Leave Your Best Suit at Home: Tonight, You’ll Be Splashing in Little Italy’s Finest Hotpot

If you ask us, it's always broth and soup season, because there's nothing more comforting than a hearty, steamy bowl of the stuff—which is why you should kick the night off at Hometown Hotpot & BBQ, a bustling all-you-can-eat spot with a hint of Malaysian influence. Choose from unlimited Hotpot, unlimited BBQ, or unlimited both (for a slight price hike). Then, choose from eight bases that include soothing Chinese Herbal all the way to zesty Curry. Next, go really crazy and load up on any combination of meats, veggies, seafood, and dumplings. Our favorite part? The sauce bar. There are over 20 options. Let the waiters keep refilling and refilling—and refilling—your hot bowl of goodness until you're too cozy to stand.

But you'll need to, of course! Because you have to head to Whiskey Tavern for your nightcap. Started by the owners of Whiskey Town, this “true New York City tavern” was the 2016 winner of Time Out Love New York award, and for good reason. This hideaway saloon is brought to you by the family of bars that pioneered picklebacks—a type of shot where a shot of whiskey is chased by a shot of pickle brine—and they have their signature drink, the Spicyback, a whiskey shot with a pepper-infused pickle-juice chaser, to honor that legacy. Bonus: They also feature the acoustic tunes of local artists every Wednesday night. It's really everything you want in a date night.