Just curious.
My wife and I are DINKs (dual-income, no kids). Over the last year or two we have really started to become food snobs. We've noticed that most restaurants have absolutly nothing of interest to us on their menu, certainly not any of the chains. We still eat pizza and burgers and such, but not from any fast-food chains; we cook those ourselves or find a good local pizza place.
Now when we go out to eat, we want fresh, healthy food that tastes great. That normally means slightly expensive to expensive dining. Fresh, healthy, and tasty do not describe 99% of the restaurant options in the US.
Years ago, I bought my first $100 dinner for two. I was shocked and sickened that I could spend that much for just dinner. Now, $100 for dinner for two is almost, but not quite, normal to us when we want a "nice" dinner.
Using my normal dinner-out as an example:
1 appetizer (shared)
1 green salad (also shared unless it comes with the meal)
1 main course each
1 glass of wine each
1 dessert (shared)
And many times my wife and I share an entree simply because restaurant portions are too large for us. Even so, that type of dinner will cost us $70 to $90 before tip.
So, what's your idea of a nice dinner with your spouse? Not a special-occassion dinner, just a "nice" dinner.