6 February 2018 — Eagles love is currently in the air but Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Lovebirds looking to wine and dine can find romantic V-Day specials and prix fixe meals at the following Philadelphia restaurants:
True love is the willingness to share your food, right? Society Hill’s Southern-influenced restaurant and bar, The Twisted Tail is offering a sharable $55 four-course family style menu for couples to experience together. The full Valentine’s Day menu can be found here, dishes include:
· Amuse Bouche: Cheese Fondue served with ham, toasted bread, cornichons, candied walnuts, apples
· First Course: Wild Mushroom Velouté with truffle and basil oil
· Second Course: Ora King Salmon “Sashimi” with beet, citrus vinaigrette, herb
· Third Course: Crispy Branzino
· All third course dishes served with mac & cheese, brussel sprouts, baked beans, cream of spinach and pickled cauliflower
Ocean Prime, Center City’s Seafood and Steakhouse, will offer luxurious additions to its dinner menu on Valentine’s Day. Philadelphians can look forward to the following featured items by Executive Chef Jenn Grosskruger from February 10-18:
· Cocktail: “Blueberry Crush” – Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Club Soda
· Entrée: 8oz. Filet Mignon with Lobster Scampi, Asparagus
· Entrée: Florida Grouper, PEI Mussels, Fennel, Fingerling Potato, Pernod Citrus Broth
· Dessert: Strawberry Butter Cake, Vanilla Ice Cream
Square 1682 with Executive Chef Bobby Surdam is offering a $65 prix fixe dinner and guests can partake in an optional wine pairing with each course for $35. Full Valentine’s Day menu available here, highlights of the menu include:
· Amuse: Sparkling Cava Brut Rosé
· First Course: Beet Salad with goat cheese fondue, baby carrots, endive, strawberries, pumpernickel, toasted almonds topped with a blood orange vinaigrette
· Entrée: Roasted Duck Breast served with mustard spaetzli, wilted rainbow swiss chard, cherry port sauce
· Dessert: Red Velvet Trifle served with mascarpone, cherry manhattan, pecans
Looking for a more unique night? Red Owl Tavern, across from Independence Mall, is offering a three-course Valentine’s Day Murder Mystery Dinner. From 7 to 10 p.m., guests will attempt to solve the mystery and dine in the private Shanghai Room. Tickets are $90 plus tax and gratuity and beer and wine is included, tickets are available here. The three-course meal includes:
· Starter: Winter Greens with roasted asparagus, pickled turnips, shaved radish, fromage blanc, blood orange vinaigrette
· Entrée: Pan Seared Branzino served with potato risotto, royal trumpet mushroom, sauce aurora
· Entrée: Braised Beef Short Rib with lingonberry braise, whole grain mustard spaetzli, melted leeks
· Dessert: Chocolate Custard served with mascarpone whip, salted caramel and chocolate pearls
For guests looking for a delicious meal sans the murder mystery, Chef Caitlin Mateo created a $70 four-course meal available here.
Rex1516, South St.’s Southern-influenced restaurant, offers a charming atmosphere of exposed brick, voluminous curtains and candlelit lighting perfect for sharing a Valentine’s Day dinner. Chef Justin Swain has crafted specials everyone will fall in love with:
· Starter: Crawfish Arancini
· Starter: Celery Root Soup with smoked maitakes, crispy celery root and apples
· Entrée: Salmon with a collard pesto and hoppin john
· Entrée: Fried Half Chicken and Caviar served with chive biscuits, Alabama white bbq sauce, cucumbers, paddlefish and tobiko caviars
· Dessert: Triple chocolate cake
Urban Farmer, modern American steakhouse, is offering a special à la carte menu in addition to the regular dinner menu, including:
· Starter: Shellfish Bisque with black truffle cracker, whipped crème fraiche ($14)
· Entrée: Prime Beef Wellington with mushroom duxelle, foie gras bordelaise ($60)
· Entrée: King Crab Legs served with black river osetra caviar butter ($38)
· Dessert: Espresso Affogato with caramel crème brûlée ($12)
Imbibers can indulge in V-Day-inspired cocktails including:
· “His and Hers” – Two separate cocktails meant for a couple (Hers- Bulleit rye, lemon, luxardo, raspberry. His- Bluecoat gin, Crème de Violette, Lillet)
· “The Purple Heart”- Shared cocktail (Hendrick’s gin, hibiscus. lemon, prosecco split)
· “Medusa’s Stare” – Cocktail pairing with dessert (Buffalo trace, crème de cacao, cointreau, ancho reyes)
Couples craving authentic Mexico-city cuisine can enjoy a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner at Café Ynez. In addition to Chef Juan Carlos Piña’s dinner menu, three savory à la carte specials are available at the BYO:
· Pan Roasted Rack of Lamb with pimiento romesco, lemon zest, chopped parsley and micro greens
· Chicken al Pastor Tacos served with queso fresco, cilantro, radish, lime and jalapeño
· Pan Seared Salmon with cannellini beans ragout and small fennel salad
For lovers wishing to travel, Jet Wine Bar on South St. is the ideal destination for a romantic dinner that inspires wanderlust. The following Valentine’s Day specials all pair perfectly with a carefully curated international wine list:
· Sea Scallops with a grapefruit gastrique and bacon
· Lamb Sliders topped with a pomegranate glaze and spicy slaw
· Charcuterie and artisanal cheese plate, chef’s choice
· Paired wines can be sampled in a flight of three for $14
Keen, Graduate Hospital’s eclectic neighborhood restaurant and bar, is offering swoon-worthy dinner and drink specials, including:
· Bottles of Champagne for $30
· Hearts on Fire Cocktail- Hearts-chambord, spicy lime juice, raspberry sorbet, topped with sparkling rosé for $10
· Housemade Gnocchi in blush sauce for $15
· Surf & Turf Entrée- Lobster Thermidor and flank steak served with rice and broccoli for $50
— Mackenzie Mills