Here’s a little Valentine’s Day run down for those of you who haven’t made reservations yet. We can’t guarantee you’ll get a reservation before 10:00pm but it’s worth a shot.
EVOO and chef Peter McCarthy will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a choice of prix fixe menus – three courses for $49 or four courses for $57. Rumored menu options include warm and creamy Maine crab filled potato cup and tea smoked, mint cured roast rack of lamb with potato samosas, nutty spinach, mango chutney and curried lamb jus. Call 617.661.8866 for reservations.
Chef Christos Tsardounis welcomes Valentine’s Day celebrants to either Aspasia or Ariadne this year. Seatings at both restaurants are at 5:45, 6:15, 7:45, 8:15, 10:00 and 10:15. and the menus at both restaurants boast Wellfleet oysters with crème fraiche and caviar; foie gras or seared tuna followed by grilled veal chop with exotic mushrooms, lobster filled grey sole with a buerre blanc or beef wellington with hudson valley foie gras and sauce bordelaise. Save room for the Sweet Love on a Platter for Two for dessert. The prix fixe is $75 per person. Call Aspasia or Ariadne at 617.864.4745 or 617.332.4653 respectively.
Lumiere is pulling out all the stops for their four-course, $75 Valentine’s Day prix fixe. Chef Michael Leviton will be putting together a menu of fried oysters, foie gras, seared scallops, followed by lobster soup or arugula salad, followed by wild striped bass, duck breast or Niman Ranch rack of lamb. Wrap things up with grapefruit sorbet, Valrhona chocolate truffle torte or apricot tarte Tatin. Call 617.244.9199 to make reservations.
Join one of Boston reigning culinary couples, Fiona and Gordon Hamersley, at Hamersley’s, for a Valentine’s Day dinner of warm Wellfleet oysters, seared foie gras with maple glazed turnips or spicy pan roasted lobster with orange, basil and macadamia nuts. The four-course menu is $85 per person. Call 617.423.2700 for reservations and more information.
L’Espalier may very well be the most romantic restaurant in town, as countless critics have indicated, but chef Frank McClelland and company are also pretty clever. They’ll be offering their seven-course Valentine’s Day dinner on the 12th, 13th and 15th for a slightly discounted price. On the 14th, if there’s still space, the price will be $150 per person. Call 617.262.3023 to find out when you’ll be celebrating.
In celebration of “Saint Valentin”, Sandrine’s will be offering a special a la carte menu designed by chef Raymond Ost. Some highlights include escargots baked in garlic with fresh herb butter, roasted venison with butternut squash puree and cranberry plum relish blue point oysters and Maine lobster Florentine.
Haven’t made your reservations yet? Starting to panic? No. 9 Park hasn’t even started accepting reservations yet. Apparently chef Barbara Lynch likes to save this type of stuff for the last minute – as of yet, the prix fixe menu is undecided as well. Count your blessings ‘though and see if you can get a reservation first thing Monday morning, call 617.742.9991
Chef Mark Usewicz invites you to join him at the Independent for his Valentine’s Day spread. Choice of four courses for $55 per person? With choices like goat cheese and chestnut ravioli, roast duck breast and crispy confit “pot au feu” with wild mushrooms and grilled gulf shrimp with sweet lobster soup…consider it a date. Call 617.440.6021.
The Bay Tower is romantic on any night with its waterfront and harbor views. Chef Paul Diogenes doesn’t pull any punches for his $85 Valentine’s Day prix fixe. Crab and lobster cakes, porcini potato soup with shaved duck, tournedos of veal wrapped in apple smoked bacon, portabello crusted halibut filet are just some of the options on the four-course menu. Save room for desserts like the white chocolate mousse napoleon or strawberry parfait. Call 617.723.1666.
Chef Ken Duckworth invites you to his house for Valentine’s Day. The Maison Robert chef has designed a menu boasting coquilles St. Jacques, rack of lamb with potato and onion pave, roast lobster with celery root cakes and shellfish reduction, just to name a few. The price for the evening is $100 per person and includes a glass of Perrier Jouet. Call 617.227.3370 for reservations.
Last but so definitely not least, Finale will be unveiling their Chocolate Tasting Plate for Two this Valentine’s Day. For single folks out there the highlight of this “holiday” season may just be that there are now TWO Finales to choose from. Call the Boston location at 617.423.3184 or the new Cambridge spot at 617.441.9797 for reservations. Of course if you’d prefer to snuggle up at home with your sweetie, special bakery items will be available for take-out.
