Jacqui Gal

Solo love

No date for V-Day? Order up some company at these communal tables.

Photo: Mea Tefka

Read this article at Metromix.com

There’s perhaps only one day a year when some New Yorkers—usually proud to wear their “single” tag as a badge of honor—shrink away from restaurants in shame: Valentine’s Day. But why should only the happy couples enjoy the culinary spoils while singles cower at home hatching plans to poke cupid in the eye with his own arrow? There must be a better bet.

Turns out, there is. Although communal tables are nothing new to New York City’s restaurants, the concept is gaining in popularity, with many new spots deciding to include a communal space in addition to conventional seating.

Communal tables not only promote conversation between adjacent diners, but also save the solo diner from uttering (and enduring) that traumatic concept: “table for one.” Plus, what better way to eyeball your neighbor’s food in between eyeballing…your neighbor. Ah, the joys of singlehood.

Bar Boulud
If French delicacies are your idea of heaven, consider pulling up a seat at Daniel Boulud’s recently opened wine bar and bistro. With good singles seating at the extensive charcuterie counter, there’s also a chance you could nab a spot at the 14-seat wine tasting table and strike up some chit-chat with a new Burgundy-loving friend. (1900 Broadway between 63rd and 64th Sts., 212-595-0303)

Boqueria
Let’s take a moment to reflect on just how single-friendly tapas dishes are. Where else can you sample four or five small plates, each with its own unique flavor explosion, without looking (and feeling) gluttonous? On Valentine’s, Boqueria will have a nine-plate set menu on offer, with dishes that include dates wrapped in bacon and stuffed with Valdeón cheese and Marcona almonds. And don’t worry about going it alone, says restaurant manager Gil Avital: “It’s a casual bar, and we get a lot of single people every night, so I don’t think anyone should be feeling weird.” (53 W. 19th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., 212-255-4160)

DuMont Burger
At this perennial Williamsburg favorite, the real love story of the night will surely be between you and your brioche-bundled burger in all its juicy, meaty goodness. The communal table is intimate and seats a handful—it’s more like a glorified bar—which means you can get to saddle up close to other burger lovers. Go later in the evening to find fellow diners who’ve likely already downed a few drinks—their chatter valves will be set to “open”—and you might get a side of lively conversation to go with your onion rings and Stoli. (314 Bedford Ave. between S. First and Second Sts., Brooklyn. 718-384-6127)

Los Dados
A relatively recent arrival to the Meatpacking District, Los Dados serves up haute Mexican cuisine grounded in home-style earthiness. On regular nights, singles can sit at the lively bar or chat to tablemates at the communal table, so why should Feb. 14 be any different? On the special Valentine’s menu, $60 will buy your choice of appetizer, main (including coconut-poached mahimahi tacos, with avocado-serrano sauce and lime), plus a serve of guacamole to start, and a dessert sampler. (73 Gansevoort St. at Washington St., 646-810-7290)

Community Food & Juice
At this newcomer to the Upper West Side, you can choose from a mix of comfort food and healthy farm-to-table fare like grilled Vermont leg of lamb and a warm lentil salad with melted leeks,. As the name suggests, the space is primed for communal eating—the perfect embodiment of the restaurant’s convivial mom-and-pop spirit. (2893 Broadway at between 112th and 113th Sts., 212-665-2800)