Bike Date Friday: Florida Family Dinner

Visiting family in Florida didn’t mean we’d have to miss our bike date. We just took them along for the ride. The plan: dining alfresco Florida style, which translates to dining on a screened-in porch at a restaurant down the beach. This is a far cry from the Florida of my youth, where the better restaurants boldly announced “Air Conditioned Dining Room” on signs visible from the highway.

As we rolled out of my sister’s neighborhood, a pedicab driver tried to sell us on a ride. Given that pretty much everyone in their seaside resort town rides bikes, it was a tough sell.

Besides, my sister Patty would rather pedal than sit. Doesn’t she look great in her Donald Pliner gold lame mules? It was her first time riding in heels, but it was no problem.

The parking lot at Borago wasn’t set up for a party of seven on bikes, but we made do, chaining our bikes together with cable locks. Not that the typical oversized Grayton Beach pickup truck couldn’t have held all of them.

Everyone enjoyed their dinner. My chicken piccata and Dick’s eggplant were particularly tasty.  The Pinot Grigio wasn’t bad either, but it was hardly at the optimal 45-50 degree serving temperature.

Air conditioned dining room or screened-in porch?  In a car or on a bike?

Where would you rather be on a warm and humid summer night?

 

Bike Date Friday: The Original at Café Renzo

My husband and I have decided to make every Friday night a standing date night. We rarely go out, and realize it needs to be pre-scheduled. Dick’s day off from work is Friday, so that was an easy decision. I want the romance of him picking me up like a real date, so we decided he would come to my workplace and get me. The twist: since I ride my bike to work, he would ride his bike too.

Here’s my date rolling up to my office to pick me up for our date night. I’m tickled that he wore a nice sweater and put flat pedals on his single speed so he could wear going-out shoes.

There’s a seemingly limitless assortment of restaurants within a 30 minute ride of my office. This week’s destination: Café Renzo in downtown Palo Alto. We passed on the sidewalk seating in favor of a cozy window table. There were heaters, but I didn’t want to risk getting cold. The dinner was particularly good, but you’ll have to take our word on it since I didn’t pull out the camera.

After dinner, we strolled down University Avenue just for fun. We stopped in at a Halloween store and bought some decorations, and then caught a free pedicab ride back to our bikes. We told the driver that we had our bikes on the next block, but he convinced us to hop in for a spin. So much fun! It put a smile on everyone’s face.

The whole night was very romantic, especially cruising home by the light of a full moon. The neighborhood streets are so peaceful after rush hour ends. All you need is a good set of lights and you’re set.

Have you ever gone out on a date on a bike? If so, where did you go? If not, where would you go?