The perfect date

If you’re interested in a passionate evening together, a night at the Washington National Opera followed by an intimate dinner at BLT Steak on I Street could be the perfect fit.

{mosads}The opera is playing “Ariadne auf Naxos” until Nov. 13. “It’s one of the greatest, most fun operas you could go to,” said Mark Weinstein, executive director at the WNO. “Since we have English supertitles, which translate it from German to English, you don’t even have to speak a foreign language to enjoy it.”

Weinstein said the opera is reminiscent of Marx Brothers movies, telling the story of how a serious opera and comedic opera are combined. “Opera’s problem is the stereotyping of it. If people try it they’ll like it,” he said. “Once they get over that, it’s a fun evening.”

Opera is the perfect date, according to Weinstein. “It’s romantic, it’s elegant, it’s impressive, it’s fun,” he said. “It’s a chance to dress up, or not dress up, because you don’t have to.”

Weinstein said it’s stimulating and intellectual and something you and your significant other could talk about for weeks afterward. As far as men or women liking the art more, Weinstein has noticed more men like it when they see it, and women think they’ll like it and when they go, they generally do. Men, however, attend and really enjoy it.

“I think it’s because it’s so completely against the stereotype of what they think it is that their expectations are lower,” Weinstein said. “It delivers so much more than they expected that they fall deeper in love with it.”

Weinstein also encouraged compromise when searching for a fun night out. “With every couple, there’s someone who likes sports and another who enjoys art,” he said. “Trade one night of baseball for one night of opera.”

Recalling movies like “Moonstruck” and “Pretty Woman,” Weinstein noted the romantic aspect of opera. “I know a lot of people who started going to operas together and later ended up married,” he said.

Of course, Weinstein’s situation is a little atypical — he fell in love with and married Susanne Marsee, an opera singer who was playing the role of Carmen at Lincoln Center in New York. Director of finance at the time, he saw a performance and “thought she was really great.”

If you’re hungry after seeing an opera this fall, BLT Steak Chef Victor Albisu is introducing many different fall items to his menu. Get ready for pan-roasted venison, butternut squash with roasted garlic and sunchokes, in addition to pumpkin sage biscuits with cranberry and rosemary jam.

Albisu noted that if you’re looking for something romantic to eat at the restaurant, ordering items to share is your best option. “Our tuna tartare is a light and flavorful appetizer to share,” he said. “The raw bar with items like crab claws, lobster and oysters are great too.”

BLT was one of the first out-of-town steakhouses to come to the District, Albisu said. “We were the first to open a fine-dining establishment within a steakhouse within a bistro,” he said.

He hopes that the restaurant’s appeal is broad and is a place where everyone feels comfortable.

Albisu, who calls himself a big music fan, drew parallels to opera and BLT, as opera is passionate and he cooks with lots of passion. “Opera followed by dinner here makes for a very passionate evening,” he said.

Albisu’s most memorable opera moment involves seeing “Aida” in Rome with his best friend and his family. “The stage collapsed and there were live animals involved,” he said.

For more information on the Washington National Opera, visit www.dc-opera.org and for information about BLT Steak, visit www.bltsteak.com.