So, I’m getting a lot of emails with suggestions for Valentines gifts: perfume companies, chocolate companies, jewelry ideas. And of course, flowers. But what do you get….a guy? It’s sort of an age old dilemma. Well, at least as age old as Valentines Day itself, which isn’t all that old, considering…still. For me, it’s a difficult gift time. Socks seem boring.

There’s a little Belgian chocolate place up the road from me that makes super lovely, very special chocolates that you can select and assemble together in boxes to give as gifts. But the problem with buying my better half chocolate is, unlike me, he shares. What to do?

Then there’s the issue of dinner. As a restaurant server for many years, going out to eat on the dreaded “V.D.” as we called it in the industry, was verboten. Everyone had to work, no matter what. Whole dining rooms would be broken up into little tables of two for a Noah’s ark style procession of diners who seemed to only pretend to be romantic, out of duty, just for the night. Maybe it’s all those years of taking care of people like that, but I’d rather stay home and be romantic with my true love. Over a bottle of wine, and maybe, because I live him so much, a steak!

Guys love meat, meat, and more meat. So stay in this year and grill up some steak tostadas using skirt steak you marinate over night beforehand. These flatbread tostadas are easy to make together, and share with some wine, beer, whatever. And there’s still room for a piece or two of chocolate, if you absolutely gotta have it. Here’s to love, chocolate, and steak!

-Amy at Flatout