February 14, 2011 – Valentine’s Day Dinner

February 14, 2011 – Valentine’s Day Dinner

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!  I suppose that some of you are hoping that I will just outright ban this Hallmark holiday.  After all it does put a lot of pressure of people to be romantic and it does tend to make people depressed if they are without a special someone.  But while I totally understand your arguments, you will have to understand that your Queen is a girlie-girl at heart and since I am lucky enough to have a wonderful someone special of my own, I don’t mind a holiday that obliges him to be romantic.  I think it’s nice.  So I say bring on the cheesy cards, the flowers, the candy, the giant teddy bears.  I love it all…with one small exception.  I don’t like how many restaurants use a prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day and other major holidays like New Year’s Eve.  Valentine’s Day is a time for going out to that really expensive restaurant you have been eyeing for months but can’t regularly afford.  When you finally get to go you want to have full reign over their entire regular menu (plus some specials).  You don’t want to be relegated to a specific “Valentine’s Day” fare that may be far inferior.  Besides which, if you’re a picky eater like I am, a prix fixe menu, which is usually very limited, may not have anything appealing.  Why be so limiting?  I was recently in a restaurant on Thanksgiving Day that offered a special prix fixe meal for the holiday but also maintained the availability of their regular menu.  I think this is a far superior plan.  Some people may like the prix fixe option.  But for others, Valentine’s Day may be their only chance to dine at a particular restaurant and they should be able to get the dish they have been dreaming about for months. 

I think a lot of restaurants use the prix fixe menu to increase their profits on days when they know they will be fully booked.  It may also be a convenience factor so that they can get food out faster on these busy days.  I would honestly rather it if restaurants were honest about their intentions and just raised their prices on holidays.  Don’t get excited though.  Raising prices isn’t going to be OK.  I was just saying I would rather that. 

Restaurants that want to offer a prix fixe menu on certain special occasions must also offer the full regular menu at regular prices.

I know this will make me happy at least.  For those who really like prix fixe menus I hope that this decree doesn’t dissuade restaurants from offering them.  It shouldn’t.

As always I remain your all-powerful and benevolent Queen of the World,

Marisa