Date Night, Plot Twist Included

Nothing beats walking through the door and hearing your husband ask, “Would you like to go out to dinner?” My answer was an immediate and very enthusiastic, “YES!” Random surprises are one of the many things I love about him. We haven’t had a proper date night in months, unless you count grabbing coffee at the local Wawa before our weekly grocery run. Romantic? Technically. Glamorous? Not exactly.

After dropping our oldest off at her high school football game, we headed to Brick, the same restaurant where we had our first date. We even landed in the same seats at the bar. That was also the spot where I admitted that, thanks to the first few messages sent to him, he had technically been catfished. Shout-out to the coworker who led me to him! To this day, he still insists our relationship started with a lie. I prefer to think of it as creative matchmaking.

We ordered drinks, his old faithful, Captain and ginger, and a delicious apple pie cocktail for me, and settled in. A couple of our neighbors had apparently followed the same parenting playbook: drop the kids at the football game, then escape for date night. Before ordering food, we told the waiter about Mike’s gluten allergy and asked for the crispy Brussels sprouts to share, something we’ve ordered at Brick for years. That’s when he stopped us: they aren’t truly gluten-free because they’re fried in the same fryer as foods containing gluten. WHAT?! They’re listed on the menu as gluten-free! We also learned that gluten-free pizza shares the same brick oven as the regular pizza. Hello, cross-contamination nightmare. It made us wonder whether this could explain some of Mike’s past mystery breakouts, which usually appear a few days after he’s been “glutened.”

Needless to say, we skipped the shared appetizer. Mike ordered the Berkshire pork chop with bacon-fat Brussels sprouts, red potatoes, and Calabrian chile chimichurri, all gluten-free. I chose the Faroe Island salmon with Parmesan farro, sweet corn, shiitake mushrooms, cipollini onions, and blood orange beurre blanc, not gluten-free. Yes, I occasionally cheat when we dine out. Marriage is about balance, right?

We both love Brick’s industrial style, with its exposed brick, open ceiling, hardwood floors, and warm lighting. It feels cozy without trying too hard, which makes it an easy place to return to. We also appreciate the number of gluten-free options, including gluten-free pasta that is actually delicious, a sentence I do not type lightly. We’ve eaten at Brick many times, and the food and drinks have never disappointed us. Still, this visit came with an important reminder: when an allergy is involved, always ask about the fryer, the oven, and the fine print. Apparently, even date night can serve dinner with a side of detective work.