What more could a girl want for her 10 year anniversary than a delicious (hot!) meal and some fabulous shopping?? Not much, at least for me! My hubby and I celebrated our TEN year anniversary last week and we were so lucky to be able to experience the delicious Davanti Enoteca at Del Mar Highlands Town Center for dinner, followed by some shopping at Lolo and Diane’s Beachwear.
I wasn’t sure what to expect/how to dress for dinner, and upon arrival, I was happy to find out that Davanti was perfect for either a fancy night out, or just a casual day date! The restaurant feel was modern yet classy, and had such a fun hip vibe going on. Wine bottles of every kind adorned the walls with a mix of vintage and modern décor. We were greeted by a friendly hostess who offered us our choice of seating style: bar height table, booth, or standard table. I was already impressed! We chose a bar height table and were seated without a wait in a nice cozy spot.
The menu presented had more than enough choices but did not feel overwhelming. After researching a little bit on Yelp earlier in the day, we had come in knowing that we MUST try their Focaccia Di Recco, a Ligurian flatbread filled with soft goat cheese and topped with fresh honeycomb. Are you drooling yet? I’m just getting started. The flatbread came out hot off the fire, so the honeycomb melted the second it touched the bread and the cheese+bread+honey combo was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. This was a huge portion and honestly we could have been done with dinner after sharing only that dish. But…I’m glad we kept going.
I ordered the Cacio E Pepe, a simple but delicious pasta dish meaning “cheese & pepper.” But don’t confuse simple with boring- this dish was heaven on earth! As told to us by our waiter, Davanti prides themselves in their hot meals, so even if your meal finishes before someone else’s on your table, they bring it out anyway. They want your food to be hot and they want you to enjoy it. Mamas, when was the last time you had HOT pasta? I can’t remember the last time I made a pasta dish that I didn’t have to warm up in the microwave after dishing up 3 little people, and finally getting around to eating. Is there anything better than melted cheese, noodles, and pepper? Prepared by someone else? Such good comfort food, you can’t go wrong with this dish.
After glancing at Davanti’s website before dinner, my husband had already made up his mind that he was going to order the famous Davanti Burger, voted one of Chicago’s top 25 most Iconic Burgers. He is a big burger connoisseur, so he was excited to give this a try. I actually don’t think I even saw the burger to be honest, it was gone before I could even check it out. That, or I was too preoccupied with my noodles. One may never know! The burger came with the most delicious parmesan cheese fries I have ever had, and I know it won’t be the last time he orders this dish.
Our waiter was so kind and was so attentive to us the entire evening. We had quickly mentioned that we were celebrating our ten year anniversary, and to our surprise he had the most delicious dessert brought out to us with a candle and everything! The dessert was as beautiful as it’s name- Torta al Limone con Savoiardi. This was a delicious whipped mascarpone with a crispy fried shell and lemon sauce. I’m still dreaming about this dessert and the only thing that could have been better would have been if they would have given us four instead of three. We had to share the last one and I don’t think either of us were happy about it! All in all, Davanti exceeded our expectations and we cannot wait to go back. The food and atmosphere could not have been more perfect for our anniversary and we are so glad we had this experience!
Following dinner, my hubby generously let me spend some time in a few shops adjacent to the restaurant. He knows that shopping is the key to my heart, so he obliged and followed me around while I drooled over the beautiful clothing.
Lolo is a boutique with clothing at affordable prices! Lolo offers women’s clothing and accessories, as well as locally made jewelry and purses. I was also interested to hear that they never carry more than two items in a size per style, so your pieces are truly almost one of a kind! So if you see something while you are there, don’t hesitate! You may not see it again if you go back. I did purchase this gorgeous sweater (above), I couldn’t live without it once I put it on! So buttery soft!
Diane’s Beachwear was our last stop on our date night, and I was glad we stopped in! Diane’s offers high-end beach wear, from cover-ups, to beach bags, to hats, and jewelry! They had everything you could ever want to look stylish on the beach. My favorite was this sparkly pineapple trucker hat. Speaking of regrets… I really wish I would have purchased it! The prices were a little bit on the higher side, but the quality was amazing and there’s no way you can go in without coming out with a wish list of items. I would love to go back again… maybe without the hubby this time. All in all we had the perfect anniversary date night! It was so fun to explore a little bit of Del Mar that we hadn’t been to before, and to find some new favorite spots.
If you are looking for the perfect date night, make your reservation for Davanti Enoteca and check out all the shopping and entertainment options at Del Mar Highlands Town Center to plan a date night unique to you and your significant other.
