By Jamie Folsom
Berthoud Recorder

Valentines is the season for romance indeed, but also, a little quality time with your best friends, great food and fun movies. Here are my picks for an evening out this week.

Retro Bistro
535 Third Street, Berthoud
(970) 532-4095
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m.
Price Buster Menu: Monday to Thursday 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Valentine Special Prix Fixe Menu: Four Course $39.95/person
Reservations are preferred.

Retro Bistro may well be the mythical “great little undiscovered restaurant” that serves wonderful food, has an excellent wine list and feels like home. Downtown Berthoud has never looked better, and Retro certainly serves up hometown hospitality with a decided European flair. It’s the perfect place to take a group of friends, especially for an early dinner on a weeknight.

Italian food is featured on Mondays and Tuesdays — calamari, spaghetti, chicken parmagiana, and featured wines and beers. Chef Boomer Coates also offers up a diverse everyday menu — from Australian lamb and vegetarian linguini primavera to trout Grenobloise and the tenderest of braised short ribs. On the light side there is the Chianti Salad with arugula, fruit, walnuts and a superbly tangy chianti vinaigrette. Add salmon or chicken to any of their salads and make it a meal. They’ve recently introduced a new early dinner menu, with entrées in the range of $9 to $13.

Don’t expect a lengthy wine list, but know that every selection is spot on wonderful. I highly recommend the Tabali chardonnay from Chile, which compliments many flavors, but can stand on its own to savor between courses. The desserts are also diverse and delightful — creme brulee, chocolate lava cake with wild berry sauce or a modest dish of raspberry sorbet, plus other favorites.

And finally, the service is welcoming and wise. If you and your friends need help choosing a wine or a perfect dessert, they are there for you. Impress your date next time, as the staff are likely to remember you.

“He’s Just Not That Into You”
Director: Ken Kwapis
Screenplay: Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly and Drew Barrymore
Runtime: 129 min.
MPAA rating: PG-13 for sexual content and strong language
Reviewer rating: 3 stars out of 5

I wouldn’t take a date to this movie, it’s just not that fun for couples. However, everyone at the first showing had the right idea — girls’ night out. Most movie experiences these days include hushing others: the cell phone user, kids who give away the ending or the guy who snarks at all the best lines in the film. But this was different — I was in a theater filled with groups of women who laughed hard, talked back to the screen and threw in a few about time’s. And, I didn’t feel like dumping popcorn on anyone.

The movie is based on the book that pokes at modern relationships with a sharp stick. There are three main couples in various stages: first meeting, living together for years without getting married, and married for 10 years. Their stories come together through a series of chance meetings, network of friends and secrets they share.

It starts with the idea that girls grow up with some very weird, and ultimately wrong, expectations of guys. The main character Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) has grown up believing that if a boy is mean to you, he likes you — the boy who pushed her down and called her names was just trying to get her attention, according to her mom. Not surprisingly, as an adult, she has no clue how to tell if a guy is interested in her or not as she trolls through the Baltimore bar scene with the faulty advice of her girl friends.

It’s a collage of life slices and commentary that asks the question, “How do you know you’re in the right relationship?” And despite the song’s advice, it’s not in his kiss, otherwise, some of these couples would have had a happier ending. There are some uneasy realities of love in this story, and it’s not really romantic and gooey.

HJNTIY also doesn’t give any pat answers, and although the movie was not as smart as it could have been (Gigi practically stalks guys after the first date), it clearly wasn’t as dumb as it could have been either. The humor is sharp and real. The cast is filled with Hollywood’s favorite eye candy and great quotable lines (“Men don’t forget how much they like you. So put down the phone.”) And those who read the book will definitely be happy that the same snappy attitude shines in the movie. Definitely worth the price, especially if you go for the matinee.