Valentine’s Day Dining You’ll Fall For

Cupid is drawing back his bow – and taking aim at your appetite. Join Kimpton restaurants from coast to coast for special menus in honor of Valentine’s Day.

We bet these local, seasonal offerings will make your heart go pitter-patter.

Denver

From February 14-17, you’ll develop a crush on the Valentine’s Day tasting menu at Panzano. Executive Chef Elise Wiggins creates sparks with six courses for $70/person. Start with polenta polpette fritto (crispy polenta polpettes filled with gorgonzola cheese) and finish with cioccolate torre e cilinginie (a tuile cookie tower filled with chocolate mousse). Call 303-296-3525.

 

Chicago

312 Chicago Executive Chef Luca Corazzini draws from his Italian roots when he dishes his Menu di San Valentino on February 14. The four-course feast is a healthful, hearty embrace of Italy’s culinary traditions and includes choices like veal meatballs with farro, black Tuscan kale and roasted tomato puree; and black squid ink linguini with lobster, asparagus, chives and garlic oil. The cost is $50/person ($70 with wine pairings). Call 312-696-2420.

Portland

Reel in your sweetheart with Pazzo’s Hook ‘n’ Line menu. Executive Chef John Eisenhart, who used to work for Mario Batali, will serve fresh, line-caught seafood specials from February 14-16. Expect cold-smoked Hawaiian marlin with artichoke slivers, sudachi and sea salt; citrus-cured fluke with endive and matsutake horchata; and Atlantic cod filet with spaghetti squash, pine nuts, roasted tomato and mint. Call 503-228-1515.

Scottsdale

Arizona is hot. Taggia’s Valentine’s Day menu is hotter. The coastal Italian restaurant inside Kimpton’s Firesky Resort & Spa has a special prix fixe ($65/person) from February 14-16. Executive Chef Massimo De Francesca keeps the flame alive with choices such as scallops with celery root, braised winter greens and honey-garlic veloute; and mushroom ravioli with leeks, morels and truffle honey butter. Call 480-424-6095.

San Francisco

Put your heart aflutter at Fifth Floor, where Executive Chef David Bazirgan offers a special five-course menu ($120/person; additional $70 for wine pairings) from February 14-16. The menu has an optional additional lobster course, as well as an optional additional black truffle supplement. Adding to the love potion is Bar Manager Brian Means, who concocted a special cocktail to celebrate the holiday; his “Jimmy Rose” (a mix of applejack, fresh lime juice, grenadine and cassis) goes down for a smooth $13. Call 415-348-1555.

Or make Valentine’s Day a grand event. By that, we mean celebrate it at Grand Café. Executive Chef Alicia Jenish adds special à la carte options to her regular menu from February 14-16. They include baked oysters with potato, crème fraîche, caviar and chive ($14), seared scallops with sunchoke puree, sea urchin cream and hazelnut parsley gremolata ($32) and – the pièce de resistance – a rib eye for two, plated with creamed pearl onions, red wine sauce and marrow butter ($64). Call 415-292-0101.

 

Phoenix

You may blush while dining at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails. That’s because Executive Chef Stephen Jones’ special Valentine’s Day menu has courses provocatively named Lust, Submission, Seduction, Stimulation and Sensation. Your first taste will be oyster Newburg with ghost chili and cream of sherry. Move on to wild mushroom en papillote with whipped foie gras and grilled bread; and New York strip with vegetable ash, charred green garlic, risotto croquette, sunchoke and Syrah essence. The cost is $70/ person. Call 602-258-0231.

 

Remember, lovebirds – reservations are recommended. So call today!