$50 date nights: Dinner and drinks for you and your honey, all for $50 or less
Going out on a date night? In this economy? While stagflationary dining may seem outlandish, it is possible with $50 and a little scheduling. Better than that, you can eat at places that inspire you to dress up and don’t limit you to Rainier and fries (unless that’s your vibe; no judgment).
So grab a Grant (as in Ulysses, who is on the $50 bill) and rework your calendars to save some dough but not sacrifice on taste. Here are three elevated dining experiences in Spokane for you and your sweetie that are made possible during off-peak hours.
Tavolàta
While some may argue the best restaurant deal to grace the old City Hall building was the now-shuttered Olive Garden’s never-ending soup or salad and breadsticks, Tavolàta is giving Italian food lovers a run for their money, and it includes fresh, house-made pasta.
On Mondays and Tuesdays, Ethan Stowell’s restaurant offers a special $45 dinner for two, in which diners can choose from two of Tavolàta’s house-made pastas and a bottle of wine.
The hospitality is the highlight of this North Wall restaurant, and the servers know their menu and their wines. Low-fi beats serve as the background sound to dinner, which outside of the $45 menu, can include olives, charcuterie, salads, chicken parm, sea bass and steak.
There are five al dente pasta options on the dinner for two and four wine options: a bubbly, white, rosé or red. Wine upgrades are available for an upcharge.
When to save dough: Mondays and Tuesdays. Reservations recommended; request the separate Pasta Dinner for Two menu.
What we ordered: Two dishes of the Rigatoni “The King” with spicy sausage, tomato, marjoram, chili and Parmesan (one made vegan, by request); a bottle of Alverdi wine, a 2022 Barbera of Pavia, Italy
What caught our eye: Gnocchi alla Telefono, with spicy red sauce, garlic, butter and mozzarella; Lumache with tomato vodka sauce, basil and whipped stracciatella; and the Underground “Mr. Pink” rosé, a 2022 Sangiovese wine from Washington state.
What we paid: $45, before tax and tip
Where: 221 N. Wall St., Spokane
Pure Northwest
This recently opened restaurant lives where many people would not expect a fancy date night: the former Red Lion Pub. The 115-year-old building at 126 N. Division St. housed a decadeslong pub for kicking back, watching sports and drinking beer, but since opening in late June, Pure Northwest has been renovated into an upscale lounge-style restaurant with craft cocktails and regional bites.
Although a stained-glass red lion still watches over the bar-entry door, completely revamped decor includes low-light lamps, gold-rimmed mirrors, leather seating and greenery.
Darin Talotti (of Pacific Avenue Pizza, the Viking, Whisk and North Hill) and Frances Brown are the owners.
When to save dough: From 3-6 p.m. daily. Specials include $4 draft microbrews, rotating wine specials, $4 off select appetizers and $4 off house cocktails, which are the stars of the show.
What we ordered: Espresso Martini ($7 on happy hour); PNW Old Fashioned ($8 on happy hour); Smash Burger with Seasoned Waffle Fries ($9); and Impossible Cheese Steak with Seasoned Waffle Fries ($14).
What caught our eye: Mediterranean Platter ($13 on happy hour) with roasted pepper hummus, yellow curry hummus, tzatziki, olive tapenade, veggies and pita; Poke Nachos ($12 on happy hour) with ahi tuna, ginger, ponzu sauce, wakame, sesame seeds, avocado and fried wontons; and the Cinnamon Girl ($7 on happy hour) with tequila, casis, cinnamon, lime and agave.
What we paid: $38, before tax and tip
Where: 126 N. Division St., Spokane
Rüt
Plant-eaters and meat-eaters alike will enjoy this modern, all-vegan gastropub on the South Hill, home to craft cocktails, mood lighting and local art.
The intimate and unassuming restaurant is sandwiched between Rosauers and Bennedito’s Pizza. The restaurant was founded by Justin Oliveri and Josh Lorenzen, and the latter is the chef, who is inspired by Pacific Northwest cuisine.
If you and your sweetie enjoy sharing plates, this is the kind of place to order multiple on happy hour, when the “bites” are just that. Mix and match appetizers (dubbed “smaller” on the menu), split a meal (dubbed “larger”) or share a dessert to make it all a meal.
When to save dough: 3-5 p.m. daily (closed Tuesdays). Specials include $1 off wine, craft beer and housemade sodas; $8 happy hour cocktails; $5-7 happy hour bites
What we ordered: Half Order Cauliflower Wings ($7) with buffalo sauce; Lil Truffle Mac ($8) with cavatappi pasta, grilled broccolini, coconut bacon bits and bread crumb aleppo flakes; the Rita ($8) with reposado, citrus and aleppo salt; the Amaretto & Rye ($8); and the Jalapeño Mushroom Burger ($19) with impossible burger patty, seitan bacon, sautéed mushroom, crispy onion, cream cheese, jalapeño relish and a pretzel bun.
What caught our eye: Peasar Salad ($7) with snap peas, bacon bits, red onion, mint and bread crumbs; and Tinto de Verano ($8) with red wine citrus and lemon-lime soda
What we paid: $50, before tax and tip
Where: 901 W. 14th Ave., Spokane
Other date night discounts
The Davenport Tower’s Safari Room offers 50% off well liquor, beer and wine, plus $10 flatbreads, from 4-6 p.m. daily. Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar, from 3-6 p.m. daily and 9 p.m.-close Tuesday through Saturday, hosts happy hour with $4-8 bites, $10 flatbreads, $5 draft beers, $8 wines and $10 cocktails and martinis. In-lounge, Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops has $5.50 house wines, $11 house martinis, and $5-19 dips and bites from 3-5 p.m. daily. Also from 3-5 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, Clinkerdagger offers happy hour with $6-$12 appetizers, $4-6 beers, $8-10 cocktails and $7-9 wines.
Are there other fine-dining establishments that offer inexpensive eats you’d like to share? Drop us a line at lindseyt@spokesman.com with your foodie secrets to share with other readers.