By Carol Diuguid, ZAGAT.com staff editor
Las Vegas locals are fools for love, French is the sexiest cuisine and if you haven't made reservations yet, better start dialing. Those are among the conclusions to be drawn from our special Valentine's Day Survey.
Given that the big day for romance is also one of the year's
biggest days for restaurants, we felt it our duty to uncover
the facts about how people celebrate: what they spend, how far
in advance they plan and which qualities make for the most seductive
meals. We also attempted to do the admittedly impossible: take
the amorous temperature of various cities by examining local
attitudes toward the holiday (see box below).
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Overall, the Survey revealed something that should warm the hearts
of cynics: only 26% of the 1,640 people who responded declared
themselves to be unabashed fans of Valentine's Day. "Amateur
hour" is how 39% view it, while 19% think it should be abolished
and 16% shrug it off as just another day.
Still, whether out of genuine enthusiasm or a desire to avoid
the doghouse, legions are making plans for February 14th. click
here for a sampling of restaurants in 12 cities offering
something special for Valentine's Day. And read--> Read on for
more insights from our Survey, which was sent to a national sample
of registered ZAGAT.com users.
Big Spenders: Respondents plan to spend an average of about $100 per person on V-Day dinner, with under-35s spending the least (about $92) and 35–49ers the most (about
$109).
Role Reversal: It's not necessarily the man who has to foot the bill – 57% of women and 46% of men say it's whoever did the inviting.
Real Men Do Cook: More men than women (39% vs. 28%) would prefer to cook a nice meal at home for V-Day, and – conveniently enough – more women than men (19% vs. 9%) want someone to cook a meal for them. (The jury's still out on who will do the dishes...)
Cuisine Themes: French is considered the most romantic cuisine (especially if served in a cozy bistro), chosen by 44% of voters vs. runner-up Italian's 22%. Fondue, tapas and anything "you can share" or "eat with your hands" also earned mentions. And surprise: more women than men think steak is sexy. P.S. In case you need to be told, pub grub and molecular
gastronomy don't cut it in the romance department.
Early Birds: Forty-three percent of respondents think V-Day dinner reservations should be made three or more weeks in advance, and another 30% say one or two weeks ahead.
Those who like to live dangerously (3%) would leave it till the day before, while 7% would take their chance and just walk in.
Recipe for Romance: Top factors that make a restaurant romantic: a quiet atmosphere (cited by 64%), soft lighting (53%) and beautiful views (37%). Other desirables: attentive, discreet service, "space between tables" and "a sense of privacy." And of course, "no one nearby with chest hairs and tank tops."
Liquid Weapons: Wine (with 51% of the vote) beats champagne (24%) and other libations as the preferred alcoholic aphrodisiac.
Love at First Sight? Thirteen percent of respondents would celebrate Valentine's Day with a person they just met, while 74% need three or more dates with someone before
they'll commit to the big day.
Love-Struck Locales: Las Vegas tops our "Sizzle
Meter" index
(see box above); its residents most frequently identified themselves
as "fools for romance" who believe Valentine's Day never loses
its importance in a relationship. They're also most likely to
follow up a V-Day dinner with a gift. Los Angelenos also know
how to seal a deal: they're most likely to "make a beeline for
the bedroom" after the meal. And as you might guess, New Yorkers
are most likely to view the holiday as an "overly commercial
rip-off" – maybe that's why they're also most likely to "wind
up fighting with my partner" after the meal.