Area restaurants continue to unveil their Valentine’s Day plans – prix fixes and menus pour deux abound – make your reservations soon, whether you’re wooing someone new or celebrating years of warm and fuzziness, the best tables are going fast at spots like 33 Restaurant Lounge, Aujourd’hui, Aura, Avenue One, Bambara, blu, Bonfire, The Bristol Lounge, Cafe Fleuri, Chiara, Coach House, Conundrum, Copia, Craigie Street, dante, Davio’s, Excelsior, Finale, The Fireplace, Gargoyles, Hamersley’s, Harvest, Lineage, Lumiere, Masa, Meritage, OM Restaurant | Lounge, Sandrine’s, Sel de la Terre, Tomasso Trattoria, Toro, Tosca, Tremont 647, Turner Fisheries or UpStairs on the Square.
Love is in the air on Stanhope Street where chef Anthony Dawodu and pastry chef Kate Henry are preparing for a delectable Valentine’s Day at 33 Restaurant & Lounge with two six-course prix fixe menus. Blending traditional and modern dishes, Dawodu’s menus – one for vegetarians and one for non-vegetarians – feature courses like diver scallops with Peru potatoes and black truffle sea urchin butter sauce; mushroom strudel with parsnip-tomato fondue, grilled asparagus, parmesan, chestnuts and cream; and chicken breast with pickled sugar beets, cauliflower and a curry Marsala reduction. For sweethearts with a sweet tooth there’s a pre-dessert course as well as a dessert course. The vegetarian prix fixe costs $75 per person, while the non-vegetarian prix fixe costs $110 per person. Call 33 Restaurant & Lounge at 617.572.3311 to make your Valentine’s Day reservations.
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Chef William Kovel, in his first Valentine’s Day at the helm of Aujourd’hui at Four Seasons Boston, creates a memorable evening with an indulgent, four-course prix fixe menu. Dinner, which costs $140 per person, includes choices like crispy pork belly with langoustines, Manila clams and black truffle; roasted veal tenderloin, barley, salsify, Bordelaise sauce and eucalyptus emulsion; and chocolate vol au vent, milk chocolate pot de crème and strawberry-passionfruit sorbet. Reservations can be made between 5:30 and 10:00pm by calling 617.351.2037.
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Indulge and delight your Valentine at Aura this February 14th – recently-appointed chef Frank Toohey will be presenting a three-course menu with courses like house-made chanterelle and scallop manicotti with caramelized shallot emulsion; grilled lamb rack with roasted harvest vegetable stack, Yukon potato mousse and merlot glace; and hazelnut sponge cake with coconut banana mousse. The Valentine’s Day prix fixe at Aura will set you back $60 per person (or $95 per person with wine pairing). Call 617.385.4300 for reservations.
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Chef Lisa Lyon welcomes Valentine’s Day diners to Avenue One with a four-course prix fixe full of swoon-worthy creations. The menu, which costs $140 per couple, includes starters like Nantucket scallop bisque with caviar trio, and entrée options like lobster Thermidor and pan roasted quail with juniper and pancetta. Dinner wraps up with dark chocolate fondue for two. Call Avenue One at 617.422.5579 to make reservations or for more information.
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Take your special someone to Bambara this Valentine’s Day where chef Nathan Powers has a whole menu made of and meant for couples. Bambara’s Love Pairings menu, available from Wednesday, February 14th through Saturday, February 17th, features six perfectly paired courses. Think: oysters and caviar; blue cheese and walnuts; wild mushrooms and parmesan risotto. Be sure to save room for the pièce de résistance: a chocolate and Bing cherry bombe. The menu costs $50 per person or $80 with paired wines. For more information or to make reservations, call 617.868.4444.
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Make your Valentine swoon with a little help from chef Tom Fosnot and his team at blu. They’ve added some appropriately romantic specials to their offerings on Wednesday, February 14th. Opt for oysters with Meyer lemon-black pepper mignonette and mint; or butter-poached lobster with squash spaetzle, arugula and roasted cauliflower. Pastry chef Lynn Moulton adds conversation hearts with passion fruit and chocolate fondue for two. Call blu at 617.375.8550 to book your Valentine’s Day table.
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Wednesday, February 14th is just the beginning of the Valentine’s Day festivities at Bonfire. The culinary team at the Park Square steakhouse-with-a-twist will be offering an a la carte menu chock full of Valentine’s Day specials through Saturday, February 17th. Enjoy starters like fried Wellfleet oysters with lemon aioli and horseradish; or skirt steak taquitos with salsa verde and queso blanco. Entrée options include chimi churri-basted Maine lobster with blistered rum-infused corn succotash, garlicky kale and grilled Yukons; and a 12 oz. ribeye with fontina polenta, wild mushroom stir fry, rosemary and pearl onions. Couples can share the chocolate soufflé for two or strike out on their own with the strawberry napoleon.
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Share the love at The Bristol Lounge where executive chef Brooke Vosika and his team will be preparing a three-course prix fixe as well as a limited a la carte menu in honor of Valentine’s Day. The $55 menu features dishes like ricotta ravioli with morel mushrooms and pink peppercorn sauce; rosemary roasted loin of veal with green lentils, spot prawns, and teardrop tomatoes; and miniature lemon cake with toasted coconut ice cream from executive pastry chef Tim Fonseca. To make reservations, call 617.351.2037.
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The trio of chefs at the Langham Hotel’s Café Fleuri, Mark Sapienza, John Lambiase and Alex Luna, have planned a lovely Valentine’s Day celebration that includes a three-course prix fixe, a champagne toast and live entertainment. There are seatings available from 6:00-9:30pm. The festivities cost $75 per person, not including tax or gratuity. Call Café Fleuri at 617.956.8751 to save your table.
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Spend Valentine’s Day in Westwood where chefs Steven LaCount and Joe Rocco will be welcoming love birds for a three-course menu celebrating romance. Courses include Pernod-laced shrimp bisque with toasted fennel foam, grilled shrimp relish and chive oil; roasted rack of lamb with sun dried tomato and cured olive relish, artichoke hearts salad, and truffled semolina. Save room for the dessert trilogy of passion fruit crème brûlée; chocolate glazed strawberry charlotte; and date & almond hermit, sweet Marsala wine syrup. The menu costs $85 per person (or $110 per person with accompanying wines). Call Chiara at 781.461.8118 for reservations.
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On Valentine’s Day, chef Joshua Hollinger invites lovebirds to share his four-course prix fixe menu at The Coach House at the Harbor View Hotel on Martha’s Vineyard. Featuring delcious delights like filet tartar with truffle fries and shaved parmesan; slow roasted half duck with crispy skin, apple and roasted chestnut stuffing and pomegranate peppercorn jus; and Godiva chocolate fondue with profiteroles and fresh fruit, The Coach House Valentine’s Day dinner can be enjoyed for $55 per person. Call 508.627.3761 for reservations.
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Puzzling over where to go for Valentine’s Day? Head to Conundrum where chef Eric Wernsing and pastry chef Jennifer Pearson are offing an all-inclusive prix fixe menu for two. Priced at $80 per couple the four-course menu is filled with Wernsing’s specialties like marinated quail stuffed with dried fruit; and pan seared skate wing with truffle risotto. Pearson puls it all together with a decadent chocolate velvet heart with Banyuls poached pear, and cardamom ice cream. Couples can add a bottle of wine to their evening for an additional $30. Call Conundrum at 617.868.0335 to get in on all the warm and fuzziness.
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Treat your sweetie to Valentine’s Day dinner at hot Charlestown newcomer, Copia, where chef Anthony Caturano will be showcasing the restaurant’s Mediterranean steakhouse fare in a special four-course Valentine’s Day prix fixe. The menu starts out with options like oysters on the half shell and continues with homemade gnocchi with butternut squash and lobster; and crispy pork chop, stuffed with gruyere cheese, fingerling potatoes and vinegar peppers. Dessert for the evening is a surprise, so you’ll just have to wait. Valentine’s Day dinner costs $75 per person (which includes a complimentary glass of Duval-Leroy brut champagne. Call Copia at 617.242.6742 to book your table.
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If you and your beloved take food seriously, make reservations at Craigie Street Bistrot, where chef-owner Tony Maws offers love birds a four-course prix fixe in honor of Valentine’s Day. Maws’ gets things going with pastis-cured salmon with baby potatoes, fennel, preserved lemon, and carries on with courses like curry-poached cod cheeks with fresh Maine shrimp, celery root, cauliflower, blood orange emulsion. Make reservations from 5:30-9:30pm and the prix fixe is yours for $130 per person ($180 with accompanying wines). Duck in for a late dinner from 10:00-10:30pm and enjoy the menu for $110 per person ($160 with accompanying wines). Call Craigie Street at 617.497.5511 to make reservations.
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Chef Dante de Magistris and his team celebrate Valentine’s Day all week long at dante. From Saturday, February 10th through Saturday, February 17th lovers and loners can sip flirty cocktails and nibble on cute couples of oysters or the ménage a foie gras looking out over the Charles. On the day itself, de Magistris will be serving a four-course menu that gets you in the mood with choices like A Cute Little Couple (two kumamoto oysters and two big shrimp with beet tartare and and grilled brique dough); and Honey Bunny Ravioli (heart shaped ravioli with braised rabbit, Italian honey, hazelnuts and sage brown butter sauce). The menu costs $75 per person. Book your table by calling 617.497.4200.
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Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the Back Bay where the trio of chefs at Davio’s will be serving a four-course homage to love. Chefs Stephen Brown and Eric Swartz collaborative menu offers options like a Cape Cod style duo of baked razor clam and stuffed Duxbury oyster; hand-rolled potato gnocchi with wild mushroom, Marsala, cream, fresh thyme and shaved parmigiano; and grilled veal sirloin with asparagus, roasted potatoes and Madeira shallot reduction. For dessert, pastry chef Tom Ponticelli will be serving a special selection of his homemade sweetheart desserts. The Valentine’s Day menu at Davio’s costs $95 per person. Call 317.357.4810.
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Chef Eric Brennan and pastry chef Molly Hanson are putting the final touches on the Valentine’s Day menu at Excelsior. This dynamic duo celebrates romance with a four-course menu filled with indulgent and romantic little touches in dishes like oysters St Valentine – Kumamoto oysters topped with tuna tartare and California Estate Osetra caviar; or A Marriage of Land and Sea – grilled Wolfe’s Neck Farm beef tenderloin with a stew of Maine lobster. The evening’s menu costs $85 per person (or $125 per person with accompanying wines). Call Excelsior at 617.426.7878 to reserve your table.
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As is the tradition at Finale, executive pastry chef Nicole Coady debuts yet another spectacular Chocolate Tasting Plate for Two this Valentine’s Day. For this year’s creation, titled Chocolate Paradise, Coady pairs tropical fruit flavors with the world’s finest chocolate from Valrhona in a stunning presentation of milk chocolate coconut cake served with pineapple sauce, Finale’s famed Molten Chocolate cake, white chocolate Florentine cup with pineapple sorbet, rich chocolate pound cake with white chocolate lime mousse, and tropical fruit salsa infused with thyme syrup, semisweet chocolate pralines, and chocolate macadamia nuts. All three Finale locations will also be serving special dessert menus (and only dessert – do dinner allowed). So, swing by the Coolidge Corner location (617.232.3233), the Park Square spot (617.423.3184) or the Harvard Square outpost (617.441.9797) to eat in or take out – they’ve got great goodies to take home and three- and five-course dessert tasting menus to enjoy in-house.
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This Valentine’s Day, get cozy by the fire at The Fireplace – chef-owner Jim Solomon and his executive chef Toby T. Hill have planned an a la carte menu with specially designed additions like graham cracker-crusted Wellfleet oysters with creamy parsnip puree, chervil salad and fresh black truffles; and pan-roasted black bass with Toby’s homemade sauerkraut, crispy fingerling potatoes and sherry vinaigrette. Save room for an end-of-the-meal treat from their aphrodisiac-laced dessert menu. Call 617.975.1900 to reserve your table by the fire.
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Gargoyles is currently accepting reservations for their Valentine’s Day celebrations. Chef Jason Santos’ $60 prix fixe ($75 with wine) features choices like sous vide candied pork with red lentils, apple salad, cane syrup; grilled tuna with rock shrimp lo mein, beef teriyaki; and baked lobster ravioli carbonara with Joey’s almost famous garlic bread. Call Gargoyles at 617.776.5300 to book a table.
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Boston’s most-loved culinary couple, Fiona & Gordon Hamersley, gets a head start on their Valentine’s Day celebration at Hamersley’s Bistro this year, offering a pre-Valentine’s Day prix fixe from Sunday, February 11th through Tuesday, February 13th. On the three-course, $45 pre-Valentine’s Day menu: roasted artichoke with seared shrimp and white truffle oil, and rack of veal with oyster mushroom Wellington and sherry sauce. On the day itself, Hamersley and company welcome diners for a five-course menu boasting romance-inspired courses like seared foie gras with passion fruit glaze; game bird consommé with duck quenelles; and wild mushroom crepes with ricotta and white truffle. Valentine’s Day dinner at Hamersley’s costs $95 per person. Whether you want reservations on the day itself or in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, call Hamersley’s at 617.423.2700 soon to make your reservations.
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Bring your beloved to the Harvest in Harvard Square this Valentine’s Day for a romance-laden prix fixe menu from chef Keith Pooler and pastry chef Liz O’Connell. Among the options on the $65 three-course menu: scarlet red beets with honey comb, pistachio dust, butterhead lettuce and chardonnay vinaigrette; braised shortrib with porcini Israeli cous cous risotto and caramelized tomato sauce; and red wine poached pear with dried fruit and nut preserves in puff pastry shell. You and your beloved can augment dinner with a half glass wine pairing, which raises the price to $80 per person, or opt for the full glass wine pairing and pay $85 per person. Call Harvest at 617.868.2255 to save yourself a table.
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Bring your beloved to Lineage in Coolidge Corner this Valentine’s Day – chef-owner Jeremy Sewall will be serving an indulgent lobster prix fixe as well as a four-course Valentine’s Day menu. Opt for the Valentine’s Day prix fixe and you and your sweetie can enjoy courses like baby arugula salad with blood orange and shaved parmesan; and pan roasted scallops with crab risotto, blood orange-thyme reduction and crisp shallots. If you’re in the mood for lobster, however, it’s your lucky day. Sewall’s lobster menu features everyone’s favorite crustacean in courses like a Maine lobster “roll” with avocado, pickled onion, crème fraiche and chive crepe; and Sewall’s “baked stuffed lobster” with baby vegetables, brioche, chive butter. Whichever menu suits your fancy, call Lineage at 617.232.0065 to book your table – reservations are going fast.
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Put your Valentine’s Day celebration in the talented hands of chef Michael Leviton at Lumière. At his award-winning West Newton eatery, Leviton will be dazzling Valentine’s Day diners with a four-course prix fixe featuring courses like poached Island Creek oysters with champagne, leeks, cream and caviar; trio of humanely raised veal – roasted loin, braised shank and crispy rib with polenta and aromatic vegetables; and Meyer lemon tart orange-honey whipped mascarpone and candied lemon. Leviton’s celebratory menu costs $80 per person; they’ll pick out the wines for you for an additional $45 per person. Call Lumière at 617.244.9199 to book your table.
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In his first Valentine’s Day at the helm of Masa, chef Ryan Jaronik will be serving a three-course prix fixe designed especially for sweeties. Jaronik and chef-owner Philip Aviles reserve the right to change the menu but you can probably expect items like corn tortilla soup with smoked duck, pozole and cumin crema; and seared ancho-sesame crusted tuna with mango salsa, baby purple potatoes and foraged mushrooms with green chile reduction. Dinner costs $57 per person. Call Masa at 617.338.8884 to book your table.
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This Valentine’s Day, enjoy a spectacular dinner overlooking Boston Harbor at Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Chef Daniel Bruce, who’s currently in the midst of hosting the Boston Wine Festival, will be preparing a five-course dinner paired with an assortment of rosés from across the globe. A sneak preview of Bruce’s menu: pan seared sea bass in a lobster, saffron and pearled pasta essence; mint roasted rack of baby lamb with creamy golden potatoes and sweet dumpling squash; and a duet of dark chocolate “sweetheart” with a cherry almond tart. Bruce’s unique holiday prix fixe menu will be available from February 12th through the 17th for $145 per person. For more information, or to make a reservation call 617.439.3995.
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Let chef Rachel Klein dazzle your Valentine this year with her special four-course tasting menu at OM Restaurant | Lounge. The menu is available, in all its glory at three seatings – at 5:30pm for $60 per person or at 7:30 or 9:30pm for $85 per person. Whether you’re seated early or late, you’ll be able to enjoy Klein’s culinary handiwork in courses like cauliflower soup with smoked bay scallop, caramelized pears, micro cilantro; and duck confit with apple mostarda, queso azul de valdeon, wild arugala, pine nut brittle. Top it all off with the OM Sundae – a chocolate brownie, coffee ice cream, toasted coconut, caramel sauce and banana. Call OM at 617.576.2800 for more information or to make reservations.
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Celebrate your sweetheart at Sandrine’s with chef Raymond Ost’s two Valentine’s Day menu options. Opt for Ost’s prix fixe menu – it’s priced at $60 per person for three-courses ($75 per person if you’d like a little champagne with your dinner) and features dishes like fresh asparagus salad with mesclun greens, prosciutto, lemon vinaigrette and aioli; turbot soufflé with black pepper nagé; and a meringue glace snow man from pastry chef Lee Napoli. Ost is also offering an a la carte menu filled with his Alsatian fare. Call Sandrine’s at 617.497.5300 to enjoy a mini trip to Alsace right in Harvard Square.
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Valentines can indulge in a romantic evening of chef Geoff Gardner’s signature Provencal fare at Sel de la Terre. Gardner will be whipping up a six-course prix fixe composed of courses like lobster-butternut squash bisque with lobster arancini; and assiette of suckling pig with creamy herb polenta, cranberries, roasted pecans and calvados jus. Cap the night off with a French Kiss Martini or a stroll along the harbor’s edge. Valentine’s Day dinner at Sel de la Terre costs $89 per person or $124 with a vintners tasting. Call 617.720.1300 to save your table.
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Spend Valentine’s Day in Southborough at Tomasso Trattoria & Enoteca. Some highlights from chef Tony Bettancourt‘s four-course menu: roasted lamb sausage with red wine and laurel; tagliatelle with chestnuts and sage; poached King salmon with long-stemmed artichokes and shaved fennel; and white chocolate panna cotta with port poached cherries. The Valentine’s Day festivities cost $50 per person not including tax or gratuity. Call Tomasso at 508.481.8484 to reserve your table.
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Haven’t been able to get a table at Toro yet? You might just get lucky this Valentine’s Day, chef-restaurateur Ken Oringer’s perpetually packed tapas joint will be taking reservations for the holiday and serving a five-course tasting menu of chef John Critchley’s attention-grabbing Spanish fare. The $65 menu includes courses like cava-marinated Island Creek oysters; marinated yellowfin tuna with citrus and soy; and butter poached lobster with yellow pepper, pommelo and grapefruit. Call Toro at 617.536.4300 to make reservations (while you can).
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Chef Kevin Long rolls out the culinary red carpet for couples with an array of romance-filled a la carte specials, available in addition to the regular menu at Tosca. Call 781.740.0080 to reserve your table and to enjoy Long’s creativity in Lover’s Pasta – imported heart-shaped pasta with traditional bolognese ragù with local cream and zucchini; or the Venetian stuffed lobster – a split lobster stuffed with shrimp, claws and knuckles, buttered leeks, and clam broth served with handmade pappardelle noodles.
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Chef Andy Husbands extends his Valentine’s Day festivities from Monday, February 12th through Wednesday February 14th for a three-day-long celebration. Husbands’ three course prix fixe costs $44 per person (not including tax or gratuity) and features choices like ricotta gnocchi with fresh lobster brown butter, sage and shaved pecorino; grilled then roasted rack of lamb with mashed sweet potatoes, lemony peas and chipotle jus; and Grand Marnier crème brûlée with a sesame-molasses cookie. The regular dinner menu will also be available. Call Tremont 647 at 617.266.4600 to make reservations.
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For couples celebrating Valentine’s Day at Turner Fisheries, chef Frank Neugebauer will be offering a four-course menu full of romance-inspired selections like phyllo wrapped duck confit with purple sticky rice and sweet soy reduction; lobster and brandy bisque, topped with a truffle foam; and miso-glazed sea bass warm crab broth and basil infused Israeli cous cous. Save room for warm petit chocolate cake passion fruit ice cream almond tuile and red currant reduction. Dinner costs $120 per couple. Call 617.424.7425 to book your table.
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As usual, the ladies of UpStairs on the Square, Mary Catherine Deibel and Deborah Hughes, give diners a number of different ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day. Celebrate in the Soiree Room with chef Steven Brand’s four-course prix fixe with selections like foie gras terrine with citrus-poached kumquats and cointreau gelée; and butter-poached lobster with Yukon golds, Brussels sprout fondue and passion fruit. The Soiree Room menu costs $125 per person or $185 with accompanying wines. Guests can also opt for the Monday Club Bar Valentine’s Day menu, which offers diners a slightly more affordable option ($85 or $135 with wine pairing) four-course menu with selections like cornmeal blinis with smoked salmon, caviar and crème fraiche; and cider-braised grilled Berkshire pork chop with chestnut apple cornbread stuffing, Swiss chard and cider reduction. Call UpStairs on the Square for more information about all of your Valentine’s Day options at 617.864.1933.
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