Isn’t It Romantic? Over-the-Top Dishes and Drinks for Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2018 by Laurie Wilson Leave a Comment

The most romantic day of the year is sweet on oysters, specialty cocktails, and decadent chocolate desserts that will melt your heart. Embrace these restaurants with over-the-top dishes and drinks for Valentine’s Day that are so enticing, so inspiring, so Valentinesque, if you will, that even the most determined of cynics will be seduced.

Gabriel Kreuther, New York, New York
The beauty: The Revisited Chestnut Red Currant dessert is made with chestnut ice cream, red currant sorbet, red currant sable sauce, vanilla meringue, and mascarpone cream. And the feast: a communal Piper-Heidsieck rare vintage Champagne dinner with bubbles, truffles, and caviar. Make a reservation at Gabriel Kreuther.

El Cielo by Juan Manuel Barrientos, Brickell, Florida
An 11-course multi-sensory menu for VD — the outrageous choco-therapy. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, said to stimulate excitement, and this tasting menu is so outrageous, the unique first course involves washing your hands with chocolate and licking it off your fingers — and your date’s digits if you go for that sort of thing. Make a reservation at El Cielo by Juan Manuel Barrientos.

Beauty & Essex, Los Angeles, California
The $1,000 dessert dreamed up by chef Chris Santos is a collaboration with the Pawn Shop. The result: a round, brilliant cut white diamond encased in a chocolate sphere, jewelry boxes stuffed with glitter-dusted donuts and chocolates and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rose Champagne and other sweet treats. Also available at the NYC and Las Vegas locations. Cost: $1,000. Make a reservation at Beauty & Essex.

Monkitail, Hollywood, Florida
Chef Michael Schulson celebrates the day of love with his “One of Everything” tasting menu. Choose10 items (one from each section on the menu) — such as Kumamoto oyster with yuzu basil seed and komomo puree or duck shabu shabu with mushrooms, cabbage, and tofu. Make a reservation at Monkitail.

Bodega Negra, New York, New York
The Don Huevo PINK has all the trappings of a sundae — and a secret hiding inside. The dessert comes in a pink, white chocolate dome. The magic begins when hot Modelo caramel sauce is poured on top, and the dome opens like a flower to reveal a dark chocolate molten cake that’s kissed with a scoop of horchata ice cream. Make a reservation at Bodega Negra.

Charlie Palmer Steak, Las Vegas, Nevada
He loves steak, you love lobster. Thankfully, the surf and turf for two is a match made in VD heaven — half chateaubriand, half lobster thermidor, and chocolate fondue for two for dessert. Make a reservation at Charlie Palmer Steak.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, Washington, D.C.
Order the Oysters and Pearls, an aphrodisiacal dish for two that pairs chilled oysters with caviar mignonette — and complement it with two glasses of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Make a reservation at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House.

SakaMai, New York, New York
The izakaya and sake bar serves a decadent seven-course tasting menu orchestrated for the evening by chef Takanori Akiyama, who will feature his signature Egg on Egg on Egg (uni, sturgeon caviar, and scrambled egg). Make a reservation at SakaMai.

August 1 Five, San Francisco, California
The two pretty-in-pink cocktails served at this popular Indian spot complement each other: The Beet by Love is poured with spiced bull’s blood beet syrup (beet juice reduction seasoned with a masala, black pepper, and fenugreek), rye, and bitters, and Crazy Love is a sip of gin, absinthe, crème de violette, and citrus and topped with a heart. Make a reservation at August 1 Five.

Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston, Massachusetts
Chef Jeremy Sewall’s tongue-in-cheek a la carte menu debuts a “Foreplay” starter section that includes Devils on Horseback (fried Island Creek oyster, Johnny cake, tasso ham, and spiced hollandaise) and The Maine Event showcases entrée like The Lady and the Tramp (spaghetti with shrimp and pork meatballs). Make a reservation at Island Creek Oyster Bar.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, New York, New York
The limited-edition pricey and extravagant gilded menu featuring an all-gold, five-course menu, including tableside caviar service of Kaluga Royal served on a bed of golden ice. Sip the Elixir, stirred with Ilegal Mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, fresh lime, and pineapple, and garnished with a gold-dusted lime wheel. All for an over-the-top, but-isn’t-he-worth-it $2,300 per person. Make a reservation at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House.

Arnaud’s, New Orleans, Louisiana
The amped-up Strawberries Arnaud features strawberries marinated in a rare port wine sauce with Ceylon cinnamon and is served over Tahitian vanilla ice cream and topped with whipped cream. Oh, and a 10.06 carat natural fancy royal blue diamond ring. The cost: $9.85 million. The rest of us can order just the decadent shareable dessert for a cool $9. Make a reservation at Arnaud’s.

Say ‘I Love You’ in These Romantic Hotel Dining Rooms on Valentine’s Day — or Any Day

February 13, 2018 by Kelly Merritt Leave a Comment

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Ask male and female diners what makes a restaurant romantic and their answers are generally the same. Not too much bright lighting, comfy seating, and something special about the establishment all fall into the thumbs-up category. By contrast, there’s nothing tender about saying “I love you” over a salad bar or in a noisy canteen. In older hotels, historic architecture lends a helping hand in creating starry-eyed experiences. There is a sense that lovers of ages past have stolen kisses in the corners and exchanged knowing glances on weighty staircases as they wondered how to pull the sky down for one another. Gone are the days when hotel dining was second tier. Luxury lodging has become synonymous with fine dining. Here a few of our favorite romantic hotel dining rooms.

The Terrace Room at Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
None other than big band leader Lawrence Welk launched his career at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. The year was 1938 and, ever since, couples have suspended dinner for a quick spin around the dance floor. The soundtrack of this stately structure continues to lure lovers looking for chef Michael Fischetti’s locally foraged mushrooms prepared on Naan bread with Boursin and arugula. Even what seems like a simple dish, Parmesan chicken, melts in the mouth. The menu changes seasonally, but diners have a longstanding relationship with chef Fischetti’s New Orleans-style seafood pasta. Make a reservation at The Terrace Room at Omni William Penn Hotel.

Che-Ah-Chi at Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona
Take a deep breath. This is where your phones aren’t likely to work, where a walk through the resort to Che-Ah-Chi is like a first kiss, and where the sunset is unlike any other, against the backdrop of ancient Boynton Canyon. Che-Ah-Chi is located within Enchantment Resort, one of Sedona’s legendary spa destinations. Despite the luxe surroundings, the cuisine is as unpretentious as the resort itself – bent on making sure you feel at home and leave happy and fulfilled. Chef Franck Desplechin shares the love with dishes like crispy skin Campbell River salmon with barley yam risotto and braised artichoke agnolotti in a positively sinful lemon butter sauce. Make a reservation at Che-Ah-Chi at Enchantment Resort.

Velvet Buck in the St. Regis Hotel, Aspen, Colorado
The St. Regis has always been one of Aspen’s sexiest destination hotels, a ski palace holding court on the far side of town. Its restaurants are just as intoxicating. The recently-opened Velvet Buck welcomed its first guests in December to sample chef de cuisine Hunter Kepley’s mountain fare. The menu features items like bison tenderloin, Colorado meat and cheeses, and duck cassoulet. Kepley offers Velvet “Socials” shareable plates – think bone-in ribeye weighed for two, marrow candles, and Tête de Moine cheese with a Girolle curler and aged balsamic. Dessert, such as the warm s’mores skillet, are the perfect excuse to linger in the sultry space. It registers in real life just like you think a place named Velvet Buck would — rustic and enchanting. Make a reservation at Velvet Buck in the Aspen St. Regis.

The Katharine Brasserie in Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Before the Empire State building captured proposals and captivated skyscraper enthusiasts, there was the historic R.J. Reynolds building, which served as the architectural muse for the Manhattan structure. Tobacco royalty R.J. Reynolds built his own empire, the headquarters of which has been lovingly restored into what’s now The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel. The Katharine Brasserie is a shining example of what can happen when romance and restoration converge. Inviting round booths are perfect for clasping hands and sitting close. The new team of executive chef Adam Barnett and director of food and beverage Michael Harris has won the culinary heart of the whole city. Sharing dishes like Barnett’s addictive housemade pâté grand-mère, côtelettes de porc, and bouillabaisse and taking advantage of Harris’s laser-sharp wine pairing acumen are a match made in hotel dining heaven. Make a reservation at The Katharine Brasserie at Kimpton Cardinal.

OpenTable Reveals Top 25 Most Romantic Cities in America 2018

February 8, 2018 by OpenTable 4 Comments

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As we prepare to celebrate love and romance on Valentine’s Day, we’re pleased to reveal the rankings of the 25 Most Romantic Cities in America 2018.

While diners across the nation are looking for that special meal on Valentine’s Day, certain cities prove that they are a step above in providing dining experiences that exude romance from the moment you step inside the restaurant. To identify the ranking of cities where romantic dining is inherently part of the culture, the OpenTable Most Romantic Cities Index was calculated using three variables: the percentage of restaurants rated “romantic” according to OpenTable diner reviews; the percentage of tables seated for two; and the percentage of people who dined out for Valentine’s Day in 2017.

The following cities, listed in order, comprise the 25 Most Romantic Cities in America 2018.Continue Reading

Where Is the Love? OpenTable Reveals Top 10 Most Romantic Cities in Canada 2018

February 8, 2018 by OpenTable 16 Comments

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As we prepare to celebrate love and romance on Valentine’s Day, we’re pleased to release rankings of the 10 Most Romantic Cities in Canada 2018.

While Canada is known for a diverse food culture, OpenTable’s analysis reveals that we’re also a nation of hungry romantics. In order to provide a ranking of cities where romantic dining is inherently part of the culture, the OpenTable Most Romantic Cities Index was calculated using three variables: the percentage of restaurants rated “romantic” according to OpenTable diner reviews; the percentage of tables seated for two; and the percentage of people who dined out for Valentine’s Day in 2017.

The following cities, listed in order, comprise the 10 Most Romantic Cities in Canada 2018.Continue Reading