Impromptu date night

Have you ever had an impromptu date night? Boyfriend and I had one last week. I'm not the most spontaneous person in the world, but this was a very nice surprise that I wouldn't mind repeating ^_^

We went to Cucina Urbana, which both boyfriend and I have heard rave reviews. I didn't really know what to expect because I have only ever driven by the place. I was delighted by their decor, atmosphere, and food! Oh boy was I in love with the food *sigh*....no offense boyfriend LOL :P

The restaurant was dimly lit with a great combination of modern and rustic feel to it.

Even on a Thursday night, the place was packed and we were not able to get a table. However, we did get two very comfortable seats at the pizza counter! What it that, you ask? It's a long shared table right in front of the pizza kitchen! You can watch the chefs prepare your pizza!

I love the wood they used on the walls below. I think I want this in my own kitchen one day!

Oh! These cute bird lights were right above our seats! Aren't they cute?

Now let's talk about the food! If you love Italian, this is the place for you! Oh I am getting hungry just writing about it. For appetizer, we ordered the fried squash blossoms stuffed with herb ricotta cheese with purple basil pesto and cured lemon aioli on the side. OMG!!! So good! I've never had squash blossoms before and boyfriend hates squash, but we both loved this dish! A definite must-try if you come to this place!

For our entrees, boyfriend ordered the speck and pineapple pizza and I ordered the braised short rib pappardelle. Both were excellent! The pizza had a nice spiciness to it and the crust was perfectly cooked.  The pappardelle was out of this world! The short rib was so tender that it flaked apart and the sauce.....I think I can drink buckets of that sauce!

Of course, no Italian dinner is complete without some vino! I ordered the syrah from Paso Robles. It was dry and slightly spicy, just the way I like it! I think I am improving my tolerance for wine....YES!