Almost five years later, Brent and I finally had the perfect first date.
Well, it wasn’t really a first date at all. We’ve been dating for years, but on Friday night, we had the first date we always should of had but never did. It was THAT perfect. Like, movie perfect.
Now, if you know Brent and I, then you know the story of our first date. If you don’t know, ask me sometime. It’s, um, quite entertaining (also, it’s a miracle we continued to see each other after it. No one got arrested, but there was plenty of mortification). This date, however, was much different.
It started on Friday morning when Brent asked about what we should do that night for dinner. He suggested that we go out somewhere, do something different. Excited at the prospect of doing something new, I agreed and said I would think of something and give him a call during the day to figure out the details.
My first idea was to get chili and go for a walk around downtown Scranton (romantic, right?). He just laughed and said, “I’m offering to take you out to dinner – and the best you can do is chili?” Okay, back to the drawing board. Sometime Friday afternoon, I called him and asked him if he had come up with any ideas for dinner. We tossed a few thoughts back and forth before I recalled a place we had driven past a few times and had always been curious about.
“How about that jazz place that we drive past all the time but never actually stop to check out?”
“You mean Bonnie and Clyde’s? Sure – let me call for reservations.”
A few quick searches on Google and we had reservations at Bonnie and Clyde’s Hideaway (it says jazz hideaway on the sign – I was close!)
We came home from work, changed into nicer clothes (we clean up well!), and headed out. We weren’t too sure what to expect. We couldn’t find a menu online but every review we did find said that the place was awesome. I also dug up an old article from the Times-Tribune that noted they cut their own meats and had a great Chilean sea bass. That’s all I needed :)
We arrived and were seated. Bonnie and Clyde’s is a small but really cozy restaurant and bar on Main Street, Eynon. From the outside, it looks like a cute cafe. Old building. Lights in the trees. Some tables for alfresco dining. Inside is where the real magic is.
The interior makes you feel like you walked into a speakeasy or a hotel lobby in the 1930’s. Great wood, amazing light fixtures, lots of rich color and texture. The bar is huge and it was already starting to fill up. The bartender, who I believe owns the place, showed us to the dining room where the waitress sat us in this charming window nook. A table for two – right in it’s own window platform. Really, really cute.
We got our menus. Okay, it’s a little pricey, but hey, it’s a date. It’s worth it. We both got specials for the evening. For him, a rib eye and for me, lamb. Rolls came hot out of the oven, served with finely sliced cheese, olive oil, and whipped butter. Already, we were off to a great start.
Then came salads, bursting with color (and homemade dressing) in perfect portions. We both remarked on how we hate when we get huge but unsatisfying salads. This one was fresh and delicious. Our water glasses were always full – and we never had to ask.
Finally, dinner arrived. My lamb had this great herb crust and came served with homemade garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and carrots. Everything was cooked perfectly and the portions were generous. I took a bite of Brent’s rib eye. Melt in your mouth tender and full of flavor. This was how a dinner was supposed to taste.
Plus, you know it’s truly a great meal when you don’t feel bloated and gross after eating it. Even thought they were large portions, we both felt comfortably full – and light – when we were finished.
The thing I loved most about this place was how we never felt rushed. When we looked at the clock, we noticed we had been at the restaurant for a few hours. We took our time eating, talking, and just enjoying ourselves. We never felt hurried or stressed or that anxious feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you’re in a busy restaurant. The food was superb, the service friendly, and by the time the dessert question came up, we were all in. Two chocolate lava cakes, or as I shall refer to them now, moist-heavenly-chocolate-pillows-of-awesome.
As we were finishing our dessert and waiting for the check, we heard some loud booms outside. At first, we thought it might be the rumblings of thunder, but when we looked out the window, it was fireworks. Turns out, we had a perfect view of Olyphant’s fireworks display. Yes, a great dinner AND fireworks. How flipping awesome would that be on a first date? We strolled slowly back to the car, hand in hand, enjoying the fireworks and the balmy summer evening. So comfortable and the air smelled sweet.
To be real, I’ll include the only imperfection (but not really) in the evening. I think the chocolate lava cake may have aggravated my egg allergy, but only slightly. It was no biggie. We made a quick stop at a Giant we found nearby and grabbed some allergy meds. We drove home with the windows down and continued to talk, easily and comfortably, appreciating just how wonderful a start our weekend was getting.
Amazing dinner + fireworks + spending time with the person you love most = the ingredients of the perfect first date that just so happened to occur a few years later. But that’s just fine with us.