Recently my husband decided to surprise me with a fun date night. Because of our finances, we can’t go out as much as we would like to. But we do want to try and go out more and experience more things and different things. The date night was simple but wonderful. Let me tell you about the restaurant we ate at called Mona Lisa, and then what we did after that.
Mona Lisa – What is it?
There is a famous painting called the Mona Lisa but that’s not what I’m talking about in this blog. In the city of Winnipeg is a small Italian restaurant called Mona Lisa. Their menu reads very Italian; I could barely read it as they used the Italian names. The atmosphere of the restaurant was a bit more upscale, but not so much that everyone was crazy dressed up. I did feel a little under-dressed in my leggings, but I wasn’t worried about it and the serving staff wasn’t either. We were given menus and our server was very informative with the menu when I asked questions about certain items. And he was very friendly, giving an overall great experience.
The Food and Drinks
There was a wine menu and then a cocktail menu. I tried the Aperol Spirits and it was delicious. This was a recommendation from our server when I asked about the different kinds. It was a great recommendation. For starter we had Ceasar salad and a small loaf of bread that was sliced for us to dip in a balsamic vinegar/olive oil mixture. It was different, but good. My main entree was called Pescatore. It was a seafood pasta and it was heavenly. I was quite full after this, but there are dessert options as well. But my husband and I were not ready for any, so we paid the tab and went on our way, thanking them for their hospitality.
Mona Lisa – Things to Note
Make a reservation! We got there right as they opened, so we were lucky to get a spot. A couple came after us and could only get a spot at the bar because the serving staff didn’t want to rush them away from a table. So, if you plan to eat here, book ahead. They also have a rule that any group over 8 people must pay an 18% gratuity. Parking is also not the greatest, so be ready in case you need to park down the street a ways. Because of the style of the restaurant, the price is up there. For the two of us, our meal came to around $116, but the food was worth the price in my opinion. I have never been to Italy, but I can imagine that they aim to be as authentic as possible.
After Mona Lisa
My husband said that we had to go to Krispie Kreme and get doughnuts. You can’t drive past there and not get any. I had no problem with it, since we were planning to bring them home. So we headed over and went inside. You can see the doughnuts being made right there, which was kind of cool. There was a bit of line, but the workers worked as fast as they could. You got to choose how many you wanted and which ones. Then they packed them up, collected our money, and we were off.
A Perfect Evening
When we got home we enjoyed doughnuts and played Mario Kart. It was all very relaxing and enjoyable – a perfect evening if you will. My husband and I enjoy going out and seeing new things, trying new places and experiences. It really is wonderful, but we know that we cannot always afford that. Sometimes date nights are simple and that is perfectly fine. There is no sense in going deeper into debt for a date night. At least that’s my opinion. As long as we get to be together, enjoy each other’s company, and grow in our relationship – that is all we need.
More Date Nights?
What did you think of this blog? Did you enjoy the premise of it? Should I write about more date nights that we go on? Let me know. I really do want to write blogs that you’ll enjoy. After all, what’s the point of writing a blog if no one will read it? If you have some ideas of things that we can do, put them in the comments below. We would love to try them, as much as we can. A trip to Italy would be great, but unless you guys are paying, it won’t happen any time soon. But maybe if we try really hard we can go on a trip of sorts this year. Who knows – anything can happen if we try.
