My husband and I share a birthday: Jan. 12. (I’m a half-hour older. Ahem.) Every year, we go out to dinner. And, every year, we try to agree on a restaurant.
A January birthday is already a letdown. The weather’s bad. Everyone’s sick, doing Dry January, or recovering from the holidays. Splitting the day with your spouse is a special level of dismay. It was cute in college, when bartenders would check our IDs and ask if we were born at the same hospital (um, no). As adults with two kids, it’s all about compromise and not falling asleep before 8 p.m.
We also have very distinct palates. My husband prefers meat for dinner. I could easily eat cheese in front of an open refrigerator every night of my life and be happy. I love sushi; he fears raw fish. I adore rich dips, runny eggs, and caffeine; he is terminally afraid of creamy foods and has never had a drop of coffee.
Get Winter Soup Club
As for restaurants: Because I write about food, I’m jaded. I have seen too much. If I’m splurging for my own special night out, I don’t want any surprises: haughty servers, overpriced yet microscopic food, places that seem to care more about their Instagram presence than hospitality. And, now that we’re both in our mid-40s, neither my husband nor I can tolerate anywhere that’s too loud, too dim, or that doesn’t take reservations. We have TV to be home for!
That said, we’ve found a few restaurants over the years that satisfy us both. I’ll share them here, so that you might also enjoy a celebratory night out — and, hopefully, you won’t even need to share it.
Little Donkey
A tried-and-true small-plates destination from Ken Oringer. This is where I steer hard-to-please diners and where I go myself: The global menu is creative without being overly cute. Highbrow meets low with a caviar sandwich on a potato roll and a Philly cheesesteak in arancini form. There’s lots of crudo, but there’s also a hearty wagyu pot pie and a spicy chicken sandwich draped in avocado ranch sauce (which my husband would doubtlessly request on the side). Small plates allow for plenty of sampling, and sharing, if you’re so inclined. 505 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, www.littledonkeycambridge.com
Lobster spaghetti at Moëca in Boston.Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe
Moëca
Lovely seafood-inflected pasta in North Cambridge (and hot off a Michelin nod). I love Moëca’s Jonah crab dip and Sardinian ravioli, but what I really love is that it feels like a neighborhood restaurant with the buzz of an occasion-worthy spot. Service is warm but polished, and the drinks are strong: The Mantero (mezcal, jalapeno, fresno chilies, and corn liqueur) is like a margarita’s sophisticated older cousin and worth the two Advil I’ll pop once home. Everyone here looks like they could be someone special — and is made to feel that way, too. 1 Shepard St., Cambridge, www.moecarestaurant.com
Brisket shawarma at Sarma.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Sarma
The beauty is in the Mediterranean small-plate menu’s diversity, from veggies to meat to pasta: My husband can order straightforwardly from the roving fried chicken cart, while I can float away on a savory cloud of black sea cornbread or persimmon kimchi latkes. Again, plates are small enough that you can sample a few dishes without feeling gluttonous. The dining room is clattery, but cocooning. It’s easy to feel part of something larger than yourself here. 249 Pearl St., Somerville, www.sarmarestaurant.com
A selection of Nigiri at UNI restaurant.Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
Uni
Uni has subterranean mystique. Descend the stairs at the Eliot Hotel, and you’re transported to a slinky yet sedate loungey netherworld where it’s possible for meat-eaters and sushi-lovers to harmoniously coexist. I go for the spicy tuna and foie gras tataki with aji amarillo — a rich, creamy, deeply piquant flavor bomb — while my husband happily munches on duck confit gyoza. 370A Commonwealth Ave., Boston, www.uni-boston.com
The beef tendon with “spicy Wonder” sauce at Sichuan Gourmet.Joanne Rathe
Sichuan Gourmet
Sometimes you just want to curl up on your couch when it’s snowing outside and slurp delicious hot and sour soup with your kids, celebrations be damned. Sichuan Gourmet — with locations around Greater Boston; we favor the Burlington location — is consistent and creative. I order the beef tendon slicked with wonder sauce, an umami-laced soy-vinegar combo; he gets the airily crisp dried chicken with chilies, greaseless and ethereal. We share their spicy-sugary pork-stuffed Sichuan wontons. And, while the vast menu has plenty of Sichuan specialties, there’s also approachable stuff for our kids, such as perfectly flaky scallion pancakes and beef teriyaki. Various locations; www.laosichuan.com
Kara Baskin can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @kcbaskin.
