The White Oak Tavern, Ellicott City, Maryland; Monday Evening [02/14].

Through no small amount of effort and perhaps a bit of a miracle, Ignis had, in fact, managed to find a decent place for dinner on Valentine's Day that wasn't completely booked. He had gone into this not expecting to be his usual picky self, of course, figuring that his option would be a bit limited, and, with that in mind, he had considered leaning heavily toward someplace a bit more casual. Not only did he feel it would be in less demand, but he felt the setting would be far more conducive to Shane's comfort, knowing how he was already feeling quite a bit out of his depth with all of this to begin with.

Which had him landing on the White Oak Tavern a bit on the further outskirts of the city, which seemed to be an excellent cohesion between your rustic American fare and excellent craft beers with an elegence and culinary surprise here and there, and of course the emphasis on local and seasonal fare sealed the deal for him firmly. The charm of the interior that seemed incongruious with its unassuming outside added the feeling of finding a rather hidden gem, although it was clear the place did quite well for itself.

And, of course, the leather pants simply had to make an appearance, with a casual flair to fit the setting. They were, after all, now a staple.

[[ and obviously for this date, and also NFB for distance! ]]