Note: This article has been updated on October 31, 2005. At this time, we are unable to reach this business (or homeowner) after Hurricane Katrina. Please contact us if you have any information regarding its status.

GW Fins, New Orleans
Especially if you're on a first date, this cool fish house will impress. Though just off Bourbon, GW Fins' sophisticated modern digs attract the in-the-know set. Entrées average about $24. Best table: Ask for one of the back booths, each of which is private but offers a good vantage to people-watch. Don't miss: The apple pie ($7.75) is big enough for two and must be ordered before your meal as it is baked individually. Bar: Mixed drinks are $6. Also choose from 70 selections of wine by the glass that range from $5 to $14.75. 808 Bienville Street; (504) 581-3467. Morgan Murphy

Columbia Restaurant, Tampa
No, romance isn't dead. It's as lively as the flamenco dancers who glide across the floor six nights a week at Columbia Restaurant in Tampa's Ybor City. Marilyn Monroe and Babe Ruth partied here. So have Stephen King and George Clooney--but not all on the same night. Laughter, smiles, and rattling castanets are all part of the show at Florida's oldest restaurant, opened in 1905 and run by five generations of the same family. Best table: Ask for seating close to the stage in the Don Quixote Room. Don't miss: The house specialty of Paella "A la Valenciana" is a delicious combo of clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, grouper, calamari, chicken, pork, Spanish onions, tomatoes, and spices ($19.95). Bar: Order the imported Sangrķa de Toro mixed at your table ($19.95), and take home the hand-painted pitcher as a keepsake to remind you of a beautiful evening. 2117 East Seventh Avenue; (813) 248-4961. Les Thomas

Zaytinya, Washington, D.C.
This hot spot celebrates the food, the mood, and the colors of the Mediterranean. Executive chef José Andrés, named the 2003 best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region by The James Beard Foundation, offers a vast menu of meze, appetizer-size dishes packed with the flavors of Lebanon, Greece, and Turkey. Consult your waiter for recommendations, and then order a sampling to share with your date. Best table: The restaurant does not take reservations, but if you're entertaining someone special, ask for a table by the fireplace or a corner booth. Don't miss: The chance to taste something new. Try selections such as Baba Ghannouge (pureed eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, $4.50); Barbuni (red mullet with tomatoes and caper oil, $6.25); or Garides Saganaki (shrimp, tomato, green onions, ouzo, and kefalograviera cheese served in a tiny black skillet, $8.25). 701 Ninth Street NW.; (202) 638-0800. Cassandra M. Vanhooser