The Procrastinator's guide to Valentine's Day: How not to look like a tool for waiting so long

You again. Do you not have cable? A calendar? Access to the Internet? A basic clue about how modern society functions?

How is it that someone in a relationship finds themselves without a proper dinner reservation for February 14?

Your first and best option is a romantic dinner at home. If you can't cook (or don't want to), you could pick up something savory from Revival Market or Relish, then dirty a few dishes and throw it in the oven. Voila, you're a romantic genius.

 I'd ask for a thank you card, but clearly staying on top of social mores isn't your strong suit. 

Assuming that staying in is out of the question (either because your kids/roommates would ruin the atmosphere or because your wife would not be cool with having your girlfriend over) I've found a few places with reservations available that still feel appropriately date-like and shouldn't disappoint. I'd ask for a thank you card, but clearly staying on top of social mores isn't your strong suit.

Wouldn't it be great to get a table at Brasserie 19? Sure. And if your lady friend or gentleman caller is cool with having a Valentine's dinner at 5 p.m., you can. (But you'll probably be in the back, which all Houston socialites know is unacceptable.)

If you want a primetime reservation, consider Armando's for some chic Tex-Mex or modern American fare at Felix 55, which boasts some date-friendly design if you can ignore the Rice Village neighbors. If a steakhouse sounds more impressive, your best bet is the prix fixe menu at Frank's Chop House, where the food is amazing even if the atmosphere doesn't exactly drip with romance.

Sometimes the perfect steak is all the romance you need, right? Order an extra bottle of wine just to be safe.

You could also take your chances at a few of the smaller restaurants around town that don't take reservations at all, including Zelko Bistro, The Fish and the brand-new Roost. It's a gamble, but apparently that's how you live your life.

 Wouldn't it be great to get a table at Brasserie 19? Sure. And if your lady friend or gentleman caller is cool with having a Valentine's dinner at 5 p.m., you can. 

Want a more indulgent experience? A few restaurants offering special prix fixe dinners have some late availability — think 9 p.m. or later. If you grab drinks beforehand you might not even notice it's so late.

Haven is offering a four-course dinner for $60 per person, and Branch Water Tavern still has some seatings available for its three-course chef's menu, which comes with a bottle of Grand Brut Reserve for $175 per couple.

See what's sexy about southwestern cuisine by trying out the three-course dinner at TQLA, which comes with optional tequila pairings ($45 per person, $70 per person with tequila), or dine in old-money style at Quattro inside the Four Seasons with a four-course menu plus prosecco for $85 per person.

It's also a good occasion to try somewhere new that might not be as well known. Line & Lariat inside the Hotel Icon is offering a three-course dinner ($70 per person) and has seating in the turn-of-the century dining room available almost the entire evening. Or try your luck at Artisans, the brand-spanking-new restaurant in Midtown by the brothers Denis of Le Mistral, which has a five-course menu of French-inspired dishes for $65.

Or give up on dinner altogether and just head to Anvil Bar & Refuge, where the mixologists have designed a menu of drinks meant for two to share, plus chocolates from Fluff Bake Bar.

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