My husband and I love to sit at the bar when we go out to eat. I think the fact that we get to sit next to each other (without the smirks that same-side table sitting draws) makes for an intimate dining experience. We like to share small plates with each other and that’s easier to do at the bar. Plus it’s something you absolutely can’t do when dining with kids, which is exactly what we’re trying to accomplish when out for an evening by ourselves. So I’d love to recreate that set-up at home for a date night in. We already have a bar in our kitchen, but here’s what else I’d pull together for a nice evening ….
1. While we have a breakfast/wine bar in our kitchen, we haven’t invested in any bar stools yet. I love these CB2 acrylic ones — they’ll keep it nice and open (and I hate when bar stools don’t have a foot rest for us not tall people!)
2. Bar snacks are a must and this mix of smoky popcorn and Japanese rice crackers looks fabulous.
3. My husband and I both love Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown — it’s a great mix of culture, food, politics, and travel. And booze. I think it would be fun to put this on an iPad on the bar as background while we eat. Just like a bar.
4. We almost always order oysters on the half shell when eating at a bar (as long as it’s the right place to order such things). I haven’t dared try to do these myself, but I think I might have to. Plus, crushed ice.
5. I’m normally not much of a champs girl (it gives me a headache), but lately I’ve been drinking a lot of French 75s when we go out. They pair perfectly with oysters and include my other favorite spirit: gin. (I’m seeing a Green Hat Gin French 75 in my near future).
6. I still have a stack of monogrammed paper cocktail napkins from when I set up my husband’s bar tray for him. They’d be a fun addition to date night.
A Feteful Life 