By Will McCurdy

For date night, an evening you’ve been preparing for meticulously down to your best outfit,

where do you take him or her? Where can you show your date a good time without breaking the

bank?

There are two local restaurants, one tucked away in the suburban reaches of San Diego, Athens

Market Café, and the other in the high rises of downtown La Jolla, The Spot. The Athens Market

Café is located on Carmel Mountain Rd in San Diego while The Spot is located on Prospect St.

in La Jolla.

With an unassuming look but a richly seasoned menu, the Athens Market Café couples

affordability and a taste of Greek culture. If both parties are lactose tolerant, order some pita

bread with saganaki, a goat cheese soaked in oil set ablaze at the table before being quenched

with lemon juice as a starter (it is tradition to say opa when the cheese is on fire).

Main course dishes range from spiced gyros (made of pork or beef) to simmered lamb chops and

citrus seasoned salmon. For those who don’t eat meat, there are equally delectable dishes such as

spinach spanakopita and falafels.

Finally for dessert, there is baklava, a pastry with ground nuts and honey held together with a

flakey outer crust.

Another location for date night is The Spot located in the sprawling urban center of downtown

La Jolla. The Spot acts as a cozy bar and restaurant haven away from the hustle of the city.

Their bar provides much ambience for those of age, though it is the main dining room where

one can achieve the romantic atmosphere. With a fireplace tucked in to the right and televisions

scattered for the bar patrons, one can enjoy an appetizer with their date in one of the more

isolated booths or catch the sunset from one of the tables near the windows.

The Spot’s claim to fame is their pizza coming in either thin crust or deep dish format with

toppings for one to two dollars each (veggies and meat respectively).

Though dessert is not available, there is a Haagen Daas store that is a short jaunt away, allowing

for a nice walk beneath the stars and streetlamps.

With both restaurants having their strong points, it comes down to a matter of comparison to

decide which restaurant has the best criteria for a romantic evening.

First is the food. With Athens Market Café’s exotic variation of Greek food against The Spot’s

classic American menu, the choices of Athens Market provide for a more diverse culinary

experience.

The Spot is a safer bet for people who enjoy pizza and there are other options as well if one does

not care for or is allergic to cheese.

Next is atmosphere; which restaurant provides its guests with the romantic feel they’re looking

for?

The Spot mainly functions as a sports bar with the televisions often showing the latest football or

baseball game. However, this can be offset by the ocean view and the proximity to the coast with

the sea themed decor providing a more laid back feel for the place.

Athens Market Café, on the other hand, is very secluded from the local neighborhood, instead

relying on the painted interiors of Greek cities and portraits for the customers to lose themselves

in.

Finally, the third and arguably the most important category rears its head–cost.

The Athens Market Café offers quite a few desirable dishes, but often patrons will find

themselves in the forty dollar range with alcoholic beverages excluded.

The Spot on the other hand does not boast as broad of a palate as Athens Market, but can have

both parties reasonably satisfied with twenty to thirty dollars.

Both Athens Market Café and The Spot offer a unique and quaint perspective to date night;

whichever restaurant is chosen depends on one’s preference.