In the romantic comedy caper “Date Night,” Tina Fey and Steve Carell play the Fosters — a 40-something New Jersey couple who try to spice up their vanilla marriage with a night out at a trendy TriBeCa seafood joint. Hilarity ensues, of course, when their date night goes off the rails and the Fosters are chased through the city by a troupe of menacing gangsters. Perhaps they should have followed in the footsteps of expert date-nighters Jay-Z and wife Beyoncé, who keep their romance hot by dining a deux all over the city, trailed only by, well, their imposing bodyguards and hordes of paparazzi.
Here’s where the first couple of hip-hop goes to keep things sizzling:
Nello
Where else can you wear True Religion booty shorts with Christian Louboutin heels and indulge in a $38 plate of pasta? It must be Madison Avenue eatery Nello, where Beyoncé did all of the above on April 3. For their second wedding anniversary, Jay-Z and Beyoncé had an especially extravagant date, feting the occasion with a host of new toys. Over the course of the meal they tasted about seven dishes (such as penne rigate with spicy sausage and peas and some exotic truffles), all while playing with their new iPad. Midway through the meal, there was another surprise, as Jay-Z’s new, customized silver convertible Jeep was delivered to the restaurant. “They are such a pleasant couple,” says one eyewitness. “It’s nice to see people who are so successful and yet so normal.” Afterward, Jay-Z took the wheel of his new automobile, and the two headed for “Chicago” on Broadway.
Lucali’s
If you see a Maybach idling at the curb of this ultra low-key slice joint on Carroll Gardens’ Henry Street, chances are Jay-Z and Beyoncé just swung by for a carb-loaded love-in. In October, Jay-Z dished to Oprah about it. “There’s a great pizza spot we go to every Sunday,” said the rapper. “You can bring your own wine, and there are candles. It’s a nice date.” While he didn’t name Lucali’s, all bets are on the old-school Italian joint, where the two were recently seen scarfing $18 thin-crust pizza and quaffing espressos. One diner caught them there in March: “They were dressed down and just doing their thing in Brooklyn.” The place accepts no reservations, but we hear the stars get to skip to the front of the long line.
Marlow & Sons
Brooklyn roots run deep, which is perhaps why the lovebirds cross the Williamsburg Bridge for a taste of Jay-Z’s old neighborhood — granted, things have changed around the Marcy Projects. When Karen Mordechai, a South Williamsburg food blogger, was out on a date night of her own in January, she spotted the power couple commandeering a discreet corner at her local standby. “Marlow is perfect for a date. And their brick chicken is to die for,” she says. Local barflies say the couple sometimes drinks dessert at the East River Bar, a scrappy dive a few blocks away.
Abe & Arthur’s
On March 17, Jay-Z and his bride dined at this Meatpacking District eatery with a gang of friends to toast pal Robin Thicke’s 33rd birthday, but sources say they like the modern steakhouse vibe so much, they returned for a romantic meal, sans entourage. According to one onlooker, the pair came in alone at around 9 on a recent evening for a quickie dinner and disappeared into the night just about an hour later. Could it mean that the restaurant’s ample raw bar got them, shall we say . . .
in the mood for a speedy exit? The two also sate their red-meat cravings in the East Village: They’re regulars at Striphouse, where the walls are decked with black-and-white nudie pics from the 1920s and their favorite dish, the 20-ounce New York Strip Steak, costs $51 to share. But come on, who can put a price on romance?