Valentine’s Day is just a few days away, and I’m all over it this year. I have already knocked down steps one and two on the guy’s big list of things to do for V-Day. With this kind of momentum going, I ought to be able to cruise into this national holiday that is dedicated to romance, feeling proud, with my head held high. Tuesday night, there will be no last-minute stops at the grocery store for me. Lesser men may be found in the candy aisle then, but not me, not this year anyway.

Orchid Show

Step one is flowers, every girl loves flowers, and where are the best flowers in town found? Why at the botanical gardens of course. I took Anne to the Orchid Show on Saturday. The photos with this post are from there. I can hear the other hens begin to cluck, “Cheap, cheap, cheap”, but hear me out. Last year, I went the grocery store route. I haven’t always been this debonair. I bought her an orchid plant then. It looked nice when I brought it home, but over time, it deteriorated. This time around, even Anne didn’t want to go that route again. The flowers at the show were gorgeous. We both took lots of pretty pictures of them, pictures that won’t deteriorate. So, I can check off step one.

Paphiopedilum Lathamianum

Step two is a romantic dinner for two. Some prefer the hustle and bustle of Valentine’s Day night, but I find it to be too hectic then, besides Valentine’s Day falls on a week day this year. You are always better off scheduling the dinner before Valentine’s Day than after. After just seems like an afterthought. Saturday night, last night, worked out just fine. Now about the choice of the restaurant, this is an important decision, and is best not left to the last-minute. For me though this decision was easy, because I didn’t have to make it. Kubie had already made it for me. A couple of weeks ago, at the bike swap meet, she had scolded me for not taking Anne out to dinner to celebrate the 2112 miles that Anne had bicycled last year. With both Valentine’s Day and bike mileage to celebrate, the restaurant had to be good. Voila, Tony’s was the only choice! Tony’s is the best restaurant in town; it is where Team Kaldi’s friends held the inaugural mileage celebration dinner and it is where I proposed to Anne and she accepted. So, it was simple, see?

The service was impeccable; they even fetched the car, when I couldn’t locate the valet parking. The owner, Vince Bommarito, stopped by our table and chatted us up for a few minutes. The food was great too. We started with salads. I had the Tony’s salad, and Anne had the Tomato salad, with Gorgonzola, and Balsamic dressing. For entries, Anne ordered Tilefish from off the menu, and yes it is endangered. I had Tony’s signature Lobster Albanello. Finally, for dessert, Anne had a Lemon Ricotta Cheese Torte, with Strawberry Sauce, while I had the best Crème Brulee in town. Eat your heart out Danny, but at only eight bucks, it was also the best deal of the night.

Target Acquired

And what about step three you ask? Sorry guys, but I can’t give away all of my techniques. That just wouldn’t be right. Don’t worry though; come Tuesday night, there will be lots of other guys at the grocery store willing to share their great ideas with you. Thanks Sam for the steer to the Theodolite App. It will help me to acquire the target of my affections.