Dating Challenge - Fine Dining for Fast Food Pricing

I admit to being a food snob, but I try my best to give in to my snobbery only in moderation. As food typically is not the central feature of many work related lunch meetings, I'm perfectly content with Pei Wei, Green Vegetarian and Chipotle. For a lunch option, all these places are great, but when faced with a date choice they immediately fall towards the bottom of my list. I love sharing the experience of a new restaurant find or impeccibly prepared dish while having a leisurely dinner. That's a moment where it's totally all about the food and company for me. I've been totally boggled recently by suggestions of near fast food restaurants as a way to spend an evening together.

Is there a happy medium between fast food price and foodie accepted menu?

So far, I've discovered the tapas menu of Havana Cafe to be universally pleasing, along with Pita Jungle's selections of Mediterranean inspired dishes. The Black Forest Mill and Z Tejas both offer a great happy hour line up as did Kona Grill though it ended relatively early.

So, along with my usual search for those places that offer local produce and other sustainable choices, the next couple of months will be a happy search for where two people (at least one a food snob) can dine for under $40 including drinks. We'll see what we can come up with and report back often.

Happy munchings!
Radish