recommendations for nice restaurant in Dallas area?

[♥ms.pacman♥]

so DH's parents are in town for the weekend and thus DH & I are planning to go out for a "date night" tonight (with a baby these days we always take advantage of any time we can be alone together!). also, i just realized that yesterday was our 5-year dating anniversary (yay!) and so we would like to go out somewhere extra nice to celebrate. soo...just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a fancy, non-kid-friendly restaurant in the Dallas area that has great food. we have not been living here for that long so we don't really know that many restaurants in the area other than chains like CPK, olive garden, etc.

thanks in advance!

[mctlaw]

Hi, I do not live in the area but just wanted to suggest that you check out tripadvisor.com. I use it for selecting not only hotels/B&B's, but also restaurants in unfamiliar cities. The reviews address price, kid-friendliness, etc. Hope this helps. Have fun on your date night!

[Seitvonzu]

dallas is the CAPITAL of chain restaurants-- if you can think of a chain (nice or casual) -- they will have it :)

i lived there in highschool, so i can't really think of something "special" or even local right now. i know it has to exist though...hrm. we lived off "lovers lane" for a while, (my dad lived in an apartment before we moved with him)-- it was a neat are that had shopping/restaurants/a artsy movie house. maybe something in that area? there are also great places to have afternoon tea in dallas-- but your hubby might not go for that :) that's probably more a "girls treat."

hopefully someone will chime in :) inlaw or my folks visits are the only times DH & i really go out too-- and our child is TWO :) have fun!

if anything pops into my head, i'll reply again.

[kristenk]

What area would you like to go to? What kind of food would you like? How much would you like to spend?

Offhand, two of our favorite restaurants to go w/o Ellie that aren't super expensive are:

La Duni http://www.laduni.com/

Taverna http://www.tavernabylombardi.com/

Both have a couple of different locations in the city, but both have locations in the Knox-Henderson area.

We've taken DD with us to La Duni before, but we prefer to go w/o her! We'd also take her to Taverna, but haven't.

See what you think of those and we can work from there!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thanks everyone for the replies, have all been helpful. as for area, we like the knox-henderson area and also downtown dallas (fort worth/arlington is too far for us, as well as unfamiliar). as for how much $ to spend, nothing too outrageous but maybe something that is $30+ a plate kind of thing..we are basically looking for a quiet, romantic restaurant (somewhere where it would mostly be couples celebrating special occasions... no kids, no large groups). last time we went for a date night at a really great place in downtown mckinney and while the food was *amazing*, it was LOUD and DH and I had trouble maintaining a conversation, we had to shout at each other to make ourselves heard!

[elliput]

Fogo De Chao (http://www.fogodechao.com/home/)?

[marie]

I was going to recommend Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek because my parents have gone there when visiting my brother in Dallas - BUT I just checked out the menu online and :47: on the prices.

http://www.mansiononturtlecreek.com/dine1.cfm

[twowhat?]

Sushi Sake! (If you like sushi, that is)
http://www.sushi-sake.com/

Or someplace like the melting pot or simply fondue (those are chains, but GREAT places to go celebrate something, it's quiet, and dinner takes a LONG time:)

[kristenk]

Well, I retract my la duni and taverna recommendations! I'll keep thinking, but check out opentable.com for restaurant ideas.

Maybe Stephan Pyles? No kids, but it's pretty busy so I'm not sure it would meet the quiet requirement.

[jgenie]

Fogo De Chao (http://www.fogodechao.com/home/)?

:yeahthat:

[jbowman]

Aurora, Abacus, or Fearings!

http://www.auroradallas.com/

http://www.kentrathbun.com/abacus.php

http://www.fearingsrestaurant.com/

[jerigirl]

I was going to recommend Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek because my parents have gone there when visiting my brother in Dallas - BUT I just checked out the menu online and :47: on the prices.

http://www.mansiononturtlecreek.com/dine1.cfm

The Mansion is expensive but the experience makes it worth it. We ate there for our anniversary a few years ago and it was awesome. When DH made our reservation he told them it was our anniversary. They greeted us at the door with Happy Anniversary, they wrote it out in chocolate sauce on our dessert plate, they sent us a card a few days later. Very personalized service.

Nick and Sam's is a great steakhouse. http://www.nick-sams.com/
Palamino is nice. We haven't been in a while but have celebrated many events there.
http://www.palomino.com/page/location

I always enjoy III Forks although it isn't really quiet.

We ate at Daniele Osteria this past Valentine's Day. It was small and cozy. Very good food!
http://www.danieleosteria.com/menu.htm

One place that I love to eat, but is probably more casual than what you are looking for is Bengal Coast. This is where DH and I like to go when we have a date night.
http://www.bengalcoast.com/home.htm

Abacus like a PP mentioned is also supposed to be good.

[kristenk]

I'm going to vote Nana. http://www.nanarestaurant.com/main.htm

It's a little more expensive, but the view is wonderful and it's very quiet.

Along the same lines, Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck.
http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3917

Here's a link to opentable. You can search for romantic, special occasion, etc. and check on reservations on the site itself.
http://www.opentable.com/start.aspx?m=20