I remember an issue of my high school newspaper that listed 100 free things to do on Valentine’s Day. Most of them were some derivative of “sitting on a rock at Daniel’s Park and looking at the sky with your sweetie.” As grown-ups, the complete lack of money excuse doesn’t really fly. But there are some ways to spend less money on Valentine’s Day and still have a great time. A huge factor on the spend-o-meter is the restaurant you choose.

I’m a huge fan of food and dining out… anyone who knows me understands my passion for eating. I can eat all day and never get full. So, naturally I love to dine out. Working downtown I get the chance to sample some of Denver’s finest (and worst) places to eat. But food is not the only thing that matters to me in a restaurant experience. I was a Chili Head (aka waitress) for a number of years, so the quality of service really matters to me. The following is a list of recent experiences my friends and I have had at local restaurants.