Post Feb. Romance

By Rebecca Matheson Ortiz - Tastemaker in Residence

Every year in February (on the 14th, to be exact) the love bug makes an appearance and kicks our romantic natures into gear. Flowers, candy, a nice dinner for two – while these should be common place, they’re all too frequently reserved for that beloved (and dreaded by some) Valentine’s Day. But what about when the day has passed and that little taste of romance left you craving more time with your special someone?

Don’t let February 14th be the only day each year that you spend quality time with your significant other. Pick a special place, buy flowers and get dressed up for no reason, and take your sweetheart out for a good time.

My husband and I started a new date tradition this year, and it actually began by chance on that fated day. You see, we picked an amazing steak house (Taste of Texas! Yum!) for dinner that night, but they don’t take reservations. This place has an hour wait on regular days, so we expected it to take some time, but when we arrived at 5:30 and were told it would be 3 hours before we could be seated, we decided to find a place to grab some drinks to pass the time.

I suggested this little bar by my office called Muldoon’s. It has a porch under huge oak trees with canopying branches and hanging twine balls and lights. I pass this porch every day and had been dying to try it out. He obliged and we though, sure, we’ll go have a glass of wine or two and then head back for dinner when it’s closer to our turn.

We did make it back to Taste of Texas for an excellent dinner that night, but my favorite memories are the ones we made during the time spent at Muldoon’s, sipping on spur-of-the-moment Moscow mules that are the best I’ve ever had. We were all dressed up at this casual bar, sitting on a glorious patio, just truly enjoying each others’ company.

Taste of Texas is a special-occasion-only type of place, but Muldoon’s is the special place to us. When we want to relax and enjoy a meaningful date night, we get a little bit fancy, head that way and the sip on Moscow mules beneath the live-oak boughs to keep the romantic vibe flowing.

Whether it’s grabbing a nice dinner, cooking at home, or enjoying cocktails together, make sure you take the time to appreciate your significant other and do something special to show them how much they mean to you at any time of the year.