The Grub Hub By Mollie Coyne 
The Perfect Parisian Date. Someone once told me that he’s fallen in love more than once in Paris. So with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, The Grub Hub would like to recommend a cozy, romantic spot for all you lovebirds out there. I know you’re out there. You’re in the city of love. Or at least lights (which can make you almost as dizzy). Actually I’d like to give out more than just resto advice. What about the whole date? In New York, some people believe that the perfect date is a roundtrip jaunt on the Staten Island Ferry followed by a Gray’s Papaya hotdog. Good views, good grub and a good deal. What the Paris equivalent? 
When I did Internet searches to find romantic things to do in Paris, practically everyone advises a trip up the Eiffel Tower followed by dinner Bofinger. Maybe. If I’d never been to Paris before, I think I might agree. But what about those of us who have eaten at Bofinger so many times that we don’t care to ever go back (or even, gasp, have a preference to sit across the street at Le Petit Bofinger with its mosaic floor)? What about those of us who are too jaded to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower? What is our perfect date? What about this? (Please share your ideas in the comments box below.) First, pack a blanket, a very cold bottle of champagne and two glasses (wrapped in a kitchen towel) into a backpack. Oh heck, you can throw in a box of strawberries and raspberries if you can find them at this time of year. Next, you and your date head up to the Bassin de la Villette in the 19th and get on the 2:30 p.m. boat for a leisurely trip down the Canal St. Martin. Don’t worry, the boats aren’t crowded this time of year and it’s a different twist on the typical, boring Seine tour. You and your date, hand in hand, watch Paris go slowly by you. Try to guess which bridge Amélie Poulain skipped stones off of. Contemplate the engineering of the system of locks. 
As you step off of your boat around 5:00 p.m. in the Port de l’Arsenal in the 4th, mosey west into the Marais. It’s time for a post-yachting drink. You have around two hours to relax in a sidewalk café, enjoying coffee, tea or wine. Nothing too heavy quite yet. At 7:30, you’re having dinner at one of the most romantic little restaurants on one of the most romantic squares in all of Europe. It is la Guirlande de Julie on the Place des Vosges. (La Guirlande is at 25, Place des Vosges in the 3rd. To make reservations, call 01 48 87 94 07.) Ah, the Place des Vosges, where you can almost always hear buskers—be it jazz, accordion cabaret or a classical string quartet. Walking hand in hand around the perimeter of the Place under the arcade, it’s easy to spend an hour strolling around and looking in the windows of art galleries and antique jewelry shops. La Guirlande de Julie is one of my favorite little romantic restaurants in Paris. The décor is pure romance with its light pink canvas, flowers, sage green accents, and latticework. The restaurant is calm and quiet and the servers go out of their way to treat you well. 
As one of les petits maisons of the Tour d’Argent group, la Guirlande won’t break the bank, but will still impress your date. The menu (for both lunch and dinner) only costs 27 euros. When we ate dinner there, I had fabulous roasted duck, cooked a bit on the rare side (as requested!), adorned with warm cranberries. The food is fresh and traditional French, yet the menu has a variety of options, including a club sandwich and lamb cous-cous. A meal for two with wine may cost around 100 euros depending on whether you order the menu or à la carte and how expensive your wine is. Still, that’s 100 euros for the both of you and not per person. Definitely a good deal. After dinner, you and your date walk south towards the Île St. Louis (turn down rue de Turenne). Find your spot along the lower quay, set up your blanket, champagne and strawberries, and toast to that lover of all lovers—St. Valentine. So what’s your idea of a perfect Parisian date?
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