Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino raises the "steaks" in the first post-prison date with his wife. The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star was all smiles knowing he was about to ingest a delicious meal with his wife by his side.

The 38-year-old reality TV star was incarcerated since mid-January after he was sentenced to eight-months back in October of 2018 for tax evasion, when he failed to pay taxes on his $9 million dollar income.The reality star was released on Thursday September 12th from the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York. After Mike was a free man, he was treated to a giant feast with friends and family. Many fans wondered how Mike survived on prison food for his eight-month stint behind bars. While Mike may have been plump before he went to jail, he emerged a much fitter and mentally stronger version of himself.

Related: The Situation Shows Off His Guns in Post-Prison Feast

Recently Lauren Sorrentino took her husband on his first date night since being released from the upstate New York federal prison. In a touching Instagram post, Lauren shared a photo of their first date night with Mike holding a full plate of food. The exclusive date was at the reality stars' favorite eatery, Butcher’s Block in Sunnyside, New York. Mike was all smiles as he held up his plate the housed a slab of raw meat. In the post, seen below, the couple kept it casual wearing jeans and a comfy t-shirt while they had the food displayed in front of them on their table. Lauren doted on her husband’s hard work in the gym prison by captioning her photo saying, “That’s a fine piece of meat right there.”

The couple spoke with Us Weekly about how serving his time for tax fraud had to change the reality star for the better. Before the couple’s fancy dinner, they explained that they both realized how much they took for granted before Mike was sent away. They wanted their first date post-jail to be extra special so they could enjoy each other’s company and take in every second while keeping in mind that their situation could have been a lot worse. With their belly’s full, the couple is optimistic when it comes to thinking of their future. The two have already talked about making little "Situations" as soon as they possibly could.

The reality star told fans that he had to challenge himself by using the gym and eating right. The Jersey Shore star also took up a new hobby -  reading, which helped him pass the time. The MTV personality watched as many men in prison with him became depressed, so he knew he needed to take control and stay positive. Thankfully fans should be able to watch Mike on the next season of Jersey Shore as a free, happy, well-fed family man.

Next: Jersey Shore Cast is Scared for Ronnie After Jen Hints He May Not Be Sober

 Jersey Shore: Family Vacation air Thursdays at 9 PM EST on MTV.

Source: Us, Lauren Sorrentino