GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) – We learned last year that Greensboro isn’t very highly regarded among the best cities for singles or the best cities to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Now we know, though, that neither is because of an absence of romantic restaurants.
WalletHub, the financial services site that crunches data and creates rankings, took the measure of the Gate City and found there were 163 better cities for single people and 52 better places to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Those lists haven’t been updated for 2023 – although we know that North Carolina ranks at No. 15 among best states for singles – but we wonder if the image of Greensboro might be improved by the presence of two of the 100 most romantic restaurants in the nation.
The dining site Open Table created that list based on reviews posted on its site and included Green Valley Grill and Print Works Bistro, two fine dining establishments on Green Valley Road, as the only two restaurants in all of North Carolina.
That’s also the same number of restaurants as Open Table cited from the food mecca of New Orleans and twice as many as ultra-chic San Francisco.
Open Table says of its list and Valentine’s Day: “Food is its own love language, but when it’s served in a cozy room or a candlelit booth? Guaranteed fireworks. For those looking for a quintessential Valentine’s Day dining experience, start with the most romantic restaurants across the US, created by analyzing over 13 million reviews.”
Its top 100 includes nine from the Phoenix area, eight from Las Vegas and in Hawaii, six in greater Los Angeles and five in the vicinity of New York City.
About GSO’s best
Green Valley Grill, located in the O Henry Hotel, and Print Works Bistro, on the first floor of the Proximity Hotel, about a half-mile east, are not only neighbors but also corporate cousins.
Both restaurants are owned by the employee-controlled Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels, which also owns Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen locations in Greensboro and Cary.
Both are known for their eclectic menus of American cuisine, their not-out-of-reason prices and their white-linen service. They also both have been widely honored.
Open Table recently listed Green Valley Grill among its top 100 “Most Beloved Restaurants in America,” based on its more than 7,800 reviews.
Both were named among Open Table’s top 100 best outdoor dining restaurants in America in July and the top 100 best restaurants for a date in America in August. They’ve also been recognized by Wine Spectator’s Award for Excellence 2022.
What they said
In evaluating the romantic eateries, Open Table included this about Green Valley: “Always a special treat to dine at Green Valley Grill. Food and service were great.”
About Print Works Bistro: “This is the place to go for Brunch! Why? The overall experience is always delightful and never disappoints.”
Why GSO fails for V-Day
In WalletHub’s list of Best Places to Go for Valentine’s Day, San Francisco – its paltry restaurants aside – ranked No. 1, followed by Seattle, Honolulu, Orlando and San Diego, which might be argued are all good places to go for any holiday.
Raleigh ranked No. 17, Charlotte was No. 27, and Durham was No. 40 among the 100 largest cities. Winston-Salem came in at No. 76.
WalletHub created that list by crunching data that included the cost of a 3-course meal for two and 26 other financial factors.
“Rule #1: Do not go into debt when celebrating V-day, either for presents, flowers, or fancy dinners,” Atanas Nik Nikolov, a marketing professor at Appalachian State, told WalletHub “The idea is not to overconsume and feel remorse afterward, but to focus on what is truly important – being together with that special someone!”
Singles in North Carolina
As for the ranking of 182 cities as Best and Worst for Singles, Greensboro at least beat out Winston-Salem (No. 176). Seattle, Madison, Wisconsin, Denver, San Francisco and Portland were the top five. Warwick, Rhode Island, Glendale, California, Brownsville, Texas, Hialeah, Florida, and Fort Smith Arkansas, made up the reverse-order bottom five.
We told you all about this in November, so we don’t want to beat all those dead horses about how and why.
But North Carolina did well among the best states for singles, as WalletHub evaluated them, largely based on a No. 12 ranking for Romance & Fun, a category that includes “restaurants per capita” along with nightlight and recreational options.
The five best states for singles: California, New York, Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania – where a large percentage of them live – and the bottom five (in reverse order) were West Virginia, Arkansas, North Dakota, Wyoming and Kentucky.
WalletHub also compared states for Dating Economics (the cost of everything) and Dating Opportunities (which includes the numbers of single adults, gender balance and dating apps).
“It is important to look for a place where you will thrive as an individual so you can be your best self,” Laura K. Guerrero, a communications professor at Arizona State University, told WalletHub. “Being your best self makes you happy and also attracts high-quality partners. Also, if a place has the kind of social scene you like or plenty of activities and outdoor places you enjoy, then you are more likely to find potential partners who share those interests with you there.”
