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A New Take On Date Night

By Courtney 45 Comments

Ohhh, last night was so much fun! And it’s all (well, partially) thanks to these…

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Once I decided to take control yesterday on date night, I thought it might be fun to do a little something different. If you guys are anything like Jay and I, you may tend to have a hard time deciding on places to go…that’s an understatement for us.

So rather than sit and waste time deciding where to go, I wrote down a bunch of choices for three different categories, and then left it up to fate…well, sorta. Winking smile 

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(Pictured on the left were after-dinner activities, in the center were dinner choices, and on the right was dessert.)

Once Jay got home from work, still sulking over the fact that he didn’t know where we were going, I let him make his first choice from category number one. He ended up grabbing Ruby Tuesday which, of course, was a last minute add-in that I really didn’t even want…I just felt compelled because we had a coupon.

Sooo, I made a last minute change to the “rules” and told him he was allowed one more pick if he put that one back. This time he chose Jose Malone’s – a great choice!

We got in the car and headed down into downtown Troy. Once I parked, I let him know that he was allowed to pick one more place along the strip of restaurants to go for a pre-dinner drink. By this point, I think he was finally having fun with my game, and he opted to head to one of our favorite spots…Brown’s.

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We grabbed a table in the bar area and started checking out the beer menu. Much to my dismay, they were out of my beloved Cherry Raspberry Ale. Hmmph. The waitress we had was super nice and offered to let me try a couple of other ones instead, so she brought over samples of the Porter and the American Wheat Ale.

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The Porter was good, but would have been a bit too strong for a full pint, so I went with the American Wheat. Perfectly light and summery.

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About a half hour into our arrival, we watched them post their sign for the Cherry Raspberry!

(old photo from this post – although I’ll be psyched to see the pumpkin ale and oktoberfest back!)

So we just had to get one to share. Winking smile

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And my lovely date even let me have the cherry from the bottom of the glass. He’s such a keeper.

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Once we finished our beers, we left Brown’s and walked about three doors down to our dinner spot, Jose Malone’s.

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You may remember that I was here just last month and had quite a good time. Perhaps a little too much. So this time, I made sure to steer clear of the margaritas. They. Are. Dangerous.

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Jose Malone’s is such a fun place, it a wonder why Jay and I haven’t come more often…especially considering its so close to us. I hadn’t eaten here in years, and Jay never had, but after our meals last night, there’s no doubt that we’ll definitely be back.

We started out with some fresh chips and salsa.

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Their salsa is amazing. I seriously want to buy a bucket of it off of them. I’m so not kidding.

While we were there, I let Jay choose our next “activity” for the evening. At this point, we were a bit later than I had expected, but I figured we’d see what happened.

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He wound up picking a movie (ParaNorman – looks so funny) so we decided we’d check out movie times as we got closer to being finished.

For dinner, Jay opted for chicken fajitas, which he raaaaved about, while I decided to go with something a bit different…a BLT Quesadilla.

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The quesadilla came with applewood smoked bacon, pico de gallo, fresh spinach, chipotle aioli, scallion avocado relish, and cheese.

I don’t even know where to begin with these. They were SO GOOD. I loved how they were filled with lots of spinach and not tons and tons of cheese (my main reason for not usually ordering quesadillas – extra cheese just isn’t my thang).

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I thoroughly enjoyed two out of my four wedges and decided it’d be in my best interest to box the rest. Any more, and that probably would have put me into the uncomfortable zone…and I still had dessert left!

By this point, we realized that the “activity” portion of our evening was probably a bust. We didn’t end up leaving Jose Malone’s until about 8:30 and the movie times really just weren’t working in our favor. We agreed to skip past the activity and move on to category three: DESSERT.

Funny enough, the place we ended up going to wasn’t even a choice I had written down. We figured since we were still in downtown Troy, we should just stay local, so we headed out for a short walk to our next destination of choice.

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With a few humorous stops along the way. Winking smile

So I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this yet, but we have a new fro yo place in town!

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Dante’s Frozen Yogurt opened up a few weeks ago, and I’d been dying to get down there ever since. Last night was the perfect opportunity, so we went to check it out. It’s set up very similar to all the rest of them, with about 10 different fro yo flavors and lots of toppings.

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I opted for a swirl of Cookies & Cream + White Chocolate Mousse and a swirl of Strawberry + Cheesecake, topped with lots of goodies.

The fro yo and toppings were delicious, but I did have two problems with Dante’s…they only carry large cups, and their fro yo machines come out fast. Very fast.

Before I knew it, my cup was ginormous. Like, embarrassingly large.

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And for the first time in my fro yo history, I was unable to finish my cup. Sad, but true.

By the time we finished up at Dante’s, we were both pretty stuffed and decided to call it an evening. So although my “pick a choice” plan didn’t work out as well as I had hoped, we still had an absolute blast.

Much better than mowing the lawn. Winking smile

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Related

August 25, 2012 Filed Under: Beer, Date Night, Dinner, Fro-Yo Tagged With: BLT quesadilla, Brown's Brewing Co., Dante's Frozen Yogurt Troy, date night surprise, jose malones

About Courtney

I'm a working mom of two beautiful little boys, Lucas and Alex, and I began writing Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life in April 2010. I enjoy chronicling my love of food (healthy and indulgent!), baking, motherhood, fitness, fashion, and everything in between!

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Comments

  1. Alicia says

    August 25, 2012 at 9:51 am

    what a fun date night!!! love the idea of picking different cards!
    Reply
  2. Danielle says

    August 25, 2012 at 9:56 am

    MUST get myself to Jose Malones!!!!!
    Reply
  3. Khushboo says

    August 25, 2012 at 9:57 am

    What a fun twist to date night!! A few weeks ago, I had to throw out some fro yo as it was too much.. I was ashamed of myself to say the least ;)
    Reply
  4. briana says

    August 25, 2012 at 9:58 am

    LOve this idea, I'm thinking my husband and I will try it tonight!
    Reply
  5. Cat@sugaraddictanonymoud says

    August 25, 2012 at 9:58 am

    Such a cute idea! I love it! I might have to give that a try next week. We love creative date night around here! Next time I'm in troy I want to try that restaurant too! Looks great. ~cat
    Reply
  6. Linda says

    August 25, 2012 at 10:09 am

    What a fabulous idea! Definitely going to use it. Also, I hit up Dantes and it is a SLICE of heaven!!
    Reply
  7. Stephanie @itrainthereforeieat says

    August 25, 2012 at 10:10 am

    What an awesome idea for a date night!! I'll definitely have to try this soon, we always run into the same problem, too many good places to go and no one wants to make a decision! It's a travesty that you had to get rid of some of your fro-yo, but it happens to the best of us :)
    Reply
  8. Doris @ vanillacocoberry says

    August 25, 2012 at 10:17 am

    that is such a good idea for date night! I am totally doing this for my boyfriend next time!!! but for dessert I will only write my favorite froyo place on all of the paper pieces hahahaha (pssssssh!)
    Reply
  9. Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says

    August 25, 2012 at 10:21 am

    What a cute idea for date night! You can definitely use that idea again for future date nights and at least it gets you thinking than trying to think of EVERY place you know and picking from that.
    Reply
  10. Jenn says

    August 25, 2012 at 10:24 am

    Great idea! I am going to have to try this tonight for the vacation we are on. There is a place near my home that dispenses frozen yogurt super fast as well and I am convinced it is a way to up their sales, you can't really "undo" the yogurt in your cup before paying there...
    Reply
  11. Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says

    August 25, 2012 at 10:29 am

    I love this idea, Court! Cody and I are annoyingly indecisive when it comes to choosing where to eat as well. I'm totally copying you on this one! :) Looks like you guys had a great time!
    Reply
  12. Cait says

    August 25, 2012 at 10:35 am

    cute idea even if it didn't quite work out exactly as planned! btw, I love Ruby Tuesday. They revamped the menu, with lots of healthy options. Their spaghetti squash marinara pasta is awesome!! mm!
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      August 25, 2012 at 10:36 am

      Oh we LOVE Ruby Tuesday too! I was just in the mood for a local restaurant. :)
      Reply
  13. Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says

    August 25, 2012 at 10:43 am

    Sounds like a fun date night! And I can only think of one time where I didnt finish my froyo! Haha
    Reply
  14. Danielle@cleanfoodcreativefitness says

    August 25, 2012 at 11:16 am

    What a fun idea for date night! Looks like you had a fabulous time! I'm jealous of your new frozen yogurt place! That looks like they had some great choices!
    Reply
  15. Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says

    August 25, 2012 at 11:34 am

    What a fun idea!!! I can;t believe you didn't finish your yogurt! Thats just crazy talk!!
    Reply
  16. amy says

    August 25, 2012 at 12:05 pm

    such a fun date night idea, I need to try this my boyfriend is awful at making decisions which leaves me to always pick! I must say though I lOVEE Ruby Tuesdays, its is like salad bar heaven!!!!
    Reply
  17. Danielle @ Itsaharleyyylife says

    August 25, 2012 at 12:14 pm

    such a cute idea! eric and i will have to try this idea sometime! Looks like you two had a great time!
    Reply
  18. Michelle @ Eat Move Balance says

    August 25, 2012 at 12:29 pm

    What a cute idea!! I love it. Bob and I can be soooo indecisive as well--it's the "I don't know, what do you want to do?" syndrome. I'm going to have to try this. Glad you guys had fun!
    Reply
  19. Michelle@Peachy Palate says

    August 25, 2012 at 12:41 pm

    Brilliant! that's such a good idea! My parents are always so indecisive when it comes to their date nights out (I'm currently single so I only have my own indecisiveness to contend with) but I shall be encouraging them to try this!
    Reply
  20. Rachel says

    August 25, 2012 at 12:44 pm

    that's such a cute idea!!
    Reply
  21. Julianna @ Julianna Bananna says

    August 25, 2012 at 12:53 pm

    that quesadilla looks so yummy!!
    Reply
  22. Elaine says

    August 25, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    Omgosh I'm a sucker for fro-yo. There is a popular fro-yo chain in the DC area called FroZENyo. It's my favorite. AND one just opened up 3 blocks from my house. I don't know if this is the best or worst thing to ever happen to me!
    Reply
  23. Erin @ The Grass Skirt says

    August 25, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    Such a cute idea! My husband and I always waste so much time trying to figure out where to go, and under pressure, we can never come up with anything new and exciting. I'm going to try this for sure!
    Reply
  24. Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says

    August 25, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    Love this idea! And yay for new frozen yogurt places!
    Reply
  25. Lauren @The Homeostatic Mindset says

    August 25, 2012 at 3:08 pm

    That looks like SUCH a fun night!!! I still can't believe I have never had froyo yet- the horror! I live in Canada, so there aren't nearly as many places nearby :(
    Reply
  26. Lisa says

    August 25, 2012 at 3:26 pm

    That's such a fun idea! Next time I land myself a boyfriend I'm definitely doing this;)
    Reply
  27. Kim@hingryhealthygirl says

    August 25, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    What a fun idea, but I'm afraid I would be just like you....picking where we really wanted to go! No complaints about froyo coming out too fast! ;)
    Reply
  28. Miranda @ Biting Life says

    August 25, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    Looks like you both had such a great time! I love that date-creator idea - I might have to try that out with my boyfriend sometime :) Even though you didn't end up doing exactly what your original date was supposed to be... and ended up changing some of the rules... I think that the game still worked because it gave you ideas and got rid of the indecisiveness of it all.
    Reply
  29. Sarah B. says

    August 25, 2012 at 5:25 pm

    Great idea of picking out where to go from cards! I might have to try this next time my friends and I are being indecisive! Last night my sister and I tried a newer restaurant that is always, always packed. Luckily they could squeeze us in at the bar. We had chips and guac and split tacos and salad. So so good! It was the first time I'd had Mexican in a while and it definitely pleased my palate!
    Reply
  30. Mary says

    August 25, 2012 at 5:40 pm

    Great Idea!! So much better than sitting around saying "What should we do?"
    Reply
  31. Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says

    August 25, 2012 at 6:37 pm

    We out for frozen yogurt and movie last night, but we saw "The Campaign." I don't really recommend it -- there's a lot of truth to it, but they always seem to add so many unnecessary innappropriate things to those movies (guy humor).
    Reply
  32. Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says

    August 25, 2012 at 6:37 pm

    went out*
    Reply
  33. @pluvk says

    August 25, 2012 at 8:55 pm

    I love this idea. My hubs and I have such a hard time planning date nights... we are so tired at the end of the day that the idea of planning ANY thing becomes more of a job. This is such a fun way of planning! I gotta laugh at the Ruby Tuesday's change in rules... I always give two options, and whenever he picks my least favorite, I'm thinking, "Why did I do that? How can I get him to change his mind?"
    Reply
  34. Shannon says

    August 25, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    That's a clever idea to pick out different places instead of wasting time to pick out a place. Glad you had a good time! :)
    Reply
  35. Stephanie says

    August 25, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    I would have put back the Ruby's Tuesday card too ;) Your quesadilla looked amazing!
    Reply
  36. chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says

    August 25, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    That is such a fun idea! I'm definitely going to have to do it with the Husband!
    Reply
  37. Katie (Goober Nut's Life) says

    August 25, 2012 at 11:30 pm

    Sounds like so much fun, Courtney!! It's funny, because I actually saw ParaNorman with my friends last night! You and Jay HAVE to see it some time if you were interested! It was one of the cutest, most hilarious movies I've ever seen! Kinda weird, but everyone loved it! :)
    Reply
  38. Alicia says

    August 26, 2012 at 2:33 am

    That is a really cute idea! I would really like to do the same thing with the Hubby but I would have to do some researching! I can't wait to try this out! Have to say the idea of a 'second chance' was amazing!
    Reply
  39. Bek @ Crave says

    August 26, 2012 at 3:28 am

    That sounds like fun! I might still that game one day :) Haha, and I am very disappointed in your froyo eating efforts lady ;)
    Reply
  40. Kristin Mac says

    August 26, 2012 at 4:55 am

    This is such a cute idea! I love how even though you know what the papers say, neither of you actually knows where you'll be going next. So fun! Definitely going to use this for our next date night :) Thanks for sharing!
    Reply
  41. Kristen @ notsodomesticated says

    August 26, 2012 at 7:39 am

    I have noticed that frozen yogurt machines have two speeds: slower than the day is long + speedy gonzales! I've had some machines that are just so unbelievably slow, that I start to lose patience and just want to move on with my life. But then there's others that go so fast, you end up getting way more than anticipated. It must be a plot against frozen yogurt-lovers. ;)
    Reply
  42. jill says

    August 27, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    Cute way to do Date Night! Will have to try it that way sometime.... The boy & I are major fans of "Pick 3, Pick 1" when figuring out dinner plans, activities, etc. One person chooses 3 places to go, the other person chooses 1 of the 3. Everybody wins. :)
    Reply
  43. brittany says

    August 27, 2012 at 5:47 pm

    They just opended a Dantes next to me in Boston- very dangerous! (and oh so delicious) great date night idea :) let us know how emily griffin book is once you get reading!
    Reply
  44. dressnl says

    August 30, 2012 at 5:57 am

    This is such a cute idea!i love them.
    Reply

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Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
Court Profile CircleI'm Courtney, a 30-something wife and working mom living in upstate NY. I'm a food lover, fitness enthusiast, baker extraordinaire and lover of all things sweet.
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