Irina's Restaurant and Bar Voted Urbandale's Most Romantic

THE WINNER:

Irina's, the upstart, receive more votes on Urbandale Patch than the more established romantic spot — Sam and Gabe's in our most romantic restaurant challenge.

Sam and Gabe's fans voted with their reservations. The Italian bistro has been all booked up for Valentine's Day for more than a week. 

Here's what Irina's fans had to say about the establishment that came back from a water disaster that ruined the restaurant a year ago:

• "Irina's is the place to be! Great food, atmosphere, and drinks. Irina and Dimitri are always there to welcome you with a smile. For you wine drinkers, they know the business. There is always some hidden dinner specials, so be sure to ask about them. Always a full belly and a fun time !!!" - Mark Reid.

• "Irina's has the best food and the atmophere is cozy and romantic. Number one place in my book!" - Deb Ewing.

• "Lovely for a night out on the town. Nice bar to sip a drink at before being seated. Elegant seating with nice ambiance. Good servers. Much more quaint and friendly than the opponent in this matchup. Great food always. A special is always ready for the taking. Once you finish up hop back up to the bar to enjoy an after dinner drink under the lights of the Russians. Always a friendly conversation to be had and always appreciative of your business. Nostrovia!" - Susan

• "Amazing food! Amazing atmosphere! Amazing staff. Irina is always on hand to greet you and make sure your experience is top notch. With your sweetheart or with friends, Irina's is the place to go!" Kris Winter.

Irina's has more than 1,000 Facebook fans, so owners Irina Khartchenko and Dmitri Iakovlev put out a call on her Facebook page to vote in the contest and almost immediately got nine 5-star ratings on Irina's business directory listing on Patch.

In fairness to Sam and Gabe's, Patch notes that restaurant's manager opted not to participate in Patch's contest, saying he didn't think the two establishments are comparable and that Patch didn't give him enough advance notice.

THE CONTEST: 

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, two of Urbandale's fine dining restaurants are participating in Urbandale Patch's first "Restaurant Face Off."

With a little help from readers, we selected two locally owned restaurants known for their romantic dinners for two.

Here's a glimpse at the restaurants vying for top honors:

Irina's Restaurant and Bar: Completely remodeled last fall, Irina's features two separate dining rooms with a large bar with Russian vodkas in between. The restaurant offers Russian and American cuisine with house favorites such as beef Stroganov, Moscow filet, Wellington salmon, and pork shashlik. Post your review of

Sam and Gabe's Fine Italian Bistro: Voted one of the top ten restaurants in Central Iowa by Metromix readers, Sam and Gabe's also has the distinction of serving French Coconut Tart, which was voted by those same readers as one of the top five desserts in Des Moines. Brother and sister Jerry and Julia Talerico host restaurant guests. Post your review of

Both of these restaurants have the food, the atmosphere and the fan base to back them up. And this is where you come in, Urbandale. Your favorite restaurant needs your vote if it's going to come away with sole bragging rights as the best place in town to enjoy dinner on Valentine’s Day.

Here's how to vote: above, we provided links to each restaurant's listing in Patch's business directory. Click on your favorite restaurant and leave a review for the restaurant and its staff. You can also comment on this article below, letting us know which restaurant has your loyalty.

In your review, tell us why you love the restaurant. What makes the food great? How's the atmosphere? Why is it the perfect place for a dinner for two?

The restaurant with the most amount of reviews and comments once voting closes will win top honors.

Voting starts today and will close at noon on Monday, Feb. 13. The best part? Voting doesn't cost you a thing.

Show these restaurants some love this Valentine's Day, Urbandale! Make sure you vote by clicking below on your favorite: