'Do It Yourself' Date

Every week, Katherine Myers will give you and that special someone a few fresh ideas about how to make your weekend a bit more romantic by taking advantage of everything Prospect Heights has to offer.

Friday, 8 p.m.: First stop, pick up your date. Second stop, at the corner of Washington Avenue and Lincoln Place. Find out whether he or she likes red or white, before you two jaunt off to dinner.

8:30 p.m.: Head to , at 803 Washington Avenue, a rare New York BYOB dinner spot. Crowds might have to wait at the door but it's perfect for two with its cozy feel.  Pour yourself a glass of the wine and loosen your belt a tad: the menu is a mouth-watering artery-clogging combo of Jamaican home-style cooking and American comfort food. The jerk chicken is the house specialty but everyone raves about their macaroni and cheese.

The prices are right -- that large plate of jerk chicken is just $10 -- but it is cash only. The décor is fun and folksy and you may have to raise your voices to hear each other, but if you're dating in New York, you're used to it. Don't fill up on rice and beans though, be sure to save room for the Pineapple Cheesecake with guava sauce.

10 p.m.: And now, time to burn off those calories together! Dance the rest of the night away at the hot-spot retro bar-come-dance-floor , at 629 Vanderbilt, near St. Marks. The place used to be an old ice cream parlor and it's retained its retro cool as a hip but laid back evening spot with its finger on the pulse of the neighborhood's crowd.

DJ's are there starting right at 10, dropping beats and old school dance jams that get you on your feet, no matter how many fried plantains you just shared. There's a jukebox too, for choosing your own tunes in between dance sets. Maybe you could make it a slow song…

Once you're done dancing, grab one of their great cocktails or beers from the solid selection and take a seat. They've got plenty of indoor space with big couches and ample seating for an intimate conversation. Or duck outside onto their deck for some romantic fresh air.

Saturday, 11 a.m.: For the daytime daters, nothing sells you as the ideal partner like taking him or her to . Go pick out some organic food, or as our grandparents used to call it, food. It's an ideal mix of eating, walking and people watching. Talk about the start of your extremely healthy relationship as you peruse the free-range, unprocessed wonder.

They've got everything from goat cheese to artesian wine to brussel sprouts, and the vendors are incredibly eager to talk about their products. Mostly everything hails from upstate, but it's not as rustic as you think – almost half of the vendors accept credit cards.  It runs until 4 p.m. but get there in the early afternoon before the crispiest apples are sold out. Buy a few and sit in Prospect Park, or pick up ingredients for an organic salad and whip up a meal together. Hopefully it's the first of many.