How to Date Your Husband
A dear friend likes to tease me, “Stop dating your husband.”
Nah. I like the mystery of date night.
My husband keeps me guessing by planning the where. And, for me, it’s an excuse to slip into heels and don black eyeliner. A look that does not bode well in my classroom, or the playground for that matter.
Spending solo time with my husband – tête-à -tête – in the early evening, is a luxury. It cuts us a break from the bath/books/bedtime routine, and the girls see us step out in husband/wife mode. And really, this Cinderella fades when the sun goes down.
At 6 p.m. last Friday, we kissed our girls toodles, and like teenagers on a mission, scampered out the front door.
Chicago is a walkable city. It suits me to be able find dozens of spots to pop into for drink, or a bite, only a few blocks from my house. This night, my husband wanted to walk west. I followed his lead. We were both curious to see what newcomer opened in the small brick building on the corner of Armitage and Humboldt.
It is Parson’s Chicken & Fish.
A scruffy-faced hipster, sporting thick-framed black glasses and plaid, motioned us onto graveled back patio.
The patio was a lovely spot to crack into a can of beer as the sun set over the trees. I had an Anti-Hero IPA from Revolution Brewery and he had a Logan Square staple: PBR.
Parson’s Chicken & Fish, for those of you familiar with Chicago, is the latest venture from the team behind Logan Square’s Longman & Eagle. The chef, previously from Girl & The Goat and Lula Café, serves up southern staples, such as hush puppies, raw oysters and fried chicken and fish.
Based on the aroma, we’ll definitely be back with the girls for food.
Next on tap, we stopped by Scofflaw, a gin-focused cocktail bar with small plates and craft beers on tap.
We were on the hunt for cheap eats. It’s no secret that childcare is pricey – $15 an hour for a babysitter is serious cash for a few hours of freedom.
Scofflaw fit the bill. For $8 a dish, he ordered mussels and I ordered parmesan Risotto. Fries with pimento aioli were $4. And the overflowing basket contained more than enough to share. Miam-miam.
The decor is shabby-chic, with funky lights fixtures and mismatched couches and chairs. The music added a lively vibe – classic Motown and ’60 hits.
We left around 8:30, but word is they hand out warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at midnight.
We capped of the night at our favorite corner bar in Bucktown, The Map Room. If you like an extensive beer list (26 on tap!), this place is an institution. They serve everything from Stiegl to Three Floyd’s to Delirium Tremens.
We spent many nights in our ’20’s at the Map Room, flipping through agings National Geographics, munching pretzel sticks, and hacking on the bar’s old-school Macintosh.
The computer lives on in a state of hibernation underneath glass on a bar table.
What do you like to do for date night?
Ciao for now.
Rudeysroom 
3 Responses to “How to Date Your Husband”
cute! fun night! Sent from my iPhone
Date: Fri, 31 May 2013 15:45:56 +0000 To: kmlorden@hotmail.com
sweet post. and it made me want to move to chicago!
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