The morning of date night arrives and I have neither a sitter nor a plan. Luckily, while I’m at work, the stars start to align. A coworker’s daughter can babysit and she doesn’t need a ride.
“So what are we doing tonight?” my husband Michael asks as he walks in the door.
“I don’t know. Let’s just drive and stop when something looks interesting. Maybe dinner then a walk in the park.”
Along the way hubby says, “Hey, Saffron Patch (on Chagrin Boulevard).”
Indian food sounds good, so I say, “Cool, let’s try it! Where is this place? I don’t see a sign on the building or the door. Oh, wait, there’s a lighted elephant in the window. This must be it.”
It turns out to be the best Indian food I’ve had in the Cleveland area. We were immediately seated, and the wait staff was friendly and gave perfect service. The menu had many drool-worthy options, including a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes, appetizers and desserts.
I chose the Chicken Tikka Masala at level-two spiciness; Michael chose a vegetarian curry with cauliflower and potato at level-five spiciness and a side of naan. The food came in cute little family-style dishes, making it easy to share. We enjoyed sampling each other’s food as we eased into adult conversation. That transition from mommy mode to grown-up mode always feels strange, like getting laughing gas at the dentist. I was no longer viewing my surroundings through the eyes of my 7-year-old for potential mischief. Instead, I noticed the twinkling candlelight, the quiet, open space of the room and two new gray hairs in my husband’s sideburns — this was exactly what this busy, brain-fried couple needed.
For me, spicy Indian food must be followed by ice cream. We stopped at Mitchell’s Homemade ice cream shop in Beachwood. My husband couldn’t resist a scoop of the Wildberry Crumble ice cream and I chose a more soothing scoop of Banana Cream Pie. We enjoyed the happy sounds of other people’s children around us as we ate unhurriedly and without the assumption that half of it would be shared with our little girl who never likes her own chosen flavor. This happy, bustling ice cream shop made me miss my kids … just a little bit. They love sitting at the little kid’s table and coloring a picture to pin on the wall, along with watching the train make its way around the room.
We might have ended the evening playing around in the mini firehouse at Preston’s H.O.P.E. playground. Unfortunately, it was raining. Maybe next time, honey.
Tips for an Evening Out on the Town:
The Saffron Patch is located at 20600 Chagrin Blvd. in Shaker Heights. Park in the lower level and go in the door closest to the glowing elephant. Go for the lunch buffet or check out the menu at thesaffronpatch.com. After dinner, make your way over to Mitchell’s Ice Cream on the backside of LaPlace, 2101 Richmond Road. Their menu has something for everyone — I’m always impressed with their vegan offerings for my dairy-sensitive son. mitchellshomemade.com.
If you plan ahead, check out theogallery.net to sign up for the next Uncorked Adult Painting class; visit The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, maltzmuseum.org; indulge in a meal at Moxie The Restaurant,moxietherestaurant.com.
