Casa Azul

A few factors make Casa Azul an ideal spot for a casual date night. The candle-lit, dark blue room for one, and also the huge booths with tall partitions that make you feel like there’s no one else in the restaurant. But a dinner date is no good unless you have great food, and the Oaxacan dishes at this Park Slope restaurant are outstanding. Start with some fried cod tacos on top-notch house tortillas, followed by perfectly seasoned carne asada on a bed of grilled veggies that absorb all the beefy juices. It comes with a rich pasilla-infused sauce that’s so good, we would pour it on pretty much anything (edible or not). End your meal with flan—it’s one of the best we’ve had.