so , i don't know about anyone else, but since i've become a mother, my going out days are limited..my situation, as i stay home with my toddler son, results in major clingy-ness (if that's a word)..so when papa and mama get the chance to go out, it is a well-apprieciated affair. The occassions, although few and far-between, are very special. This past friday, we had the wonderful privledge, to go to the city for drinks and dinner...my in-laws watched the baby, who fussed and almost made me change my mind about going out, but it remained in my head that we too, need to have time, once in a while for ourselves, to go out alone..it seems like common sense, but it gets overwhelming sometimes, and you get caught up, and want the best for your family, but you are too, a part of your family. So the details...we drove in about 7pm, and we had dinner reservations at VENTO Trattoria in the village for 8:30..being us, we went to the chic and beautiful Hotel Gansevoort, up to the penthouse, which has an amazing view, and ordered 2 rum&cokes..(haha which were $14 each, but its NYC, and we rarely get to do this)..we went and sat down inside..the poshly decorated lounge-like area, just off the outdoor bar. they have full service cocktail waitresses, so you don't have to lift a finger (which i found were very nice, which i don't see too often). we ordered  2 more rum & cokes, and chatted like it was our first date, and paid the bill ($65-which was more than dinner, but i'll explain later) overall it was great, & we had uninterrupted adult conversation!..so by that time it was 8:15, and we walked about 10 minutes to dinner (and window shopped at Louboutin)..we walked upstairs to our table, which is a sociable, dimly-lit atmosphere, however you will be sitting closely to another table. we ordered pellegrino, and 2 peronis to start, along with fried calamari, and mozzarella carozza..so yummy..it came pretty quickly. we then ordered, for a light dinner the risotto, (which was incredible) and made with green and white asparagus..to be topped off with (3 flavors for $5), gelati..we chose white chocolate, pistachio,and chocolate fudge brownie..all delicious. the bill was $61 without tip. we left and walked around a bit (and past the Louboutin store twice more), before departing to pick up our darling little sleeping angel, it was of course, a late night..at his parents by 11:30. The night turned out to be perfect, which is good being that we probably won't be out alone together for another 6 weeks..mia bella famiglia..ciao

Oh Deahna! That sounds HEAVENLY!
(and yes, "clingyness" is most definitely a word!)

Will have to check it out on next visit to NYC. (I had an $13.50 margarita on the rocks last time there...no price reduction for a "no salt" request, so the rum & coke at $14 per sounds about right! ;) )

Thanks for the shared tip and great review....
Hmmm....dimly-lit sounds lovely too.....

Great to see you back on boards...have missed you!

I loved that! I felt like I went on the date while I was reading it, and it made me want to plan a special evening of my own...

Thank you for the gentle reminder!

Thank you both! It certainly was a delightful evening. Now papa is at work, and I'm at home with the baby, and he has a cold; (a little fever, a runny nose, a dry cough). Poor sweetheart, he has not been sick where I've had to give him medicine before, and he's almost three! I feel horrible, like i'm drugging him or something, there must be another way to deal with this, because it's not serious, I don't I have to take him to the doctor or anything..I think it may be his molars, because he keeps saying his mouth hurts..He got up last night at about 1am, and said he had to go peepee, and was so drowsy, he's getting so big. Just now, he was sleeping on my bed, and then I watched him get up, walk into the bathroom, get a tissue and wipe his nose, and then lay down on the really soft rug we have in the bathroom, and he fell asleep there. I hope he gets better soon. I enrolled him in preschool, he starts next Thursday, from 9 to 12. We'll see how that goes.