I have always love going out to dinner. It doesn’t matter where we go..it could be Friendlys’ (my favorite) or Friday’s…I just like the actual ACT of going out. Sometimes, when I watch old movies or TV shows I find myself longing to be transported back in time to the days of Ricki Ricardo’s Club Babalu where you were entertained by a band while you ate, and with dessert came dancing. Do places like this still exist?
When was the last time you slow danced with your partner? I know for me, we only get to slow dance at weddings, and even then there are only a few slow songs since the they are reserved for the Bride and Groom. I LOVE to slow dance with The Captain! How about back in the day when ALL the songs were partner dances? My grandma always tells me of the days that she would go to the pavilion with her dance card. It’s there that she met my Grandpa. The two of them were such wonderful dancers, and I found them beautiful to watch. These days all we do is sway back and forth! I will admit that Captain Awesome and I took dance lessons before our wedding and learned the fox trot! We had a choreographed wedding dance, but at least we learned the basic box step so we can embarrass show off our skills!
So back to my original question. Where did the dinner and dancing go? You would think that there would be something like that in Manhattan but I have yet to find it. And if I do find it will anyone my age be there? I certainly can’t be the only person who would like to go to such an establishment. How wonderful date night would be if it consisted of dressing up, going to a nice restaurant and dancing together. Now that’s romantic! Maybe it’s a cost thing? Maybe restaurants can’t afford to pay the band? Maybe customers can’t afford those fancy dinners?
I don’t know what it is but I think it just looks like it would be FUN! Check out this scene from a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film called Top Hat. (PS this song makes me smile)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYHZh-xnqhE[/youtube]
What a fun night out that would be!
Oh – I love this. E and I have had a couple of chances for nights out like this as fundraisers for our kids school and it is F.U.N. I would totally pay if there was something like that in LA and it gave me an excuse to get dressed up and go dancing with my guy. ::swoon::
Super cool post!
I swoon too when I think about it!
it looks like so much fun and romantic!bring back the good o’days I say!
wow, love your post. it is true, there are no more places like that. i would totally love to go to dinner and dancing…love the movie top hat too….
visiting from sits..have a great day.
Thank you for stopping by!!
That sounds like so much fun. You’s re the only time we have the opportunity to slow dance is at weddings. Sometimes we will dance in the kitchen but that is few and far between. But I agree an establishment like that would be nice. And if they don’t have one you should start one. That could be a million dollar idea!
Hey you should post your wedding dance. I would love to see it. How cute!
I should post my wedding dance! I’ll have to get The Captain to cut it out of our wedding video..lol that would be fun! I’ll get working on that! You can see some fun danceing from our wedding in the above tab titled our wedding:) That video always makes me smile!
Even if I found one in Manhattan you wouldn’t take the train! I’d like to find dueling pianos lol
.-= Cap. Awesome´s last blog ..Dancing Cheek to Cheek =-.
Hey! I’m fine driving into the city for dinner! and ye dueling pianos would be fun too! (I think I know a place on LI!)
I love Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers! I always have. There’s something about those days that just seem so put together and refined. People all put so much effor into getting dressed and looking their best.
Great post! My toddler and I dance around to the radio. Last week my husband walked in just as a slow song came on. We slow danced while JDaniel marched in circles around us. It was so much fun.
Stopping by from SITS!
Dropping by from SITS to say, “hello”. Best wishes.
Kindest regards,
Brook
I agree completely!! I mean, you can go to dinner and then a “club”, but for old married farts that is mostly unappealing. My boobs don’t defy gravity enough for that type of scene anymore. I’d love to be able to go to one of those old-fashioned clubs and dance with my hubby. Let’s start a Married-Fogies club, I think it would be a hit. Oh, and I LOVE Top Hat, great movie.
There are a few places in NYC that still have dinner & dance. There is the Cotton Club, SOBs…Swing 46 is a Jazz & Supper Club and Birdland Jazz Club.x
For super fancy and expensive the Rainbow Room still does a night of dinner & dance every once in a while. The Carnegie Club has Sinatra Saturdays.
Really??? FUN! I’m going to have to look into that!
Thank you!
when we watch white christmas, i always wonder if there are still places like novello’s. i’d go there! because really…’the best things…happen while you’re dancing’
I love that you said that! I was going to include that song because I love that part in “white christmas”!
I will also ask my mom about ballroom dinner & dance nights. She used to teach ballroom and still goes out every now and again. A lot of the dance schools in the city host nights at restaurants.
I think your blog is great! There are tons of mommy and bride blogs, but not much about “Life After the Alter”. Very cute!
Stoppin by from SITS!
Oh I know exactly what you mean! I love slow dancing with Husband and he will hardly ever oblige me, even at weddings. He has promised, however, to show off his skills at the Law School Prom this weekend. I promise to have pictures!
I went to the Barristers ball with my husband!
Enjoy getting dressed up! I can’t wait to see pictures!
I stumbled across your blog during a “buttons cruise” through various website, love it. I totally would love to dance like they do in old movies. I agree with you that it would be so much fun. Slow dancing these days is not dancing, it is swaying! I’ve always wondered how in the span of one generation we lost this skill. My grandmother used to tell me stories of how her and her girlfriends would get dressed up, go out and dance with some very nice men in uniform (shortly after WWII ended). It is how she met my grandfather, dancing. *sigh*
I’m glad you found me! Thanks for the comment! I wonder where we lost it too..my thoughts are when solo dancing started..maybe with the twist?? lol My grandparents met dancing too..and I think that is beautiful.. Sigh is right!
I LOVE this movie!!! SO GREAT. Ginger and Fred are fabs. You are so right…where are these places?