Canlis
If you’re looking for instant romance and Justin Timberlake’s favorite Christmas gift just isn’t your style, hit Canlis. Canlis’ luxe Northwestern cuisine and classy vibe will bring out your inner smooth operator. Think the food alone might not do it? Shell out a crisp Ben Franklin to rent the “Caché,” a tiny private dining room squirreled away on Canlis’ top floor. With no one but your private server to overhear, you’ll be free to sing out your sweet nothings while you gaze across Lake Union to the Cascades. After dinner, plug your own iPod into the stereo, cue some Marvin Gaye, and invite your date to recline on the chaise longue while you train Canlis’ telescope on the lights you used to spell out her name on your roof. You can even deal with the bill in advance, so you don’t have to worry about the record skipping when the check comes. JESS THOMSON
Serves: Pacific Northwest Steak House2576 Aurora Ave. N., 206-283-3313.
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http://www.canlis.com
Crush
The name of this restaurant stems from the crush co-owner Nicole Wilson still has on chef (and now husband) Jason Wilson. What better place to get a first date right? Crush is the lair for a new breed of sophisticate who takes food seriously but doesn’t require the stodgy trappings of fine dining. The cool whites and browns of the space feel confidently chic. Wilson’s food is rustic, with deeply layered flavors and impeccable balance. For example, he pairs pork belly with ahi or black cod, setting the duo off with fennel confit, and fosters every scallop to a perfect sear. The chef remembers that smell is the largest component of taste, and every dish seems aphrodisiac-dusted. End the night with his cakey concoction of the moment, such as warm gingerbread, and watch your date melt like the cinnamon ice cream that nestles up alongside it. MAGGIE DUTTON
Serves: American2319 E. Madison St., 206-302-7874.
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http://www.crushonmadison.com
Madame K's Pizza Bistro
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s famous quote, “Well-behaved women rarely make history,” tops the menu of this former brothel, now Ballard’s most decadent pizzeria. So if you’ve begun your date already planning a nightcap, do a little foreshadowing at Madame’s, where the servers don slips in a saucy, punky way. To quote another lady who’d likely enjoy the atmosphere here, Mae West once said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly,” and that’s how you’ll want to approach your evening, starting with a glass of lipstick-red wine. “Cultivate your curves—they may be dangerous, but they won’t be avoided,” advised Ms. West, so don’t shy away from the carb-and-cheese goodness of the Artie Parmie Pie or the White Pie From the Heavens (no sauce, four cheeses, and spinach, mmmm). And what might Mae say of Madame K’s only dessert, the chocolate-chip Orgasm, whose sales partially benefit Planned Parenthood? “I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure.” RACHEL SHIMP
Serves: Pizza5327 Ballard Ave. N.W., 206-783-9710.
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Meskel
“This looks like someone’s house!” said my date when I took him to Meskel. The restaurant’s big terrace is made for warm summer nights. Being rained out is no loss, though, because the domestic interior of this Central District hideaway is where you can best take in the scent of braised meats and spices. If the glasses of Harar beer and honey wine don’t bring on the romance, you’ll be sure to find it when one of the friendly servers brings out your dishes—savory chicken doro wat or yebeg tibbs (lamb with onions and chiles)—and spoons them both onto the same injera-covered plate. You probably haven’t eaten with your hands from the same bowl as your date since—well, ever. After you find yourself reaching over each other to gobble up the last of the dishes, you’ll see: It’s a must. KARLA STARR
Serves: Ethiopian2605 E. Cherry St., 206-860-1724.
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http://www.meskelrestaurant.com/
Panos Kleftiko
The first time I noticed discreet little Panos Kleftiko on a summer walk around southeast Queen Anne, it had a sign on the door: “Off drinking in Greece. Closed for the month.” That small dose of Eurocentrism was all I needed to start counting the days until the taverna’s owners got back from their boozy Mediterranean sojourn. When I finally returned, there was a half-hour wait to secure a table. So I waited. Perusing the encyclopedic appetizer menu took time, too. But it took just a few bites of hot butter beans in red sauce, spanakopita, and tzatziki-smothered pita before I was in love. As far as I’m concerned, it’s not established big-bucks haunts like Canlis or waterfront-view places like Palisade that are most apt to send sparks flying—it’s a place like Panos, which shows your companion that you know where authenticity lies. The best way to order here is to make a meal out of the apps, tapas style, and the leisurely pace of service allows for you and your date to relax. Every touch is, well, touching—and might lead to post-meal touching as well. MIKE SEELY
Serves: Mediterranean/Middle Eastern815 Fifth Ave. N., 206-301-0393.
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The Sitting Room
My, what a lovely dress you have on this evening. It is an intoxicating match with your eyes, especially in the glow of these candles and vintage fixtures. Perhaps you would like to share with me some fine champagne? No? It gives you a headache? You already have a headache? Well, it appears that a pomegranate martini is in any case the house specialty. So. What tender victuals shall we savor this evening? Oh my, it appears that the Sitting Room no longer serves a full restaurant menu, only lighter fare. I never dreamed. . . . No matter. We will order another pomegranate martini and see about . . . I’m sorry? I’m leaning in too close to you? It is simply the volume of the sophisticated European ambient soundtrack, which makes it necessary for me to cling to your every word. Perhaps we can start with the exquisite chèvre–red pepper–pine nut spread or one of the other assiettes that are, as the menu says, perfect for creating a meal for two. What? You had a late lunch? You are feeling unwell? No matter. My flat at the Queen Anne Arms is right around the corner. . . . MARK D. FEFER
Serves: Bar Food European108 W. Roy St., 206-285-2830.
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http://www.the-sitting-room.com