Struggling to come up with a plan for a romantic night out this Valentine’s Day? Take a hint from some of these Brooklyn luminaries who know what love is:
David Diamante, Nets announcer and owner of Diamante’s Brooklyn Cigar Lounge: “For guys: buy a month’s membership to the famed Gleason’s Gym. For gals: Pick up her favorite flowers from your local Brooklyn farmers market. For dinner, visit La Palina — an old-school, red-sauce Italian restaurant in Bensonhurst. Get the baked clams.”
Betsy Devine, owner of Salvatore Ricotta: “Make your way out to Melody Bowling Lanes on 37th Street and Fifth Avenue. While rolling a few games is fun, the real draw is sidling up to the bar. The barkeep Peter is a living legend. Order the jalapeno poppers and a White Russian, though maybe bring your own milk as they don’t always have a gallon on hand.”
Councilwoman Letitia James (D–Fort Greene): “Dinner in Brooklyn Bridge Park under heated tiki lamps with Manhattan as a backdrop. And, then the ring. Or propose at a Nets game.”
Adam Wilson, writer, author of “Flatscreen”: “Art of Natural Beauty in Cobble Hill has some excellent V-Day deals. There’s a package where you each get a massage, then they leave you and your date alone together in a room with a jacuzzi, sauna, and shower for a while. Free strawberries too, if I remember correctly.”
Douglas Calhoun, bartender at Red Hook’s Fort Defiance: “A good first date that’s sure to hook a cultural type is a show or movie at Brooklyn Academy of Music followed by a nightcap at No. 7 on Greene Street. They have great cocktails and relaxed but upscale vibe.”
Reach reporter Eli Rosenberg at erosenberg@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2531. And follow him at twitter.com/emrosenberg.
