AJ Maxwell's Steakhouse, New York

Flower bouquets are a classic romantic gesture, but dates at forty2West might be equally wowed with the menu's Shellfish Bouquet, which comes filled with lobster, lump crab, oysters, and clams. This seafood medley is one of the offerings from the restaurant's raw bar, where local oysters and littleneck clams sit alongside salmon tartar. Forty2West is not just a seafood joint, though; its nuances run deep, past the raw bar and into the kitchen. This is Chef John Di Lemme's territory, and he supervises it with culinary knowledge passed down by his grandmother and mother. His house-made pastas reflect rustic Italian traditions: papardelle mixed with lamb ragu, or tagliolini with crab, sea urchin, and spring onion.

Not content to be just a raw bar and Italian hybrid, forty2West has a third specialty in steaks. The "Simply Grilled" portion of the menu lists cuts of filet mignon, a porterhouse prepped for two, and rib eyes with the bone in, rather than gifted as an after-dinner boomerang. With these dinner selections and a host of sides, the cuisine is indeed eclectic. Yet the meals all share an old-school sensibility, the same classic chic reflected in the wood-paneled, two-level dining room and the mosaic art pieces above the bar.