The love of Italian food in the United States is well established. A quick survey of 800,000 restaurants across the country found that about 100,000 of them served Italian food, according to National Geographic. An Italian food restaurant is the perfect place to spend your next date night. Try something new on your next date night at your favorite Italian food restaurant.

1. Carbonara Sauce

Not every sauce is red at your local Italian food restaurant. Carbonara, whether poured over traditional spaghetti or over chunky rigatoni, is a decadent sauce. This cream sauce can be prepared in the traditional way with crumbled bacon and fresh cream or it can be prepared using ham and cream. Either way, it is simply luxurious and worth a try.

2. Eggplant Parmigiana

If date night includes a vegetarian, Eggplant parmigiana is a must-try dish. Eggplant parmigiana is a rich dish that is chockfull of flavor and texture. Slices of eggplant are breaded and fried to create a golden-brown crust and layered with cheese and tomato sauce. It is typically served with a side of pasta or can be served as a sandwich on crisp crusty Italian bread. Whether you enjoy it on the plate or on a sandwich, it is delicious.

3. Calamari, Mussels, and Shrimp Fra Diablo

If seafood is something that you are hankering for on a date night, your local Italian food restaurant will have some seafood on the menu that is crave worthy. Start your meal with a fried Calamari appetizer. Calamari is squid cleaned and cut into rings, battered and fried. It is usually served with a side of marinara sauce and some lemon for dipping.

Choose between muscles in red sauce (or white wine sauce) and Shrimp Fra Diablo (shrimp with kick of heat) as your main course. Both are served with a heap of steaming hot pasta drenched in a seafood-complementing sauce.

Obsessively Good Food, and a Great Atmosphere

An Italian restaurant is the perfect place for a date night. There are so many great food options with something for everyone on the menu. Try a new dish every time you visit to expand your palette and make the experience a complete adventure. Visit your local Italian food restaurant on your next date night.