I always order the same thing. Which I never do, by the by, it’s just that good. So, if you’ve never been, go ahead and get one of their bento boxes. They’re fantastic and come with sushi, burgers, fries, cukes and edamame. This time, however, we decided we were going to try all new things.
I’ve been told to try the Crab Rangoon dip, which looked heavenly, but instead we chose lighter apps: Thai cucumbers and Veggie Quinoa Rolls, both delish.
Now, just to give you a head’s up, the menu is HUGE. Jon and I both decided to tap into the Burgushi selection and each try a different version. I went for a decadent sushi roll with filet and lobster. Yup, filet and lobster, ’cause that’s how I roll.
Jonnie, on the other hand, can never turn down a sandwich with fries on it, so naturally, he ordered the Pitsburgoo-Shi Sandwich. A not so light concotion of filet, pastrami, fries, cheese, and red onions wrapped into rice & kani-filled sprink roll buns. How do they come up with these menu items? Food roulette? Regardless, it was durn tasty. We bypassed dessert in leiu of more beer, but just so ya know – the milkshakes look heavenly.
Bottom line: Casual date night fun. Prepare to leave full, but without spending too much. Best for off-peak evenings, due to wait time.
Next Stop: Baku | Robata
Atmosphere: Hip, Modern, Upscale
Reservations: Yes (it’s definitely worth it to get reservations on Opentable.com. We went on a Tuesday evening and it was bumpin’!)
Price: Six small plates and four drinks, $150 (plus drinks upstairs afterwards, probably another $40)
Perks: Small plates make it fun to share with the table, it’s unlikely you’ll run into many children here on your date night, and there’s a swanky bar upstairs for pre or post-dinner drinks.
Our experience:
I had been wanting to check this place out, and we had a last minute opportunity for a date night, so I called up Baku and got a reservation. Glad I did, for although it was a Tuesday night, this place was popular. Situated in the building next to Zebra and Diamonds Direct and across from South Park Mall, the restaurant is surprisingly large. Downstairs is a bar, an open dining room, and a few nooks with booths. We were seated in one of the nooks, and I was glad. It was a little more cozy and quiet. We were instructed to try and share several of the plates, as serving sizes were small. And we found this to be mostly true. The servings were small, but wonderful. And pricey, but worth it if you’re looking for a date night treat.
We started off with Forbidden Rice Sushi filled with white asparagus and the Shishito peppers. I’ve been dying to try these for awhile (saw them first in Food & Wine mag, but never saw them on a menu), and we LOVED them.
Next we tried the oysters and beef and asparagus yakitori. Fresh, full of the Robata grill flavor and awesome.
Final course: the wild mushroom komamashi pot (underwhelming and kinda bland) and the spicy filet of beef (the perfect reason NOT to be a vegetarian). Once again, we skipped dinner for the chance to go upstairs and finish the night with sparkling sake.
Bottom Line: A fun date night splurge and a unique Charlotte experience.
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