Just the girls
What women want in a night out when guys are left behind
Entire industries in this country are built on the simple idea of bringing couples together. But all it takes is a meaningful glance at a speed dating event, a well-crafted Friendster page, or an old-fashioned introduction by a roommate, and -- whoops, there it is -- instant togetherness. Maybe even love. Break out the glitter-encrusted Valentine's Day cards.
But an undeniable fact remains: Sometimes you've got to give the S.O. a peck on the cheek and spend some quality time with your pals. Guys have fantasy football leagues. Women have girls' night out.
Contrary to a certain episode of ''Desperate Housewives," when women get together, the evening doesn't necessarily end in tequila shots and bartop shimmying. Some outings are free-wheeling, with a we'll-figure-it-out-as-we-go giddiness. Others settle into tradition, with knots of longtime girlfriends visiting favorite restaurants and celebrating life's milestones together. We asked several local women where they like to go with their girls. Here's what they told us.
WHO: Allison Juves, 32
GIRLS' NIGHT OUTING: Dinner, drinks, and the ballet.
FAMILIAR HANGOUTS: McCormick & Schmick's, Pho Republique.
NEW HAUNT: Ivy in the Ladder District, where Juves and her pals recently gathered to celebrate a birthday.
WHY THEY GO''It's really a time to bond with girlfriends, doing something that our husbands wouldn't choose to do regardless of whether they were invited!"
WHO: Anne Gatnick, 34
FAVORITE SPOT: Glow Spa in Braintree.
ATTRACTIONS: The spa's ''Girls' Night" package includes a variety of beauty services, as well as snacks and wine. Easy parking is a plus. Above, Gatnick and Michelle Heavey watch esthetician Alicia McPherson apply makeup to Nancy Broderick.
WHY THEY GO''We all have kids, and it's great to get out and do something that makes you feel good about yourself, and like your old self. But not your old self who stayed out late and woke up with a hangover!"
Who: Honah Lee Milne, 31
Favorite spots: Eastern Standard, the DeLux in the South End.
Attractions: Hip crowds, laid-back atmosphere.
Why they go: ''With my girls, it's about letting your guard down and being able to talk about your job, your health, what you're wearing, what you've done to your hair, stuff you can't with guys. It's a tremendous feeling of reconnection."
Who: Karen Holmes Ward
Favorite spots: Il Capriccio in Waltham, the Butcher Shop in the South End.
Attractions: As a member of Divas Uncorked, a group of female wine aficionados, Ward and her friends like to congregate where the food and wine are tasty and the sommeliers informative.
Why they go: ''Jeannie Rogers is the wine director [of Il Capriccio] and she does a great job in helping us choose wines. She gives us a lesson on geography, and what new wines are coming in."
Who: Sandy Lish, 41
Girls night outing: Lish and her high school friends hit a restaurant, then have a sleepover.
Favorite spots: Skye in Norwood, La Cucina Italiana in Walpole.
Why they go: ''The last [sleepover] was planned for the night of the 'Knots Landing' reunion [in December]. We used to watch it when we were roommates after college. We just let our hair down and ended up feeling 20 years younger."
Who: Barbara Staszak, ''50-ish"
Best spur-of-the-moment weekend with the gals: The Berkshires.
Favorite recent discovery: Brix, a wine bar in Pittsfield. (Followed the next day by a low-fat, low-cal lunch at Canyon Ranch in Lenox.)
Why they go: ''Sometimes life can feel like a pressure cooker. For me, this is a mental break, to close the door on all that responsibility and open the door to relaxing, sleeping in."
Who: Laren Frueh, 25
Favorite spot: Frueh and six of her Union College girlfriends regularly meet up at Fugakyu in Brookline.
Attractions: The ambiance and the sushi.
Why they go: ''After working in a professional environment, it's nice to go back and laugh at the stupid things you did and be carefree for the night. They have booths with sliding screen doors, very exclusive and authentic Japanese-style. When we do our sake bombs we shut the doors so we don't disturb people!"
