Do you ever find that life gets so busy that you just end up spending no time with your other half? Or if you do it is to do something for or with the kids? Oh yes, my husband and I will stand at the side of a football pitch and cheer on our boy or we might catch up about parents evening before one of us runs out the house but sadly right now ‘us time’ seems not to be making it to the top of the list.
We have been together 18 years now and that’s a fair while, so during that time there have been many periods, especially since having children when we have temporarily forgotten that we must schedule time together, time just to be husband and wife. For months at a time we can be really on top of things and scheduling date nights, going out or cooking for each other and then all of a sudden I catch a moment and wonder when the last time we did that was.
When I was in Ethiopia recently I really missed dh and the thing my heart most wanted was to have him there with me. I knew he would ‘get’ my trip and really enjoy it but most of all I wanted the closeness that only we have. So returning from my trip and finding that Frankie and Benny’s had sent me through a voucher to enjoy a meal and their new cocktail menu I knew who I would be going with. By chance we both had last Friday off work and we headed to our local Frankie and Benny’s in Stevenage Herts whilst the kids were at school so we could enjoy some time together.
What a lovely time we had, the restaurant was about half full and had a really warm atmosphere, it was not too noisy and the booth we were seated in was intimate and comfortable. What made our visit even better was that we had the best waiter, he is Russian and called himself 5star, which made us laugh but he had such a quirky/ dry sense of humour and really engaged with us.
Dh and I both enjoyed our meal, we did not go for anything adventurous but who says you have to? Well except for 5star who teased us about our ‘exciting’ tastes, but as I told him ‘better to know I would enjoy it’. I had New York chicken with chips, coleslaw and a corn cob and dh had a beefburger and chips. Both were well cooked and a good size portion.
After, we decided it would be rude not to enjoy some desserts together and dh went for the brownies, ice cream and cream and I had cheesecake. I thought dh’s brownies looked a bit small but when I tried them they were rich and delicious. My cheesecake was good too and was slightly chewy, just the way I like it.
Whilst we choose from the main menu we could happily have chosen from the Frankie and Benny’s lunch menu as there is a good range and the price starts at £5.95 for one course or £8.25 for two courses or £9.25 for three, which present really good value.
The main reason we were asked to go and try out a Frankie and Benny’s restaurant was to try their new cocktail menu out. Being a week day and a lunchtime I sort of assumed that we would be trying the non-alcoholic cocktails but no dh decided to surprise me and had a Long Island ice tea, a bit of a turn up for the books considering he drinks about twice a year! I think the time away from the kids and the American Italian inspired restaurant must have transported him back to much younger years and working in New York drinking many a Long Island ice tea! He told me it was a really good one and he nearly fell asleep as we drove back home to pick the kids up!
I tried out the fruit punch and also the gentle breeze and I was impressed to see four non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu. Both that I tried were good but the fruit punch was exceptional and the almond liqueur in it really lifted it and made it different to something you might have every day. The cost of the non-alcoholic cocktails is £2.95 and the alcoholic ones range from £4.95 to £5.95 each which is comparable with other similar restaurant chains. Some of the cocktails are also available in a two eprson pitcher for £8.95 or a four person one for £13.95, both of these represent good value.
I can honestly say that I’d happily come back and have another meal and I’d also love to try a Woo Woo cocktail next time I come, that’s peach schnapps, vodka, cranberry juice with a hint of lemon in case you’re wondering!
Disclaimer: I was provided with a voucher for a two course meal for two with two cocktails each for the purposes of undertaking this review. I was not instructed what to write and I remain honest.