New York is filled with a ton of restaurants and of course you know the usual suspects like Per Se, Jean Georges, Daniel, Gramercy Tavern and Nobu. Yeah, been there and done that but do you really want to take her out to these restaurants for Valentine's Day? Sure there's the allure of the name and don't get me wrong, these are super fantastic restaurants and are normally difficult places to get reservations -- btw, you can walk in or call Nobu that day for lunch. I would suggest finding a more intimate setting for Valentine's Day. As you can tell from my previous posts, I like finding the gem restaurants because you can always default to the big names when you're at an impasse. You can always go to these biggies anytime (call Per Se a couple months in advance) but I say surprise her and keep it intimate and romantic. A couple years ago we went to a French restaurant in or below Soho and I can't recall the name, but I remember my ex loving the place because she always loved anything remotely French -- I also gave her a french gift for our french themed evening. It was a warm place with a rustic decor that took you away from the busyness of NYC. What I remember most was her happiness for the evening and how she appreciated the thought of a french evening.

On a different note, they say chivalry is lost and if you lost it a while back, perhaps this is the best day to start up new habits or the old ones that she really appreciated. Remember the beach party that Henry threw for Lucy in 50 First Dates? As Lucy and her friends were huddled, Maya Rudolph (of SNL fame) adores how Henry plans a first date every day and she then slaps her hubby for not even opening up the door for her anymore. Perhaps it's time for new habits that she'll appreciate.