Splurge-worthy Sunday: An awesome dinner out



http://www.rinatarestaurant.com/

 Just got back from an awesome date night with my husband. We received a gift certificate to Rinata for Christmas (with free babysitting thanks to my in-laws!). I had heard that they have a Sunday night special, so we decided to use the gift certificate tonight. And what a great meal it was for a great value.

Rinata has Sunday night Date Night. They offer a 4-course meal for $20. There were two or three choices for each course. They also offer 1/2 price bottles of wine from 4:30-6:00 every day and all night on Monday and Tuesdays. Our 5:30pm Sunday reservation was perfect because we could take advantage of the wine deal, Date Night menu, and also get home in time to put our daughter to bed.

First Course: There were three choices, a soup, an olive plate, and an eggplant dish. We both chose eggplant. It was a long piece of eggplant flattened and rolled up with goat cheese and pine nuts, all in a tomato sauce. Yum!

Second Course: Two salad choices. My husband had the Caesar which looked tasty. I had the beet salad and was not disappointed. The beets were earthy and delicious, and served with spicy greens and some nuts. I love beets so it was a perfect choice for me.

Main Dish: There were three choices- a pork shoulder with ziti and red sauce, clams in a butter/white sauce with pasta, and a risotto. I had the risotto with local root vegetables, which were carrots, celery root, and parsnips. It was creamy and very tasty. My husband had the clam dish, the clams were done very well and the pasta sauce had a nice hint of spice.

Dessert: We both had the tiramisu. There was also a gelato choice. We both enjoyed the tiramisu.

Overall it was a great value. We both think that the portions would probably be larger if they were ordered off of the regular menu rather than the Date Night menu, but we both left nicely full. There was also a nice basket of warm bread with an olive oil/tapenade. Service was great as well, with our waiter making a perfect wine recommendation.

So, if you live in the Twin Cities and are looking for a nice dinner out with a great value, try Rinata. We have also eaten at their sister restaurant Al Vento and enjoyed that as well.