As a couple of guys who are fully committed to our significant others (me being married almost five years and Jon about to take the plunge this month), we’re always looking for ways to keep the romance going.
And there’s no better way than to take your special someone on a date night.
Now, we can’t claim to be experts in the field of dating, but since we both have lovely ladies who want to spend the rest of their lives with us, we’ve done at least a few things right along the way.
So consider us more like consultants at this point.
What we’ve learned over the years is that women sure do love a nice bunch of flowers, so starting your day at a place like McLeod’s, Cobblestone or Cole Gardens is something we highly recommend.
Once you’ve arrived home with your bouquet, got the babysitter all situated – if you have kiddos, that is – and gotten all dressed up for a night on the town, we’ve got a few ideas for your next step.
For those of you who enjoy an adult beverage from time to time, we suggest starting off the evening with a cocktail. There are lots of great spots for that, in fact too many to list. The Red Blazer has tons of beers on tap, the Cheers outdoor patio is awesome and from what we’ve heard the Granite Restaurant is another great spot, for both food and drinks.
And if your date night happens to be on a Wednesday, the Common Man offers Wine Down Wednesday, where select bottles of wine are half off – you just have to buy some food – after 5 p.m.
If you happened to just go get a drink and not any food, Concord is home to some romantic spots like O Steaks and Seafood, Angelina’s Ristorante, and although we have yet to go, we’ve heard nothing but good things about Revival Kitchen.
If we wanted to, we could list all kinds of great eating spots like The Barley House, CC Tomatoes and Makris Lobster and Steak House – and sorry for all the ones we missed – we just don’t have the space to list them all.
Once your belly is full, take a drive downtown. Parking is free after 5 p.m., and meander around for a bit. You’ve got to enjoy the award-winning Main Street area while the weather is still nice. Plus we’ve also had good luck when we buy our ladies a little gift during date night. It goes a long way, guys.
Then it’s time to have a little fun. Is your love an art fan? Well, The Place Studio and Gallery has 2-for-1 sitting fees every Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. for date night.
You can also sign up for one of the many options they offer at Cork & Canvas. Nothing says love like painting the same scene while sipping on a nice glass of wine. Just make sure you tell her how much better hers is – even if yours would look better over the mantle.
As you’ve seen on these pages before, Concord is home to many great spots to catch a performance. There’s the Capitol Center for the Arts, the Concord City Auditorium and Hatbox Theatre. We’d suggest going to all three – just on different nights.
Red River Theatres is another spot that just screams quality time with the one you love.
And don’t forget about the music. Just about any night of the week you can see a great show – both inside and outdoors this time of year.
An art gallery is also a romantic experience.
So get out there and show your significant other a fun night on the town – it will mean a lot. Trust us.
