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David Niacaris.
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David Niacaris.
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David Niacaris.
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Sunda New Asian.
From a date night in to a night out on the town, Kevin Byard — Tennessee Titans free safety — and his wife Clarke, share their favorite things to do to celebrate Valentine's Day in Nashville.
Wine and Dine
Valentino's Ristorante is our favorite restaurant in Nashville. We usually go there every year for my [Clarke] birthday and every year for Valentine's Day when we're in town. It's super romantic and cozy. It doesn't have more than twenty to thirty tables inside and it's dimly lit, so it has an old school New York City vibe. Valentino's is a great spot to get dressed up and have a nice quiet dinner on the town. The lasagna is my [Clarke] favorite thing to order. [Kevin] doesn’t even eat bananas but we order the banana foster they serve table side every time. It's that good!
Date Night In
We have used a party planner who has a side company where he does only small events with two to fifty people. One time we went to Alabaster in East Nashville which is small enough for two people, and we had it catered to set up a dinner for just us two. Flowers decorated the space and we also had our wedding video playing in the background. If we can’t get a babysitter we will put together something similar and do it at home! We'll get flower arrangements from our favorite florist, Jen Solesby, and set them up with candles in the living room or man cave. Then, we’ll order takeout from a restaurant like Sunda New Asian. You can even make your own food and cook your favorite recipe. Our favorite is short ribs in the crockpot. (Recipe below!).
[Beef Short Ribs]
Ingredients:
- 3 lb. bone-in beef short ribs
- 1 pkg. of cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 tbs. of fresh grated ginger
- 2 tsp. of cumin
- 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
- 1 tbs. turmeric
- Pink Himalayan salt & black ground pepper
- 6 oz. beef bone broth
- 1 cube of beef bouillon
Directions:
- Trim fat off short ribs, pat dry with paper towel, and rub them down with salt and pepper.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to pan and sear. Transfer meat to crockpot and add all ingredients. Cook on low for at least 4 hours.
- Take out meat and transfer to pan when you have reached your desired level of tenderness.
- Mix a cup of the broth from the crockpot with your choice of bbq sauce and pour mixture over ribs. Cook on broil for 3 minutes.
For the Adventurer(s)
We have gone to the axe throwing bar in town before. For those who aren’t hopeless romantics getting out of the house and doing an experience together is a great option, too. You can even go to a live show before or after dinner. There's so many options in the city like the Ryman, a local bar or restaurant, the Nashville Symphony or Candlelight.
Staycation
Get a room in the city at a hotel like Thompson Nashville or The Joseph and have a night out in your own city. We’ve gone to dinner followed by drinks at Red Phone Booth, and then we’ll get a room downtown. It feels like you’re going away somewhere, but without the hassle.
Kids in Tow
Sometimes it's difficult to fit in a date night since our kids are so little and we have a busy schedule. If you can't get out for a Valentine's date night, pack a picnic and take a family day trip to Cheekwood to look at the flowers or a trip to the Nashville Zoo to see the animals. Pack a pretty lunch and make it fun!