Cheap and in love

So the New Year has been going according to plan. So far this year I have accomplished nothing of note. Day in and day out, the cycle of train, work, train, do nothing for 2-3 hours, sleep, and repeat has effectively broken down my spirit to the point where doing anything different gets me excited. With Valentine’s Day coming up, I’ve made plans to take my girlfriend to the city for a show and stay at a hotel in Manhattan. I was thinking about getting her the same thing I got her last year (nothing), but I decided to spend this year and avoid any confrontation for the next year. I got tickets to see Eddie Izzard at the Union Square Theatre and reservations at the Sohotel, a former flophouse on the Bowery.
I have the show and the hotel all figured out, but I can’t think of where to eat. With all the choices in NYC it’s hard to pick any given restaurant. I wanted to go to Umberto’s Clam House in Little Italy, but she hates seafood so I think it would be selfish(shellfish?) of me to go there. I was also thinking of the legendary Peter Luger’s Steakhouse in Brooklyn, but it’s out of my way. One thought was to just skip dinner entirely, since we’re going Valentine’s day evening, and go for a picnic in the park the next day. I think there is a Whole Foods in the Bowery where I can get the requisite brie and crackers, feta-stuffed olives, fresh crusty bread, a great variety of meats and cheeses, and whatever else my thrifty mind can think of (or afford). If all else fails, we can always have beef kebobs and dirty water dogs. God bless NYC.