A FREE Valentine’s Dinner For Two at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, $200 Value!
Yes that ‘s right, for one lucky Foodie-file reader Valentines dinner will be on me and Ruth’s Chris Steak House! I have a gift certificate valued at $200 to be redeemed at the Toronto or Mississauga location, where one of my readers will be able enjoy Ruth’s Chris’s finest aged, corn-fed, USDA Prime beef cooked to perfection. Or one of their other delectable entrees like Veal Chops, Chicken, Lamb Chops, Lobster, Crab Cakes and much more! To finish your meal, experience the “Sweethearts Delight” Valentine’s Dessert for Two, which includes a sumptuous portion of classic Chocolate Sin Cake with Chocolate and espresso, Long Stemmed Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and champagne to celebrate the occasion.
Are you drooling yet? l know you want to know how you can be celebrating in style this Valentine’s day and so without further ado… to be eligible for the gift certificate, I’m going to go with a Valentine’s theme and am going to be totally self-serving. This Valentine’s day I find myself dateless and without viable prospects. In the comments below, submit your best strategy for drumming up a Valentine’s date (keep it clean please – I monitor comments!). The reader with the best suggestion for meeting someone new will be dining on steak this Valentine’s Day. Submit your dating tactic by Wednesday February 11th and good luck to all (including myself)!
Remember, I have a Green and Black’s Chocolate Fondue Package to give away this Friday, all Foodie-file subscribers are eligible, just click on the 
or 
icons at the top left of this page if you are not already a subscriber! The Cheesy Soiree tickets and West cookbooks are also still up for grabs, go to this post to submit your recipe.
If you like the sound of the Sweetheart Delights dessert, make your own Ruth’s Chris reservation by calling 416.955.1455 in Toronto or 905.897.8555 Mississauga.
Christine, this really is funny, let me review some of these comments and please foregive me.
1. N/A – you’re not married
2.Library? You’d have to whisper, what are you reading? Guy must be a loser if this is his entertainment.
3. You’d have to explain later why you didn’t like their friends – don’t go there.
4. Yeah, a bunch of stinky guys swilling beer, that’s why they’re there, to get away from women.
5.Sure, you can even bake the cookie yourself, no, wrong contest.
6.You might as well hang a staek around your nrck and carry a bottle of wine – no bribery.
7. There is something wrong with people who line up everyday for Timmies – make cofee at home.
9.There wives are probably impressed too. Wouldn’t you wonder how many cards are floating around?
10.A little pushy and very scary to him. Don’t show your claws too soon.
11. Friends with friends at a party? It would become a free-for-all. Compettition would develop
among these friends and then divorces.
12.The chocolate thing might be giving a different message – could get messy.
13.Yeah, like a bachelor party – you could go around handing out roses to successful candidates
14.A bunch of hammerheads want you to donate time
You’d be in Ethiopia before you knew it.
19. You’d end up in a hospital or with your hand chopped off by a cleaver. But again you might meet a nice Japanese guy.
20. Don’t even go there.
21.Good for them!!!
22.You’ll meet someone who looks like his dog, might have his habits too.
24.Yeah, don’t waste the day on a new date, perhaps the man you’d marry, take your mother os sister out instaed.
25.Welders wear masks and you may get burned.
No offence to these commentors, but I just had to write this – it’s only tongue in cheek. Be happy!
Hands down!!! LORNE wins!!!
Christine, definately I am a twosome girl as well. What I meant was that you could come along and meet someone there! It is a Valentine’s Dance afterall.
This may sound boring… but I’m a big believer that a smile is the window to a person’s inner beauty!
It’s been a while since I dated, but I think that no matter who you are and what “dating” stage you are in, if you flash a stunning smile and make direct eye contact with the person you are interested in, it’s a start – trust me… it works, that’s how I met my soulmate!
Happy Valentines Day… I would love to treat my sweetie to a great meal at Ruth Chris!
There are lots of ways to meet someone
1)Break a bone- meet a doctor
2)speed-meet a cop
3)go back to school-meet a teacher
4)break your pc-meet a repair man
5)buy a car-meet a salesman
6) sue someone-meet a lawyer
7)send your self packages-meet the UPS guy
8)Go out to dinner -meet a waiter
9) Take out a loan -meet a banker
and the list goes on…..
My point being live your life to the fulliest everyday day and the right one will come along when you least expect it…Be your self and have fun doing it! Who knows how you may be spending your next Valentines day..as for this one go out with your girlfriends and have fun
Hey Lorne!
That’s not very nice!!! lol – I like your humor. At the time, I was working 14 hour days. It was my 2nd cup of cafinated beverage of the day – the first one was at home! ha ha!
Christine -
Mostly what I meant by my message is that being creative and not going to the ‘usual digs’ you can meet some pretty interesting people. I’ve also met a guy while I was in a traffic jam. We were stopped on the highway (for 2 hours!), I had my windows down and was singing along to ACDC – Livin’ on a Prayer – the guy beside me thought it was a hoot, we chatted, exchanged phone numbers and had a few dates.
Walking down the street – good looking guy – told him so, asked if he was single and if I could buy him a drink. He was, we got a drink. He was weird… ha ha
But my point is, by just being myself – having a little courage and openess I’ve been able to meet a lot of wonderful people. I have a wonderful man in my life now (and for the past few years) but I still keep in contact with a lot of my old dates because a lot of them became friends rather than lovers.
Finally – when all else fails in finding a date, Online dating websites can usually provide a lot of fun. I know there is a stigma when you do it, but let go of inhabitions! You can ‘screen’ people prior to meeting them and personally, I found people for the most part honest and open and willing to try having a date or two and if nothing came of it… that was ok too!
Dating isn’t always about finding Mr/Ms. Right, but going out, having a good time and getting to know people and yourself too!
I can keep going… Christine.. I was the dating champ!!! Some of the stories I have would make you pee yourself.
Why don’t we all forget this “contest” and all get together for Valentine’s dinner!
St. Valentine was the patron saint of lovers.
This is a special time for those who are in love.
When I was single and wanted to find that ‘special someone’, I decided to contact everyone in my little black book before ‘I moved on’. Well, I had this old penpal from my teenage days that was looking for my address at that time. When I sent him a card he sent me two before I could answer the first one! That was snail mail days.
You could try facebook, snailmail, e-mail, or phone to contact whoever you know, just to say “Hi, how are you doin”? That’s how it stared with my future mate.
See what comes back at you, right? Life’s an adventure. So, go for a ride. If you’re not sure about someone, go out with mutual friends.
If you don’t know people go to a church and start socializing. Go to places that interest you and you’re bound to find other people there who have common interests.
Take a class at school and meet other people who have a mutual interest like you.
We got married and we LOVE Ruth Chris Steakhouse!
I’ve taken him there for his birthday, yum!
Lorne and Barry: you both are hilarious!
Sports!!! If you play a team sport, it introduces you to a ton of new women who can help you vett the men in their lives for someone for you.
Plus if there is a men’s team equivalent (I play rugby), there are a bunch of men who have similar interests to you, who are fit and healthy and enjoy spending their spare time in the same way as you do.
Take the reins on your socializing and hold your own valentine’s party for your friends (include attached & unattached). Make sure that anyone you are interested in is also invited. Make it a casual relaxing evening. The big romance might not happen that night but by putting out positive vibes you attract positive vibes back.
I would ask my friends and see if they knew of any “available” men. Or ask them about someone in particular that caught your eye when you were at a social event at their house. Then see if your friend would set you up with them suggesting that you would like to perhaps have dinner with them on Valentine’s Day. Let your friends do the “dirty” work for you!! I’m sure you would get a variety of prospects.
I have tried this at it works everytime..Go over to any Dept store, Bay, Sears etc..head straight to the Mens dept, start to look around and when you see a “HOT BOY”..LOL..go over and ask him his opnion on the tie or shirt you are supposedly purchasing for your “brother”..hence conversation will begin..let me know how is goes.
Frankly Christine,
You already have it all locked up. Get yourself a stellar date by announcing that you have a Ruth Chris gift certificate and you are looking for a special someone to share it with – you’ll have the cream of the crop lining up around the block.
Alternatively I’ve been told that sporting a perfume that smells like bacon will also have the boys lining up…..
Jamie – Um,unless the sport takes place at a party with cocktails and no sweating, I doubt I’ll be meeting someone who “spends their spare time in the same way you do” My interests are definitely not sporty, but thanks for the suggestion!
Having said that, I’ve always been partial to rugby players – haven’t had a bad time yet. So maybe I can work that into a strategy – but not worth the steak, sorry!
Suzette – love the “Brother at the Bay” stagtegy -definitely worth a whirl and it involves a shopping trip so its a win win all around!
Laelar – I’ve been a chef for 15 years so I can personally vouch for the “smelling like bacon startegy” as somewhat successful but it also attracts dogs.
Going to the Humane Society and volunteering to walk a dog, and then it’s off to the park. Dogs are magnets for meeting nice guys. I mean if a guy has a soft spot for a dog, it really says that he has a sensitive side. Who doesn’t want to meet someone who can show he cares about an animal. And right away, you have some really common ground to build on.
I think finding a date for Valentine’s Day requires changing you usual dating strategy. Instead of looking for the “perfect date”, the guy or girl you fell head over heels with, but who hasn’t noticed you yet, try dating someone outside of your normal dating patterns. Maybe it’s the guy at the coffee shop that makes your latte every morning. Maybe it’s the gal on the GO Train that sits beside you every afternoon reading a mystery novel. Strike up a conversation and you may find that you have something in common. It may not be love at first sight, but it could be like, and at the very least it is a new person that may lead you to more new people. Relax, enjoy the day. It’s not about finding “the ONE”.
Christine,
Good point about the dogs – although I still think the averages are in your favour.
You could certainly guarantee a Valentine’s Dinner date if you played the ‘Chef at Large’ card, and, as many have suggested, you keep your eyes open at the grocery store for a gentleman who is buying the food of a single man – not necessarily tv dinners, you want someone who can cook for you upon occasion as well… .tell them that they have been especially selected to not only have a meal prepared for them but to have the opportunity to share in the culinary experience of creating it as well. If they accept, you’ve already got the cooking bond in common.
Even though I am married, I will give you my opinion. It is risky to just go up to a stranger you like and try to “pick” him up–first of all you have to be prepared for rejection and secondly, this guy could be a real creep or worse dangerous.
It is always best to stick to people you see regularly and have spoken to. It helps to know that the person is single. For example, the guy you see at the gym all the time. Try to use equipment beside him. Go to the juice bar when he’s there. In other words, quietly follow him around and strike up casual conversation.
Back off after making initial conversation and see if he says hi or tries to initiate further conversation with you. Let the sucker think it’s his idea. Men love to pursue women.
ok…Feb 14th go to the Auto Show….you are sure to find single men there (obviously they are not out on a date)….use your talents there!
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you had your eye on someone and tomorrow could approach them and say “I won this gift certificate for Ruth Chris from my favorite magazine and I just wondered if you might be free to come with me for dinner.” What guy is going to stay no to the best steak in town?
To meet Mr. Right I think you have “Ms. Right”in mind first. In otherwords, doing something you love often leads to finding that special someone that will share the same interests as you.
When I enrolled in a childrens story writing course I ended up meeting friends with the same love of childrens literature and ultimately a coffee date with a cute one in class.
I actually think I fell in love with my husband during our many rollerblades through the park as we began dating- we love activity and fresh air (although our activity usually consists of chasing a 2 and 4 year old around the block with our dog now!)
Anyways, the best advice I can give is to keep you and mind and Mr.Right will follow…
Hi Christine,
Yikes, that last opinion was borderline advice for your to become a stalker at the gym…hmmm..there’s gotta be a better way: how about going to a local radio station and offering them some free publicity in your column for a quid pro quo advertising slot in which you advertise that you are a gourmet chef who will cook a full course meal for a contest you will name(something like)”the BEST reason to date me” Eligible bachelors will need to convince YOU why you should give them a chance. You give out your public email address and request that they send you in 50 words or less WHY YOU should date THEM. the best response gets a meal and even if there are many ‘good’ responses, you will have ALL of their email addresses, and then, in your OWN good time, you can reply to and request further info/dates from whomever you wish from the list of submissions…You may also wish to include that they need to submit a photo – I would – just to ensure at bare minimum they are not sporting a unibrow…unless you like that sort of thing. Might be short notice for Valentine’s day, but I think you should employ this strategy being in the media you must have contacts…GO GIRL!!! I’d love to know, personally, if you did use this strategy, how it works out… Good luck!!
Sara in Rockwood
Hi Christine. Why don’t you broadcast the CL cooking videos all over the internet with your phone number on them? They’re fantastic.
Be your own Valentine. Treat yourself to a luxurious, lavish day.
I hardly meant for you to be a stalker at a gym as Sara indicated. Come on people ripping apart other peoples ideas are hardly the way to win.