Help me choose a restaurant?

BF is taking me out for our 3rd anniversary next week and I get to pick the place.

We haven't really been anywhere nice for awhile so its going to be a dress-up affair with the night left open after

I have about 5 restaurants I am looking at. I love ethnic food and am not picky but can't decide.

The choices are...

WASABI :
A renovated old home transformed into a beautiful Sushi restaurant with great sake. I like sushi (but am not as insane about it as I am other foods) Its more of the character of the restaurant I am going for. Also, I have not been to this place since it changed over (it used to be a fave restaurant of mine as the building was cut up into smaller intimate theme like rooms complete with small gallery). I don't know if its still the same. I hear the food is amazing. Moderate to Expensive. The things that puts me off is there is a MANDATORY Min. charge of $15.00 per person as soon as you walk in the door.

CAFE CARLO:
Never been but hear its absolutely to die for. A small cozy (tables very close together) intimate date place.
Here are some of the menu choices : Mussels Pernod, Chicken breast baked with pesto, goat cheese and roasted lemon sauce, 8 oz. Beef tenderloin filet with mushroom demi-glace Pickerel fillets with wilted spinach & burnt butter vinaigrette ,Fettucine with chicken, chorizo, cashews & roasted peppers in chile cream sauce Fusilli with prawns & scallops in a lemon, herb cream sauce or marinara sauce ............. Pretty expensive. The cheapest entree is $20.00 moving up to $35.00. This dinner may break the bank for the entire night but may be worth it. With wine, and cocktails, I am sure the bill would top $150-$200.

SUKHOTHAI:
THis is one of my mainstays. Very good thai food. Lemongrass soups and cashew coconut milk curry dishes as hot or as mild as you like. And they make the best da*m daiquiri for some reason. However, I have been here umpteen times. THe decor is ok, dim lights, not alot of art or anything. The servers wear imported silk (from Thailand) traditional Thai outfits handmade by their mother! Very beautiful. It would be a good meal, but a predictable one. Reasonably to moderately priced.

IVORY:
Also one of my mainstays. Excellent curry buffet with tons of choices, and excellent nan. However, the setting is as if you are in some martini bar. Vaulted ceilings, comfy lounging chairs, jazzy indian music (?), and a bartender who makes an excellent $7.00 martini....On weekends, there can be a lineup though so you have to reserve. Even then you often still find yourself waiting. This can cause you to enjoy too many of those $7.00 martinis before you eat 2 hours after you get there.. Moderately priced at $16.00 per person plus drinks.

OR WE COULD GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION:
And enter into a somewhat sketchy neighbourhood known for its many wonderful and amazing ethnic restaurants, lots of thai (which I love) or Indian ...All restaurants are owned by individual families, generally with excellent service though the language barrier can be an obstacle at times. The food in this area tends to be dirt cheap and well worth your money. You can generally get a 4 course meal for $10 a head (with a thai or indian beer thrown in) ...As mentioned, the area can be sketchy. Drug addicts, dealers and the disadvantaged are rampant here...

So, let me know!!

I am hungry now.

Congratulations on your anniversary!

I would choose Ivory as I always enjoy a good curry! With the cheap Martini's, I would say you were in for a good night out!

I'd go to cafe Carlo - something different and original to celebrate

i love thai! i want to eat it now!
Are there no other opportunities?

Cafe Carlo

I voted for Cafe Carlo just because it sounded like you really wanted to try it, and what better a time than your anniversary?

The "different direction" intruged me though. It might be fun to take a walk on the wild side, but why do that on such a special day? Sounds cheap enough to do whenever you want. - just bring your pepper spray with you.

If it was an every-day outing, I'd say go Indian or Thai. But for a special night, I would try Cafe Carlo.

Yeah, since it is a special night I say go someplace you've never been and drop those $$$.

It looks like Cafe Carlo is topping the list here...
Yeah, its the money I was worried about..Not that I don't mind paying for great food and great service...Just that its a big chunk out of the budget...
And its a chance you take on somewhere new.
Kinda reminds me of the Seinfeld where he is talking about going out to a fancy restaurant when you're famished and you sit down and you act all "order whatever you want, sky's the limit!" Everyone's chatting and laughing, all good times...THen the check comes and the mood turns, everyone stops laughing and you look at it and say "oh, I didn't want this, did I order this? Let's see..50 divided by 3 is..."

But you are right. I can go to more reasonable places other times..

I also always worry if the servers will be dressed better than me..

Originally Posted by Gilly

Congratulations on your anniversary!

I would choose Ivory as I always enjoy a good curry!

With the cheap Martini's, I would say you were in for a good night out!

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Gilly, how much is a martini in London??????
$7.00 is an EXPENSIVE martini here

I'm all for Cafe Carlo! I would always select an intimate, Italian restaurant over anything else!

I'm with Stephanie - it would have to be small, intimate Italian for me too. Sounds just perfect.

Here is the dinner menu that really wins me over...
Its not a huge menu which I like. The pasta is supposed to be exceptional.

http://www.cafecarlo.com/Dinner Menu.html

Now you all can tell me WHAT to eat too!

I picked SUKHOTHAI because you really like it and you're sure to enjoy it! It wouldn't be good if you tried a new place, spent a good chunk of your budget, and ended up not liking the food and/or the service. On the other hand, a new place would add some excitement...but there are better things to spend your Anniversary money on than food. Congratulations, by the way!

Everything looks yummy, but I would choose this:

Fettucine with chicken, chorizo, cashews & roasted peppers in chile cream sauce .........

Originally Posted by Loveysmummy

OR WE COULD GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION:
And enter into a somewhat sketchy neighbourhood known for its many wonderful and amazing ethnic restaurants, lots of thai (which I love) or Indian ...All restaurants are owned by individual families, generally with excellent service though the language barrier can be an obstacle at times. The food in this area tends to be dirt cheap and well worth your money. You can generally get a 4 course meal for $10 a head (with a thai or indian beer thrown in) ...As mentioned, the area can be sketchy. Drug addicts, dealers and the disadvantaged are rampant here...

Click to expand...

Sounds like an adventure! You can hob-nob at the fancy-shmancy places when you're older.

I've passed by three of those restaurants at one time or another, but haven't been to them. I would pick Ivory.

I would pick Cafe Carlo!