Big Night Out at Port City Club

If you read CURRENTS on a regular basis, you know that my husband and I have 3.5-year-old twins. Therefore, we don't get out much as a couple. For the past couple of months, we've really been trying to schedule regular date nights because if we don't, we truly have no idea what's going on in each other's lives. It's funny how a date night with your husband can feel like a first date over and over again.

Even though we can never have a conversation at home over two loud preschoolers, we can have long, even thought-provoking conversations at a leisurely dinner. The latest place we chose for this activity is Port City Grill in Cornelius. My husband, John, surprised me with dinner reservations there last Friday night and off we went.

For those of you who don't know, Port City is on the lakeside property that formerly housed Midtown Sundries and Latitude something. I forgot the official name because Latitude wasn't there for very long. Anyway, if you went to Midtown, you'll remember how casual it was (I've dined there in a bathingsuit and cover-up more than once). Well, Port City has taken things up a notch, and that's a very good thing.

The interior is lighter and more contemporary, and the food is much more interesting. Don't get me wrong, I loved, even adored, the turkey club sandwich at Midtown, but we're talking date night. I need a fancy entree for date night.

As soon as my husband and I arrived, we both discussed the changes to the interior. We agreed they were good ones. Then we scored a rock star table at the front of the restaurant with a stellar lake view. Immediately our waiter came to our table. John and I quickly began ordering before we realized that we didn't have to be in a hurry. No one was going to have a meltdown waiting for food because the two individuals who do that were at home with their grandparents. Once we came to that realization, we ordered wine and the crab cake appetizer. Then we proceeded to order more wine with our entrees. John had the stuffed salmon, and I devoured the NC Trout, which is funny because I'd never had trout before. I'm usually a tilapia girl all the way.

After dinner, we split some sort of lemon/key lime pie, which was excellent, and then we lingered to talk some more. Eventually we left, as we didn't want to occupy the table for the whole evening and cheat our wonderful waiter out of other customers. The place was really jumping by 8:30 p.m. That's right, our reservations were for 6:30 p.m. That's life in the parents of young children lane.

We would completely go back and plan to once we get another date night on the calendar.

Enjoy lake living,

Lori K. Tate
Editor, CURRENTS Magazine