Saturday Night Date

Last night, I my first date in two months with H. Over the past year, H and I have drifted in and out of each other’s lives, primarily because he’s my ex’s best friend. Fortunately, we were able to put that little wrinkle aside and have a delightful evening.

Our date began with a movie in Times Square, “Righteous Kill.” Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino rise above the occasionally weak script to deliver an entertaining, edgy thriller with a clever twist at the end. It’s worth the price of admission just to see these two acting powerhouses on the big screen together.

Huddled close under an umbrella, H and I ambled over to Hell’s Kitchen for dinner at Delta Grill, a laidback eatery that serves up a taste of New Orleans, with Big Easy staples like Po Boys, Chicken Gumbo and Beignets. While H indulged in shrimp creole, I opted for crab-stuffed tuna, saving room for an exhilarating dessert indulgence, bananas foster. Flaming bananas drenched in syrup topped with vanilla ice cream -- heaven on a plate and even better when shared.

Our last stop of the night was neighborhood bar Social, to watch USC’s football team crush Ohio State. Though I’m not exactly a gridiron girl, it was easy to get caught up in the fever of being surrounded by men cheering at the TV -- especially since one of them had his arm affectionately draped me the entire time.

Coming up…opening the vault to a week of romance in England’s capital and Celine Dion’s return to the Big Apple.