Give your valentine a sack of slyders by candlelight
Arlington Heights’ Le Titi de Paris or White Castle?White Castle or Meson Sabika in Naperville?
Celebrity chef Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill in Chicago or White Castle?
Just what would be the best restaurant choice for a guy who wants to impress that special someone in his life Tuesday on Valentine’s Day?
White Castle, of course. And reservations will be accepted through Monday, if you’re lucky enough to squeeze onto the list.
For the first time at 26 Chicago-area locations, White Castle — best known for cheap slyders and feeding party animals at 2 a.m. — is offering Valentine’s Day dinners complete with hostess seating, white tablecloths, soft music, candles and servers.
Rosann Razniewski, who’s taking the reservations at White Castle’s regional office in Southwest suburban Bedford Park, said the response has been strong. Romantics will be found nuzzling at the White Castles from 5 to 8 p.m. on V-Day.
But leave the booze at home. Alcohol won’t be part of White Castle’s Valentine’s Day festivities.
“We’ve had people calling and asking if they can bring a bottle of wine,” Razniewski said.
White Castle and Valentine’s Day isn’t a groovy combination for everyone. George Thompson, president of the St. Charles Singles Club, is among the men not bold enough to venture into White Castle with a date on V-Day.
“She probably wouldn’t want to see me again,” laughed Thompson, who enjoys slyders on his own.
Liz Kelly, a nationally known dating coach and author of the revised “Smart Man Hunting,” said a White Castle Valentine’s Day reservation might come in handy if a guy wants to dump a woman, but prefers to upset her so she ends the relationship instead.
Kelly said she’s advised a lot of men on how to correct bad dating habits. She said some guys might unwittingly bite on White Castle’s promotion because they don’t know how to be romantic.
“I think it’s a stretch,” said Kelly, who chuckled at the notion of White Castle on Valentine’s Day. “I think it’s a stretch to take a woman to White Castle unless there is a special memory and you turn it into a special event.”
For those with reservations, they won’t have to immediately dive into an entree of, perhaps, three slyders, two chicken ring sandwiches with cheese and fries after arriving at White Castle.
“Some (stores) are doing hors d’oeuvres,” Razniewski said. “We have cheese sticks. We have fish nibblers.”
White Castle launched the Valentine’s Day promotion 16 years ago in St. Louis and Minneapolis. It expanded to Chicago, New York and other markets this year.