Date night

Dan and I aren't predicable per se, but we can get stuck in a rut like any couple. We rent way too many videos and order pizza and Thai food so much that the owners know us by name. To celebrate our anniversary early, since Dan has to teach a night class on the actual date, and to officially ring in summer (yes!), we decided that we needed to shake things up a bit. This past Saturday, Dan and I took the metro from my parents' house into D.C. to two chi chi restaurants. Man, was it fun to venture outside Richmond!

The first restaurant we went to, Fire Fly, was definitely a whimsical choice. If I had to describe it, I would say "upscale tree house" meets "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

There's a faux tree dripping with glowing lanterns in the center of the cozy restaurant, the one fairy-tale, Disney-esque touch. Cheesy? Perhaps... but I still loved it! Here's a daytime shot from here since my photo of it at night didn't come out well:

Trust me, the tree seems more magical at night (see left), even if this dark photo doesn't quite show it:
The rest of the restaurant was modern and chic, with birch subtly lining the walls and copper accents:
Oh, and that glass of prosecco I'm holding? It was on the house! Our server gave us two glasses and a card signed by the staff when we sat down (I maaaay have mentioned that we were celebrating our anniversary on the online reservation form since I had read reviews that they occasionally give out treats for special occasions...)

The night was so much fun! If you ever get a chance to visit, I highly recommend the fried oyster appetizer, the best I've ever had, and the halibut. See below for shot of intricately decorated plate of said fish dish:
Dan always cringes when I take a picture of my meal in a fancy place. He can't take me anywhere- ha ha! In my defense, I was a little tipsy after drinking all that prosecco and having an orange vodka drink (aptly named the "Fairy Godmother"... do you see why I love this place?!)

The most clever part of our meal? The bill! The server delivered it in a glowing mason jar with holes punched in the top, like fire flies were trapped inside.


Then, Dan and I took the metro to CoCo Sala, a chocolate bar a few stops away. If I had to describe it, I would say "Sex and the City" meets "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

First, the atmosphere: translucent gold curtains, sexy red couches, and many brides-to-be sporting tiaras and boas, but we should have know that would be the hang-out, this being a chocolate bar that serves sugary drinks. The bar was really cool:

Here's the photo of Dan and I again with our dessert, "Some More CoCo". Yep, it kinda sound like a stripper in an SNL sketch...


What you are looking at:
* A chocolate malted shooter (delicious!)
* An absurdly tiny brownie (what a tease!)
* Chocolate creme brulee with homemade marshmallow and graham cracker (oh my...)


All in all, we might not be chi chi people, but it was fun to pretend! :) If I had to describe this past Saturday, I would say the "homebodies" met the "metropolis"... and loved every second of it!