It is going on month seven of basically staying at home 24/7, and Andy + I are missing going out to all of our favorite spots across the city so we decided to do a special date night at home on Saturday night! To me, it is so important not to get stuck in an everyday routine, you have to celebrate all of the good things in life and this little ‘date night’ was just what we needed!
Making it Special
Dress Up
To elevate an evening from just a normal night at home, you need to do a few things to set the tone! First off, we dressed up a bit… nothing fancy, but it was nice to put on a dress, do my hair + makeup and have A wear a button-down shirt! Putting in a touch of effort is appreciated by both of us!
Fancy Up the Table
Next is the part I really enjoy– setting the table! We went to our local flower CSA in the morning and picked some beautiful sunflowers for the middle of the table and then I got to use these new summery plates I bought this summer. They’re now on sale and so perfect for entertaining! Candles are an absolute must… I love the classic look of tapers, but you could use anything to give off that candlelit glow!
Serve Something Fun
Lastly, good food + good drinks really make it a special evening! More on that below, but it is so fun to try something different together whether that’s a new bottle of wine, a recipe you’ve always wanted to make, or even a new cocktail!
To kick off the evening and probably one of my favorite parts of the night was getting some fresh oysters to shuck at home! I will say we both a little intimidated by the idea of eating raw oysters at home, but it could have not been easier! Andy picked up about a dozen Atlantic oysters at Whole Foods and then we used this tool to shuck them which protects your hands and makes it super easy! I made a simple mignonette sauce and we sliced a few lemons to squeeze on top and voila! Add a glass of bubbly and there is nothing better!!
Our #1 favorite restaurant in Cincinnati is Boca (this is where we’re getting married in October!), but right now they’re still closed… however, they just launched Boca Test Kitchen where they deliver a meal that is 95% of the way done and you just have to finish the final 5%. We ordered the Chicken alla Porchetta which was organic chicken stuffed with local bitter greens + cheeses and then paired with a fresh panzanella…beyond delicious! Another added bonus: it serves 4-6 per box, so we have tons of leftovers! If you’re local make sure you follow them on Instagram @bocacincy and they’ve been posting in their stories how to get on the list!
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